As a top level email and autoresponder copywriter, one of the biggest questions I receive is "How long should my follow up emails be? It's like this: As well-known online copywriter Michel Fortin once said to me, ""Your emails should be as long as they need to be and not one word longer.
" But what does this mean? Over the years as an autoresponder copywriter I've found a 600-700 word length works best for me and my clients.
With 600-700 words, you can get a good story in there, have a nice seamless transition, pull in some powerful benefits, and properly position your product as the solution to the wants, needs, desires or problems of your prospect.
If you're concerned that longer emails might get caught in spam traps, I've researched that topic in depth and can find no conclusive evidence that longer emails are more vulnerable to spam filters.
I routinely receive emails from big-time marketers that are more than 1000 words and they end up in my inbox, not in my spam folder.
As you write emails consistently you'll find a length that works for you best.
Maybe it will be 300-400 words.
Maybe it will be 800 or 1000.
But your opt-out and click through rates will also let you know if your emails are too long or not.
If you're consistent in sending out email regularly you'll also want to mix it up from time to time, sending shorter or longer emails rather than using the same length all the time.
Another option to consider is to send email that has only a few lines of copy that entices them to click on a link to your blog, which contains the complete text.
The advantage to this is that the email is much shorter and you get the SEO benefits from the blog post.
The disadvantage is that you add an extra step to the process.
The reader has to click on a link just to see what you have to say.
Then, after they arrive on the blog, they might get distracted by the ads and/or information in the sidebar.
So, in my opinion, full text emails work best.
Here's a hot top for you: put an audio link at the top of your email that leads to audio where they can listen to your email instead of read it.
This will appeal to those in your audience who are auditory types and prefer to consume their information by listening to it.
Also, it gives you a chance to build more of a rapport with your readers, especially if you use a friendly tone of voice and don't read the email word for word in the audio.
You can stick loosely to the text but be sure that you talk to them naturally, like you were having a conversation with them.