The first guideline of writing interesting copy, whether for an ad or an email, is that it must be something people want to read. That begins with the subject line in email copywriting. The subject line text works hard even before your readers open the email. This is why A/B testing your subject lines will motivate you to improve your email copywriting skills.

Why?

Because data never lies. A well-crafted subject line, like the headline of a blog post or landing page, entices the subscriber to click. And nothing occurs in digital marketing, particularly email marketing, unless someone clicks on a link.

It takes time to become a real email copywriting specialist. It has been stated that writing a decent short tale is more difficult than writing a full-fledged book. The same may be said about email. That is why we relied on our experience to give you with useful advice.

Take a deep breath, put yourself in the shoes of your subscribers, and apply these eight principles to produce great email text that will engage and motivate your subscribers to act on your next email marketing campaign.

Nail the subject line

Your email subject line serves as the headline for your email text. They will not open it if it is not relevant or entertaining and does not motivate your readers to take action.

Spend as much work as you would on developing an intriguing blog headline on your subject line. If you spend four hours overall on email copywriting, you should devote half of that time on the subject line.

Consider the following aspects when you brainstorm ideas for your next topic line:

Length: According to research, short subject lines (between six and ten words) had the highest open rate. This is most likely due to the fact that most consumers read emails on their mobile devices. If your email subject line is too lengthy, it may appear fine on a browser, but mobile readers won’t get the whole story—and they won’t click it.

Choose action verbs for your subject line. Before they even read the email, subscribers will understand what you want them to do. To generate a feeling of urgency, use terms like “act now,” “you deserve this,” or “don’t miss out.”

Keep it personal: Using actual people’s names in your “to” and “from” fields will result in greater open rates. Email is a personal medium, so treat it as such. It’s nice for readers to get an email from a genuine person’s name rather than a corporate name in their inbox.

Don’t forget the preview text

Your preview text in email copywriting is similar to a Tweet before Twitter changed the character limit. You just have a few characters to grab the attention of subscribers and convince them to go beyond the subject line.

This preview text assists mobile device users in deciding whether or not to open the email. Here’s how it appears on a normal mobile device, with some quotes from top-level marketers like Talia Wolf, a prominent conversion expert:

It’s critical to remember that if you make a promise in your title, you should keep that promise in the preview content.

Use that brief excerpt to offer your subscribers a good impression of what’s within the email. If it’s interesting and relevant to them, they’ll probably open it.

Remember that shorter and more concise sentences are preferable.

Get personal

This cannot be overstated: email copywriting must be personalized if it is to convert. That is the end result.

So, how are you going to put this into action?

It may seem stupid at first, but suppose you’re composing an email for one person rather than hundreds, thousands, or millions. Pretend you’re speaking to a single buddy or client. Tell them about the wonderful news you want to share with them and explain what you want them to do.

Maintain a conversational tone.

Email is, by definition, private and intimate. You must contact your readers on a personal level if you want your material to connect with them.

The phrases “I” and “you” in this email from the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation let the communication seem like a personal chat between two friends. It clearly informs the reader of how they may assist and may take action.

Avoid industry jargon

You’re not writing to demonstrate to readers how knowledgeable you are about your field. Avoid industrial jargon in favor of phrases that ordinary people can grasp.

Even attorneys and investment companies should avoid using technical terminology in communications to the general public.

Instead, concentrate on the source of the problem. How can your brand or goods assist clients in overcoming a challenge or saving money and time?

This Capital One email had the potential to be dull, but instead it’s a personable and useful email. As an added advantage, it allows the reader to contribute input.

Choose your words carefully

Use the terms “you” and “your” often in your email copywriting to maintain the conversational tone. This will inform your readers that the email is about them, not you.

You should also emphasize the advantages of what you’re selling rather than the features. When discussing features, the emphasis is on you, your business, and your product.

When discussing advantages, the emphasis is on how your product or service may improve the lives of your customers.

Speaking about advantages rather than features focuses the email on your subscribers rather than your brand, which is precisely what readers want to see in their inbox.

Welcome emails are a wonderful way to get things started on the right foot.

Keep things short and concise

You’re doing it incorrectly if you’re writing several hundred words of copy in your emails.

Although consumers spend a significant amount of time browsing through their inboxes while doing other tasks—6.4 hours per day in many cases—they merely scan individual emails.

Let’s go straight to the subject. Let your subscribers know what’s going on, how you’re available to assist, and what you want them to do.

Make use of white space to break up your copy: large blocks of text will send readers running for the back button. To make your argument, use bulleted lists, brief phrases, and queries as appropriate.

This email from Fortnite has a lot of eye-catching images and succinct language to keep readers interested and motivated to take action.

Make sure your content is relevant

Would you phone or message everyone in your contacts to inform them about a wonderful new video game you just discovered? No, you’d only contact folks who are interested in video games.

You should also avoid sending the identical email to all of your subscribers. Making generic emails for your whole list will not resonate with anybody and will almost likely not convert. In fact, if you’re still sending out broad email blasts, it’s time to phase them out.

Instead, categorize your subscriber list based on previous clicks, age groupings, purchasing patterns, when they joined up, and other characteristics that make sense for your sector and brands.

Spend time getting to know your audience, and email copywriting will become much simpler since you’ll already know what they’re looking for.

This Airbnb email is highly customized, providing recommendations depending on the reader’s vacation destination. This email copywriting example demonstrates how a little amount of information can go a long way.

Include a single and simple call-to-action

Filling an email with many CTAs in the hopes that at least one would connect with your readers enough to persuade them to click anything might be tempting.

However, if you provide your subscribers too many links and buttons to click, they will most likely not click any of them. Your material should be straightforward, with a single CTA that clearly says what you want your readers to do. Don’t belabor the point. Your readers are too busy for that.

Bitly understands just what to do. Take a look at that huge, colorful, and straightforward CTA button.

Conclusion

Understanding your audience and how you can assist them is the key to great email copywriting.

Once you’ve determined that, you may talk to them in a conversational tone. A/B test emails and send previews to a small subset of your most engaged subscribers to discover what works.

In the end, email is a personal medium. Consider it as such. Talk to your readers like people, and they’ll feel more inclined to take action.