Craft communications that ENGAGE, MOTIVATE and SELL
We all get a million emails a day, or so it seems. It’s too much. How are your emails standing out from the massive, pushing, shoving crowd of the overflowing inbox?
Here’s a crash course on how to ensure your stakeholders open, read and engage with your digital communications. If you’re not following these best practices, you’re just wasting everyone’s time (including your own):
1. Subject Line
Stating the purpose of your message quickly and succinctly will help your customers decide if your email is worth their time. This is also an opportunity to be fun and interesting, reflecting your company’s style and personality!
One of our all-time favorites: Don’t Hire Frank. Never Hire Frank.
This message was about making sure you hire the right consultant for your project: Just because someone claims expertise doesn’t mean they actually have it. We had an experience with a client whose former marketing agency (let’s call them “Frank”) messed up a bunch of things with their website, so we wanted to present a strong, cautionary message to help people avoid the same mistake. This email had a record-breaking open rate and helped to generate lots of conversations with our clients.
2. Specific Content + Deadline
Every email you write should begin by answering this question: Why are you trying to talk to your customers today – specifically?
Is there a special action that you need customers to take that’s tied to an upcoming date? Whether it’s a registration period or compliance with an upcoming issue or policy change, the more timely and precise your communication is, the more likely it will be read and inspire action.
Want to learn more? Book time with a C! strategist!
3. Solutions to Problems
Folks read their email with one subconscious mantra: what’s in this for me? Helping customers identify their problems is good; providing them with solutions is better.
Hall of Fame Pick: Ideal Pet Products
Many dog owners don’t know that pet separation anxiety is a real issue (it is!), and with some of us returning to work after extended work-from-home periods, the problem can be exacerbated. With this email, we present the problem and provide access to a solution.
This email had an open rate above 50%! (Making it an all-star of opens!)
4. Practice What You Preach
In this email, we:
- Gave a punchy headline that was direct in its message but also a little fun and sassy
(just like us): Stop Sending Bad Emails. - Provided specific information that we’re knowledgeable about and that you wanted, and a deadline: “Here is a crash course on how to ensure your stakeholders open, read, and engage with your digital communications.”
The subtext is “act now or you’re going to both waste money and lose money.” - Offered a solution to your problem, right here: