7 Practical Tips for Well-Written Emails
Did you know that people are expected to open 4.9 billion email accounts by the end of 2017, an Email Statistics Report for 2015-2019 shows.
Currently, there are 4.35 billion email accounts generated by 2.58 billion users. The annual growth is expected to be at least six percent for the years to come.
What do all of these numbers mean?
Whether you’re using email for business communication or promotional purposes, it’s important to make the most of this marketing tool.
Statistics show that 33 percent of people decide whether to read email on the basis of the subject line . Thus, every aspect of your email has to be perfect for it to impact people in the best possible way.
Want to learn how to write killer emails for business communication and marketing ?
Follow these tips to make the most of your web-based interactions with others.
The Subject Line
People have a short attention span.
Many of them will refrain from exploring your emails if the subject line isn’t meaningful, catchy or niche enough.
For a start, remember to keep it short.
Subject lines having 30 or fewer characters maintain above average open rates .
Remember that many people take a look at their emails through a mobile device first. The small screen will cut a larger headline short. Thus, keeping it concise is the best way to stay relevant.
In addition, you have to make the subject line specific and interesting.
Avoid the words and terms that have already become clichés. Words like business offer, proposal, discount, sale or reminder don’t usually do the trick.
Use numbers, ask questions and make the message geographically-targeted.
Including the recipient’s name in the subject line can also increase the open rate.
Here are several examples of spectacular subject lines that work.
They’re creative, humorous and unexpected – qualities you should be aiming for when writing emails.
Start Off Strong
The first sentence will determine whether the recipient is going to go through with the entire email.
Always include a greeting and the name of the recipient at the top.
If you only have a generic greeting, chances are that people would think you’ve sent the same email to 10,000 other recipients. Personalization is the key to hooking your audience right from the start.
Get into the subject matter immediately.
People don’t have hours for pleasantries and introductions.
So, instead of writing:
Dear sir or madam (or even worse: To whom it may concern)
Start with:
Dear Mr. Smith,
I’m writing to follow up on a meeting you’ve had with our customer representative on July 24.
Telling the person what the purpose of the email is right from the start will save you both time and make the communication more relevant.
Clear and Concise
When you have to present a lot of information, do that in a clear and concise way.
Bullet points and numbered lists make it easier for people to scan through your emails .
You may also want to use a bold or an underlined font to put emphasis on the most important points you’re trying to make.
If you serve people with a large chunk of text that isn’t broken down or formatted in any way, the chance that somebody is going to read the entire thing gets close to zero.
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Use Active Verbs
One of the weakest verbs you could ever include in your emails is… you’ve probably guessed it – “is.”
Instead of relying on this one, opt for an active verb that describes an action.
Passive voice and the lack of strong verbs lead to sentence chunkiness and poor structure.
Just take a look at the following examples:
I’ve written a report explaining 2015 social media marketing trends.
And compare this sentence to the following structure:
The 2015 social media marketing trends report was written by me.
The second structure lacks the dynamic appeal and straightforwardness of the first one. Thus, stick to short sentences that are active and that utilize the power of active verbs.
Don’t Mislead
Using clickbait titles will definitely get people to open your emails.
If you can’t deliver on the promise in the subject line, however, you’re misleading your audience.
The next time you send an email, chances are that nobody is going to pay attention to it.
If you’re promising to reveal Beyonce’s shocking diet secrets, you better have information about how she keeps her body curvy and attractive in the text.
Otherwise, you’ll lose the audience before you’ve managed to build a relationship with these people.
No Typos and Grammar Mistakes
Typos and grammar mistakes are indicative of sloppiness.
Always take your time to go through the text and identify tiny errors.
These show you don’t care enough to go over the text and do corrections.
Chances are that you’re not going to be taken seriously if your emails are full of mistakes.
Read through and Delete Everything Unnecessary
Save verbosity for your personal communication.
According to MailChimp surveys , a sentence that explains links included in your email is sufficient.
Making the text longer will probably alienate the audience.
When you’re done with writing, take a moment to go through the text.
Delete all of the sentences, explanations and embellishments that don’t add anything to the meaning of the email.
Your audience will appreciate the concise, focused message.
Conclusion
Writing good emails requires research and some preliminary thinking.
You know what your audience wants and how to reach these people.
Dedicate some time to being creative and presenting the information in the best possible way.
If you manage to accomplish those goals, you’ll see the effectiveness of your email communication increase exponentially.