Your recipe for writing an email in 15 minutes or less
How many times do you sit down to write your next email newsletter, spend a few minutes thinking and then give up? With everything else you have to do, it’s easy for email marketing to be pushed further down the list.
But what if you could get it done in 15 minutes or less? Sounds good, doesn’t it? More manageable.
Writing your email is much easier when you follow a process each time. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Read on to learn what that process is!
Writing an effective email.
There are a few things to think about when you set out to write your email. Don’t miss any of these out – all of them have an important role to play in how successful you are with email marketing.
1. Write a captivating subject line
Think about when you see an email in your inbox where the subject line is [insert month] newsletter. Really, how tempted are you to open that email right away? Nope, me either.
It’s critical to get your subject line right. It’s one of the two things that helps the reader decide whether or not to open up your email.
So, spend some time crafting your subject line. Get creative and use words that provide intrigues, make people smile, add some controversy or an element of surprise. You can even add an emoji. Just be sure to make the content of your email clear in that subject line.
Stick to around 4-7 words – you do not want any of it to get cut off in inboxes.
Minal’s Tip: I usually write the subject line last. I have the guts of the email, so the content is clear and then I use that to help me come up with an appropriate subject line.
2. Don’t miss the pre header text!
The preheader text appears under the subject line in most inboxes. Think of it as an additional space to tempt your readers to open up your email. Most mobile devices display 75-100 characters. To be sure your preheader doesn’t get cut off, limit yourself to 6-11 words.
As with the subject line, make sure the preheader is connected to the content of your email.
And, as I normally write my subject line at the end, that’s when I write the preheader text too.
3. Be recognisable
Remember when I said that the subject line is one thing that impacts opens? Well, the other thing is people recognising who the email is from.
Make sure you use your business name in the from text, so people know the email is from you.
The other thing to make your email recognisable is the branding. Make sure you use the same colours as on your website.
In most email tools, you will need the HEX value of your brand colours. If you don’t know what that is, use a tool like ColorZilla, which is a Chrome extension.
In addition to your brand colours, make sure you include your logo. And don’t forget to link your logo back to your website. It’s a great way to get website visitors.
Minal’s Tip: If you want to use images in your emails, I recommend you choose one image that supports your message. Remember to link this to your main call to action (see point 5.)
4. Write your message body
This is the bit I do first. I think about what I want my readers to do (the call to action), the benefit for them and how I lead them to take action.
Your email has to very clear, easy to read and obvious what you want readers to do.
One way to start is with an attention-grabbing headline. It could follow on from your subject line. Then write a few sentences to answer:
- What are you offering?
- How will it help your reader?
- What should they do next?
You don’t need to write war and peace. Think about how often you receive really long emails. Do you read the entire thing? I thought not!
So, keep it brief – around 20 lines of text.
Minal’s Tip: Write your email in Word or a Google Doc. Then chop and change what you don’t like. Add the heading if you’re using one. Once you’re happy with it, copy and paste into your email template.
5. What’s your compelling call to action?
You want your readers to do something after reading, don’t you? In that case, you need to include one, clear call to action in all your emails.
Don’t be tempted to include more than one. When you give people lots of choices, they often don’t choose anything at all. Give them one choice and they don’t have to think about it, just click!
Make sure you put your call to action towards the top of your email so that your readers can see it without having to scroll too much. If it includes a link, you can make it stand out by using a button.
Minal’s Tip: Remember the image you included? Make sure the image links to the same place as your call to action. You’ll be surprised how many people click on images!
Focus and don’t waste time!
Writing a good email doesn’t have to be daunting. If you read my blog post about how to create an email marketing plan you’ll know I talk about working in 15-minute blocks.
The best advice I can give you is to have that email marketing plan. Because if you know what you’re writing about when you come to writing your email, you can do it in 15 minutes or less. I know this because it’s exactly what I do!
Want some time with me to finesse your emails?
Why don’t you check out my coaching packages? Here’s how I can help you:
- Learn my system to make sure you have the time to make it happen
- Have a plan to grow your email list
- Understand how to create emails that get sales