Christian entrepreneurs can write powerful and engaging emails with a few simple tweaks in the way we think about email marketing.

We have been talking about email marketing.  I want to emphasize again, as Christians, we are building relationships with everything we are doing.  We may be looking for sales, but ultimately there is a person behind every transaction.  We are called to help them.  That is why we are in business.

With that in mind, let’s talk about how to write emails.  Of course, you can buy an entire course to learn this, but I think you can learn what you need from this simple blog post.  Don’t overthink it.  Write emails like you talk to people.

 

How to ‘talk’ in emails

I have seen too many businesses sharing emails like this: “Hello valued subscriber.  We have the greatest assortment of widgets.  Go to our page to buy are widgets.”  Static…boring. . .uncaring!

Even if you are a professional organization, the point of emails is to communicate.  People communicate with people not corporations.  Don’t write from the corporation to the customer.  Write from one person to another.

If you saw a great movie, you would quickly tell anyone who would listen.  You would use personal words like “That movie made me feel like I could conquer the world.”  If you heard a great sermon, you would share with your friends.  “The pastor knocked it out of the park this Sunday.  The sermon really got me thinking about how to deepen my relationship with Christ.”

That is how you write emails.  They are personal, engaging and use words real people use in real life.

 

Write Subject Lines people want to open

Make sure your subject line gives your readers a reason to open the email.  This person may be getting hundreds of emails each day, so you want yours to stand out.  Use powerful words and curiosity.

Some of the most interesting email subject lines I have seen recently involve words of emotion.  “I messed up,” was the title of an email I got recently.  It intrigued me, so I opened it to see what it was all about.  This is known as a ‘blind’ subject line.  It builds curiosity.  Only use these if you have established a relationship via email over the course of a few weeks.

Most of your emails will have a subject line that offers value.  “Here’s an article about how you can get more customers for your nail salon.” It shares the value and tells the reader why they should open it.  Be careful it does not become spammy.

Spammy subject lines may be “Try my stuff free.”  “Hurry, before it’s too late.” “Money for nothing.”  Things like that can quickly end up the email spam or trash folder.

Use words with power and action. Think about how you can make the subject line sincere, snappy, emotional, celebratory or even joking.  People want to get to know other people and if your subject line can engage your customers, they will readily open your email.

Pro Tip: Develop a ‘swipe’ file.  Anytime you see a good email subject, copy it and put it in a document or folder within your email.  Use these as primers when you write your next email.

 

Personalize You Communication

If you are writing, even if you are using an autoresponder, take time to personalize the email.  You can use the person’s name or business either typed in of filled in via tags on your autoresponder.  You can also make the body of the email personalized.

For instance, if the Olympics are going on.  Make a statement about something you saw at one of the games.  This makes the email seem more ‘real’ because the reader is in the same world you are in.  It engages and connects with them in a personal way.

 

Have a Single focus

Get to the point early.  Make sure you have a single point and engage your reader from the first line.  Your point may be to tell a story, so start off with something simple like, “Let me tell you story. . . “ and tell them why you are telling that story.

If your email has more than one focus, the reader will probably skim over it and they will miss something.  There is nothing wrong with having more than one email to communicate an idea.

Each email should be able to stand on its own. Keep it short and to the point because most people are busy and they only skim emails.  They only see the highlights.  To help the reader, use bullet points, pictures and bold text to highlight the important parts for them.

 

Valuable content

Make sure what you share is valuable to the reader, not just to your business.  Email marketing is not to tell something about you and your business.  Write to help them make lives better.  If that means doing business with you, then tell them about how you help after you have established a relationship.

Think of email marketing like dating.  You don’t ask someone to marry you on the first date.  Get to know them and share interesting, valuable and entertaining content.  After you have talked for a while, then mention what you have to offer and how you can enrich their lives.

When we talk about valuable content, it can be as simple as a tip or trick.  If they purchased from you maybe the subject line is “How to get the most out of your Kenmore dishwasher” or “3 Tips to get the most out of your Kenmore dishwasher.”  Those tips will be valuable to a recent customer.

You can also share information that fits your audience.  If they bought a dishwasher, why not share some cooking tips.  They have to eat something before washing plates, right?  Share a recipe or something interesting to your readers. You can find posts, podcasts, infographics, videos, etc.

 

Consider Your Call to action

When you send an email, you want the customer to take action. You may want them to read an article and share their own tips.  You may want them to respond to tell you how they are liking their new dishwasher.  A call to action, could be as simple as “Have a nice day.”

Again, we are communicating with real people.  When we leave a conversation, we have an ‘exit.’  When you end an email think about the same thing.  How do you end your email?  You want to leave the reader with something.  It may be an encouraging quote or Bible verse.  It may be the weather and telling them to take a moment to enjoy it.

As you get into selling your products, you can have them call, click or take some other action that is more focused on your business.  The key is to have more personal call to actions before you have sales call to actions.

One more note about call to actions: people may not interact.  Focus on the ones that do interact and keep building relationships with the others.

 

Use Your Signature

Use your signature line to your advantage.  Here is where you can really engrain what you do into the brains of your customers.  Put your contact information and include a picture if you can.  Sure you can use your logo, but people buy from people.  Put your smiling face on there with a professional headshot.

Make your signature stand out with a ‘byline.’  Share a benefit or your company value statement.  It should be short and memorable.  If I was writing an email, I would include “Grow your faith.  Grow your business.” Right below my name. . . come to think of it, I need to add that to my byline .. .see, I am learning too!

You can include a link to your website, social media, or whatever, but be careful about too many links.  As a general rule of thumb, your email should have only two to three links.  I suggest mixing it up. On one email, tell them to like your Facebook page or send them to an article found on your Facebook page.  On another send them a link to your webpage with the title, “Let me know if I can help.”

 

Conclusion

Let’s be honest, you know how email works.  If you are reading this article, there’s a good chance you have an email where you send and receive messages.  Get your emails working for you and your business.  As your business grows, so will your influence with your customers and your influence as a Christian.

Get a game plan to collect emails and engage with your customers.  If you need help, consider joining our coaching program (also known as our membership) or hiring a Christian business coach.  I am here to help as much as I can.  You just need to take the first step and take some action.

 

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