Ok, so you obviously read the previous blog post – your subject line was great and lots of your members have clicked through and are now about to read your email. But how do you ensure they actually do and they reach your call-to-action (CTA)?
There are 3 parts to the body of a great email:
- An enticing title
- An attention-grabbing image
- Interesting body text
Think of these elements as a funnel. Your superb subject line has just dropped a group of members in at the top. It’s now your job to ensure there aren’t any holes where they can get out!
Here are some top tips for creating engaging emails:
Title
- No surprises please – Your title shouldn’t be a carbon copy of your subject line, but it should follow on from it. This is not the time to bait and switch on your members. No one wants to find an email not being about what they opened it for.
- Short and snappy – Just like your subject line your title needs to be clear, compelling and concise.
- Bold and large – Use a larger font, make it bold and use your company colour to ensure it stands out and your members don’t have to go searching for it!
- Show them what you are going to show them – Feel free to get creative with your title, just don’t be cryptic! Ensure it is clear what the email is about.
Image
- Yours to use – The first thing to consider when using an image in your email is whether you are legally entitled to do so. If you have taken an image from Google Images, the answer is almost certainly no!
You have 3 options:
- CC0 – Creative Commons Zero licenced images are free to use for personal and, more importantly, business purposes.
- Paid for stock – Images available to buy from websites such as iStock and Shutterstock.
- Create your own (our favourite idea!) – by taking high-quality pictures of your facilities you can build a library of unique and relevant images to use however you wish.
- Relevant – Why use an image that has no relationship to the subject you are sharing with your audience?
- Appropriate – Check over the image before you use it. Does it contain anything which your members might find offensive? Is there something in the background which looks a bit out of place? Unless your aim is to provoke your members, you want to err on the side of caution.
- Unique – It’s best to try and avoid images you have seen used a lot by others, as your members may associate them with those other businesses instead.
Text
- Don’t overdo it – A full page of text can be intimidating. Three paragraphs is plenty. Make sure every word you use gives value to the member reading it.
- Keep it simple – Use straight-forward language and short sentences. Write the email like you are talking to one of your members. This will help make information easier to take in and the overall piece more pleasant to read.
- Have a structure – The University of North Carolina recommends clear, short paragraphs and the effective use of white space and bullet points to emphasise important information.
- On-brand – The members who receive your email should instantly recognise it has come from your club. Refer to your brand guidelines: What is your company font? What tone of voice should the email be written in?
- Proofread – You must proofread your email before sending it to (potentially thousands of) your members. Spell check software is not enough; a correctly spelt word may still be used incorrectly. It is definitely worth getting a second pair of eyes on it too; a colleague may pick up some errors you might not have noticed during your proofread.
