7 Best Copywriting Techniques to Boost Email Conversions

Email copy determines whether you’ll manage to achieve desired email goals, or you’ll end up with a bunch of unresponded messages. If you want to increase the conversion rate for your email campaign, you need to write an effective and targeted copy. Instead of losing your time trying out different ineffective methods, we have compiled a list of proven copywriting techniques that aim to convert. The following list of tips will give you all the information you need to give your email conversions a boost.

 1. Write an Impressive Subject Line

First impression matters. The recipient’s first impression of your email is determined by the subject line. To understand the importance of a well-written subject line, consider the following statistics:

• 33% of email recipients open emails because of catchy subject lines.
• 69% of people will report an email as spam based solely on the subject line.

The best open rates have emails with 6-10 words in the subject line so aim for that length. Be specific, personalize the subject line, and aim for curiosity or urgency. For example:

• “John, do you remember me?” (personalized subject line)
• “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring” (a subject line that evokes urgency)
• “Check out our top picks for you” (a subject line that evokes urgency)

 2. Use a Customer-Centric Approach

It’s all about the customer. That should be your guiding thought. Write as if you are speaking to the recipients directly and put their needs and interests in focus. Use second-person nouns (i.e., you) and everyday language for best effect. If you aren't sure what a user-centric approach is, take a look at these two examples:

• “We believe that our company provides the best service in the market.”
• “You can get the best service in the market if you give our company a chance.”

This simple example should be enough to show you how the user-centric approach (2nd example) works. Ultimately, people are searching for solutions for THEIR problems, and they want answers to THEIR questions. Writing about your brand and how great you are won't keep their attention. Always put customers in focus no matter what type of email copy you are creating. Birchbox uses a customer-centric approach for their cart-abandonment emails as well:

3. Add a Pinch of Funny

Funny content has a great power to transform email recipients into customers. Chubbies is a brand that is famous for its top-notch humorous email copy. Here’s one example: And they’ll not be the only ones. Lots of brands use humor in their email copy to win over potential customers. Mark Weldon is one of them. Intertwine your brand’s personality with a humorous copy. Get your creative juices flowing, and email recipients won't be able to resist your emails.

4. Segment Your Audience and Write Different Email Versions

Angela Baker, a digital marketer and contributor writer at SupremeDissertations advises: “If your audience is strictly middle-aged, employed men or experts in a certain niche, for example, then you aren't that dependent on segmentation. However, if you have a wide audience, you should consider crafting different personalized versions of the same email." Anthony’s got a good point there. Let’s say that you are selling clothing for both men, women, and children. You can create promotional emails for all three groups that include product recommendations that would interest them. Of course, that's not the only criterion for personalization. You can segment your audience based on their spending and send them different email versions accordingly. For example:

5. Use Storytelling Technique

Storytelling is a highly impactful writing technique as it creates an emotional response. When people are led by their emotions, they are more likely to make a purchase or perform the action that you want. Now, JetBlue has proven to be a master of great copy, as they mixed personalization with storytelling. Just take a look at this email:   This anniversary email incorporates the customer’s personal story, which adds even more value. Telling your brand’s story can also be compelling for the recipients. Linear storytelling, such as the one that Brooks Brothers incorporated in their email, can be just as captivating to read and act on.

6. Include a Clear CTA

You want to be clear about what your recipients should do once they read your copy. CTA (call-to-action) is extremely important as it is the final step before you can conclude that your copy was a success. One of the most recommended CTA practices is to use a single CTA in your email. You want a fast response to your copy, and making email recipients choose between two or more CTAs can delay the action and make them hesitant. The following email by Mr. Porter perfectly shows what we are talking about: They want their email recipients to browse and purchase their products, and that’s the only available CTA in the email. It is clear, noticeable, and specific. Everything you need from a great CTA.

7. Use A/B Testing

Instead of contemplating your copy-related dilemmas, use A/B testing to identify what works and doesn't work for your audience. For example, change up your subject line and keep the email copy and vice versa to define which part of your email brings results and which one averts your audience. Copywriting is more than art and talent. It also relies on strategic decisions and data-driven solutions. Most email campaign software already have built-in tools for A/B testing, so make sure you get good use out of that. You can test every part of your copy from the email subject to CTA. What CampaignMonitor found out through A/B testing is that using buttons instead of a text link can increase their click-throughs.

Final Thoughts

There it is. With these 7 top copywriting techniques, you can finally craft emails that will boost your conversions. Rather than trying and failing over and over, use these proven methods that will bring you the desired results.