Email marketing remains one of the most effective marketing platforms available to any business. With the cost of your average online bulk mail service lower than ever and with return on content marketing climbing, neglecting to run a quality email campaign is a foolish way to pursue any marketing strategy. But even if you have made up your mind to craft a high-quality email campaign, how do you ensure that your emails will translate into conversions? One of the ways is to connect with your readers, and much of this connection comes down to the “voice” of your emails.
I get this question a lot: “Should the tone of my bulk emails be formal or informal?” First, let’s figure out what each of these words means:
1. Formal – By formal, I’m not talking PhD-academic-paper formal. I’m talking business formal, or complete sentences that are direct and to the point. No abbreviations, no jokes, just straight-ahead email.
2. Informal – Here I’m talking about the tone of, for example, this email. I’m writing as if I’m conversing with you. Lots of abbreviations, contractions, and incomplete sentences in these emails, and there’s even a joke here and there.
So which to choose for your unlimited email marketing services? The answer comes down to a few things:
1. What are you selling? – Are you selling life insurance or legal services? I’d take a formal tone here. Any time you want to appear serious and professional is a good time to sound serious too. If you’re giving marketing advice, for example, or if you’re selling most consumer goods (clothing, food, household items), it’s better to be informal. You want to the reader to feel comfortable with your products, and a formal tone isn’t the best for conveying that message.
2. What kind of email is it? Is this announcing a sale or promotion? Informal tone works best. Is this announcing an organizational change with the company or a technical change to your legal documentation? It’s got to be formal. This one should be obvious enough.
3. The bottom line – I say that informal is the rule unless there is a clear reason to sound stuff and informal. Most consumers like their emails quick and easy to understand. Gumming up the works with a lot of unnecessary language is likely going to turn them away, and taking an informal tone is a better way to form a report with your audience. There are many exceptions, but informality is usually best.