Conversion-Focused Email Copywriting

Chapter 1 of Copywriting for Email Marketing

Email copywriting is crafted around email conversions, and the process of motivating a subscriber to act is slightly different to converting users in other marketing channels. This chapter looks at how to write conversion-focused email copy.

By Kath Pay

7 minute read

Email is a ‘push’ channel that must motivate subscribers to take action elsewhere, unlike other marketing channels that ‘pull’ users to them, so copywriting for email must be approached with a different conversion goal in mind. This chapter covers:

The nature of email: What are the key differences between email and web channels and how do these inform copywriting?
Cialdini’s principles: How can Robert Cialdini’s seven ‘weapons of influence’ be used to persuade readers in online communications?
Email conversions: Often thought of as a single act, in reality an email conversion consists of three micro-conversions. What are these, and what role must email copy play in each micro-step?