Copy that: Unique tips for writing top-performing marketing emails

When your email hits the inbox, it’s competing with essential communications from colleagues, meeting invitations, important notifications, and in the case of B2C emails, updates from family and friends. Not to mention marketing emails from countless other brands. 

Most emails have a singular goal, and that goal is typically associated with an action. But before that action is taken, the recipient needs to see your email, open it, and read it. To achieve that, you need to establish your brand as worthy of engagement — and doing that starts with great copywriting.

We spoke to marketers in a range of industries to get their unique tips for writing effective, high-converting emails in 2024. What we learned is that, while there’s no one right way to write an email, there are a number of different strategies worth experimenting with — and when you land on the one that works for your brand, you can go ahead and replicate that success. 

6 unique tips for writing high-converting emails 

1. Use more pattern interrupts

When faced with a lot of sameness, our brains tend to go a little blank — and even the messages we read are quickly forgotten. 

To combat this and become the most memorable message in the inbox, Jamie Sutton, Director of Marketing at HeadshotPro and freelance email copywriter says you need to, “Break more rules: experiment with 1-2 word subject lines, skip introducing yourself, send more ultra-short and plain text emails, write in all lowercase, try all caps, purposefully sabotage your grammar for the sake of reading flow.”

In short — breaking the mold can be the secret to getting your reader to sit up and take notice. This is especially true if it benefits the flow of the email content, or helps the most important point stand out. 

As Jamie says, “We can have FUN with emails without going to email jail for breaking the snooze-worthy industry standards.” 

2. Tap into trending issues

This one doesn’t work so well for always-on email campaigns like lead nurture drip campaigns, but it is a great way to drive up those opens on one-off sends and newsletters or company updates. 

Instead of focusing solely on your business — look outward and think about the trending discussions you could tap into to generate interest. Marshal Davis, President of marketing agency and consultancy, Ascendly Marketing says, “Email content that taps into current discussions or regulatory changes attracts more attention. In healthcare, this might include updates on healthcare reform impacts on providers and patients. For SaaS, it could involve the latest developments in AI technology and how businesses can leverage these advancements to gain a competitive edge.” 

3. Use behavior-based dynamic content

There are lots of different ways to personalize your emails — from audience segmentation to using customer data to populate email content. They all have their merits, but if you want to stand out, try behavior-based personalization.

Cache Merril, Founder at Zibtek, says, “Leverage technology that allows the insertion of dynamic content based on the recipient’s previous interactions with your emails or website. For instance, if a recipient from a financial services company previously showed interest in risk management solutions, the next email could dynamically highlight case studies or testimonials specifically related to risk reduction.”

By responding to what your customer or lead is doing, you can have a better chance of nudging them toward the next action. 

4. Anticipate objections, and address them head-on

Marketing emails can feel like a lot of jazz hands at times — all benefits and buzzwords. This isn’t always a bad approach, but if it's the only approach it often means your recipient has to read between the lines to get answers to their questions. 

Instead, says Dr. Gregory Gasic, Co-Founder of VMedX, a platform supplying the healthcare industry with virtual assistants, “Do not shy away from addressing common concerns head-on in your email. By acknowledging and addressing these doubts in your message, you demonstrate transparency and understanding, facilitating a more open conversation.”

In an industry like healthcare where total transparency is building trust is absolutely essential, being forthright and direct about how you meet your customer’s high expectations can be key to success. 

5. Use the BLUF approach 

This one can feel odd in practice, but it’s a great tip. Skip the pleasantries and setup, and get straight into your core message within a couple of sentences. 

Samantha Odo, Sales Representative at Precondo, says, “A technique I absolutely swear by is the "bottom-line-up-front" (BLUF) approach. This tactic immediately grabs the recipient's attention and ensures they grasp the most crucial information, even if they only skim through the initial paragraph.”

This can be an especially effective tactic if you are marketing to busy professionals. Often, when the point of the email is stated up front, they’ll decide the email is worth their time, and they’ll keep reading. 

6. Open with a question

If you can get your recipient to start thinking about a challenge they're facing, they may be more inclined to read on and see how you can fix it. To do this, open with a question.

Nikola Baldikov, CEO at InBound Blogging, says, “A lot of email marketers recommend ending your message with a question to continue the conversation, but I like this reverse approach too. When you see an email subject line such as 'Do you want to know why your competitors are outpacing you?' it immediately sparks curiosity and makes you want to click on it.”

The trick here is to provide a genuinely helpful answer to the question, or explain how your product or service can answer it. “Make sure you deliver on the promise and offer a unique angle on the topic, otherwise your future efforts might end up in the spam folder,” cautions Nikola. 

Final word 

Email is the most-used channel of communication for most marketers, so even an incremental improvement in performance can help move the needle. Test a couple of these tips in your email copy and see what sticks — once you’ve got a winning formula, you’ll be able to replicate it with ease, then continue to iterate.