"Cut & Paste…Not!" - cont'd
When moving from print to email, keep the message your readers receive in their inbox short and sweet. Unlike print, email provides you with options in how you direct the reader, options that let you entice them to want to keep reading. What do I mean? Well if you have a long message in an email, you have the option to include "Read more" links like one you just clicked on to get to this page. The added advantage of "Read more" links is measurability since those links can and should be tracked in order to gauge reader interest. On the flip side, if you just took the long print piece and converted it to email, your email would appear daunting - a total turn-off in today's crowded inbox. Plus without a "Read more" link, you won't have the opportunity to measure and track interest levels in the message. I think you get my point.
While we're on the link rant, let's talk about the placement of various links - the call-to-action links in particular. I'm talking most about the calls-to-action you put in promotional emails. You must remember that emails are often scanned. Some scan from the top, some from the middle and you guessed it, some from the bottom. So be sure you cover all the bases and include compelling calls-to-action at the top, in the middle and at the bottom of your email. How you write the call-to-action should also vary throughout an email since everyone is motivated for different reasons. For example, if you are trying to fill a room for an upcoming seminar you may want to make one link or button say "RSVP Today", while another says "Register Now - Space is Limited!" and another one might blend right into a sentence by starting with "Join us in just two weeks and learn what it takes to write effective email campaigns". Different strokes for different folks; that's the motto here.
My final bit of advice is with respect to the tone of your message. Emails should be written in a conversational tone that is relaxed and personal. After all, you're building and strengthening relationships with targeted groups of people so why would you want stiff, stuffy messages?
The tips and tricks for writing effective email campaigns are endless. Look forward to hearing about more of them in the months to come.
Carolyn Gardner, president of cardcommunications inc., has over 13 years of experience in marketing communications and specific expertise in the planning and execution of highly effective e-marketing campaigns.
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