In an email…
…if you waste your first sentence, your copy loses power.
And powerless copy can be a business killer.
But you want to know something? You’re not to blame.
You see, as part of our social mores, we’ve all learned small talk. We’ve learned that when starting a conversation, you spend time building up to “real” topics. You exchange pleasantries until a certain level of comfort is reached.
Well…that “skill” is attempting to sabotage your content.
Nobody has time for you to get to the point. All it takes is one or two lagging sentences and they’re gone. They’ve moved on to more pressing concerns.
So how do you guarantee your email packs a punch right from the beginning?
One copywriting “rule” is to delete 25% of the words you write. 25% of our words are fluff or fillers, and can be deleted without changing the message we’re trying to convey.
Delete those words (and very often your entire first paragraph) and your copy gets tighter, stronger, and much more effective.
Another technique, the one I want to introduce to you, is this:
Start your email with a strong, simple statement
Zone in on the core message you’re trying to convey, and make it your very first sentence. The ONLY sentence in the first paragraph.
For example:
“If you waste your first sentence, your copy loses power.”
Or…
“You are not alone.”
Or…
“You deserve to love your body.”
One strong, attention-grabbing sentence, will keep your reader engaged. And once you have that sentence written, you’ll be hyper-focused on your message.
If the rest of the content you write doesn’t support the message that you’ve placed front and center, you’re more likely to delete it. Your mind will naturally self-edit.
Because you have a mission. Get your reader to believe, understand, and embrace your message. No time for fluff or filler words when your path is clear.
Now…this isn’t a technique you can use in every email.
At some point, your community will feel like you’re constantly talking at them instead of to them. But if you have a super important message to convey – and you want to keep your content focused – then use it. And notice how much easier and faster writing your email can be.
In our Monthly Marketing Toolkit, we use this technique often. And it works. If you don’t have time to write your own emails, then sign up today for just $29/month and get all the powerful templates you need to keep and hold your prospects’ attention.
