7 Easy Steps To Writing Your Next Promotional Email

[This is part of a series on Successful Email Marketing]

If you spend hours slaving over the writing process of a promotional email, only to get little or no response or a bunch of “unsubscribes” for your efforts, you’re not alone.

When it comes to marketing, writing sales copy can be a tedious and difficult task, especially if you dislike writing or you simply don’t know how. Unfortunately, copywriting is one of most expensive jobs to outsource, so a lot of small business owners have no choice but to handle the writing on their own. So with a limited budget, limited time and possibly no skill, how do you write the kind of copy that will make the difference between making or losing a sale or subscriber?

Before you learn the 7 steps to writing a promotional email, there is one important rule that you must always follow . . . be honest!

If you want to build a good reputation, and make money with your promotional emails, then you need to avoid the hype that has found a place among so many business owners. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “You can make $1000/wk. in less than a month,” if it’s the honest to goodness truth. But if your selling a product that doesn’t live up to your promise, you’re going to be bombarded with a slew of complaints that can quickly ruin your standing and put you out of business.

Why did I tell you this? Because I don’t want you to think that you have to write sales copy that promises the moon in order to make money. The best approach that you can take when writing email copy is by being honest and personal, here’s how:

7 Steps to Writing Email Copy:

The subject line – When your email arrives in your subscriber’s inbox, the subject line is the first thing they’re going to see. Now, in the next few seconds, they’re going to decide to open and read your email or delete it. The best way to find out which subject lines work best for you; is to test them. Check your spam folder and look at the subject lines of the emails . . . which ones make you want to open them? Or take note of the subject lines that your favorite newsletter publishers send you.

According to research, the best way to get subscribers to open your email is to use your newsletter or business name in the subject line like this [Your Business Name] subject line here. This tactic works so well because people don’t have to guess who the email is from. They know they subscribed to your list, and if you clearly tell them that it’s you sending an email, they’re more likely to open it.
Paragraph 1 – Open your email with a warm, friendly welcome. Ask them how their weekend was, and tell them a little bit about your own weekend. This shows your readers that you are a real, live person and that you care about them. Make sure that you avoid using “we” as much as you can, and instead use “you” so that the focus is always kept on your reader. You can also remind them that your contact information is at the bottom of the email if they need to contact you.
Paragraph 2 – Throw in a teaser. For example: Let’s say that you want to tell your readers about a new ebook on writing press releases that you are an affiliate for. You could say something like, “I have some exciting news that will help you take your business to the next level, and it won’t cost you a dime! Press releases can help you advertise your business, build buzz, and even gain national exposure for FREE, but more on that in a minute . . .” This technique works really well for arousing your reader’s interest, and getting them to read more.
Paragraph 3 – Give them information. This section should include some good information on the topic of the ebook that you want to sell. It should satisfy your reader and make them want to learn more at the same time. Continuing from the above example, you can start out by saying, “First, in order to begin implementing press releases into your marketing campaign, you should have a better understanding of why they’re so beneficial to your business.” Then continue on with your article outlining the benefits of using press releases.
Paragraph 4 – This is where you’re going to get into the meat of your promotion, and wrap it into the end of your article. “Now that you know how press releases can benefit your business, it’s time to begin using them regularly to move your business forward. But if you’re not sure how to start writing and submitting press releases, there’s a great ebook that will help you through all the steps.” Now you can explain the ebook in detail and tell them how it will benefit them.
Paragraph 5 – Sweeten the offer. This is a great place to tell them that if they buy today, they can get your bonus items. If the product is not yours, but one that you are an affiliate for, perhaps you can throw in a product or service of your own as an incentive for buying the ebook. Make sure that you clearly list any bonuses and explain what they are and what they do.
Paragraph 6 – The closing. Don’t end your email without thanking your reader for their time, and ensure them that you would be more than happy to answer any questions that they may have. Include your contact information and website address. If you want to remind them about another offer, or product that you are selling, use PS.’s. These are highly read parts of any email, so don’t forget to include them!

And that’s what makes a good promotional email. So don’t be afraid to send out an email selling something when you need some extra cash because you don’t know how to write, and you’re afraid of losing subscribers. Following the above 7 steps leaves no real reason for a reader to unsubscribe, because as long as you are giving them good information united with your promotion, you’ll succeed in keeping all your readers happy, even if they don’t buy. Keep in mind, that if someone unsubscribes, it’s likely because they’re not interested in what you have to offer anyway.

Successful Email Marketing