5 Tips on Writing Conversational Emails
5 Tips on Writing Conversational Emails
Using conversational copy in your emails is one of the best ways to engage with your email subscribers. Here are 5 conversational copywriting tips to help you build engagement with your subscribers, drive more conversions, and give a big boost to your return on investment.
How to Write So Your Content Doesn’t Sound Like Writing
Conversational copywriting doesn’t necessarily mean that you write exactly how you speak. But you should write so it doesn’t sound like you’re writing. For example, conversational content allows your readers to feel like you’re talking with them, not at them. This is one of the best ways to help you engage with your subscribers and keep them interested in what you’re saying. Here are 5 ways to help you do just that:
1. Leave breathing room. In conversations, you don’t speak in long, dense paragraphs. So why write emails in this manner? In the same way, long, run-on sentences can slow down a reader. That’s why it’s important to keep both your paragraphs and sentences short and easy to read.
Besides just looking at your email copy for sentence and paragraph length, try reading it aloud. If it still sounds like you’re writing rather than talking, go back and break up the copy more.
2. Count how many times you refer to “I,” “we,” “me,” and “us,” and compare it to how often you use “you.” Newsflash — your subscribers are a lot less interested in you and your company compared to how your company and its products or services can benefit them. So, be sure your email copy is focused on the recipient: Make it about them (not about you) and how you and your company can meet their needs. Plus, it sounds more engaging and customer-centric to address your subscribers with “you,” instead of with general terms (or not at all).
Here’s a FulcrumTech Get the Click email review that provides a good example of a welcome email that could have done a better job at being more reader-centric.
3. Good conversations are full of questions. Asking questions slows down readers by making them think. Don’t you agree? In addition, using questions in your email copy encourages readers to pay attention and feel more engaged.
But it’s a good idea to follow up your questions right away with answers so that your subscribers don’t have time to think of a wrong answer. For example, you don’t want subscribers to think of a competing business if you ask a question such as, “What muffler repair shop in the tri-city area ranks highest in customer satisfaction?”
4. Gifts are always appreciated. Think about offering downloadable content or other free items, especially in your nurturing and welcome emails. This could include such downloads as white papers, e-books, or discount coupons. So, when more emails from your company arrive in their inboxes, your recipients can’t wait to open them and see what other treats they’ll be receiving.
Check out this nurturing email from Drugstore.com that provides a great example of this concept.
5. Treat the email as if you were speaking directly to your customers. Imagine you are talking to each of your prospects and customers in person. Would you speak to them as if you were giving them a formal presentation? Or would talk to them on a person-to-person basis? You’ll find that, in both speaking and writing, talking on a more personal level to customers is far more effective than talking over their heads.
The copy and tone in this email from join.me (which was featured in our Get the Click email review) gives you a good idea of how to speak directly and effectively to customers in your emails.
How are your email campaigns performing? If you see room for improvement, FulcrumTech can help. We have a strong track record for crafting and optimizing copy for our clients to effectively drive conversions. Email us or give us a call at 215-489-9336 and see what we can do to improve the overall performance of your email-marketing efforts.