Email Marketing Hacks for Better Engagement

It’s go big or go home, imma right?

You want your email marketing to be faultless. No question why. The value of emails and their ‘digital marketing god-tier status’ means that any business not taking advantage of them is probably losing a ton of money.

So you, as a copywriter, want to get in on writing for this industry. Emails aren’t going anywhere, so now’s a great time to provide the service.

You take the courses, you watch the videos, you read the books.

You spend hours dissecting the Gary Halbert Letters.

However, you might be overloading yourself on the obvious

And not what’s actually weaved into successful emails.

Don’t get me wrong. You need to practice headings, hooks, CTAs, brand voice, and so forth. This is important stuff.

But there are a few key traits that help your email marketing go beyond the rest of the crowd. They may sound small- but their value is limitless.

All you have to do is observe great emails, and you’ll see what I mean.

Thankfully, I’m going to save you some of the legwork.

Spacing

Emails are condensed, little buggers. People love a clean, scannable email that maintains readability and doesn’t feel overstimulating.

Because emails are compact, if you allow for clutter, you’re going to look unprofessional and spammy- like you don’t have the reader’s best interests in mind.

People can spot a spammy-looking email a hundred yards away. They’re not going to take the time to read your email, even if its context is the best you’ve ever created. Lack of spacing is a one-way ticket to Unsubscribe Town.

Humor

Funny and relatable emails that make the reader smile is one of the best email marketing tips I could give you.

There are plenty of reasons why this tactic works. Oftentimes, it’s the relatability in the situation.

Your readers are going to view you as more of a human instead of some random bloke trying to sell them something. It’s an extra layer of authenticity that readers appreciate.

In addition, they will begin to associate your emails with positive emotions. They’ll look forward to hearing from you, and that’s perfect.

Length

Mastering the art of compacting your message into a shorter, easier-to-digest form is something that takes practice. I totally get you.

I used to write everything like it was an essay, and that’s a bad habit 10x, especially for email marketing.

Though we scoff at people’s attention spans, you’ve got to keep in mind their time. Your email isn’t the only one they have to read.

So keep your length conservative. Create a valuable build-up, and then cut to the chase.

Handle Objections

If you know your base, you’re going to have a basic knowledge of why they wouldn’t buy your product or service.

You can use your email sequences to let your readers know you have a grasp on these factors- and how their objections are handled and/or obsolete when they opt for you.

Your readers’ objections could have to do with pricing. They might not think they need your product/service because there are ‘better options out there.’ Or they don’t trust you yet, having believed for the longest time that ‘so and so in this industry are all the same.’

Using your marketing skills, you can water these worries down ahead of time. But when it comes to objections, addressing them openly shows the reader a sense of both respect and experience.

Provide Social Proof

As humans, we care what others think. Not always in the best way, but we’re social creatures. Even more than what others think, we care about their personal experiences. Your readers are going to want to see some action before they get in on anything.

A great way to provide social proof is to piece together relevant testimonials. If you can pair these as evidence for objections, you’ll definitely hit a nerve!

You can also slide in statistics for sales, and how large your audience is.

All of this is a ‘don’t take my word for it’ scenario. The fact that you’re willing and able to show social proof is an added layer of security for your readers.

Stylize

Maintaining a style in your emails can come in many forms- from the heading to the verbiage, to how you bring your context to a close.

Just like the aspect of humor, the way you stylize your emails will stick with readers. If it’s a pleasant or unique style that hits home with your target audience, this can in turn boost your engagement.

Let’s say you’re writing email sequences for an alternative lifestyle brand. You decide to go for a sassy, fast-paced tone with vibrant infographics to prove your point. These stylized emails are just what the audience was expecting.

Remember, you can’t just pick styles you like and go from there. Study your client’s brand and build upon that!

Stress Consequences

This can be done in a few sentences and is usually reserved for long-form copy. But you can take advantage of this tactic in emails, too, as the golden rule of copy remains the same.

Reader, problem, solution.

In order to really enhance conversion rates, you should stress the consequences of what will happen if they don’t take action to solve their problem.

For example, you want to eventually present the reader with your client’s book on solving brain fog. You know your readers are frustrated with the fact they don’t have a solution, but you want to make sure they’re ready to pick yours.

After addressing their pain points, dive into the consequences of what will happen if they don’t take action.

“You feel like throwing in the towel and learning to live with your brain fog. 

But as time goes on, the consequences will seep into more and more aspects of your everyday life.

You’ll start to decondition yourself to the progression, and in turn, maximizing your brain’s limits as the years go by.”

These readers are already worried about their brain fog. Imagining what their situation will look like in the future only stresses the point!

Summary

Email marketing can be packaged in a million different ways. Anyone who’s trying to sell you a one-size-fits-all method for creating them is probably bluffing up a storm.

However, the tips above can be weaved into any method you’re using, and the methods of different clients to come.

So don’t overthink it. When you’re creating emails, remember the following:

1. Spacing
2. Humor
3. Length
4. Objections
5. Social Proof
6. Style
7. Consequences

Analyze and apply. It’ll take your email copywriting to the next level!

Continue Reading: Email copywriting tips to create content people want to read

About the Author

Abigail Pollock is a freelance SEO copywriter based in New York. She works with digital marketers to create evergreen blog content that goes the extra mile for businesses. You can connect further on her website and Twitter.