How to Write an Email Your Subscribers Will Open and Read
If you're interested in learning how to write an email your subscribers will open and read, you need to ask yourself this question before you hit send:
Of the 125 or so emails your subscribers receive daily, why should they open and read yours?
If you don’t ask, your readers won’t open. Or worse, they’ll open it only to hit the “unsubscribe” link.
Here are some tips for writing an email your subscribers will open and read, and even an idea to get them looking forward to hearing from you again.
How to Write an Email Your Subscribers Will Open and Read
IF YOUR SUBJECT LINE IS DULL, YOUR SUBSCRIBER WILL SCROLL
Your subject line is your one shot at a first impression. There are several ways to use yours to convince subscribers to open your email.
- Intrigue – Add a little mystery to your subject line to entice the reader. As long as you know your reader and their interests, you will draw them in. If you included a special offer or freebie, let them know!
- Entertain – Promise a good time if they read what’s inside. Offer a micro-break from life for just a few moments.
- Educate – An interesting statistic that leads to more information is an excellent method to lure readers into reading more.
- Enlighten – Do you know something the reader should know? Tease that out in the subject line.
Whether you choose to intrigue, entertain, educate, or enlighten, grab your reader’s attention in a way that they will stop scrolling and click on your email.
Get the Digital Product Blueprint
WRITE TO YOUR AUDIENCE, NOT FOR THEM
Once they open the email, do you immediately follow through with what you promised in the subject line? If not, one of two things will likely happen. The reader will either ignore all future emails from you or scroll to the unsubscribe button and be done with it altogether.
You’ve gotten them to open the email, now hook them with immediate value. Write directly to your reader as though you are sitting in the same room and you are fully invested in the conversation.
Be fully you, represent your brand well, and let your personality shine, but remember, your audience is the hero, not you. Improve their lives because they took the time to read your correspondence.
INCLUDE AN ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
Reel them in by giving them something they didn’t ask for or expect. Give an unannounced freebie, toss out some valuable information, or invite readers to join you in impromptu teaching for subscribers only.
K.I.S.S (KEEP IT SIMPLE, SMARTYPANTS)
No, this is not an ode to kissing booth marketing. (grin) Keep your email super simple.
S.I.M.P.L.E.
The most straightforward way that I have found to simplify my email is to write out everything I want to say, then challenge myself to cut it in half TWICE.
Myself, I might start with a 500-word email. My original edit cuts it down to 250-300 words by using words and phrases that do heavier lifting yet are less wordy, cutting out all unimportant words. In my final draft, I have found it best to keep it under 200 words.
Have a story to tell? Write a blog post and link out to it with a teaser they can’t refuse.
Hint: Write your email with a skimmer in mind. If a person simply opens and scrolls, make sure they get the overall message during their brief view.
USE FACTS & STATISTICS
But please, oh I beg you please, don’t make it boring. Jeez, Louise, there is absolutely no reason to be dull, even when you’re crunching numbers!
Toss in some numbers and statistics your audience may not already know. By educating and enlightening your reader, you’re offering them value while teasing out that the longer they hang around and listen to you, the more they will learn.
ADD A P.S.
Adding a postscript at the end just plain works. The reasoning isn’t apparent, but I feel like it warms up your email, making it sound more personalized. Add a PS with a clear call to action in your next email and see what happens. You might be surprised!
SEND ON THE RIGHT DAY AND TIME
Knowing when to send your email can be tricky. Again, it is essential to know your audience, but a few general guidelines can help. Tuesday is typically the best day to send an email, with Wednesday being second. Mailboxes are less inundated on those days. Your reader is through Monday’s bustle, but it’s still early enough that they are engaged. 8 am or 10 am are both good morning times. If you prefer to catch your reader in the evening, 8 pm is recommended because most everyone checks their email before bed.
BUILD IN ANTICIPATION FOR YOUR NEXT EMAIL
Dangle the proverbial carrot by sharing just a tiny snippet of your next email. Build anticipation and give subscribers something to look forward to. When you send your next email, include a reminder teaser in the subject line.
P.S. One final tip that I didn’t touch on, but that is absolutely KEY to an email list that converts, is to include clear calls to action. What do you want the reader to do? Make it crystal clear. That’s not the point of this article, but it couldn’t be left unsaid. So there you go.
Remember, the purpose of your email list is to connect with your audience and grow your brand. Serve well and keep the main thing as the main thing. You’re going to do fantastic!
