I'm an email marketing agency founder who shares what's learning right now from sending over 10 million emails a year (not writing ten million emails, mind. Imagine that 😂).
How to use brackets properly (like, properly properly)
|
Brackets (or parenthesis, if you're posh) are a good way to get more personality into your emails, but only if you use them properly . In this short email, you'll learn how. Mornin' Reader, Have you ever watched the Director's Commentary version of a film? Yeah, me neither. What I'm told happens is, the film plays while the director talks about their experience of making the film etc. And that's the best way to use brackets (or parenthesis, again, if you're posh) in emails. Brackets give the reader a bit of mental relief (a kind of ahhhhhhhhh - like they're taking a breath). Some people use brackets to pack in extra information (72% of people, according to a survey nobody has probably ever done - I just said this to demonstrate the point). Whereas I prefer to use them as my version of Director's Commentary in my email. It means you can run two narratives at once (like this, lol). It means you can inject a bit of silliness into an otherwise 'serious' email. It means you can get across more of YOU & your personality. Give it a go this week. Let me know how you get on. Alex P.S. When using brackets in the way we've just covered, you have to be careful that your Director's Commentary doesn't become distracting. Emails must be fun to read, but they also have a job to do. There's a fine line between personality & distraction. We'll cover that difference in another email. Not now. Don't ask me to do it now. I won't do it! I won't! |
Alex Thompson
I'm an email marketing agency founder who shares what's learning right now from sending over 10 million emails a year (not writing ten million emails, mind. Imagine that 😂).
There's a slim chance you noticed. And an even slimmer chance you care. But I've been a crap email marketer and not emailed YOU – the lovely people on my list – for AGES. There's actually a big chance you've forgotten who I am. You might be reading this email with a frown on your face thinking: "Who TF is this guy? I didn't sign up to this list!! SPAMMER!" Well... Reader... you did sign up. At some point. I promise. I don't buy data/lists. Anyway, that's besides the point. You're here. And...
Are we scared to make jokes these days? I forgot to grab a basket. Again. So carrying ten bottles of deodorant across the supermarket to the cashier had been a mission in itself (I kept dropping them. An old lady even picked one up for me as I had them cradled in my arms - not my finest hour). But it was 50% off the only deodorant that keeps me smelling fresh(ish) all day, so I wasn't giving my savings up for the sake of some Pensioner's spine. (Okay - I admit. Even I felt a little bad...
The highest open rate I've ever had was 82% to a list of 10,000 people, for my client Alice Liveing. Do I actually think 8,000 people opened that email? No. Here's why... Mornin' Reader, I got asked a good question last week.(I actually did, btw - this isn't one of those 'I'll pretend someone asked me a question just so I can talk about this' 😂) Someone DM'd me and said: "I heard Google changed the ability for people to analyze email open rates. Is that true?" I'm gonna give a politician's...