Your marketing email clears a major hurdle when someone opens it.
You’ve managed to write a compelling enough subject line for the recipient to click and read. Volumes of information exist about writing good subject lines. But, very few articles exist about creating effective opening lines.
After a reader opens your email, comes the moment of truth. Will you be able to hold the interest of the reader enough to close a sale or build awareness of your product?
Get Attention!
Once the recipient opens the email, what next?
Is your intention to educate the recipient about your business or product? To make a sale? Regardless of the purpose of the email, one thing is clear: you have to grab the reader’s attention with a strong and relevant opening line.
By relevant, I mean timely and you-oriented. The best email opening lines grab the reader’s attention by focusing on the needs, wants, and concerns of the recipient and contain timely information.
For example, maybe your target market consists of small businesses looking to get better search engine results from your SEO company. Your opening statement might appeal to the reader, in a timely and attention grabbing way. For example,
“Great news! Based on your recent interest in getting more web traffic from visitors located in Richmond, VA, I’ve found the perfect solution.”
Here are a few tips for creating powerful, attention-getting opening lines.
1) Be you-oriented and positive
Don’t start with a statement describing yourself or your company. Classic mistake. The recipient wants to know how the email will be of value to them. Therefore, keep the content focused on the reader, and be positive. Starting with “Good news!” or “Congratulations!” is a great way to instantly create a positive feeling.
2) Be timely
After all, we’re talking about an email inbox. Does the information appeal to the reader in a timely way? For example, are you emailing them about a sale that ends soon? Are you emailing information about a product that’s new and exciting? Ask yourself, how is this email, and this opening statement, presenting timely information?
3) Consider asking a question
If you have no better way to open a marketing email, ask a compelling question. For example: “Did you know that businesses are losing an average 10 sales per day — hundered of dollars — by having a poorly designed, outdated website?
4) Be direct and to-the-point
Let’s be honest. People refuse to have their time wasted in today’s now, now, now digital age. They want to know –quickly — how the information is relevant to them and their lives. Avoid long sentences or skirting around the issue. Just be direct and to-the-point. For example, “This email — every word of it — is about how your company can make more money and stop losing sales.”
5) Build Rapport
A you-attitude approach that creates a sense of rapport between you and the reader is an effective way to gain and keep interest in the email body. For example, “Like me, you want an effective, cost effective approach to advertising your product or service.”
Conclusion
These are just 5 possibilities for gaining the attention of the recipient. The important point to remember is that you have just one or two seconds to appeal to the recipient, so find a way to get attention and stay focused on the recipient. Once you do that, you’re on your way to the next steps: building interest, conviction, desire, and closing a sale.
-Douglas
Atlantic Software
Comments
No comments yet