The success of an email campaign starts with one simple question: why would someone want to open your email in the first place? The answer is easy: they need to feel like they’re going to get something valuable out of it.
Your emails shouldn’t feel like just another sales pitch. They need to be useful and value-filled. If you’re not going for an educational, tip-based, or informative newsletter, then they should at least be entertaining. Before diving into tactics, make sure you can answer:
“What value am I providing to my subscribers?”
To keep your readers opening your emails week after week, your audience should feel like each time they open your newsletter, they’re gaining useful insights, resources, or tools—something they can either apply or enjoy.
But, crafting an email that gets opened isn’t just about the content inside. For example, before they even see what’s in the email, your readers will first notice two critical elements: the subject line and the preview text. Let’s break down the core elements that make a successful email:
Subject Line
Your subject line is your first impression. It truly can be the deciding factor for if your email gets clicked or scrolled past. The subject line needs to grab their attention and give them a summary of what’s inside. HubSpot explains that the most effective email subject lines engage curiosity, including promotional offers, and are personalized to each recipient’s interests. Avoid vague and clickbaity lines. Instead, get to the point and tell your readers why they should care. For example, a subject like “5 Proven Tips to Boost Your Productivity” is far more compelling than “This Week’s Newsletter.”
Some additional tips:
- Keep it short and sweet (under 50 characters) so it doesn’t get cut off.
- Use action words that create a sense of urgency or curiosity.
- Personalize it when possible (e.g., using the reader’s name).
- Consider using emojis to make the subject line stand out.
Preview Text
Preview text is that little snippet of text that shows up next to or below your subject line. This text gives your readers a sneak peek into what your email contains. Use it wisely—it should complement your subject line and reinforce why subscribers should open your email.
For example, if your subject line is “5 Proven Tips to Boost Your Productivity Today,” your preview text could be, “Learn how to stay focused and get more done without burning out.”
Some additional tips:
- Preview text typically cuts off after 40-90 characters depending on the email client. Get to the point quickly and make those first few words count.
- Don’t repeat the subject line in your preview text. Instead, use it to expand it or add a compelling detail that makes them want to read more.
- If your email contains a time-sensitive offer or exclusive content, use the preview text to emphasize that.
- Phrases like “You won’t believe this!” or “Exciting news inside!” are overused and often fail to grab attention. Be specific and offer value instead.
Frequency
The frequency you send emails is another make-or-break factor. Too many emails are the number one reason for consumers to unsubscribe from your newsletter. You don’t want the number of emails you send to be the reason you lose clients.
Determine if you are going to send daily, weekly, or monthly email newsletters. What frequency is going to be possible for you to keep up with? According to HubSpot, most marketers determine the frequency of their emails based on past email engagement data. As always, the key is consistency. Whether you choose daily, weekly, or monthly emails, your subscribers should know when to expect your newsletter.
Some things to consider:
- Daily: If your content is highly actionable and brief, such as the popular “Daily Stoic” newsletter, you can get away with sending something every day. Just make sure your emails are concise and valuable.
- Weekly: For most businesses, a weekly newsletter works best. It keeps your brand top of mind without overloading people’s inboxes.
- Monthly: This is ideal for more in-depth, content-rich newsletters. You can include multiple articles, insights, and resources, but be careful not to go too long without touching base.
Type of Content
Now comes the fun part—choosing the type of content to include in your newsletter. Whether you’re sharing blog posts, industry news, or personal insights, aim for a good variety. Try to stick to the 80/20 principle—80% helpful or valuable content and 20% promotional or sales-related.
On top of content comes the type of media. Including visuals within your emails increases their effectiveness. Emails with multimedia elements or formats with images or videos have the highest performance. Plus, emails with images offer an almost 10% boost in open rates.
Some content ideas to consider:
- Educational: Provide how-tos, actionable advice, or tutorials that help your readers solve a problem.
- Curated Resources: Share links to articles, tools, or videos that your audience will find valuable.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Offer a peek into your daily life, business operations, or creative process.
- Promotions: While you should focus on value-driven content, it’s okay to include a promotional message, but do it sparingly.
Email Style
The style of your email matters as much as the content itself. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. Before you craft your first email, decide what your tone will be—are you going for casual and conversational, or professional and straightforward?
Personalization is a key aspect of email style. According to Litmus, personalization using dynamic content is the top tactic used by email marketing teams, and it’s also one of the best ways to improve email performance. Simple tweaks like addressing your subscriber by name or tailoring the content to their interests can dramatically increase engagement.
A few key points to consider when determining your email style:
- Tone: Decide whether your emails will have a casual, conversational tone or a more formal, professional style.
- Layout: Keep your design clean and easy to navigate. Use white space, headers, and bullet points to break up long sections of text.
- Personalization: Try to personalize aspects of the email if possible. For example, address them by name or tailor content based on their preferences.
- Test and refine: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and layouts until you find what resonates most with your audience.
Call to Action
While your emails should focus on delivering value, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to encourage engagement with a call to action (CTA). It could be as simple as asking them to read your latest blog post, download a guide, or check out a new product.
However, the trick is to keep it subtle. You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with aggressive sales language.
Some CTA best practices include:
- Use soft CTAs: Opt for calls to action like “Learn more,” “Check it out,” or “Get started.” These should feel natural rather than pushy.
- Link to valuable content: Don’t just promote your content—link out to articles, resources, or industry news that your audience will find helpful.
- Mix it up: CTAs don’t always have to be the same. Alternate between encouraging readers to check out a blog post, download a guide, or attend a webinar.
- Keep it simple: Limit your email to one or two CTAs to avoid overwhelming the reader. Focus on what’s most important.
