How can you write emails that persuade people to act?

1 Know your audience

Before you write anything, you need to understand who you are writing to and what they want. What are their goals, challenges, needs, and preferences? How can you relate to them and show them that you care? How can you tailor your message to their specific situation and interests? The more you know your audience, the more you can craft your email to appeal to their emotions, values, and logic.

2 Write a catchy subject line

Your subject line is the first impression of your email. It determines whether your recipient will open it, ignore it, or delete it. To write a catchy subject line, you need to be clear, concise, and compelling. You need to capture curiosity, urgency, or benefit. You need to avoid spammy words, vague promises, or misleading claims. You need to test different variations and see what works best for your audience.

3 Use a clear and friendly tone

Your tone is the way you express your attitude and personality in your email. It affects how your recipient feels about you and your message. To use a clear and friendly tone, you need to be polite, respectful, and positive. You need to use simple and direct language, avoid jargon and slang, and use proper grammar and punctuation. You need to address your recipient by name, use personal pronouns, and show empathy and appreciation.

4 Structure your email logically

Your email should have a clear and logical structure that guides your recipient through your message. It should have a clear purpose, a main point, and a call to action. It should have an introduction that hooks your recipient, a body that explains your message, and a conclusion that summarizes your message and asks for action. It should have short and relevant paragraphs, bullet points, headings, and white space. It should have a clear and easy-to-follow layout.

5 Include a strong call to action

Your call to action is the most important part of your email. It tells your recipient what you want them to do next and why they should do it. To include a strong call to action, you need to be specific, clear, and urgent. You need to use action verbs, positive words, and incentives. You need to create a sense of scarcity, exclusivity, or value. You need to make it easy for your recipient to act by providing a link, a button, or a reply option.

6 Follow up and follow through

Your email is not the end of your communication. It is the beginning of a relationship. To build trust and credibility, you need to follow up and follow through. You need to send a reminder, a thank you, or a confirmation email depending on your purpose. You need to keep your promises, deliver your value, and solve any problems. You need to ask for feedback, referrals, or testimonials depending on your goal.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?