How To Get People To Read Your Emails

Category: email marketing

July 26, 2018 | 0 COMMENTS

It’s tough to get emails read…

The harsh reality is that there could be hundreds of reasons why people aren’t reading what you wrote.

It could be your writing style is confusing, or boring, or lacks a build up to a peak and crescendo, or maybe it just runs on and on too long, kind of like this sentence.

Either way, the reason doesn’t much matter.

What does matter is that you need to change all of this.

Because if you want to make money, change the world, or grow your business to 6, 7, or 8 figures, then you need people to discover your message.

So here are my top 8 tips when you begin your email newsletter to ensure that people read what you write in your emails.

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1. They’re Too Long

TL;DR. You might already know what this stands for…

Too long; Didn’t read.

There is a time and place for long format writing but it’s not in your emails. Save it for your blog, or sales page, or Vanity Fair.

2. Your Emails Aren’t Conversational

If your email falls into the spam inbox forest, will anyone be there to read it?

The short answer is no.

The long answer involves complicated algorithms, email encryption keys, SPF (no that’s not a sunscreen!), and not acting like a robot or broadcasting company.

In other words, create a conversation. And fix your email deliverability problems!

3. Your Subject Lines are Lame

If your subject lines and snippet or preview text lack pizazz, nobody will click on your emails.

Take it up a few notches.

Do what great headline writers do.

Write and rewrite. Try again. And then try again.

Come up with subject line gold by using what’s trending and topical, create curiosity, use emojis (sparingly), and get them to open!

Fact: they can’t read your email if they never open. You can’t argue with facts.

4. Paragraphs Have too Many Lines

Buckets for days. Use what’s called the “bucket brigade” method. To do this, simply break your content up into smaller bite-size chunks.

Use smaller paragraphs and lines of text.

Add ellipses…

And call out boxes…

Get them reading…

And scrolling.

You can also use bullets and list formats, and other tools to break down your content and tell the user what’s important. Bold things. And use italics.

There’s a reason the best copywriters use this stuff…because it works!

5. You’re Not Giving Anyone a Reason to Take Action

Use the word because often. Why? Because people need reasons to do things. Give them a reason and they will take action.

6. You’re Not Asking Them to Read Your Emails

Leaders are readers. Along the same lines of point 5, give them a reason to do something.

Remind your list that the most successful people in the world read all the time. By doing this, you are subconsciously giving them a little nudge, essentially saying, “PSSST!… Hey, remember to read! Start here with this email.”

Here is some swipe copy you can use:

Did you know the most successful person of our time, Warren Buffett, reads over 500 pages per day? He is always learning and reading. Hey, if it’s good enough for Warren it’s good enough for you.

7. Your CTA is Terrible

Guess what?

“Click here” is not a CTA.

It’s also one of the most ignored commands on the entire internet. Nobody wants to click on something that they don’t know what it is.

“Click here” means, “Hey pal, when you click on this you have no idea what’s about to happen.” 

You could get some pop-ups, or a sales page, or an order form, or spam, or maybe if you’re really lucky, all of the above.

Instead, try a CTA that gets them to take action.

A good example might be: Discover 5 Ways to Write Killer Subject Lines.

8. You Don’t Stand Out From Other Emails

The average person receives 121 emails each day.

And that’s the average person. I’m guessing your customers, clients and prospects are above average. So they probably get at least 200 emails per day.

Bottom line, you need to stand out.

What is the most memorable marketing email you’ve ever received? If you want to learn more marketing hacks sign up for our newsletter below.

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