6 Common Email Copywriting Mistakes and How To Fix Them Right Now
- Writing paragraphs that are more than 3 lines long.
Long, chunky paragraphs turn your reader away, especially on a mobile device. A block of text produces friction. When you see it, you go “Oh no! Let’s skip this. It’ll take too much time and effort.”
Solution: Write one-sentence paragraphs. Short paragraphs make your copy easy to digest. - Using storytelling to talk about yourself and your company.
If you use stories to talk about yourself, change gears and look for another strategy.
Solution: Before going into storytelling, ask yourself, “What is in it for my reader?” And begin your email there. - Taking too much time to get to the point.
Don't make your reader go over line after line of warm-up copy. Make your point in the first four or six lines of your email.
Solution: Use the battlefield or "In Media Res" technique. Capture your reader's attention by putting him in the middle of the action. Cut the warm-up copy. - Being apologetic.
Avoid the apologetic tone, the one you use when you think you are being intrusive and feel the need to apologize for it.
Solution: When writing your email, your mindset should be “This email is important to you. You should read it.” - Not adding value.
Don’t waste your reader’s precious time. If your email doesn't provide value, don’t send it.
Solution: Before sending an email ask yourself, “Am I providing value to my reader?” Is this content worthy of someone else’s time?” - You are all over the place.
You have too many things going on. The more points you try to cover, the less effective each point is. The last thing you want is to pull your reader’s attention in opposite directions.
Solution: Follow the Rule of One in every email you write. Focus on one goal, one call to action, one idea.