Email Content Development: Top 10 Things to Remember

Tami Wessley
Posted by Tami Wessley on September 6, 2012

top 10 email content tipsToday, I received an email that immediately prompted me to write this post. The first line said, “Like you, I am a practicing attorney.” Huh. I don't recall passing the bar but I am a marketing professional, so I knew this was a “delete." But I was curious, so I kept reading. The email went on to talk about how the sender transformed his practice into a marketing firm for law offices and was ready to jump in and “change my life” by increasing the visibility of my law firm. At that point I gave up reading.

This is just one example of the many misdirected and poorly crafted email marketing messages most of us receive every day. In the spirit of helping to reduce these errant emails for both senders and receivers, I’m sharing my list of email marketing top 10 things to remember.

  1. Optimize for mobile and preview panes. Since the first view of an email is typically in a preview pane or on our mobile devices, challenge yourself to get the main point across within that space to encourage opening the email. After you’ve created your email, send yourself a test and critically review what your recipients will see when they receive your message.
  2. Include CTA and phone numbers both on top and at the end of the email. Many readers will lose interest in your message before reading the whole thing, so make sure they know how to act right away.
  3. Make sure content is valuable but keep it short and to the point. Very few recipients can devote a lot of time to sort through emails each day, so short, bullet-pointed messages that provide valuable information get the best response rates.
  4. Emphasize rewards for taking action – what’s in it for them?
  5. Avoid spammy words like “free” or “money." If you’re taking the time to craft impactful messages and send them to your best targets, make sure spam filters don’t gobble them up.
  6. Don’t over- or under-send – an email schedule should be based on sending no more than once a week and not less than once a month. Send your emails at a day and time your audience is most receptive – understanding what those are will take some research and tends to change, but there are some days and times that are definitely better than others.
  7. Use the right language and tone for your audience. Adopt the personality and vocabulary of your prospects so your messages are relatable.
  8. Proofread!
  9. Use visuals to help your audience quickly get the point or to break up large chunks of copy.
  10. Adhere to CAN-SPAM rules so you don’t get blacklisted. Find an overview of the rules here.

Following these simple tips will increase your chances of being read and, hopefully, generate some leads! Struggling with what to say – and how to say it? Download our Free Inbound Marketing Content Creation Templates.

Content Creation Template & Worksheets

Topics: Marketing Automation, Email marketing

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