Make it Personal
You sit down at your desk to write an email to your list. You know the topic. You know your audience. You know the goal of the email. You picture the email hitting the inboxes of your readers as you type, “Hi everyone!” or you close with, “I can’t wait to reveal my big news to you all next week.”
It feels natural to write to “everyone” because technically, you ARE writing to everyone.
But really, you’re not.
Your reader is sitting in front of her computer or on her phone reading the email on her own.
She is not sitting in a room with your other subscribers, reading the email aloud. So when she reads, “You guys are going to love my new [whatever],” she will feel a disconnect.
Write to Your ONE Favorite Client
Next time you sit down to write copy—anything at all that you want your clients or customers to read—pretend as though you are writing to your one favorite client. Pull up a chair and write to HER.
“Hi Ella,
Did you hear about the latest menu change at Bellini’s? They’ve gone Paleo. What would grandma Gianna think?
[and so on] . . .”
Now, unless your client spends A LOT of time lunching, you might choose a different opening topic, but you can still address that one favorite client. What does she want to know? How does she speak with you? A conversational tone, even with the most formal of topics, will make her feel heard.
“Hello Jeff,
Have you been swamped with work and haven’t had a chance to catch up with the latest news in [our industry]? Check this out. I’ve got something that might help.
[and so on] . . .”
Make it personal. Because it is.
P.S. Want to stay connected?
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Blog posts
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It’s the Little Things
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Link Worthy // ten
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