Direct marketing success is heavily dependent on the art of persuasion. In order to influence purchasing habits, email marketers need crafty copy that incents action. Persuasion entails the craft of using all the tricks of the trade to grab attention, create interest, provide benefits, give assurance and convey confidence. Thus, the copy in a campaign should be well thought out, as it is a crucial element to any pitch.

Before beginning to write copy for your email, you should know your target audience as thoroughly as possible, as email can be one of the most personal media. Throughout the email, keep your audience in mind. Imagine the personality of the recipient you are writing to and what would appeal to them. Be aware of your targets’ demographics, psychographics, problems, lifestyles and day-to-day activities as it will strengthen your copy. For example, if you know that your recipients are people with young children and you’re promoting a discount on a couple’s destination, your copy could read, “Now would be a good time to call the in-laws to babysit.” This conversational tone of writing and personalization by lifestyle should be demonstrated throughout your email.

A conversational tone is key, and in email marketing it’s a little harder to sound conversational than in telemarketing, for example. However, we can learn from telemarketing’s tactics. Telemarketers typically use a script, and one way to make the call sound more authentic is by adding emphasis to certain words. For example, the phrase “We guarantee satisfaction” can be more conversational by putting emphasis on the word “guarantee”. In email, we can use italics, boldface, underlining and color change to put emphasis on words or offers to make emails sound more conversational.

It’s also important to research. Learn the benefits of your products and services. Research the competition and what they offer so that you can successfully differentiate yourself. Once done, put pen to paper and brainstorm as many ideas as possible. By doing so you can separate what works from what sounds like a tired cliché. Also, when writing copy, keep in mind that embellishments and exaggerations are no longer effective. In the past, exclamation marks were an easy way to demand attention, but now when enthusiasm goes over the top, it raises reader suspicion.

Email sentences should be short and simple. The number of words in a sentence affects the difficulty of the content. For an easy read, 8 to 14 words in a sentence are recommended, around 17 words are standard and over 21 words are considered increasingly difficult. The ‘Simplicity’ rule of thumb very much applies to email marketing. Bullet points also work well in emails for an easier, more comfortable read, and reader comfort is a significant factor in email. In fact, for first time senders especially, it can be the most significant factor, sometimes carrying even more weight than the offer.

When being persuasive in email marketing, how does grammar help? Use present tense and active sentences and phrases. For example, rather than saying “Your tires can be improved this winter with Brand X”, say “Brand X can improve your tires this winter”. As well, imperatives (verbs that give orders) not only command attention but also establish a position of authority. For example, “Take a look at this.”

Furthermore, facts are more persuasive than general statements, so consider adding, where appropriate, references to case studies, statistics, performance figures, quotes from experts, or stories and testimonials. A good writer will rewrite the same piece over and over to ensure effective copy; after all, a return on investment for your email campaign is essential.

You’re making your way home on public transit and you overhear two complete strangers deep in conversation. Because they are speaking loudly you tune in for a minute.  But you quickly tune out because you’re not interested in what they’re talking about.  What if they were talking about something in which you were interested?  And what if they mentioned your name?  You’d tune in at the speed of light. Personalization and topic relevance compel people to tune in. In the email world they are critical to marketing success.

Personalization is the ability to speak one-on-one with your recipients. When emailing, many lists are able to target by first name and/or last name (for example, Hi John or Dear Mr. Doe). If you have an in-house email list, certain software or email broadcasting services can easily personalize your email, provided you have your customer’s names on file. Getting started, it’s important to remember that the correct use of personalization is a first step in building rapport with your receiver. For instance, using a person’s first name is commonly used. However, studies have shown that younger people prefer being addressed by their first name and an older crowd favors a last name approach, finding it more respectful. Gage how your demographic might like to be addressed and customize your email accordingly.

There are other ways to personalize your email and become more relevant. Why not personalize your email by geography? (This is typically called an A/B split). This allows you to send out different messages, subject lines, offers etc. to different geographic areas inclusive of one campaign (This method is also superb for testing). For example, multichannel businesses, such as retailers, may want to experiment with, “One-day sale at all our Toronto locations!” People living in Toronto will appreciate this offer more than a generic sales pitch.

Personalization allows you to tailor your offer based on customer or prospect’s past behaviour. For example, if they have bought a gift basket from you on Mothers’ Day, you can target them on other occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries (if your database has this data on file) or other holidays. Another option is to send out two deployments. On the second email blast, send an email exclusively to those recipients who didn’t open the initial email or who didn’t subscribe to the email for the duration of the first deployment. That way, you can send out reminders to view your email or subscribe to your email, once again become relevant to the users who need an extra push.

Another method of personalization that has been proven to be more effective is personalizing based on preference or behaviour. Many email brokers will recommend lists that are able to target based on demographics and psychographics. For example, if you own a sports merchandise store, instead of targeting people with an interest in sports, target hockey, basketball, football, soccer etc. fans separately, each with their own personalized message. All in all, be as personal and relevant as possible, it shows that you value the customer and their business, it generates rapport and the person will be more receptive to your message.