As a marketer, you’re a leader. You are LEADING and GUIDING your subscribers to convert.
If it’s not clear what’s in it for your subscriber, they’ll stop reading. They’ll ignore your emails. They’ll eventually unsubscribe.
Let’s walk through a real-life example.
I received this email from a tech company about a new product partnership they were launching.
Here’s where it misses the mark:
- The value is buried. What’s in it for the subscriber? The lead sentence starts with “Today I want to share the story of Ryan…” The headline needs to make it clear what the reader is going to GET from the email, not what the author wants to do.
- The action is buried. Take a look at the email again. What does the sender want you to do in the email? Somewhere there’s a hyperlink to learn more about Ryan’s story. Somewhere there’s a hyperlink that invites you to “get your own mobile app.” How long did it take for you to find that information? The reader should be able to skim the email and know what you want them to do almost immediately.
- The offer is buried. The ultimate goal of this email is clearly to sign up for the mobile app. But it takes a close read to get that information. Plus, they offer a 21 day risk-free trial. That is offered as an after-thought instead of made clearly.
I couldn’t help myself, so I redesigned their email.
See a redesigned email user experience:
What’s Improved:
- The value is in the headline. Readers need to know what’s in it for them immediately. Why should they care? Why should they read on? Reaching learners everywhere is definitely a benefit. Lead with that!
- The text layout is easier to read. Breaking up sections of text makes it seem easier to read. It’s not a big blob of copy that feels overwhelming to read. Who’s got that kind of time???
- Devoted space for the offer. Instead of the offer being buried amidst text, this email has a specific call out for it. When someone scrolls the email, they’ll immediately notice the change in the section and stop scrolling to learn more.