Ahh, the dreaded cluttered inbox. You stare at the screen blankly and scan the subject lines as you quickly delete.

But wait, what’s this?

An engaging subject line from your favorite thought leader about a topic you’ve been meaning to research. Suddenly, you stop the scroll and click.

And you’re not disappointed.

Here is a beautiful, personal email executed to look both professional and friendly. It’s using the words that speak to you most. It’s got a clear call-to-action. All of a sudden, you’re 15 minutes into reading a blog. You’re clicking to learn more. You’re ::gasp:: signing up to receive a downloadable PDF.

And it all started with just a little inbox note.

It’s not that difficult to write an email. It’s seemingly just some words strung together on a digital page. But because our inboxes are inundated with innocuous tasks, it becomes a struggle to stand out.

We know you want people to read your work, so here are some simple steps to write an email that someone wants to forward. Just remember the acronym PICA: Personalize, Incentivize, Call Out, Action.

Personalize

Email personalization is essential. Not only do you want to use tactics that make your email appear as though it’s only being sent to one or a few individuals, but you also want to make sure it reflects your personal brand. Take the time to consider your audience before even writing your first word, and think about what your recipients really want. Answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Incentivize

We’ve preached about the importance of incentives before, but never lose sight of the value of email for referral marketing. A great option in MassageBook is to use the Autopilot and Promotions features in tandem to create your own AutoPromos that continually target your clients with deals and specials throughout the year. As an extra thank you, you can add a New Clients Only Promotion to any AutoPromo you create. Then any existing clients who receive an AutoPromo for themselves also have something to share with family and friends who are not clients of yours already.

Call Out

Evergreen content (ie: content that isn’t particular to one season or audience) is wonderful, but call outs to a particular time of year or societal moment are great ways to make your email stand out. In September, for example, people are thinking about back to school and education, the end of the summer, getting back to a routine, fall activities and plans, cooler nights and moving toward the holidays. Calling out to these particular moments is not only relevant, it lets them know you’re on the same page.

Some example topics for the fall include:

  • Easing Back to School Tension

  • Self-Care During Back to School Season

  • Morning Stretches to Do This Fall

  • Tips for Improving Your Morning Routine

  • Stave Off the End-of-Summer Blues

Action

Getting them to open is exciting, but getting your audience to follow through on taking action is essential. Try thinking first of the action you want them to take and then write your email. If you want a truly forwardable email, ask them at the end, “Who needs to hear this?” “Did anyone come to mind when you were reading this?” or “Pass along some love!” This will get your reader to think about your message and their networks.

We know that email marketing isn’t always simple, and we know you don’t have the time (or the patience) to get elbows-deep into learning all the nitty gritty details. So that’s why we seamlessly built email marketing tools right into MassageBook that do the hard work for you. They make keeping in touch with your clients easy—so you can get back to helping them feel great!