How to Write Promotion Email Copy That Actually, You Know, Converts

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There’s nothing your email subscribers want to read more than your promotion email copy.

Just kidding. We know that’s not true.

The last thing any of your customers, or would-be customers, wants to look at is another piece of promo email gar-bage. (“Votive candles now 4.3% off!”)

And yet sometimes we do have to send out a promotional email to let the world know we got cool stuff for them to buy/check out.

Here are five ways to write, create and send promotion email awesomeness that will actually deliver results (and not just clog up the inbox):

5 Keys to Promotion Email Copy That Doesn’t Suck

#1 – Make Sure Your Promo Email Doesn’t Scream “Promo Email”

I know this is counter to what everybody tells you. Stuff your email marketing promotion with tons of pretty images and bold fonts and bright colors.

But unless you are a big-old brand like Target or Nordstrom, your email promo will get lost in a sea of other crap. (Especially if you’re writing to some B2B email lists you bought.)

However, if you keep your email simple, text-driven and focused on the URGENT BENEFIT you’ll do much better.

#2 – It’s Not About the Promotion

Nobody cares about your promotion.

Nobody cares you spend hours working on the flyer in Canva or that you spend days coming up with the copy.

So, why would you spend valuable real estate in an email extolling the virtues of your promotion.

Nobody cares!

Instead, hit on the HUGE URGENT BENEFIT they’ll get:

Clear skin
Trim waistline
The chance to run your own consulting business
The jealous look of people seeing you drive an Italian sports car

The promotion is the urgency…it’s not the benefit. The benefit is the benefit. Hit on that first, and then worry bout details like percentage off or limited supplies.

#3 – Avoid Spammy Crap

This means avoiding like words “free” or “sale” or “promotion” or anything that screams a computer wrote it. Imagine you’re writing an email to a friend…

..that you just happen to be trying to sell something to.

#4 – Personalize

Personalize everything. The email copy. The subject line. The email signature.

Instead of having a subject line: “50% Off Leather Coats Until Friday”…

…you could do something like “It’s Time to Up Your Coat Game.”

The only place i would tread easy on the “personalize” thing is the “first name/last name” tokens. It can come off a bit weird, if you don’t have the kind of relationship with your list. (And if you’re gonna rent email lists, tread very lightly. This can easily offend.)

Just keep it simple and personal. (And imagine what type of email you’d want to read.)

#5 – Break Up Them Paragraphs

Want to know the secret?

To writing effective copy?

Break.

Up.

Your.

Text.

People are gonna scan your email – maybe give it even less attention than that – and so you want to make it easy to read.

No paragraphs longer than two sentences. Make some words ALL CAPS.

Go for short words over long, extended superfluous phrases.

“Buy My Stuff! Please!”

Voltaire said, “It’s better to seduce than to conquer.”

And though we’re not suggesting you try to book a date through your promotion email copy, it is good practice to remind yourself that subtle (even funny) persuasion goes a lot farther than jackhammer intensity.

The more you tell, the more you sell. So, tell your story, and indicate how that story can help subscribers improve their own story, and you’ll see amazing results with your promo emails. (Just so long as you don’t include the word “free.”)