One of the best ways to engage your readers is to inside out your emails.
Erm, Nikki, what are you talking about? Inside out my emails???
Well, often when writing emails, we bury the lede. We write in chronological order. Or explain things sequentially.
Which is… kinda boring. And “boring” = readers who can’t get past the first sentence.
Solution to this “boring” problem?
Hooks.
Hooks (…wait for it…) hook your readers. And keep them reading.
Huzzah! More engagement!
There are a few simple ways to hook your reader:
- Ask a question
- Share a quote or intriguing picture
- Tell a story
But the easiest way to hook
your reader is to “inside out” your emails:
Write a first draft. Get everything you want to say out on paper. Write it up all boring and straightforward.
Then find the crux of what you’re trying to say.
Pull it out of the middle of your email. Paste it to the top of your email.
And then fill in the gap.
Suddenly your email is a lot more curiosity inducing and engaging, because you’re starting in the middle of the story. You’re leaving out a piece of the puzzle that readers need to keep reading to find.
Bam. Instant hook.
Case in point:
Here’s the first draft of this very email. Can you spot the hook?
Every email needs a “hook.” To… y’know… hook your readers. Keep ‘em reading YOUR email in the midst of this wonderfully distracting world we live in.
Which means you can’t just write up whatever it is that you want to write up, slap on a button or link, and call it a day.
You gotta get super strategic with the first sentence or two of your email.
There are a few simple ways to hook your reader:
- Ask a question
- Share a quote or intriguing picture
- Tell a story
But the easiest way to hook your reader?
Inside out your email.
What exactly do I mean?
Well, often, when writing emails, we bury the lead. We write in chronological order. Or explain things sequentially.
Which isn’t that exciting.
So write a first draft. Get everything out that you want to get out. Write it up all boring and straightforward.
Then find the crux of what you’re trying to say.
Pull it out. Paste it to the top of your email.
And then fill in the gap.
Suddenly your email is a lot more curiosity inducing and engaging. Bam. Instant hook.
“See” ya tomorrow,
Nikki
P.S. You actually get two hooks for every email. You’re reading the second one right now. Yep, P.S.’s possess this magical curiosity element. People just love to read them.
So don’t waste a P.S. on a TL;DR. Use it to share an important point or encourage a specific action.