5 persuasive email templates to promote your latest blog post

You’ve poured hours into drafting, writing, and editing your latest blog post. When the i’s have been dotted and t’s crossed, you hit the publish key.

And you wait.

You wait for the traffic your blog post deserves and the leads that want to find out more about your product and the solution it offers.

Days, weeks, and months pass. But the Google Analytics graph still reads more like a cadaver’s ECG scan than a lateral view of a hiking path to Mount Fuji.

Effective content marketing is never a one-off or stand-alone effort. Not only does it require constant and continual efforts, but it also needs to be complemented and supported by simultaneous efforts to achieve maximum performance and scale your content strategy.

That said, one of the best ways to boost your content marketing efforts is by integrating your blog strategy and email marketing strategy. When fused, these two form synergies as pleasant and euphoric as the combination of Calvin and Hobbes, Snoopy and Woodstock, Oreos and milk… you get the drift.

Plus, for every dollar spent on email marketing, expect an average return worth $32. With such a high ROI (3200 percent), it would be a real shame to not capitalize to give your blog the visibility it deserves.

And if that’s not enough to convince you, how’s this: email subscribers are nearly four times more likely to share your content on social media than visitors who land on your content from elsewhere.

But it’s one thing to simply launch an email marketing campaign to promote your latest blog post, a whole other ball game to optimize it for conversion.

Time and space are scarce resources when it comes to email marketing. And just like creating text for an infographic, every single word needs to be carefully thought out so that your message can be maximized for impact.

In this post, I’ll present to you five different ways to craft an email message that will drive traffic to your latest blog post.

These are templates you’ll have to adapt accordingly based on your needs, but they serve as a good reference and starting point.

Let’s dive in.

· Email template 1: The one with the power words

In marketing terms, power words are defined as words that arouse strong emotions that propel and drive the reader to take certain actions that lead to an objective.

They can take the form of a verb, adjective, noun, adverb, etc.

Imagine you’re signed up to receive the latest articles from your favourite content marketing agency. An email pops in and the subject reads:

· We have just published a guide on content marketing trends.

Ten bucks says you’re now thinking, “um… so?”

Now consider the alternative:

· Download our free guide on the latest content marketing trends!

Aren’t you feeling more excited about the guide already? That’s power words doing their job.

Unlike the first example, there’s a clear call to action here: download. And not only has the word ‘free’ sparked your interest (who doesn’t like free stuff?), ‘latest’ has also triggered a sense of curiosity.

By using power words to promote your latest blog post, you’re helping your email subscribers understand exactly what it is you’re offering and what you want them to do. This provides them with an added incentive to check out the blog post.

· Email template 2: The one with WIIFM

“Hey, you should definitely check out my latest article.”

“Why should I?”

“Because it’s informative and interesting.”

…said no effective marketer ever.

Even though your email subscribers signed up to receive your latest blog posts, that simply means that at some point in time, they expressed an interest in your content. It doesn’t mean that they’ll be reading them, let alone clicking on the links in them.

Ultimately, you’re still up against the tens or hundreds of other emails they receive that are vying for their limited time and attention.

To make sure your email stands out from the rest, you need to list the value proposition(s) — no, not of your company, but of your blog post — and explain how they can positively impact the reader. In other words, why your latest blog post merits a read from your email subscribers.

In today’s “me, myself, and I” marketplace, simply throwing out adjectives that describe how wonderful your post is isn’t going to be enough to get your subscribers to click on that link. That does absolutely nothing to help them understand how it relates to them and above all, how it can help solve their problems.

That’s where the WIIFM, or What’s In It For Me, method comes into play.

Your ability to execute the WIIFM tactic is a measure of how well you know and understand your audience. It involves appealing to them by selling the practicality and value of your post to show them how they can benefit from reading it and what they can learn from it.

· Email template 3: The one with the invented name

From analogies and metaphors to stories and examples, content marketers have plenty of instruments they use to simplify a complex idea.

But sometimes, the easiest way to explain things is to put a name to it.

For example, if I were to mention the five-second rule, you’d know I was talking about eating food that’s been dropped on the ground. The three R’s? You’re now picturing three green arrows with the three words “reduce, reuse, and recycle” churning around in your head.

So how can you apply this to your blog post?

Just think of a creative name that encapsulates the contents of your post and the solution you present and… voilá!

Not only is it more relatable, but it’s also easier to remember and you now have a more unique approach with which you can start your email.

This email template starts by describing the main problem your blog post solves and, just like the previous template, answers a question. The difference lies in how you introduce the solution.

· Email template 4: The one with support for your thesis

If you’ve put in the effort you need to do your job well, your blog post will definitely be of quality.

But unless you’re a leader in your field like Steve Job was in marketing and design, there’s a risk that your blog posts may prompt credibility concerns from your readers.

Don’t be surprised if they wonder, “Why should I believe you? How much of this is even credible?”

This is where statistics and data play a big role, and why marketers love including them in blog posts and emails. They help to support your thesis and also act as proof that you’ve done your research.

But there’s actually one other method that can help boost your credibility without relying on statistics. It’s one that’s, surprisingly, very seldomly used in email marketing: quoting leading experts and professionals of your sector, especially those who are considered as influencers, to support your argument.

You want to convince the audience that what you’re saying is relevant — not because you’re saying it, but because it’s based on experts’ opinions.

· Email template 5: The one with the question

A large part of content marketing is focused on solving problems and answering questions. And this last email template we have for you is one you can use to promote blog posts that aim to answer one overarching question.

It may be the most commonly asked question you receive, a question about an issue your industry can’t seem to stop talking about, or even a question related to your audience’s pain point.

Whatever it may be, your email needs to do more than acknowledge the question. It has to be focused on answering it. In other words, your email should tell your audience, hey, check out this blog post because you’ll find the answers to questions here.