11 Elusive Elements of an Effective Email—Explained

By Melissa Garretson

I’m willing to bet that in the past few minutes—maybe even the past few seconds—you received an email you have no intention of reading. Ever. Even if your doctor was running 75 minutes late, even if a stranger tried to make conversation before your first cup of coffee, you still would not reach a high enough level of desperation to tempt you into opening it. You’ve experienced this, and so have your customers. With all the junk out there, what’s a smart marketer to do? 

Here at Artisanal Copy, we’ve crafted innumerable emails for our diverse portfolio of clients, all with consistently high open and conversion rates. While there’s no magic formula to ensure a click-through every time, we do follow some general guidelines to keep emails engaging—and out of the trash. You already know to avoid egregious grammatical errors and promises you can’t deliver; let’s take a look at a few of the more elusive elements of an effective email: 

A Stellar Subject Line 

  • Keep it clear. Tell them what you’ll tell them, now is not the time to be coy. Clever, perhaps, even quippy, potentially—if you can be quippy while still clearly informing your reader of the content within. You might opt to [Use Symbols] to Visually Break Up | The Subject as well. 
  • Keep it concise. Your potential reader may allow the merest flit of an eye over the subject line before deciding if the email is worth a read. Keep it short and sweet.  
  • Keep it compelling. Why should they open this email? Let your reader know you value them and their time and that the content of the email is worthy of both (side note: if it’s not, you probably shouldn’t be sending it in the first place). 
  • Keep away from the caps lock. We, the email recipients of the world, beg you to avoid this rude and unnecessary habit. NO ONE LIKES TO BE SHOUTED AT. 
  • Keep it clean. Also on the topic of avoiding excess, stop using so many exclamation points!!!!!!! They look very spammy!!!!!!! Maybe even a little desperate!!!!!!!!!

Quality Content

  • Provide value. This is our firmest, most unbreakable rule at Artisanal Copy. Only send an email (or provide any kind of content, really) that actually has value to the reader. Don’t email just to email. 
  • Provide brevity. Almost everyone is short on time—be straightforward. Focus on one message per email and get to the point quickly and clearly. 
  • Provide integrity. You’ve set expectations with your subject line—deliver on them. Don’t pull a bait and switch or a “Just Kidding!” 

The Call to Action

  • Make it simple. We already mentioned having one main message per email; it stands to reason that this requires only one Call to Action. That said, two buttons or hyperlinks pointing to the same place totally works (although you might mix up the button copy).
  • Make it easy. As mentioned above, everyone is short on time. Don’t make your reader jump through hoops to get the information you promised. Link your buttons to a simple landing page or other final destination, not to a blank reply email. 
  • Make it valuable. (Noticing a trend here?) Button copy should speak to the value a reader will get when clicking through, not simply the action they could take. For example, a button reading “Find My Perfect Software” is more compelling than “Visit Our Website.” 

This list is not exhaustive, clearly. That would be exhausting. And honestly, even when all these elements are in place, sometimes it just doesn’t seem to... work. That’s why we recommend one more step: have someone else read your email before it’s sent to your list. Ideally, your reviewer is someone who is knowledgeable about best practices and can be completely honest with you—someone who will tell you when the emperor has no clothes. Someone, perhaps, like your friendly (and forthright) team of writers and editors at Artisanal Copy. 

 


 

Jorli Pena