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Marketing & Innovation

If you succeed with your subject line to get them
to open your email – what do you say? This is par-
ticularly nerve wracking in today’s market but no
matter how you position it, there are a few main
points that you need to hit with your copy. Those
main points are your customer’s pain point, the
solution you have to that pain point, how your
solution works (features), how your solution will
improve their situation (benefits), and verification
that it works (social proof).The majority of what
you write needs to address how you can help your
prospect, not how awesome you are (because
that’s implied).

5. And then, finally, the design

Design is important and there are well tested and
universally regarded guidelines to follow here.

First, is text length. More is not better in this
regard. As a matter of fact, the more you write the
less likely you are to get a response; but don’t be
too brief. The sweet spot appears to be between 50
and 125 words––or at least the length of this para-
graph which is 57 words.

A second best-practice is to break up your text––
meaning layout three small paragraphs versus one
long one. Also, watch your graphic elements. They
should be there to illustrate, not distract. White
space is very important when scanning emails so
try to keep white areas around your call-to-action
buttons.

In English, we read left to right, so it is easier for
us to comprehend that quickly. Left justification
also works for calls to action and buttons.

Emails are still the most popular marketing chan-
nel used with the best ROI. The shelter-in-place
orders have made us even more a slave to our
phones. Hopefully, some of these tips will help your
email campaigns create and sustain sales for you
even when your tasting rooms have limited guests.

Susan DeMatei is the President of WineGlass
Marketing, a full-service direct marketing firm
working within the wine industry in Napa,
California. www.wineglassmarketing.com

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