Top 10 Tips on Sprucing Up Your Email Content - As Told by Don Corleone

Hey listen up. Ignore these tips about your forthcoming email content...at your own peril.

1. Shorten the Subject, take the canolis! – Hey! Those email readers cut off the subject lines at 40-50 characters, whattayadoin puttin’ your jewels at the end?
2. Only using images? – Just fuggetabout it. Don’t waste your time emailing. Your email is gonna wind up right in the trash, just like our late friend Johnny.
3. Keep it clean – Now I have been trying to be "clean" for years, but this is not what I am talking about. I’m talking about using black type on a white background. Easy on the eyes.
4. Use a table of contents for your newsletter – Tell ‘em what their gonna get, before they open the door, know what I mean? NO ONE likes surprises...
5. Make them an offer they don’t refuse – Do I need to say any more?
6. Keep paragraphs short – Life is short (some shorter than others, but that is not the fault of the Don). People don’t have time to read long emails.
7. Use bullets – Did I say bullet? Just make sure your copy is easy to read, bulletized and bullet-proof (unlike Sonny), if ya know what I mean.
8. Include links before the scroll – Not including links above the fold, is like the Corleone family not having a pot of sauce cooking on the stove. Links are just necessary.
9. Cut your copy in half, leave it for a bit then cut it again! – I think this may have happened to … nevermind.
10. Talk to your recipients, do not bore them. Even the Don don’t like to read something uninteresting. There’s a lot of clutter out there, break through (just don’t break heads).

Comments

[Alf]

11. Don't sleep with the Phishes.
Mentioning that you accept credit cards, PayPal, etc. in your email, is sure to put your message in the bulk folder. Keep that info on your website.

[Janine]

I can't believe I didn't get one comment on my crazy Godfather blog. Well, hope you enjoyed anyway :-)