Email Marketing Message Crafting

In an email marketing campaign, the email marketing message you are sending is just as critical as the list you use. The list may identify the right person, but are you speaking their language? When crafting your email marketing message, make sure you speak to your audience, not at them.

Email Marketing Message

When you begin to craft your message, it’s helpful to have a contact that has a similar persona to your target audience. This may be a friend, customer, or someone you find in a professional networking group. The value this person brings is immense as they allow you an insight into the way your target thinks about, reacts to, and hears your message. When you are close to your product, it is sometimes easy to take certain understanding for granted. What I mean is that it is easy to use words that make sense in the context of your product or are an industry term. The issue may be that someone else has no idea what you are saying. And one of the things I tell people is that if you make someone work too hard to understand your message, they have a high probability of just leaving.

Additionally, working with someone in t your target audience helps you identify timely and engaging topics. If the content has no draw or interest, it will quickly be deleted. Instead, listen to current challenges and risks and talk to those issues. Work hard to create a conversation point with your audience so they will want to continue engaging you. This is critical. If you always sound like you are selling something, it’s a major annoyance. Don’t let this be your email marketing message. Instead, help people. Give them something they can use. If they need your professional services, they’ll know where to look.

Using That Tone

Can you think of a time your tone of voice caused a conflict? The statement may be rock solid and the intent pure, but the tone of voice used derailed the whole conversation. Your email messaging can have the same issue. Creative use of bolding, underlining, punctuation, and the occasional emoji can help clarify your message. Also, be careful of negativity, insults, or blanket accusations. These approaches can be off-putting and cause your campaign to suffer. There are tools that can help like this Tone Analyzer. Still, your best bet is to have a friend read your message and give you feedback. Don’t be the annoying marketer!

Instead, speak with authority and understanding. Someone is reading your email marketing message because they have an interest in the topic. There’s no need to be insulting or mean. Help them out. Speak respectfully to them. Remember, someone taught you at some point as well.

Measuring Results

Before you start to send out your message, make sure you’ve decided the KPIs (key performance indicators) you would like to measure as well as what makes it a good campaign. Are you focusing on clicks, on opens, or a full conversion? Each of these examples has merit depending on the overall reason for sending out your marketing.

Regardless of what you are measuring, make sure that the goal is realistic. A home-run is always good, but does it make sense to expect it every time? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean you can’t swing for the fences.

Bill Reynolds

I have been in marketing and technology for more than 20 years and have worked in many industries and worn many hats. From independent consultant, to cooking school, to establishing technology centers, it was a Spirit led adventure that landed me in the president & owner’s seat at Element 502. View all posts by Bill Reynolds