Ever feel like you’re writing the millionth version of the same old email? When you hit a mental block refreshing your email copy, it may be tempting to scrap your current strategy, but don’t give up yet! You’ll run into this challenge even with proven strategies and messages.
From our 40ish years of experience, we’ve rounded up our best tips for keeping that creative spark alive, even when you’re producing copy like a machine. Get ready for our totally free, steal-it-when-you-need-it ideas to keep your email copy feeling fresh. Let’s start with the basics of strategy.
What is a Strategy?
Simply put, a strategy is a tactic for how to best accomplish a goal. The obvious implication is that you’ve decided on a goal to reach first! (Although one of the most obvious steps, it often gets skipped).
The best strategies start from gaining knowledge about your industry, goals and consumers. Armed with this knowledge, you can confront preconceived ideas and back up opinions with relevant facts.
What’s in a Strategy?
Clearly defined goals should be the beginning of your strategy, but they may not be obvious at first. Work through the “why” behind your business needs to uncover the goal.
Your strategy should also define a target audience. Think through questions like: Where do your audience and business intersect? What demographics exist in your target audience? What are their shared or differing psychographics?
This picture of your audience will inform how you achieve your goals. Your audience definition will be used to make choices on media, timing, tone, messaging and more.
Related: Download our Empathy Map and Customer Journey Map content tools for free.
Finally, you’ll need to determine how you plan to measure your success. Naturally, this will depend on your goals. Is there a measurable action you want the audience to take, such as clicking a link? Or will you measure the number of impressions generated over the course of an awareness campaign?
These three elements—goals, audience definitions and measures of success—are likely to change over time as you learn more about your customers, rework your business goals, and adapt to the market.
How to Write Strategy-Inspired Email Copy
Now it’s time to get down to the details you came for to refresh your email copy. These tips will help you utilize the current strategy to find inspiration while writing your next email. (Your audience will thank you later!)
- Know your audience definition by heart. And if you don’t know it, ask some questions! Knowing your audience and writing in an appropriate tone is crucial to getting their attention, no matter the topic. For example, you’d write to CFOs differently than you’d write to stay-at-home parents. Nuance your style to what the audience appreciates and understands best.
- Be alert for timely opportunities. How can you use a viral post or current event to reframe your message? Tap into what’s happening in the moment. For example, auto shops and tire shops could address the seasonal onslaught of potholes in the Midwest, pointing to their exceptional service as the solution. Consider anything that’s related to your business—and falls in line with your strategy—as an opportunity for timely copy.
- Iterate on older, successful copy. By updating previously successful copy, you can be confident that your writing is on strategy. Let your mind go to town as you brainstorm and iterate, and you’ll be well on your way to composing your next brilliant hook.
- Research new ideas to frame your messaging. When was the last time you looked at what other brands and competitors are doing? A quick audit of their content (or your own) can help you drum up ideas during the brainstorming process.
- Reference your brand voice. If your company strives to be clever, leading-edge, and accessible, try writing copy that appeals to each of those characteristics, one at a time. You might discover a new way of communicating your message to your audience.
- Do some experiments! Try out A/B testing to develop your subject lines, CTAs (call-to-action), images, headlines and anything else you would put in an email. You’ll be optimizing your message while getting to know your own audience a little better with each winning result.
Why drum your fingers when you could be drumming up ideas? If you’re really struggling to refresh your email copy, don’t limit yourself to just one of these tips. Use as many as you need to uncover fresh copy ideas while being confident on your strategy.
Need help developing a stronger strategy or creating content? Let’s stay in touch.
What are your favorite tips for getting unstuck while staying on strategy? Let us know in the comments below!
