How to craft compelling copy for effective email marketing
When it comes to email marketing, your copy is everything. It’s the difference between an email that gets ignored and one that drives action. With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shrinking, the words you choose need to do more than just fill space—they need to captivate, engage, and convert.
At Own Your Space, we’ve seen how powerful the right words can be. Whether it’s a subject line that grabs attention or a call to action that compels clicks, crafting compelling copy is the key to unlocking the full potential of your email campaigns.
But what does it take to write copy that cuts through the noise and delivers results?
In this blog, we’ll break down the elements of creating email copy that not only reaches your audience but resonates with them. From understanding your audience to mastering the art of the perfect subject line, we’ll guide you through the steps to make sure your emails make an impact.
Understand your audience
If you want your email copy to resonate, you need to know who you’re talking to. Understanding your audience is the foundation of crafting relevant and engaging emails that truly connect. Without this insight, even the most well-written copy can miss the mark.
Segmentation is a powerful way to make sure your messages are hitting the right notes with the right people. By dividing your email list into specific groups based on demographics, behaviour, or past interactions, you can tailor your copy to speak directly to each segment’s needs and interests. This not only increases relevance but also boosts engagement—people are more likely to interact with content that feels personalised to them.
To take your understanding even further, consider creating detailed buyer personas. These personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers based on real data and insights.
They guide the tone, language, and content of your emails, helping you craft messages that resonate on a deeper level. Whether you’re addressing a busy professional, a tech-savvy Gen Z, or a value-conscious shopper, a well-crafted buyer persona means your copy speaks directly to the person on the other side of the screen.
Writing a strong subject line
The subject line is your email’s first impression, and in the crowded landscape of inboxes, it’s often the make-or-break factor. It’s not just a headline—it’s the gateway to your email, the deciding factor that determines whether your message gets opened or sent straight to the spam. In fact, 64% of recipients decide to open or delete emails based on the subject line alone, and 33% of users choose to open emails specifically because of a catchy subject line (Source: HubSpot).
Creating an effective subject line requires a blend of creativity and strategy. Here are some tips to make sure your subject lines grab attention:
- Keep it short and sweet: With most people checking emails on their phones, brief, concise subject lines are more likely to be seen in full and clicked on.
- Spark curiosity: Pique your readers’ interest by leaving them wanting to know more. A touch of mystery can go a long way in boosting open rates.
- Use numbers and lists: Numbers stand out and can make your subject line more compelling. For example, “5 Tips to Improve Your Email Marketing” is likely to catch the eye.
- Personalisation: Including the recipient’s name or relevant details can make your email feel more tailored and increase the likelihood of it being opened.
Finally, to find out what resonates best with your audience, consider A/B testing your subject lines. By testing different variations, you can gather valuable insights into what types of subject lines drive the highest open rates. This means you can refine your approach and continually improve your email performance.
Writing an engaging preview text
The preview text is the unsung hero of email marketing. Often overlooked, this snippet of text appears next to or below the subject line in the inbox and plays a role in supporting your email’s first impression. Think of it as an extension of your subject line—a chance to give your recipients a bit more information and entice them to open your email:
Reinforce the subject line: Use the preview text to complement your subject line. If your subject line sparks curiosity, the preview text can provide a hint of what’s inside, compelling the reader to click.
Provide additional context: While the subject line grabs attention, the preview text can clarify the email’s value. Use it to answer the question, “Why should I open this email?” by highlighting the benefit or key takeaway.
Create a sense of urgency: Encourage immediate action by incorporating urgency into your preview text. Phrases like “Limited time offer” or “Only a few spots left” can motivate recipients to open your email before they miss out.
When done right, the preview text acts as a powerful partner to your subject line, working together to improve your open rates and set the stage for the rest of your email content.
Crafting a clear and compelling message
Once your email is opened, the real work begins. Your message needs to grab the reader’s attention immediately and keep them engaged long enough to inspire action. Here’s how to create a clear and compelling message that resonates.
Hooking the reader early: The first line of your email is critical. Just like in any conversation, first impressions matter. A strong opening line should immediately capture the reader’s interest, making them want to read more. Whether it’s a bold statement, a question that piques curiosity, or a relatable anecdote, your hook should draw the reader in right from the start.
Keeping it concise: People don’t have time to wade through long, complex emails. Keep your message concise and to the point. Every word should serve a purpose, guiding the reader toward your desired outcome. Clarity is key—make sure your main point is easy to understand and quickly digestible.
Benefits over features: Focus on benefits rather than features. Instead of just listing what your product or service does, explain how it will improve the reader’s life or solve a problem they’re facing. Benefits resonate on a personal level, making your offer more compelling and relatable.
Storytelling: People connect with stories, not just facts. Incorporate storytelling into your emails to create an emotional connection with your audience. Whether it’s sharing a customer success story, a personal experience, or a narrative that illustrates the value of your offer, storytelling makes your message more memorable and engaging.
By hooking your reader early, keeping your message concise, highlighting benefits, and using storytelling, you’ll craft emails that not only communicate clearly but also compel your audience to take action.
Creating strong Calls to Action (CTAs)
The call to action (CTA) is the moment in your email where you guide the reader toward taking the desired step—whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a resource. A well-crafted CTA can be the difference between a passive reader and an engaged customer:
- Use action-oriented language: Your CTA should be direct and encourage immediate action. Phrases like “Shop Now,” “Get Started,” or “Claim Your Offer” use strong, decisive language that motivates the reader to click.
- Make It stand out visually: Your CTA should be easy to find and hard to ignore. Use contrasting colours, bold fonts, and buttons to make your CTA pop visually within the email.
- Create a sense of urgency or exclusivity: Encourage prompt action by incorporating urgency or exclusivity into your CTA. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Only Available to the First 100 Customers” can create a fear of missing out, driving quicker responses.
And remember, personalised CTAs perform significantly better—up to 202% better than basic ones, according to HubSpot. Tailoring your CTA to the individual recipient’s interests or behaviours can dramatically increase its effectiveness.
Personalisation and tone
Personalisation and tone are important for making your emails feel relevant and engaging to each individual recipient.
Using personalisation: Personalised content is one of the most effective ways to increase engagement. This goes beyond simply using the recipient’s name in the email—it means tailoring your content to their specific interests, behaviours, and past interactions with your brand. Personalised emails show your audience that you understand their needs, making them more likely to engage with your content and take action.
Tone and voice: The tone of your email should consistently reflect your brand’s personality while resonating with your audience. Whether your brand voice is friendly and casual or professional and authoritative, maintaining a consistent tone across all your emails helps build a stronger relationship with your readers.
You’ll drive more actions but also foster a deeper connection with your audience.
Reviewing and editing your copy
Before you hit send, make your email copy polished and error-free. A well-crafted email can be quickly undermined by a typo or unclear messaging, so taking the time to review and edit your copy is crucial.
Proofreading for clarity and accuracy: Beyond just checking for errors, make sure your copy is clear and concise. Your message should be easy to understand, leaving no room for confusion about what you’re offering or asking your readers to do.
Reading aloud: One of the best ways to make sure your email flows naturally and sounds engaging is to read it aloud. This simple step can help you catch awkward phrasing, repetitive language, or sentences that don’t quite hit the mark. If your email sounds good out loud, it’s likely to read well too.
Getting feedback: Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. Before you send out your email, consider getting feedback from a colleague or team member. They might catch something you missed or suggest a different angle that could improve your message. Additionally, testing the copy internally with a small group can provide valuable insights into how your audience might respond.
Transform your email marketing with compelling copy
Crafting compelling email copy is both an art and a science. And the results speak for themselves: for one of our clients, we nearly doubled their open rates from 11.13% in September to an impressive 23.73% by March.
We didn’t stop there—by refining their copy and optimising key elements, we also doubled their average click rate from 1.4% to 2.73% and achieved a staggering 400% increase in their click-through rate—from 3.8% to 19.78% over the same period.
These numbers aren’t just statistics; they’re proof that well-crafted copy can transform your email marketing results. As you put these tips into practice, remember that the key to effective email marketing is continuous improvement. Keep refining your approach, testing different strategies, and learning from your results.
If you want the best email marketing service that will make you money and improve your customer loyalty, get in touch with the experts at Own Your Space. We’re here to help you turn your email campaigns into powerful tools for growth.