What happened when you read the title of this blog? Were you thinking of a poor cow who may be next in line for our next steak dinner? Probably not! All we really want titles or subject lines to do is to get your attention. Perhaps the cow didn’t think much of the title, but there was a bit of a snicker for the rest of us and that caught your eye. Whether sending emails to colleagues, business associates, or potential customers, how can you have more fun in your email interactions with them? Let’s take a look at the elements of a successful email and see how we can spin a little more fun when crafting these.
Subject Lines
The recipients of your email will see this first thing. If the subject line does not get their attention right away, the message could very well end up in the trash. Be creative here. Have fun. Weave in humor if appropriate. Be clever – use puns and analogies. Ask questions. Make confessions. Huh? Matt Bacak, online marketing sales guru, said he got all sorts of clicks with this one: “Friend, sorry we goofed.” Remember that your subject line opens the door for the recipients, welcoming them into the message.
Tip #1: Open the door to your email.
Content
Get right to the point. That’s what journalists will tell you. They pack the entire content of their article in the first paragraph. Each line indicates what each paragraph will contain – just in case someone doesn’t read beyond that. Don’t think in conventional paragraphs, though. Space out the content with just one, two, or three sentences. Make it easy to scan. And here’s the key to the door: repeat yourself a time or two. If you have links to your sales page, have one at the start of your message and one at the end. Matt Bacak tells us to create messages that are honest and convincing. Those receiving his emails learn why he uses the product or service. As for fun? Add a emoji to your opener to accent a friendly comment at the start. Or go to Giphy.com and find a funny one to include in the body to emphasize a point. The key? Connect at the start and keep them reading until the close.
Tip #2: Use the key in the door to make a sale.
The Close
If you haven’t convinced them of your message at this point, then you’ll need to pack much into your closing paragraph. Remember to insert the link to your sales page and to emphasize your key point. This is where you insert your call-to-action: What are you going to do for the person? What is the recipient’s next step? Emphasize the main features and benefits of your product or service in a sentence or two. For fun, insert a warm and friendly line so that they feel a connection with you, even if they have not met you. Matt Bacak includes his photograph as part of his signature. He’s discovered that this helps others connect since they can see you. Be sure to add your contact information. You want that person to know how to get in touch with you.
Tip #3: So the door doesn’t close, be sure it’s left open with a strong but simple close.
A light-hearted spirit can make an email message a pleasure to read. When you are crafting one, think of these elements one at a time to create a message that gets the point across but doesn’t take the content too seriously. When you are trying to be persuasive, a clever sense of humor can actually encourage the sale.
Read some of the messages sent out from Online Sales Pro. Those are crafted with a distinct purpose in mind, but fashioned in a way that the email will be clicked on rather than deleted. Learn how to write with a sense of fun engaged. And if you’d like to take a more serious look at WHAT WE CAN OFFER – go ahead and take a peek. We’ve got tools and resources that will take you way beyond your first sale.
