Business Email: How to Get the Reader to Be Engaged?

How To Write Professional Yet Engaging Business Emails?

Are you sick of your business emails being unread or never getting a reply? Then it is time to level up your email skills! In this article, we will share 10 simple yet effective tips to increase your email conversion rate.

1. Your Subject Line is Critical!

35% of readers open emails based solely on subject lines! The subject line is the line of text the sender sees when scrolling through their inbox. This line determines whether it goes straight to the trash, as often done with cold emails, or gets opened. The perfect subject line is short and sweet, includes a clear call to action, provides a deadline, creates a sense of excitement, and does not have any spammy words. For example, “Got plans for Thursday night? Register for our webinar on 12/012/2022 and receive 10% off your next order!” This subject line tells the reader exactly what is happening, the date, and what the reader can receive.

2. A Call To Action Is A Must

A call to action is a line or phrase that implores a potential customer to take action. It is that final push that inspires and motivates a prospect to hit that buy or order button. A call to action should be friendly, clear, and easy to follow. Some effective calls to action include, “Don’t wait! Start your 14-day free trial now” or “Get 15% on your first order! Claim offer now!”. Make sure you use multiple calls to action and space them throughout your email. A standard marketing email should have 3 to 4 CTAs, one should inspire, one should explain the offer, and the last one should encourage the final action of buying.

3. Keep It Short!

People are busy! They don’t have time to read 1000-word emails. You need to quickly grab their attention and keep it for a minute or two. The ideal email copy length is between 50 and 125 words. If you stick to this length, you can expect response rates of over 50%! If your emails are much longer than that, you are most likely scaring away readers who take one look at your wall of text and quickly close it and divert your message to the trash!

4. Avoid Spammy Words

Email filters are notorious for being overly aggressive and diverting genuine emails to the junk folder. If you include trigger words such as “won,” “prize,” “discount,” “make money,” or “buy direct,” your email may head straight to the junk folder. You should keep a close eye on your open rates, and if you notice they are unusually low, your emails are likely to end up in the junk folder. To ensure your emails land in the recipient’s inbox, make sure you use their real name, don’t include links to shady websites, include an unsubscribe button, use proper punctuation and design your email nicely.

5. Your Content Must Be Relevant

Your emails should be targeted, filled with useful information, and have a clear purpose. Don’t just clog up people’s inboxes for the sake of “brand awareness.” You should only reach out to potential buyers when you have an incredible offer, new products, are hosting an event, or have achieved something worth bragging about. Aim to send an email once a month or once every 3 weeks. If you send too many watery emails, they will annoy the recipient and be diverted to the junk folder!

6. Write In The Second Person

To form a connection with your reader, you want to write in the second person. This means to write “you” and “your.” The reader should always be the focus of your business emails, and remembering to write in the second person is a simple way to achieve this. You should also slip in a few first-person plural words such as “we” to make your emails have a smooth conversational tone.

7. Personalization Converts

People can tell when you have just sent out a mass email. It feels cold and lacks a connection. These impersonalized email campaigns often have low response rates and can annoy potential buyers. To boost conversion, you should always use the prospect’s name and incorporate other things you know about the buyer into your email. For example, suppose you email a previous customer who hasn’t ordered in a while. In that case, you could include details about their previous order, ask how the product is going, and make recommendations on products they may like based on their buying history. These little personal touches make customers feel valued and result in high conversion rates.

8. Focus On Benefits

Let’s face it – consumers don’t care about what something can do; they care about how it can help them. You need to make it clear how your product’s features can improve the buyer’s life. You want the buyer to imagine themselves using your product to solve an issue they are having. For example, instead of just telling a potential customer your golf drivers are 30% lighter thanks to their lightweight carbon design, explain how they can hit the ball 20% further without getting fatigued and have enough energy to smash their second shot!

9. Use a Conversational Tone

Customers don’t want to be talked at! They also don’t want to be treated like a walking order. Instead, talk to them like a friend. Your emails should have a relaxed and fun vibe. Don’t be afraid of letting your company’s personality shine through the emails. Humor is also great for breaking the ice and getting potential buyers engaged. Email can be a great way to build a bond with your customers, but only if it is genuine. So spend the extra time and develop meaningful relationships with your buyers!

10. Format Your Emails

We have established that your email copy should be short and your tone conversational. However, if you want to keep readers engaged, you need to pull some other levers too! Don’t be afraid to use some emojis. Emojis are a great way to keep the vibe fun and inject some emotion into your emails. Lists are also important as they break up the text, stand on the page, and are perfect for skimming quickly. Don’t forget to bold important parts of your email. Your call to action, offer, and time of the offer should all be bolded, so your buyers don’t miss it. Finally, your email should include your company’s logo and one relevant picture to make your email pop!

Wrapping Up

Now you know how to write engaging emails! By using our tips, your emails will not only land in your recipient’s inbox but will be read and inspire your prospect to take action. The final step is boosting your prospect list. By using an email finder, you can find many potential clients to contact and start converting them into customers!

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By Susan Barlow

Dr. Susan Barlow is retired from academia after teaching business administration, project management, and business writing courses for over 20 years.

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