by Marcel Cowan & Darren Shea, CowanGroup

Start off with an intriguing, yet direct, subject line that makes the promotion clear and highly visible.

Hello reader name

We have personalised this email as we know you like to be spoken to directly. It gives it a sense of familiarity so you’re more likely to read on. But we promise not to know you too well as you’ll think we’re just trying for a sale, or are just too damn condescending.

Of course, if I did know you better then I would take this opportunity to remind you of your last purchase, or the last time we talked: just a simple reminder that we have communicated by email before.

We have kept this email in plain text because we know you want to get down to facts fast. We could have included an image here that grabs attention and fits with the rest of our campaign, but we didn’t think, in this instance, it was necessary.

As with direct marketing, you can also use bullets:

• Then, even if you’ve skipped all the above text, you’ll still get the point.
• If this wasn’t written in print, you could also link all the bullets and they become calls to action.
• But don’t be spam – words like ‘win now!’ and ‘read this!’ make people, well, do the opposite.
• Avoid exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!
• Get to the point – Make the copy short and direct.

Finally, know your audience: Not just how will you speak to them or key messages, but what email system do you know (or at least think) they will have? You can then decide on use of flash or images. It will also help you to come up with the right content and key words that spark a response.

We did the same exercise when we wrote this email. Who is reading it? What level of email understanding do they have?

In terms of layout and design, we decided to keep this email simple. We didn’t want to obstruct our message with cluttered design. Images, where used, should compliment the text, not obstruct.

The call to action tells the reader what to do next. Direct them - to a website, to sign up, to buy the product, to visit the shop - so that all the above text is not wasted. Make the call to action and heading bolder and clearer than everything else.

So, if you are ready to begin, grab a pen and paper and begin to plan now!