Sometimes Being Email Real Is as Good as Being Email Expert
As email consultants, we can get so wrapped up in the minutia of metrics and the details of delivery that we forget sometimes all you need is to be real. A recent shipping confirmation email proves this point.
Although the email did not come from a real From address, meaning a real person’s name, and the email was a plain, text one, it was very “real” feeling in tone and content. This email did a lot of things right:
- It wasn’t a real person’s name but at least the From name was at least somewhat specific as a nickname: shoelady@emailaddress.com.
- It was personalized with a first name, so right away sounded like a real note from a real person, with a “Hi, Jane.”
- It was written in a friendly, casual, conversational way that made it sound like a quick note from a friend, starting with, “Just a note to let you know…”
- It wasn’t all friendly, it took care of business too. The email gave all the details needed about shipping, the arrival date and the tracking number for the order.
- This email even told what to do in the event that we didn’t “absolutely love” our new shoes for any reason, with a link to the return form. How nice is that! No digging through a website or paperwork trying to find return instructions.
- Plus the email reassured us that if we did return the shoes, we’d get a full refund.
- Finally, the email closed with a heartfelt thank you complete with explanation point, and a real person’s name.
This confirmation email does everything right, and gives us warm fuzzies for the brand as a result…warm fuzzies that will us back to that website next time we’re shopping for shoes for sure!
Was this message written by an email expert, paying attention to all kinds of fine points of email copywriting? Not likely. My mom could have written a note like this. It didn’t require an email expert to be effective, only being email real.
How about your own confirmation emails? Do they pass the “real” test?
About the Author: Sharon
