10 things I love about your emails (and related arts)

I love emails with clear creative and natty features. I did a post about my love. Now here's another post.

As a Brucie bonus I've included many links to related arts. Get creative and maybe you, too, can yank some love from my inbox.

1. I love one...clear...message

Don't know about you, but I get lots of emails trying to tell me 78 different things at once. Presumably so that they don't have to send me 78 emails. 

But you have to pick and choose what you ask of your subscribers. I'm impressed that I signed up for Starbucks WiFi about four months ago, and this is the only marketing email I've had since. 

And it's just saying, look, here's a new orange drink. It also includes my favourite piece of copy ever - 'Swing by your local Starbucks for our new Starbucks Refresha™ Valencia Orange or the already existing Berry Hibiscus'.

'The already existing Berry Hibiscus': Tom Eliot eat your heart out.

 

2. I love big fonts

On the same, clear message, trip. No pun intended. National Express and its feedback email (yes, I took a coach somewhere, for my infinite sins). 

Nothing could be clearer than this. Why aren't your emails as clear? Like rain water in a limestone pool. 

3. I love make sense

So here's a big reveal. I was looking for engagement rings. I'm single, I just like grand gestures. I'm not really single, but anyway, it's not a surprise, so I can write about it here.

I enquired of Tiffany, can I get a ring (very modest?) at a certain size, and they emailed back with this. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Please don't do this yourself, please make sense.

4. I love the vanity play

Google knows we are vain. So Google sends me an email. Saying, look, on your G+ profile you have a grey egghead and people don't know you from Adam.

If you can play on your subscribers' vanity, personality, sense of self, you'll likely be winning. Granted this is easiest for social networks, but it's still something to aim for. 

If you're a retailer, perhaps play on rewards – 'Why haven't you used your voucher? You could've saved money'. Don't let them get away.

 

5. I love comedy

Hard to get right.

But it doesn't have to be a concerted effort to wrench a smile into the countenance of your subscribers. Tumblr shows us the way, below. 

 

6. I love scrolly wolly

I agree with simple emails, I don't want too many messages. But there is an exception, products. You can list plenty of products on one email, because each product conveys the same message – 'buy a product'. 

So if you're packing in products to your email, why not plump it out a bit? BFI Southbank (artsy cinema on the River Thames) fills its emails chock full of films and events, so that I have to scroll and scroll and discover something for myself. It works. 

Here's the mail chopped up and side by side.

7. I love suggestions for a subscriber

If you have paid subscribers, don't just take their money and sit there wondering if they're making best use of the service they've paid for. This is the start of a wonderful journey.

Email them with suggestions. Spotify is so good at this.

8. I love fools (not)

I had to include this picture. Don't put fools like this in your email. It almost works, I start thinking of a vacation, I think of the olives and the Grecian urns and the tiny concrete swimming pool. Then I look again at these fools and the spell is broken. 

Disclaimer: this is just personal opinion.

9. I love a password reminder

Ask anybody what the main job of customer service is, sift through all of the fluff, and you'll find that it's dealing with billing issues, service faults and forgotten passwords.

The Trainline has a big button saying password reminder in the bottom panel of its emails. You should do this to.

If I open your email, chances are I'm going to jump on to your site, so I'll need to know how to log in. 

10. I love no agenda

Be clear what it is you're actually pushing, and if it's you that's pushing it.

The New Statesman clearly demarcates Editor's choice, promotions and advertorials. And, paradoxically, when ads and promos are signposted, I'm more likely to take a look.