Writing copy that increases email open rates and click-throughs isn’t as hard as you think.

Here are seven best practices that will help you improve the results of your next email campaign.

1. Know Your Audience

Before you start writing copy, you have to consider your audience.

• Who they are?
• What do they do?
• What do they need to thrive?
• What can you offer to relieve their existing pain points?

This information can be used to create buyer personas for the various segments of your email list. For example, you may break your list down by job title — writing copy for the C-suite will differ from writing copy for sales.

But even within each buyer persona or list segment, you’ll be writing copy for a range of recipients at different points in the buying cycle. Some will be new subscribers, some will be in the midst of a nurturing campaign, and others will be existing customers or brand advocates.

Knowing this can help you deliver the best possible message to your audience at the most opportune time.

2. Determine Your Goal

Every email you send should have one specific goal in mind. Maybe you want to offer a free download to new subscribers, such as a white paper or product demo, or maybe you want to encourage cold contacts to opt into a monthly email newsletter. Whatever the goal, your entire email should be a means to that end.

3. Write Stellar Email Subject Lines

According to stats, you have only 3-4 seconds and 25-50 characters to grab a recipient’s attention – so, your email subject line has to pack a powerful punch. Think of this as baiting the hook. The best email subject lines are conversation starters that give the recipient a clear reason to open the email.

4. Stay on Topic

Never use the bait-and-switch approach. If you introduce a specific topic in your subject line, be sure you’re writing copy that continues that conversation. Remember, each email should have one specific goal from the subject line to the call to action (CTA).

5. Provide Value

Landing in the inbox and getting the open are a great start, but if can’t inspire the click-through, you’re never going to get conversions. When writing copy, always provide value to the reader, be it a tutorial, a free download or a promotional discount. Give them a reason to click-through and continue the conversation.

6. Build to a Clear CTA

When writing copy, always keep your CTA in mind. You don’t want to confuse your readers with multiple options. Make it clear what you want them to do next, and give them an obvious means of doing so.

7. Format for Mobile Users

Consider this:

• 64 percent of decision makers read emails on a mobile device (source: Wolfgang Jaegel)
• 71.2 percent of recipients will delete emails that don’t display correctly (source: BlueHornet)

If you’re not formatting for mobile users, you’re likely losing a huge chunk of your audience. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Keep subject lines between 25 and 30 characters to avoid being cutoff in mobile displays.
• Take advantage of pre-header text
• Use single-column layouts
• Keep emails short and to the point
• Make sure your CTA is front and center
• Use white space to create breathing room for text and links
• Never stack links; leave room for clicking

Bonus Tip: Use Email Lead Generation Software

Writing copy is only half the battle. To ensure maximum email deliverability, you also need software that can help you maintain data and track campaign results.