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How to Create and Send Great Emails | Sherpa Marketing | Blog

Patrick Kitson
by Patrick Kitson - October 6, 2017

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Whether you realise you’re doing it or not, almost every day you’ll send an email to a potential customer or client ‘marketing’ yourself and your company.

An email which is well thought out, with a clear goal and desired outcome can be really effective. But let’s be honest, these emails tend to be outweighed by those which have been put together quickly, with no specific goal or clear outcome. That’s why by taking the time to understand the elements that make great emails you can get ahead of your competitors and give your customers content they’ll be excited to receive.

This blog is all about breaking down the elements of an email, to understand how to send great emails, every time.

 

The 5 W’s to determine your primary goal

To kick us off, the first thing you must ensure you do is set a clear goal for your email, and by this, I don’t mean getting loads and loads of opens and clicks. Although a good open and click rate is great, this shouldn’t be your sole focus. Without a clear goal then you can’t write a great email, that can benefit both your reader and your business. Remember: Every email is a new opportunity.

Let’s look at the 5 W’s. Yep, the same 5 W’s you were taught during Key Stage 2 English when you were learning how to write a story. The 5 W’s are the foundation of any content you create, and you should always take the time to answer them during your planning stage.

Who – are your audience? Will the content you send be helpful and relevant to them?

What – do you want the reader to do? Clear Call-to-Actions indicate what the reader should do when they read the email.

When – no, not the day of the week. But where you reader is on their buyer’s journey.

Where – will they read your email? Think about who you are sending your email to, and the time of day you are sending. Will your reader be on the train (mobile) or at their desk (desktop)?

Why – are you sending the email? If the answer is “it’s what we always do,” then DO NOT send that email. Only send emails when they have a clear goal. Remember, you want your clients to want to open your email, that’s never going to happen if you don’t really want to send it in the first place.

How – will you know you’ve hit your goals? To do this, you must ensure you’ve set clear ones. Defining what the goal of your email is, is vital to the success of the send.

By following your 5 W’s plus How throughout the creation of your email, you ensure that your work doesn’t deviate from your primary goal.  

 

First impressions count 

When crafting your email, what’s on the outside is just as important as on the inside. By this, we mean your subject line, your sender name and your preview text.

When your email drops into your receiver’s inbox, this information is the first thing they see. So, make it count!

The subject line:

  • Short is better, approx. 60 characters and no more than 10 words
  • Avoid sales language and keep it straightforward
  • Front load important key words
  • Personalise when appropriate
  • Don’t be afraid to mix it up!

The from name:

  • Use a company email address
  • Don’t send from no reply
  • Use address that indicates it is a person
  • Customer’s lifecycle should dictate who the email comes from

The preview text:

  • Vital on mobile, where space is restricted
  • Should continue theme of subject line
  • Tease the message of the email

Your content could be amazing, but if your readers won’t open your emails, then you stand no chance of reaching your goal. To give your emails the best chance of being opened, remember to take the time to plan every aspect of your work, no matter how small.

 

This week’s top tip: One email, One message.

Resist the temptation to overload your email with too many messages and ideas. If you have lots you want to say – great – save it and use it in a follow up email. Not only does this ensure your message is clear, but it also gives you further reason to follow-up with your contacts at a later date.

Next week: We’ll be looking how good copy is key to your email and how testing your email before you send, could be the most important thing you do.

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