Get it Write: Email Copywriting

Best Practices and Trends

Cara McDonald & Sarah Norden, DEG Copywriters

ET Communities, November 2013

Email Marketing Goals

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Consumers receive an average of 44 emails a day,

25% of which are permission-based

commercial messages.

Source: ExactTarget, http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/techcorner/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/SFF2_EmailXFactor.pdf

How do we,

as copywriters,

cut through

the clutter?

Where Your Reader Looks

Preheader Text

Headline

Primary Message

Call-to-Action

From Name.

Subject Line.

Secondary Message

FOLD LINE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Subject Lines

Your subject line’s purpose is to attract their attention (without

abusing their trust) and entice them to open the email.

You aren’t selling anything (yet).

Subject Line Best Practices:

Short (<35 characters)

First two words optimized

Descriptive

Give reason to explore message further

Be clear over creative

50 characters is acceptable.

42 is OK.

35 (or fewer) is best.

35 or Fewer Characters Over 35 Characters0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

24.02%

16.93%

Average Open Rate

Keep it Short

Source: MarketingSherpa

The first two words are crucial.

The first two words are crucial

Get answers for your tax questions. (Commerce Bank)

Repin to win (Copious)

Three ways to make their heart pitter patter (Three Dog Bakery)

You + Boots… a classic love story (Country Outfitter)

The first two words are crucial

Get answers for your tax questions. (Commerce Bank)

Repin to win (Copious)

Three ways to make their heart pitter patter (Three Dog Bakery)

You + Boots… a classic love story (Country Outfitter)

Clarity > Creativity

Clarity > Creativity

CREATIVE– Wrapp, Freestyle (Send the Trend)

CLEAR– Get wrapped up in these scarves

CREATIVE– Hoppy Easter - Limited Edition Easter Treats Are

Here (LUSH)

CLEAR– Fill Their Easter Baskets with Bath Treats

Clarity > Creativity

CREATIVE– So Fresh, So Clean – Colorblock Totes & Prints

for Spring

CLEAR– Colorblock Totes & Prints for Spring

Clarity > Creativity

Make them want

to explore.

NO NEED TO EXPLORE– BRGR celebrates 3 Years with $3 Burgers on

Sunday 2-5 pm (BRGR)

– 4 Days Only: 25% Off NESPRESSO Machines (Fab)

– SALE: 20% off EVERYTHING. 3 Days Left! (+$25 Credit for Orders $150+) (Fab)

Make Them Want to Explore

Urgency– 25% off. 48 hours. Go. (Madewell)

– Last Chance: Break Up or Make Up? (scrapbook.com)

Curiosity – At work? Don't open this email. (J. Crew Factory)

– Going… going… (Lee Jeans)

Make Them Want to Explore

Make Them Want to Explore

Question– What’s in your nature? Join the discussion. (Cabela’s)

– Can you keep a secret? (Lee Jeans)

News– A New Blog from The Land of Nod (Land of Nod)

– BIG. NEWS. (REALLY.) (Madewell)

How to– How to keep your social fresh and flowing with

templates (Wildfire)

Tactics Worth Testing:

Localization

Special characters

One-word subject lines

all lowercase subject lines

Words that Trigger Spam Filters:

Free Percent off / % off Closeout Help Reminder

SHOUTY CAPITALS Extensive use of

punctuation!!! → Excessive use of

special ♥ characters

Tactics that Trigger Spam Filters:

Preheader

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Where Your Reader Looks

Preheader Text

Headline

Primary Message

Call-to-Action

From Name.

Subject Line.

Secondary Message

FOLD LINE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

The preheader text’s purpose is to continue the subject line’s message and

support the primary

call-to-action.

Why Preheader

Text Matters Appears in

preview pane Image blocking Huge role in

mobile

Preheader Text

Preheader Text Best Practices Can be longer (100 characters) Could stand on its own Don’t be cute

Preheader Text

Email Body

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Where Your Reader Looks

Preheader Text

Headline

Primary Message

Call-to-Action

From Name.

Subject Line.

Secondary Message

FOLD LINE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Talk about benefits, not features.

People don’t read.

Make it scan-friendly.

Does it provide value to the recipient?– Is it going to add more knowledge to my

subscriber?– Is it going to solve their most pressing problems?– It is worth the time reading?

Can I scan it in 3-4 seconds? Do I understand benefits, rather than just

features?

Email Body Copywriting Checklist

Alt Tag Tactics

People don’t read.

And sometimes, they really can’t read.

Alt Tags Best Practices Write alt tags for every image in the email Alt tags should convey the primary message

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Source: http://litmus.com/blog/designing-the-perfect-call-to-action Source: Litmus, https://litmus.com/blog/designing-the-perfect-call-to-action

Don’t be generic.

Open

• From Line• Subject Line• Preheader Text

Engage

• Email Body

Act• CTA Button

Industry Trends

Mystery Sale

Mystery Sale

Special Characters in the Subject Line

Onomatopoeia/Exclamation in Subject Lines

Text Only

Exclusivity

Corresponding Messaging Across Touchpoints

Corresponding Messaging Across Touchpoints

Social Callouts

Social Callouts

Value-added Content

Value-added Content

Value-added Content

Product Attributes (Retail)

Product Attributes (Retail)

Real-time Marketing

Email Copywriting Checklist

Email Copywriting Checklist

From Line Is it a company or a company department?

(i.e. DEG Support, DEG Rewards, etc.)

 

Subject Line Is it fewer than 35 characters? Are the first two words optimized? Is it descriptive?

 

Preheader Text Is it fewer than 100 characters? Does it support the Subject Line and primary call-to-action? Could it stand alone? Is it cute? (It shouldn’t be.)

Email Copywriting Checklist

Email Body Does it provide value to the recipient?

– Is it going to add more knowledge to my subscriber?– Is it going to solve their most pressing problems?– It is worth the time reading?

Can I scan it in 3-4 seconds? Do I understand benefits, rather than just features? Does each image have an alt tag? Do the alt tags convey the primary message?

CTA Buttons Does it answer “what?” “why?” and “when?” in seconds? Is it generic? (It shouldn’t be.)

Email Copywriting Checklist

Educational Resources

Sharpen Your Tools Copyblogger.com Copypress.com Nielsen.com ET Swipe File (Pinterest) DEGDigital.com/blog Subscribe to emails!

Thank you! Cara McDonald & Sarah Norden, DEG Copywriters

Resources

Resources

• Email Client Market Share: http://emailclientmarketshare.com/

• Litmus Email + Mobile: https://litmus.com/blog/webinar-email-mobile

• Email on Mobile Devices: http://mailchimp.com/resources/guides/email-on-mobile-devices/

• Responsive & Scalable Email Design: https://litmus.com/blog/responsive-scalable-email-design-whats-the-difference

• Responsive Email Design Guide: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/

• Responsive Email Patterns: http://briangraves.github.com/ResponsiveEmailPatterns/

• Connections 2012 Design for All Inboxes: https://litmus.com/blog/connections-2012-key-takeaway-design-for-all-inboxes

• Guide to CSS in Email: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/css/

• Is responsive email design really worth it?: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/3856/is-responsive-email-design-really-worth-it