How to Write Emails that Lead to Successful Campaigns

There is an art to writing content in Newsletters that truly is valuable and entertaining for your subscribers. See here for why content is so important to the future of marketing.

Email Campaigns are still one of the leading ways to reach people and ought to be part of your inbound marketing strategy. Why? Because it demonstrates your credibility in what you do and your authenticity in how you and your brand relate to people.

It' about trust, if your Newsletters are genuine and decently informative, I can trust that your products are the same. With 7 billion mobile devices in 2015, millions of people all around the world have an Email account and check it on a daily basis.

With the rise of Ecommerce, we're no longer prisoners to our geographical region. Email is the key to the front door, and if your content can shine in this departement, and can link to contemporary trends in the digital world like video marketing & in social media then that door is going to be golden. However, it will require a lot of work on your part.

Before we begin, quickly check out some of these examples of trendy Newsletter Email templates.

Design & ESP 

Make sure that the Email Service Provider you are using has a decent template builder where you can customize every detail of your Newsletter. If it doesn't have a template builder, does it have templates, if so, are they responsive design - automatically adjust to the device of the audience? Great content is as much about design and visual branding as about the actual text of the the Email message.

Welcome & First Message 

When people sign-up to your Newsletter, the first couple of messages they receive creates a lasting first impression, they will evaluate the brand, the authenticity and the salience of the message with their interests, field and knowledge-base. Ever detail of the visual layout of the welcome messages are key.

Staff & Selecting Content 

Make sure your copywriter has experience and a good writing ability. Is their style of writing persuassive and orangic? Plan ahead your Campaign strategy and the sorts of things you will be including in your Newsletters. Organize your content assets meticulously so you can re-cycle content as need be for any channel.

Header Tempaltes for Newsletters

The header of your Email Campaigns is of significant importance, since its visual appeal and links is improtant for managing first impressions on your Newsletter.

Text to Image Ratio

A 60/40 text to image ratio is considered good practice, as too Emails too reliant on images can raise SPAM filter red flags and decrease deliveraiblity. However if your image ratio is too low, mobile users will find your content boring and pass on it.

These ratio will however depend on your industry and the content you have readily at hand.

Triggered to Broadcasts to Newsletter Ratio 

Triggered messages somtimes called autoresponders or transactional Emails are those messages usually tied to sign-up, eCommerce alerts, dormancy promotions, loyalty bonus coupons, etc... Unless your copywriters are experts in creating these templates, you will want to have a limited number of autoresponders that are carefully crafted and updated.

Broadcasts are your Campaigns that deal with special promotions and when you have something to sell, promote or a special Campaign for example during the Holidays or a seasonal event, local event, etc....

Newsletters are your entertaining and informative regular content that are of used to keep in touch, inspire and inform your segements of your email database and are content-specific to each segement or subscriber persona target group.

Creating High-Engagement - Content Tips

Be Persona-Centric 

• Focus on customer journey, balance information with entertainment for specific kinds of subscribers and prospects.
• Make sure one of your personas is a profile of a baby-boomer, for they are set to retire and have more economic power proportionally to younger generations.
• Personalize the content to the segement, the content has to match the audience.

Target different kinds of Information Processors  

• Try to balance content modes, and different kinds of presentation: text, images, info-graphics and video.
• The trend is for visual content and video content to be more mobile friendly.
• Consider having embedded links to podcasts (audio).

Datamine via Newsletters

• Do, add surveys and polls that are informative and fun.

Display Benefits 

• Do not be pushy about your products or services, share what it can do and what problems it can solve
• Provide solutions
• Invite and stimulate engagement
• Offer weekly or monthly demo webinars

Display Products

• Add a link in your Newsletter to product images and product videos
• Considering having a landing page with a compelling short introductory video about the kinds of services you offer.
• If you link to your corporate website, make sure its design and videos are compelling and up to the standards of your competitors.

Show Statistics 

• This will add some credibility for those who enjoy analyzing trends and figures.
• Including quality links will not only verify your knowledge, but stimulate your audience to read more.

Standing Out

• Decide on how you can stand out  and show the originality of your brand!
• Don't be afraid to offer some personal disclosure to make you more identifable as a person, not simple a role.
• Have a document that specifies your design standards and stick to it.
• Integrate video marketing content to truly stand out and show your personality.
• Mine your customer feedback on social media and utilize UGC in your Campaigns, this creates brand reciprocity on your social channels and an engaging senes of connectedness.

Create a sense of Urgency 

• Have promotions that have time-limited CTAs
• Bundle free credits for eCommerce store or in-store appearences
• Include elements of Gamififcation in your marketing strategy and incorporate access to it via your Newsletter
• One strategy to create a sense of urgency is to highlight what they will lose, contrast some of the best features of your products. Explain what they will "miss out on" if they don't buy your product or service.

Have a clear CTA

• The Call-to-Action should be clear and allow your audience to know what you expect them to do next
• Consider personalizing the CTA to segement, along with the subject-line.

Responsive Design 

• Segment also by device of the recipient, since your A/B Tests will need to have versions of the content best suited to Device, Desktop Email client, Mobile Email client and web browser.

• If your ESP has responsive design intragrated, don't assume it will be perfect for each of the possible combinations of Device, Brower and Email Client. Test to make sure, or at least test the most popular combinations of your existing clients.

Do you have any suggestions on writing tips for eCampaigns and Newsletters? Let us know.