How to write an email with the right angle of attack?

In email marketing, you only have a few seconds to grab the reader's attention. Without an immediate and captivating "hook", your email risks going unnoticed. So how do you write an email or newsletter which really grab readers' attention ? How to find the right angle of attack? Writing an email is not something to be taken lightly. By asking yourself the right questions, you can easily identify the right angle of approach. Here's a copywriting process you can start applying today.

List the key messages to be communicated

When analyzing email content in our audits, we often find that the main message, or editorial angle, is not clearly defined or sufficiently emphasized. For example, if you need to promote a new inventory management platform, do you focus on what it actually changes for users: optimizing stock levels, reducing order errors, saving on storage costs? The core of your message should highlight one of these concrete benefits, rather than simply announcing a "new inventory management platform", a formulation that lacks relevance. By choosing a relevant angle of approach, you'll enable the reader to feel immediately concerned.

Before you dive headlong into writing your email, identify on a piece of paper the key messages you need to convey to your audience. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why are you sending this email? What do you have to say?
• How will this message help, relieve or interest your target audience?
• What makes your product or service better or different from the competition?
• How is it relevant to your target audience today?
• Why is this the right time for your audience to receive this email?
• How does this message align with your organization's mission or raison d'être?
• How does it embody your organization's values?

Answering these questions will give you your list of messages to send. Then rank them in order of importance from the main message to more secondary messages.

Respecting local laws: contextualizing

To capture your readers' interest, put yourself in their shoes and speak their language. Proximity can mean understanding and sharing their problems.It can be about the company's concerns, issues or challenges, particularly in B2B. It can also be geographical, emotional or cultural.

Put yourself in your reader's shoes and ask yourself :

• What are its concerns and challenges?
• What are the stakes and challenges?
• What are the highlights of his life?
• How can my message help him overcome his difficulties or achieve his goals?

In short, if you were in his shoes, what would you like to receive?

In-depth knowledge of your target audience is essential to answer these questions effectively.

Place the essential message in the subject line

The main message should appear in the subject line and preheader of your email. As readers, we want to know immediately if the subject of the email concerns us, interests us or is important to us. At a glance, we need to decide whether the email is worth opening.

• The sender's label It must be familiar to your readers, usually the company name.
• The object :
  • It must reflect the essential message to be conveyed, with the right angle of attack.
  • It must be faithful to the content's promise: newsletter, invitation, sale, etc.
  • It should not be a secondary subject of the email.
  • It should be short (around 6 to 10 words) and ideally fully readable on mobile. If this is not possible, place the most important words at the beginning of the object.
  • There's no need to include the sender's name in the subject line - it's a waste of space.
• The preheader must provide additional information to the object, adding an additional argument.

Test the smartphone rendering of your label/object/preheader with this handy free tool: Email Subject Lines Tester.

Prioritize your messages with visual cues

Once the email has been opened, you only have a few seconds to convince the reader to read your newsletter and interact with its content. An email is not read word for word; it is first scanned diagonally.. Only if the reader finds elements of interest in a quick scan of the content will he or she take the time to read it in detail.

Place your messages in visual landmarks

To facilitate this diagonal reading and guarantee optimal comprehension, position your key messages in visual elements such as :

• Headings, subheadings, CTAs (Call to Action), labels or categories
• Highlight blocks, borders, strokes, background colors, bold words, separators

These elements must be carefully highlighted to direct and hold the reader's attention, even when reading quickly.

The main title

The main title is often a repetition of the object, which is a mistake. The object has just been read and is still fresh in the reader's mind. Instead, the main title should reinforce interest in the object and preheaderby adding value. The subject line, preheader and main title must flow logically without redundancy.

Call to Action (CTA)

The CTA must attract without intimidating, naturally following the reader's path.

• The verb used must relate to the action requested. Examples: "Je prends rendez-vous" ("I make an appointment"), "Je télécharge" ("I download"), or related to the company's lexical field: "Je chine engagé" ("I hunt with commitment"), "J'achète solidaire" ("I buy with solidarity") (second-hand sector), "Je feuillette" ("I leaf through") (publishing sector).
• Avoid passive formulas such as "Learn more", "Read more", "Click here", "I enjoy", "I discover". Even if the last two can be difficult to avoid, try as hard as you can.

Read your email like one of your readers

To check the effectiveness of your structuring, send yourself a proof copy and put yourself in your reader's shoes:

1. On your smartphone, start by reading the sender label, subject line and preheader. Assess whether they are sufficiently attention-grabbing by putting yourself in your reader's shoes (with their mental load, their concerns, their challenges).
2. Then open the email without loading images, and read only the visual cues: headings, subheadings, CTAs, highlighted blocks. Make sure that the messages you want to get across are clear and understandable in a quick diagonal read.
3. Load the images and check that they reinforce the message without altering understanding.
4. Finally, read the entire email aloud: if it reads smoothly and you don't stumble over words, your email is well written.

Basic good writing practices

Each organization should establish its own rules for writing, its own writing framework. Nevertheless, here are a few good writing practices to follow:

Keep it simple

You don't need any special talent to be a good writer. The main objective is to be understood. So write simply.

• Use short sentences: subject, verb, complement.
• Avoid jargon that requires explanation (unless you're dealing with experts).
• Limit the excessive use of adjectives: too many adjectives detract from the credibility of the message.
• 1 paragraph = 1 idea.
• Pace your writing with punctuation to energize reading. For example: "Tired of those sore muscles? Try heat compresses.
• Limit the overuse of "-ment" adverbs. Excessive use also undermines credibility.

Be precise

Precise information is more likely to be retained by the reader. Use numbers and bulleted lists. Avoid excessive "..." and "etc.", which can give an impression of vagueness and clutter.

Read aloud

Reread the subject, preheader and content of your email aloud. If you stumble over certain words or if it doesn't read smoothly, rewrite the text.

Checklist of best practices in emailing copywriting

Here's a checklist summarizing the points discussed above. Don't hesitate to use it as inspiration before validating your emails.

Conclusion

To write a powerful email, you need to have in mind the key messages you want to convey to your targets, choose the right angle of attack, structure your messages clearly and highlight them with visual cues. By applying these principles, you'll capture attention from the very first seconds and maximize the impact of your communications.