Key Moments
Email Marketing Tutorial: How To Write Emails That DOUBLE Conversions
Key Moments
Up to 68% of emails land in promotions, not primary, and only 77% of emails are even delivered. Copywriters can improve inbox placement by avoiding spam triggers and focusing on human-like, relevant content.
Key Insights
An average of only 77% of emails are delivered to the recipient, meaning a list of 10,000 subscribers might only effectively reach 7,700.
68% of emails that don't land in spam still end up in Gmail's promotions tab, significantly reducing visibility.
The average click-through rate for emails is 2.5%, meaning in a scenario where only 1,408 out of 7,700 emails are opened, only about 37 people might click a link.
47% of emails are discarded by recipients based on the subject line alone, highlighting its critical role in open rates.
60% of email users will mark a sender as spam if they receive too many or irrelevant emails from them.
Using too many images or hyperlinks in an email can trigger spam filters.
The challenge of inbox placement in the age of AI filters
Even legitimate emails from brands people have opted into are struggling to reach inboxes, often landing in Gmail's promotions tab or triggering spam filters. Gmail alone blocks over 10 million spam and malicious emails every minute using automated machine learning. While this protects users from scams, it creates a significant hurdle for legitimate senders. A staggering 68% of emails that avoid the spam folder still end up in the promotions tab, a number that can be even higher for promotional content. This lack of direct visibility can drastically undermine marketing efforts, potentially making copywriters appear ineffective if they don't consider deliverability.
The impact of poor deliverability on campaign performance
For copywriters, poor email deliverability can have dire consequences for their reputation and client satisfaction. Imagine delivering hours of work only for emails to fail to reach their intended audience. If a client with 10,000 subscribers sends a campaign, only about 77% (7,700) might actually be delivered. Of those, if a significant portion lands in the promotions tab with a low open rate of 19.2%, very few will actually engage. With an average click-through rate of 2.5%, this could mean as few as 37 people out of the original 10,000 see the client's offer. This disconnect between effort and results can lead clients to believe the copy itself is flawed, even when the issue lies in deliverability.
Avoiding spam trigger words and their impact
A primary way to avoid the spam or promotions folder is by being acutely aware of and actively avoiding spam trigger words. While some are obvious (e.g., 'cash,' 'free,' 'sale'), the list is constantly expanding to include words like 'amazing,' 'opportunity,' and 'freedom.' It's crucial to keep updated lists from resources like HubSpot and to develop a workflow where you write your message first, then go back and cross-reference it with spam word lists, making necessary adjustments. While this process can be time-consuming, it's essential for improving your email's chances of reaching the primary inbox. Consistent practice will help you naturally learn which words to steer clear of.
The role of formatting and presentation
Beyond the words themselves, how you format your email significantly influences deliverability. Spam filters are sophisticated enough to flag certain formatting choices as suspicious. Excessive exclamation marks, non-standard symbols, multiple font colors or varying font sizes can be red flags. Even excessive punctuation within sentences or unconventional use of commas and colons can cause issues. Proofreading is vital to catch these errors. Tools like Glock or SendForensics can help identify problematic elements before sending. One example showed a deliverability rate of 51% improving to over 82% after making formatting tweaks.
Crafting compelling and compliant subject lines
Subject lines are critical, as 47% of emails are discarded based on this element alone. They need to be concise, pique curiosity, and accurately set expectations for the email's content. Just like the email body, subject lines should avoid spam trigger words and suspicious characters. High open rates, driven by effective subject lines, can boost your deliverability score by signaling engagement. However, it's crucial not to resort to clickbait or misleading phrases, as this leads to high opens but low clicks, which also harms your sender reputation. Striking a balance between curiosity and relevance is key.
Writing like a human to foster connection
The most impactful strategy is to write in a human, conversational tone, as if you're speaking to a friend. This approach makes your emails more approachable and relevant. Personalities like Marie Forleo and Noah Kagan are cited as examples of effective conversational email writers. Even when representing a brand, maintaining this friendly, relatable style is essential. If a longer narrative is necessary, break it into shorter paragraphs for readability. Increased reader engagement signals to ISPs that your emails are valuable, improving future deliverability, much like how emails between friends consistently achieve high open rates.
Maintaining relevance and managing subscriber expectations
To avoid being marked as spam, it's crucial to ensure your email content is consistently relevant to your audience. Surveys indicate that 60% of users will mark a sender as spam if they receive too many irrelevant emails. Every email should serve a clear purpose, whether it's sharing new content, announcing a product, or offering a discount. Avoid sending emails solely to maintain a cadence without providing value. For new leads, the initial opt-in emails should clearly set expectations about content type and sending frequency. Consistency in language, personality, and layout also helps build trust.
Prioritizing engagement over immediate sales
The primary goal of an email should be to drive engagement, which often means getting the reader to click a link, reply, or take another action. Trying to close a sale directly in the email can be problematic, as it may involve spam trigger words and shifts focus from building a relationship. Your website's sales copy is better suited for conversion. Therefore, focus on writing emails that are interesting, engaging, and encourage clicks. While graphics, buttons, or even emojis can enhance engagement, use them judiciously, as an excessive number of images or hyperlinks can also trigger spam filters.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●People Referenced
Key Email Deliverability Tips for Copywriters
Practical takeaways from this episode
Do This
Avoid This
Impact of Poor Email Deliverability on Conversions
Data extracted from this episode
| Scenario | Metric | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Average Deliverability Rate | Delivery % | 77% |
| Emails landing in Promotions Tab | Promotions Tab % | 68% |
| Read Rate (Promotions Tab) | Open Rate % | 19.2% |
| Click-Through Rate (Overall) | CTR % | 2.5% |
| Example Calculation (10,000 subscribers) | Emails Reached | 7,700 |
| Example Calculation (10,000 subscribers) | Opened in Promotions Tab (approx) | 1,473 |
| Example Calculation (10,000 subscribers) | Clicked (approx) | 37 |
Email Deliverability Improvement Example
Data extracted from this episode
| Version | Deliverability % |
|---|---|
| First Test (Unoptimized) | 51% |
| After Optimization | 82% |
Common Questions
Gmail's sophisticated machine learning filters automatically sort emails. Emails that are promotional in nature, or that don't strongly engage recipients, are often placed in the 'promotions' tab rather than the primary inbox.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Author whose work '1984' is referenced to describe the scrutiny of email content by digital powers.
A personality mentioned as an example of someone who writes emails in a conversational, friendly tone, similar to talking to a friend.
Mentioned as an example of someone who writes emails in a friendly, conversational style, akin to speaking with a friend.
Cited as an example of a sender who engages his audience with a conversational and friendly email writing style.
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