A quick glance through your inbox is all you need to see that many brands have abandoned letter-style emails in favor of sleeker, content and image-heavy blasts. Many templates have even abandoned the letter-style salutation at the beginning of the message, giving it an even more generic appearance. Although this revamped approach pushes content and calls to action, it may be lacking in creating a connection with the readers.
In a recent webinar, MECLABS’ Managing Director Flint McGlaughlin shared insights from a study examining the effectiveness of letter-style emails. The research found that simply changing the format of an email from an image and content-heavy blast to a letter-stye message resulted in a 181% increase in conversion. McGlaughlin explained that the letter performed better because of three main factors.
1. It engaged readers in a dialog, not a monologue.
2. It allowed brands to participate with prospects in conversation, giving them the opportunity to guide the reader towards a desired conclusion.
3. It showed empathy.
You’re probably not rushing to revamp your email template, but there are ways you can easily incorporate letter-style touches to your emails to give them a more personal feel.
Bring back the salutation!
It may seem cheesy, but bringing back that simple salutation can make your messaging seem much more personalized. And if you’re using an email client like MailChimp, it’s really simple to do.
Use a conversational, but professional, tone in your introduction.
Bring back that dialog feel by using your introduction paragraph as a means to catch up and check in with your readers. You might use it as an opportunity to share a relevant or interesting third-party blog post, or a relevant news item. Give it a conversational feel, but keep it professional and on-topic.
Take the recipients’ point of view and offer solutions for their problems.
Get your content to resonate with readers by addressing concerns that they might have. What problems have you run into as a marketer or as a business owner? Chances are good that your readers are also facing those problems. Sharing experiences, offering advice and then pointing to solutions your brand might have to those common problems will help you make a connection with your readers, and then guide their actions in a helpful way (that also benefits you).
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