How to write emails your customers won’t delete

Remember when getting an email was exciting?

It was thrilling to hear the ding of a new item in your inbox. Email streamlined communication and enabled PR pros to be more organized and accountable.

Nowadays, email notifications often elicit cringing or an increase in blood pressure.

In the age of overflowing inboxes and forgotten emails, how can marketers prevent their messages to clients, customers and colleagues from getting lost in the shuffle?

As a PR engineer, I spend a lot of time writing emails to customers. My goal is to inform and engage them. After my fair share of test emailing, I found some things garner more attention.

Here are four tips for crafting better customer emails:

1. Identify your goal right away.

Spell it out in the first sentence or two.

For example:

• Here are some new features we’d like to share with you.

• To serve you more effectively, tell me X, Y and Z.

• I’m following up on what we discussed in our last meeting.

Avoid overcomplicating your topic or dancing around your bottom line. Hop on the phone if your topic is too complex for email.

2. Your emails should be short.

Save yourself—and the recipient—time by cutting to the chase.

I’m definitely guilty of spending too much time crafting flowery emails and explaining things down to the minutiae. Unless the person you’re emailing needs to know every detail, keep it simple—especially if you’re emailing a busy executive.

RELATED: 10 ways to improve your writing today. Download now.

Ever heard of the 70 percent noise-reduction rule? Write your email, and then cut it down by a whopping 70 percent. You’ll surprised by how effective your message will be.

3. Articulate the next steps clearly.

If you’ve kept someone’s attention long enough to read your entire email, be crystal clear about the next steps. Avoid having your recipient play the guessing game.

Should they take action? Bold, italicize or underline your request. A call to action should catch the reader’s attention and inspire them to carry out your request. You might instead tell the reader about your next move:

I will follow up in a week with an analysis of your recent press mention.

4. Shorten your subject line.

There isn’t much real estate here to being with, but you can pack a punch with a short, focused subject line. Data from MailChimp suggest using 50 characters or fewer. Subject lines with six to 10 words have a 21 percent open rate.

You might also begin your subject line with a short disclaimer.

For example:

• Please review

• URGENT

• Activation required

Transparency is a good thing.

Rachel Kirschen is the director of customer success at AirPR. A version of this article first appeared on Air PR’s blog.

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