There’s this notion that newer marketing approaches have replaced email marketing.
But email marketing still matters.
According to this article:
- 77% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted by email.
- 59% of marketers consider email to be 2x more effective for generating leads as compared to paid ads.
- Email marketing promises one of the highest ROI potential: $36 for every dollar spent.
However, while most companies invest in email distribution tools, email copywriting is relegated to the background.
The Art and Craft of Writing
A senior marketer once lectured us why B2B writing is a brand new art, far removed from the general writing principles.
I disagreed then.
On the other hand, some people think a writer can effortlessly switch to other writing professions without cultivating the craft.
Again, I disagree with them.
The art of writing largely remains the same. But the craft evolves with form, format and function.
An experienced copywriter from the Mad Men era may, in all probability, write a better digital copy than digital-native writers. But without the context of how, what and why, the copy, despite its writing brilliance, may fail to stir the audience.
For instance, in Technical Communication, clarity is the king. Technical writers can afford to overlook persuasion because they cater to a captive audience.
Content marketers, in contrast, have no such luxury. We’re in the business of giving unsolicited advice to an audience spoilt by an abundance of choices.
In writing, both the art and craft matter. Significantly, both can be learned.
“Writing is a skill, not a talent, and this difference is important because a skill can be improved by practice.” ~ Robert Stacy McCain.
The RAIN approach
At one of my companies, the sales head trained us on the RAIN Group’s approach to value proposition. Since, we extended a few best practices to our email campaigns as well.
As outlined in this RAIN blog, the 3 legs of value proposition stool are:
- Resonate: Prospects must want and need your offering.
- Differentiate: Prospects must see why are a better choice than competition
- Substantiate: Prospects must trust you to be capable of delivering on your promise
Each of the three legs are important. Overlook one, and the stool stumbles.
The 3 legs translate into 4 essential value proposition questions.
- Why act?
- Why now?
- Why us?
- Why trust?
I quote from the RAIN blog again:
Resonance is built by:
1 ) Why act?
2 ) Why now?
“Make the case for why it’s important and urgent to move forward.”
Differentiation comes from answering ‘Why us?’
“Make the case for why you are the best choice among available options”
Substantiation emerges from responding to ‘Why trust?’
“Make the case for why the buyer should believe in you, your offering, your company, and your ability to achieve the desired and promised results.”
Why Digital Writing is Different
In a previous newsletter, I quoted David Samuels, literary editor of Tablet, asking:
“Why did a text that read so well in galleys read so shambolically online?”
I add my observations from the same newsletter:
“Like how form follows the function, the function follows the form too. Should you doubt this, I urge you to read the same book in a printed form and via Kindle. To me, the Kindle version of books always seemed too verbose and convoluted. Strange, as the physical copies didn’t invoke the same sentiment.”
The point relevant to our current discussion is this: in email, the rules of writing are different. Don’t write an email like how you would write an old-fashioned letter.
So, how do you get started on email copywriting?
With this RAIN blog on “13 Tips for Crafting the Best Prospecting Emails”.
While you can save it for later, I’ll pick up those I tried to follow in my email campaigns.
- Write like a human.
GenAI has made it easy for people to stuff generic writing with sophistry. Today, people are more likely to assume such stuff is GenAI-generated. Write in a way that betrays the human mind behind it.
- Write for mobile devices.
More people today may read your email on a mobile. Go easy on email templates; they may not work on mobile screens. A pure-text email might be a good bet. Last, write short sentences, and use bullets liberally. If the prospect has to struggle to read, you have already lost his attention.
- Rule of 3.
No more than 3 key takeaways from an email. Yes, you’ll need to prioritize which ones based on the prospect. Do not expect the prospect to read your entire material and glean takeaways relevant to him.
- Never be vague.
Don’t ask, “What’s the best time to call you?” Ask instead, “Can I call you at 11 AM tomorrow? 3:00 PM is fine too.”
The second will more likely elicit a response.
- Lead with customer stories.
Tell how you helped their competitor (or a company similar to theirs) overcome their problems. It respects their time, demonstrates your understanding of their industry problems, and showcases your capability to resolve them.
PS: I’m seeking a new role. If you’re planning to ramp up your email marketing, I can help. In fact, I can help with a wide range of content and product marketing efforts. Check my profile for details on how I can help your marketing organization.
Musings by Madhav 
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