5 Tips for Better Email Marketing Copy

An effective email marketer is one part psychologist and part public relations whiz. They know that while email is one of the best ways to stay top-of-mind with prospects and clients, it has to be done right or it will be ignored or, worse, marked as spam.

For real estate agents, successful email messages can drive leads, referrals, and repeat business. But how can agents craft emails that "wow" their database? To help you get started, we've rounded up five email copywriting tips that will banish the "blah" from your marketing.

1. Use Y words

Make your message all about your customer. (This should be your no. 1 rule in ALL of your marketing!) To do this, replace words like "I" or "We" with "You" or "Your" to shift the focus to your prospect or client.

2. Avoid spam trigger words

Use the wrong words in your email marketing and your message could get caught by your recipients' spam filters--and never seen at all. Avoid obvious spam triggers like writing in ALL CAPS, w.e.i.r.d. punctuation, and words such as free, lowest price and mortgage rates. These things are a surefire ticket to your contacts' junk mail folder. Avoid them at all costs!

3. Include social media share buttons

Expand your email's exposure beyond the reach of your database by making it easy for readers to share. People love to share good compelling content with their networks. Make it as simple as possible with social media share buttons and to potentially get your message in front of thousands of people you wouldn't normally have access to.

4. Optimize your campaigns with A/B split testing

The key to ongoing marketing success is knowing what resonates with your audience. Finding out may require a little trial and error, though. You can do this via a method known as A/B testing. For example, if you want to know which of two subject lines compel more people to open your email, split your marketing list down the middle and then send a message with one headline to half A and the other headline to half B. Check your email's open rates to see which subject performs best.

5. Include a call-to-action (CTA)

Once your contact has opened and read your email, what do you want them to do next? Visit your website? Contact you for a home valuation? Consumers aren't mind readers, so don't waste their time (and yours!) by not encouraging them to take a direct action.

Do you have any email marketing tips that you've found success with? Share with us in the comments below!