With inboxes filled with promotions, news, work emails, Facebook updates and spam, it takes some skill to get an email to stand out.  The most attention-grabbing emails are the ones filled with top-notch content.

Not a professional writer?  Here are nine tips to guide you through:

1.  What do you want to achieve with your email marketing?  Describe and outline a specific goal so you can work towards it. Bear in mind that email is best utilised for promoting and encouraging a follow-through action, so it works best catering to a very specific target market

2.   Without an engaging subject line, your email won’t be opened! Make sure your subject line is  is applicable, detailed and specific,  concise and intriguing. For tips, read this article posted on our South African blog recently on writing effective subject lines.

3.  Personalizing marketing emails has become standard practice to ensure that your subscriber feels like more than just another email address. Also try to make the email more about them than about yourself; showing that the email is of value to them, rather than being all about yourself/making a sale/getting exposure etc. Your choice of language (formal, colloquial etc.) should also vary according to your intended audience.

4.   Stick to simple and concise. Keep sentences short, and the language easy to understand to avoid confusion.  Formatting, like breaks and sub-heads, will make your email easier to read. Be clear and specific with instructions while keeping it simple. Also, state your action plan and be sure to follow-through.

5.  Believe it or not, the only way your readers will know what to do with your email is if you tell them.  Your call to action (e.g. “Click here to sign up”, “Buy now!” or “Update your details”) needs to be very clear and stand out from the rest of your email.  Repeat it a few times to make sure it sticks… 
It may surprise you, but solid old-school writing techniques still work.  Conclude your email with a quick revisit to the most crucial points.  If nothing else, definitely repeat your call to action at the end of your email.

6.  Avoid using too many exclamation marks or WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS.  This is crucial to avoid spam filters! Also, make sure you use good grammar and spelling so people do not classify your mail as spam when reading it. We also give you access to a spam checker – use it.  Run a spam check on your email before sending it.  You’re email will be rated with a spam score, giving you an indication of how likely it is to be caught in a spam filter. 

7.    Make sure your emails offer valuable content, such as  solutions and benefits. Giving subscribers something to relate to, like personal stories and case studies, will  absorb readers and build your credibility. 

8.  Optimize on the best delivery times! Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays work best; and mornings and early-to-mid afternoon are also good times. Avoid sending important emails after midday on a Friday, on weekends, and at night. Your message may get lost, forgotten, or removed as a result of a full mailbox.

9.  Always Do and Redo. Keep notes on what works best for you, and under which circumstances.  The only way to improve on your campaign is to monitor it and constantly improve on your results and weak points.

It may sound a bit “back to basics” to some of you, but with ISPs making it harder and harder for email marketers to achieve top priority in subscribers’ inboxes, it’s time to ensure your emails are solid – and, from time to time, that may mean being strict on yourself when it comes to the basics.

Image courtesy of Gregory Szarkiewicz.