How To Write an Email that Sells! 12 Proven Tips

In marketing, not many things convert like power copy. So, it makes sense to optimise it in email, the marketing channel that remains one of the most effective tools for driving conversions. Here are 12 of our email copywriting tips (we use them in our own marketing too) that you can use to improve conversions from your email campaigns.

The first things your recipients see of your email are the email properties. These typically include the subject line, the from name, and some preview text..

Your subject line is the first impression your email makes, so it needs to be compelling, grab attention and create interest to entice the recipient to open the email. How do you write to increase your email open-rates? Follow these best practices and you will be well on your way:

• Keep it short, sweet and punchy
• Use action-oriented language
• Personalise with the recipient’s name or relevant details
• Create a sense of urgency or exclusivity
• Refer to numbers and lists

The preheader text serves as a preview of your email content and can reinforce your subject line. Use it to provide additional information or context and encourage the recipient to read further.

Once the email is opened, the first few lines should immediately connect with the recipient. Personalisation, such as using the recipient’s name or referencing their past interactions, can make your email more relevant and engaging.

The body of your email should be concise, benefit-driven, and easy to scan. Focus on how your product or service solves a problem or fulfills a need. Structure your content using short paragraphs, bullet points, and bolded key phrases.

The from name you use on your emails may not seem like a big deal, but our research shows that it is. It needs to be a name that’s recognised and trusted. Read more in our blog post, Research: Why People Don’t Open Your Emails

The best way to speak to your readers is using language that they use every day. In other words: ‘speaking’ to them the way they speak to themselves and others.

In most industries, this means writing simply and clearly, avoiding jargon, and making your copy conversational. This can depend on the brand though. Some brands strategically use more complex language and jargon as a barrier to entry, limiting their audience to those who are educated in a specific field.

No one likes the guy at the party who only talks about himself. Don’t make this mistake in your emails either. Instead of writing about your brand and what you do, focus on the reader and their needs. This helps them see immediately how their needs and interests fit in with your products and services.

When people read online content, like emails, they don’t read with the same state of mind as they do when they read a book. When online, they read for a purpose – to achieve something, to improve something, to get somewhere. They want to get in and out again as quickly as possible and if your message doesn’t help them do that, they’ll leave.

To address this, we recommend using the inverted pyramid, where you include all the important information first, descending by order of importance. This way, even if the reader doesn’t read your entire email, they’ll at least have read what’s necessary right at the top.

On that note, it often helps to keep your content short too. That means cutting out every word that doesn’t add value to a sentence. In every sentence. Then apply it to every paragraph, every heading. Cut, cut, cut, so every word in that email is essential to the message and no words are straggling on for nothing.

Valueless words add friction to your message and decrease the amount of content your reader is likely to consume before leaving.

Great ways of shortening copy include:

• Using strong nouns and verbs rather than adjectives and adverbs
• Using active voice rather than passive voice, wherever possible
• Using shorter words rather than long ones

This whole article is great for writing in general (not just for academia, as it suggests). Use and practice these tips to keep your writing tight and punchy.

Online readers typically read in an F pattern. This means they don’t really read your content – they scan headings and intro sentences. And the more ‘ledges’ you can create for them to hook onto along the way, the more of your content they’ll read.

There are two great ways to do this that work especially well when used together: the inverted pyramid (mentioned above) and sub-headings.

When you use sub-headings, readers can see immediately what you’re discussing in different sections of your email. So, even if they just scan the sub-heads, they’ve gathered valuable information about your message. Sub-headings also empower the reader to read the sections that are most relevant to them, making it easier to partner with your content to achieve their goals.

On digital screens, long reams of text are difficult to read and can seem like a mountain to climb for your reader (it’s exhausting just looking at it). So, make sure to chunk your content into easily digestible paragraphs. If you write your content in Microsoft Word before transferring it to other mediums and channels, like email, generally try to stick to four to five lines of text per paragraph.

Tip: The best way to know when to add a paragraph break is to pay attention to when the subject changes. If you start talking about something new, start a new paragraph.

Your email footer gives your recipients the information they need to contact you and should be used to maintain compliance with email marketing regulations. Include an easily accessible unsubscribe link to allow users to opt out if they choose. Adding social media links can encourage engagement beyond the inbox, giving your recipients an opportunity to connect with your brand on their preferred platform.

It can be tempting to throw everything at your readers and hope something sticks. But more calls to action (CTAs) don’t always result in more action. In fact, the more options you give, the more uncertain they’re likely to feel, reducing their chances of engaging with anything.

To simplify the process, stick to one main CTA per email. This gives them one clear task to complete without having to think too much about it. If you must include a secondary call to action, make it look different, either by changing the button colour, including it as hyperlinked text, or by laying it out differently to the primary one.

A clear and action-oriented CTA is more likely to encourage recipients to take the next steps. Get started now or claim your free trial are two great examples of clear and concise CTAs.

With most emails being opened on mobile devices, optimising your emails for mobile will ensure a seamless user experience. A responsive design allows your email to adapt to various screen sizes, maintaining readability and visual appeal across devices. Keeping the text concise and scannable helps readers quickly absorb key information without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, ensuring CTA buttons are easily clickable enhances the user journey by making it simple for recipients to act without frustration.

The proof is in the pudding, right? And in email marketing, that means tracking which emails and which content strategies get the most engagement, A/B testing different approaches, and making changes based on what gets the best results. Platforms like Everlytic provide in-depth email analytics, so you can track key metrics like open, click-through and conversion rates, and learn what works best for your audience.

Power copywriting takes time to master. Combine the rules in this blog post with a bit of creative writing flair and you may be well on your way to improving your conversions.