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Email Copywriting: An Ultimate Guide for Copywriters

There is no denying that your content can help you achieve fantastic outcomes. You can draw potential clients to your content and achieve more sales. You must write various email copy as a marketer or salesperson for your campaigns.

Gaining proficiency in email copywriting gives you access to new tools. Of course, even if you are a terrible copywriter, email marketing can still be effective, but it is not advisable to take that chance.

You have two options for handling your email campaigns: either employ a copywriter or develop your email copywriting skills.

You need to be familiar with the fundamentals to distinguish between excellent and terrible examples of the form.

To close more deals, you must have persuasive email copywriting skills.

Before we treat email copywriting tips, let us understand who a copywriter is and what email copywriting means.

Who is a Copywriter?

To be clear, before we look at what makes for high-quality copywriting, let us define what a copywriter is.

copywriting email

A copywriter is, to put it simply, a person who writes marketing or advertising copy. This copy may be provided in several different forms, such as:

  • Email copy
  • Social media copy
  • Print copy (e.g., Brochures, flyers, etc.)
  • Website copy
  • Blog copy
  • Script copy for videos & radio

What is Email Copywriting?

The actual copy—the words—in your email subject lines and the body content is known as email copywriting.

It is how you communicate an idea that will persuade potential clients to buy. Theoretically, it is the same as any other form of copywriting.

The first requirement for a copy to be attractive is that it must be something readers want to read, whether written for an ad or an email.

Effective email copywriting begins with the subject line. The email subject line language already does the hard work before your subscribers open the email.

Because of this, A/B testing your subject lines will motivate you to develop as a better email copywriter.

Split testing, sometimes referred to as A/B testing, determines which of two campaign alternatives will result in the most significant number of openings or clicks.

Why is this so?

It is because data is truthful. A well-written subject line encourages the subscriber to click, much as the title of a blog article or landing page draws the reader in.

Additionally, unless a link is clicked, nothing happens with digital marketing, mainly email marketing.

The purpose of most marketing emails has the same goal: to generate a conversion. To do that, your copywriting must persuade the reader that you do not want them to make a purchase but rather that they need something from you and that you can provide it.

 email copywriting examples

Email copywriting has the power to help marketers close more deals.

It takes time to develop into a valid email copywriting expert. For example, an excellent short story is supposedly more difficult to write than a full-length novel.

Email operates in the same way. We used our body of knowledge to give you some helpful advice because of this.

Email copywriting is still one of the core talents that every marketer and business owner should be able to perform.

Now that we understand what email copywriting is, let us move on to our top advice for enhancing your email performance with a more quality copy.

Email Copywriting Tips

It is important not to treat message distribution to subscribers lightly. You now have access to the inboxes of your readers directly.

That is entirely personal.

The good news is that readers want your voice to be heard. Email is preferred above other permission-based advertising by 77 percent of respondents across all age groups and demographics.

But if you fall short of their expectations, they will delete your emails immediately or even hit the dreaded unsubscribe button.

Take a deep breath, imagine yourself as one of your target audience and subscribers, and utilize these email copywriting tips for developing compelling email copy that will compel readers to respond to your upcoming email marketing campaign.

Let us look at tens of email copywriting tips to guide you in creating email copywriting that captures the reader’s attention.

Tip One: Understand your buyer persona

You should first learn as much as you can about your target audience. Connecting with the prospects is only feasible after that. Otherwise, you will be unable to create an email subject line that would persuade readers to become paying clients.

By researching the potential customers, you may personalize the email by giving the impression that it was prepared with them in mind. Mention their passions and speak about their problems.

Tip Two: Get the email subject line right

The equivalent of a headline in your email copy is your subject line. Your readers will not open it if it is not intriguing or pertinent and does not motivate them to take action.

Just as you would with a catchy blog headline, spend a lot of time crafting your subject line. If you spend six hours composing your email copywriting, spend three hours on your subject line.

As you consider several alternatives for your subsequent subject line, keep the following things in mind:

Length

According to research, a subject line with six to ten words has the highest open rates. This is probably because most individuals read emails on their mobile devices.

Long email subject lines may appear fine on a computer, but mobile device users won’t get the entire narrative and won’t click on them.

Ensure you use short subject lines.

Word Choice

Use action words in your subject line while choosing your words. Before they even open the mail, this will help email subscribers understand what you want them to do. To convey a sense of urgency, use words like “act immediately,” “you deserve this,” or “don’t miss out.”

NOTE: It will be explained in detail.

Keep it personal

You’ll get more opens if you include real names in the “to” and “from” fields. Treat email as a private communication channel.

For readers, receiving an email in their inbox from a natural person rather than a business is a welcome change.

NOTE: This will be explained as another tip for better understanding.

 email marketing copywriting

You can write your email subject lines to create a curiosity hook.

Questions could be asked in subject lines. Although there is a twist, treat these questions like the promises they are interpreted as. Also, check out B2B sales, SaaS sales and tech sales.

Tip Three: Remember to include the preview text

Your email preview text is similar to a Tweet before Twitter changed the character limit. You have a limited number of characters to grab subscribers’ attention and persuade them to read past the subject line.

This preview text aids users of mobile devices in determining whether or not the email is worthwhile opening.

It’s crucial to remember that you should fulfill any promises you make in your title in the preview text.

This is how it appears on an iPhone, a typical mobile device. Here is a sample of email copywriting examples with preview text and no preview text.

 copywriting email marketing

Use that little snippet to give subscribers a clear impression of what is in the email. Then, they’ll probably open it if it’s interesting and pertinent to them.

Recall that concise and brief is preferable.

NOTE: The purpose of the email as a whole should have the same goal. Think of a story you are telling where the ending is a triumphant one. Your email’s subject line and preview text should introduce the tone of the message, and the opening line should lead naturally into the body’s major attraction.

Tip Four: Don’t use industry jargon

You’re not writing to demonstrate to readers how much expertise you have in your field. Use terminology that regular people can comprehend rather than industry jargon.

Even financial businesses and legal firms should refrain from using technical terminology in emails sent to regular consumers.

Instead, concentrate on the pain points. For example, how can a company name or your goods save clients money or time or assist them in overcoming a challenge?

This email from Capital One could have easily been tedious, but it is a relevant and helpful copy. The email carries actionable language. Additionally, it offers the reader a chance to comment.

 copywriting for email marketing

In simple terms, do not write things people won’t easily communicate and grasp.

Tip Five: Make it personal

It cannot be emphasized enough that personalization is a requirement for email copywriting if you want it to convert. The bottom line is that.

You can significantly personalize your emails using email clients. For example, you can use the names of your clients as well as the names of their businesses.

email copywriting example

Your email should not appear like a generic email created by a robot as you directly contact prospects. When an email appears to be coming from a genuine person rather than a corporation name, it helps the reader feel better.

How can this be put into practice, then?

At first, it can seem stupid but assume you’re sending the email for just one person rather than hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions. Assume you are speaking with a single buddy or client. Explain what you want them to do and tell them about the beautiful things you want to tell them.

Keep the discussion casual. It is just what a lot of email copywriting lacks to close more deals.

Email is inherently a private and personal medium. You must speak to your readers personally if you want your copy to be compelling.

One example is the email from Unicef that makes the email personal. It lets the reader know how they can help and take action.

cold email copywriting

You will likely send hundreds of emails at once, so personalizing each would be a complicated process. For this reason, automated cold outreach systems like Sloovi enable you to quickly and at scale tailor cold emails.

Tip Six: In your email copy, emphasize your product’s benefits over features

Before you begin your email copywriting process, repeat it five times.

The features are dull. Similar to technical manual specifications, they are. Considering them causes your eyes to become glazed over.

But benefits are marketing gold.

Describe how your customer will feel when they receive your stuff in the mail to help them comprehend.

You can set the stage before introducing a perk or two to close the transaction by addressing a concern.

 what is email copywriting
email copywriting templates

Tip Seven: Pick your words wisely

Use the pronouns “you” and “your” frequently while email copywriting to stay true to the conversational tone. This will signal your readers that the email is not about you but them.

 Email Copywriting Tips

Additionally, you should emphasize the advantages of your benefits rather than its characteristics. When discussing features, you, your business, and your product are the focal point.

The emphasis when discussing benefits is on how your product or service can improve the quality of life for your customers.

Writing about benefits rather than features places the focus of the email on your subscribers rather than your business, and every reader like to see that in their inbox.

Welcome emails are a great way to get things going in the right direction.

Tip Eight: Make sure you are delivering on your email copy promises

Just as stated in “Tip Two,” deliver on your promises.

Using Hello Bar to establish a top bar on your website is a terrific method to gather email addresses.

What you write can encourage the current users of your website to join your subscriber list.

You will probably want to employ a lead magnet or reward to entice folks to join up. However, if you do that, you must follow through.

email copywriting best practices

You must be ready to send a monthly discount if you put a Hello Bar like this on your website. You will breach your commitment and enrage your subscribers if you do not.

Every email you send may be used to your advantage if you are a skilled email copywriter, informing your audience, announcing a new product launch, or offering other resources.

Tip Nine: Be succinct and to the point

You are doing it wrong if you fill your emails with hundreds of words of copy.

Even though consumers spend an average of 6.4 hours each day reading through their inbox while performing other chores, they merely skim each email.

Get to the point quickly. Inform your subscribers of the situation, how you can help, and what you expect them to do.

Use a lot of white space to break up your writing; long blocks of text will make readers want to hit the back button. Instead, use questions, short sentences, and bulleted lists as necessary to make your point.

Nobody wants to read long, dull emails with glowing testimonials about your product or service.

Long and dull emails will result in losing reader attention. Imagine writing such an email to millions of prospects and subscribers; you can forget about getting more sales.

Fortnite’s email contains many eye-catching images and short text to keep readers interested and motivate them to massive act.

Tip Ten: Ensure that your content is pertinent

Would you phone or text all your contacts to tell them about a beautiful new video game you just discovered? No, you would only get in touch with those interested in video games.

In a similar vein, avoid sending the same email to every one of your subscribers. General emails sent to your entire list are unlikely to be read by anyone and are even less likely to result in conversions. So if you’re still using broad email blasts for email marketing, it’s time to stop.

Instead, divide your subscriber list into categories according to what they’ve previously clicked, age groupings, shopping preferences, when they joined up, and other considerations appropriate for your business and its brands.

Spend some time getting to know your audience so that you can write email copy that appeals to their needs.

The suggestions in this highly tailored email from Airbnb are based on the reader’s chosen travel destination. This email copywriting is a great example that demonstrates how even a little knowledge can have a significant impact.

Tip Eleven: When composing email copy, avoid generic words

Similarly to the subject line, ensure to choose the right words.

Certain words could be used to enthrall a reader.

Let’s imagine you want to say that using your product is enjoyable. You could use the more evocative phrase instead of the generic word “fun”:

  • Amusing
  • Action-packed
  • Comical
  • Delightful
  • Gratifying
  • Gut-busting

You see the words used. Use your thesaurus to locate the trigger words that perfectly capture what you want to convey. The essence of effective email copywriting is that.

As you locate trigger words, avoid spam trigger words also.

Let’s explain what this means in the next tip.

Tip Twelve: Avoid Spam Trigger Words

The spam filters of email service providers will hold your email if the copy is overly “salesy” and contains multiple terms that give the impression that it is spam.

Just because your email contains the terms “Free,” “Problem,” or “Success,” it won’t be instantly classified as spam.

However, knowing which terms frequently cause spam filters to be activated might be helpful, primarily if you work in a field where spam is a common occurrence.

Nevertheless, omitting specific words won’t be sufficient if you use spammy email marketing tactics.

For example, in commerce, words like, As seen, Buy, Buy direct, and so on are trigger words.

As we’ll cover in this book, sending valuable emails and adhering to solid marketing techniques are the most significant ways to prevent your emails from ending up in the spam folder.

Tip Thirteen: Focus your email copy on actionable language

Another email copywriting tip is the use of action verbs.

Writing should always be done in an active voice. Use language that motivates and grabs the recipient’s attention—making them act, in other words.

Take a look at these two calls to action as an example:

  • We’d love to hear from you!
  • Shoot us an email to let us know how we’re doing!

Which one is more concise and goal-oriented? The second, correct?

Ask your subscribers to take action if you want them to. But to achieve it, be precise and utilize powerful verbs.

Tip Fourteen: Try narrating a story

Until recently, individuals learned new things and shared their knowledge by telling stories. You can also use this strategy in your email copywriting process by producing informative and beneficial copywriting content.

The primary factor that makes storytelling applicable to sales and marketing emails is that it puts the reader in the story’s setting and causes them to experience the emotions the characters do. That is what endears a story to the reader.

A compelling narrative can aid in evoking the appropriate feelings and help the prospect relate to what you are trying to say. The narrative may be based on a chance encounter or your imagination. However, an efficient strategy typically yields the most remarkable outcomes.

Another option to include a story in your email message is customer testimonials from happy clients. They serve as social proof and significantly contribute to building trust.

Tip Fifteen: Your email marketing copy should be written in the second person

Speaking to your readers as though they were in front of you requires using the second-person point of view. Instead of using pronouns like “he” or “she,” speak directly to the person.

Almost like I’m speaking to you directly in this essay.

Here’s an illustration of what I mean:

 direct response email copywriting

Tip Sixteen: To improve your email copywriting tactics, create an excellent call to action

Consider your call to action the finishing touch on your email. You invite readers to engage with your brand there.

The tone and content of the CTA should match those of the email as a whole. Also, it should be too delicious to pass up.

Pay close attention to what your readers desire and what they anticipate from you. For example, do they care about coupons? Take $5 off their subsequent purchase for them. Do they desire details? Point them toward your most recent blog post.

It can be tempting to overstuff an email with CTAs in the hopes that at least one of them would pique your subscribers’ interest and prompt them to click.

However, the truth is that if you provide your subscribers with an excessive number of links and buttons to click, they’ll likely choose not to do so. Instead, straightforward language and a single CTA that expresses what you want your readers to do should be used in your text. Avoid avoiding the subject. That takes too much time for your readers.

Bitly is competent. Have a look at that sizable, prominent CTA button.

direct email marketing copywriting

You’ll open a link if the subject line intrigues you enough to click on it. You’ll read whether the body copy catches your interest. You’ll click if the CTA is compelling enough for you to do so. You should therefore be familiar with email copywriting.

Pro Tip

After the email copywriting is done, wait 24 hours before sending an email to your subscribers’ inbox. Reread it after that. With new eyes on the email, you’ll be able to assess your work more objectively. Additionally, you’ll be better able to detect the sneaky language and spelling mistakes that even the finest copywriters make.

These email copywriting tips will serve as a guide in writing emails. Find the guide for email marketing metrics.

Must See 3 Email Copywriting Examples

It’s a common sentiment among marketers. You’re attempting to create an email campaign for a mailing list, but you just can’t seem to get the ideal angle.

Marketers now struggle to create email copy that invites readers to act and gets their emails opened.

In reality, writing email copy involves more than simply the subject line.

It goes beyond the call to action.

And it goes beyond the email copy.

It’s about doing it all and designing emails that start working as automatic sales tools the moment you hit send.

How do you write effective emails that resonate with your audience that drive them to take action?

Let’s take a look at examples while linking the email copywriting tips listed:

Example One: Webflow

The following B2B email marketing example is from Webflow, which specializes in creating and hosting websites.

This is the gold standard for adopting a straightforward, logical structure that makes it easy for readers to traverse an email.

examples of email copywriting

Just for a moment, imagine yourself as one of their subscribers.

When they open this email, they are welcomed by a pleasant graphic and the welcoming heading “We’re here for you.”

They then scroll down to the main header and a brief text block that immediately and effortlessly informs them of what is happening.

Webflow merely informs them that they have compiled some valuable materials and are dedicated to offering support to their customers.

Following that, Webflow provides a bullet list that details the precise resources they have gathered.

The majority of readers love bullet lists because they:

  • aid scanning
  • aid in dividing lengthy sentences
  • Focus your reader’s attention on a crucial area.

And they’re ideal for emails when you need to cover features or benefits quickly.

Lastly, the CTA is excellent because it is strategically positioned at the bottom, just after users have read the article.

This proves that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to write an effective B2B email.

Simply provide readers with value and offer the information in a simple, understandable style.

This is an excellent example of email copywriting. Check out some email templates.

Example Two: LogMeIn

Cloud-based remote work solutions and software as a service for collaboration, IT administration, and client engagement are provided by LogMeIn.

This email is intended for their LogMeIn Central clients who use the platform to let their staff members operate remotely while preserving the highest level of security.

It combines the two essential qualities from my previous examples—stunning pictures and a bullet format—into one fantastic email to tell users of the advancements made by LogMeIn over the year and to express gratitude for their community support.

Readers first notice the email’s clear title describing its objective.

 email sequence copywriting

This makes it simple for readers to get orientated with just a glance, and the attractive background image attracts their attention with some eye candy.

The body of the text continues to be visually focused, offering data on the overall number of remote sessions that took place in 2019.

 email marketing copywriting tips

It also showed the improvements made to the platform.

 email copywriting template

This is a fantastic way to display information because it employs an infographic style and icons to make the material easier to understand.

This is a compelling tactic to employ since “almost one-third of all marketers questioned said that infographics and other visual assets are the essential content in their arsenal.”

Getting consumers to provide feedback on what they want to see from LogMeIn the following year will allow them to improve their platform and make it even better.

 email copywriting guide

Two main lessons may be learned from this B2B email marketing case.

One is that captivating graphics may draw readers in and are excellent for simplifying a great deal of complex material.

For instance, you might provide the same information by using an infographic framework and employing icons together with brief passages rather than writing out four or five paragraphs of text.

The second is periodically asking for feedback from your subscribers is a good idea.

This demonstrates to them your genuine interest in and respect for their viewpoint and might assist them in providing you with helpful information so you can maintain the development of your business.

What a win-win situation! Create your customized email signature now!

Example Three: Invision

A digital product design tool called InVision aids businesses in improving customer experiences.

This email’s stunning aesthetic appeal will catch your attention right away.

I know that I keep harping on about the importance of attractive photographs.

However, it is insanely crucial.

Your ticket to getting your foot in the door and persuading readers to read your email in depth is to include a jaw-dropping picture as the one InVision utilizes below.

 copywriting cold email

Strong visuals should be your primary focus, while you want to include enough language to make your point and explain the offer to subscribers.

By utilizing precise, concise wording and emphasizing important features like Sticky Notes, Diagram templates, and Presenter mode, InVision ensures that subscribers know what they are getting.

In this method, readers won’t have to read lengthy paragraphs and can swiftly take in crucial information.

Let’s now discuss CTAs. Following CTA best practices, this email:

  • Features a prominent CTA button that stands out against the background’s white color.
  • Simple language is used.
  • To inform readers of the actual consequences of clicking it.

The email’s excellent organization is the last feature to mention.

InVision doesn’t offer any sophisticated features.

Instead, they employ a logical arrangement that effectively communicates their offer, provides subscribers with the required knowledge, and urges them to act using a template.

This is verifiable evidence that it is best not to overthink it.

You should be fine if you focus on facilitating frictionless email navigation for your readers.

What Sloovi Can Do for You

You will probably send hundreds of emails all at once, so it would be challenging to personalize each one. Because of this, you can rapidly and efficiently customize cold emails with the help of automated cold outreach solutions like Sloovi.

 email copywriting for beginners

A cold outreach platform like Sloovi can shorten your sales cycle and increase income. It helps automate the work you despise doing the most and effortlessly track each touchpoint of your sales efforts.

Sloovi Outreach will help send those hundreds of emails at once, with these emails being personalized.

Let Sloovi work behind the scenes for your business, ease your workload and increase productivity.