How To Write Emails That Convert To Sales

The most frustrating part of email marketing is little to no conversion. I know, it happens to a lot of marketers. That’s why I want to share secrets on how to write emails that convert to sales in this blog.

Over the years, the number of emails that businesses and consumers send or receive has increased exponentially.

That's how noisy the world of email is.

So how do customers filter through the noise? How do they decide which emails to open and which to delete without even taking a look? How do you ensure they open your emails and take action? The simple answer is to provide them with the email content they want when they want it.

PROVIDING VALUE is the secret behind sending emails that convert.

To prove that emails with high-value content matter, I present to you this list:

• Despite the interest in new messaging tactics, such as infographics and podcasts, email newsletters have been rated as the most effective channel for nurturing leads, with 57% of respondents indicating as such. - MarketingSherpa
• 90% of internet users in the US use email. - Statista
• Social media has a .58% engagement rate, while email reaches about 85% of the people you send it to (this is called the inbox placement rate) and has an open rate of almost 23%. - OptinMonster

Now that we know the importance of optimizing your email marketing campaigns, it’s time to talk about creating emails that people will open, click, and encourage them to take action.

12 Tips On How To Write Emails That Convert

By the time you finish reading this guide, you’ll know the secrets of improving email conversions to get more leads and sales.

1. Define Your Reader

In email marketing, not everyone is your customer, so you should not write for everyone.

It is crucial to identify your exact target audience for each email that you send. You have to know the following:

• Who you’re talking to.
• How you’re going to write for your target audience.
• What language to use.
• How to reach your readers. 

Just like building an engaged email list, you will get better results if you segment your audience. Keep in mind that segmented campaigns drive a 760% increase in revenue. Customers love to receive relevant and personalized emails.

To know your readers, you can interview them, survey them, read their reviews, and interview your frontline staff.

2. Know Your Reader’s Purpose

Solving customer’s problems and helping them fulfill their goals is why they will buy from you.

Goals affect your customer’s decision-making process, and while most of us focus on our own goals, the right way to start is to ask yourself – “What is my reader’s goal as it relates to what I have to offer?”

When you know your reader's purpose it will help you craft email messages that are relevant to them. High relevance = high engagement.

3. Write The Email Outline

If you want to be a productive email writer, write an outline. It is far easier to deliver a high-quality message to your readers if there’s an outline.

The way you present and organize your email information dictates its results and impact.

The following elements of an email outline can help you save a lot of time editing, rewriting, and ensuring you write clear and concise emails:

• The primary goal of the email.
• Details of your target audience.
• Your customer’s main problem.
• How the problem affects customers.
• Your solution.
• Other key points.
• An effective call to action.
• Date and time when the email will be sent.

4. Write Attention-Grabbing Preview Text

The subject line isn’t the only element that makes people open your email. It’s also the preview text that most email copywriters craft carefully.

The preview text is the piece of text that tells people more about the email content. Usually, this text shows part of the first line of the email.

Avoid writing preview text that instructs people to read the email online or unclickable links to your social media profiles. The recommended length for preview text is 35 to 140 characters.

5. Write A Catchy Subject Line

A subject line is one of the most critical elements in your email because your subscribers see your subject line even before they open your message. It not only ensures your email gets opened, but read and clicked on.

Most marketers talk about high converting subject lines involving the word count; however, it’s rarely about the length.

Subject lines are like any other sales funnel; it’s not just about the open or click on the ad. It’s about guiding a prospect through each phase of the funnel: from reading that email (Awareness) to clicking on that CTA (Consideration) and continuing the customer journey (Conversion). 

This article has some great suggestions on how to write compelling subject lines.

6. Avoid Using Spammy Characters

Writing in ALL CAPS and multiple exclamation marks (!!!) in both the subject line and the email body is a huge mistake.

Not only is writing in all caps the equivalent of shouting, but it can put your email directly to the spam folder, hurting your open rate.

If too many subscribers report you for spamming, it could also hurt your email deliverability or, even worse, get you blacklisted by your email marketing service provider.

7. Use Storytelling In The Email Body

Storytelling has existed since the dawn of humanity, so why not use it to write your email.

Instead of staring at a blank page and hoping the perfect email will come to you, use one of these two storytelling formulas to craft the perfect email.

What’s great about these storytelling formulas? When you write the first sentence, everything else will fall into place:

• StoryBrand's Storytelling Framework:

Who is your target audience?

What is the problem of your target customer?

How will you guide the customer to solve the problem?

How do you plan to solve the problem?

What action does the customer need to take?

How can the customer avoid failure?

• AIDA formula:

Attention

Interest

Desire

Action

8. Always Consider The Length Of Your Email

The secret to writing successful long-form sales email copy is writing according to your customer’s awareness level.

There are 5 stages of awareness. 

• Unaware
• Pain aware
• Solution aware
• Product aware
• Most aware

Your goal is to identify that stage of awareness and move people towards the next stage until they reach the final stage. You can accomplish this in one lengthy email or a series of emails, each targeting one stage of awareness and moving the reader onto the next.

Here's an example:

• Stage 1 - Unaware: If someone is unaware they have an email open problem within their email marketing campaign, your email’s goal is to make them aware of that pain by showing them how to improve email open. 
• Stage 2 - Pain Aware: You need to provide a solution for the pain now that they’re aware of it.
• Stage 3 - Solution Aware: You need to walk them through the type of solution to their problem precisely like your service.
• Stage 4 - Product Aware: You need to build trust and explain why you’re the right one for them at this stage now that they’re aware of your solution; 
• Stage 5 - Most Aware: This is where the customer needs to take action. 

You either have a lengthy email that includes a few awareness stages or a series of drip campaigns with multiple emails targeting each stage of awareness.

9. Visual optimization

The overall visual design of your email has a massive impact on conversions.

Depending on the end goal of your email, you can design your email in various ways:

• Images or photos
• Font and design colors that match your brand messaging
• GIFS
• Animations
• Videos

10. Never Make It Hard For People To Unsubscribe

Customers find it so frustrating when it's difficult to find the unsubscribe button from an email subscription.

It is a mistake to hide that unsubscribe button or link because doing it has ZERO advantage.

Subscribers who want to unsubscribe from your list will not convert even if they give up on unsubscribing. They've already opted out of your emails in their minds.

Let me tell you that keeping those subscribers means: 

• lower open rates
• lower click-through rates
• higher complaint rates

11. Test, Test, and Test!

Test your email by split testing your opt-in forms, subject lines, copy, CTAs, and more to develop your copywriting skills.

12. Make Great Ideas Greater

This one may sound like you’re stealing someone else’s great idea, but don’t worry, it is perfectly legal.

Subscribe to other email lists to get inspiration for high-converting emails. See if they’re doing something that gets the attention of people. Adapt and improve these email strategies to suit your email marketing campaigns.

This is one of the best things you can do to get better and better with your email marketing!

And that's how to write emails that convert to sales!

Head over to the recommended resources section below to learn more about email campaign optimization. You can also set up a free consultation with us if you need help and outside eyes on this marketing topic.

Recommended Email Marketing Resources

• 7 Emails You Need to Send Now to Drive Sales
• How To Write A Sales Email People Want To Respond To
• How to Write Cold Emails That Quickly Convert Sales

So what do you think about this blog? Are you ready to write high-converting emails?

Let us know in the comments section below.

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Header image courtesy of Stockunlimited.

About the Author Tim Fitzpatrick

Tim Fitzpatrick is the President of Rialto Marketing. At Rialto Marketing, we help service businesses simplify marketing so they can grow with less stress. We do this by creating and implementing a plan to communicate the right message to the right people. Marketing shouldn't be difficult. All you need is the RIGHT plan.