What's the most common mistake you see in email copywriting, and how can it be avoided?

The Most Common Mistake in Email Copywriting: Focusing on Features Instead of Benefits

One of the most frequent mistakes I see in email copywriting is focusing too much on the product's features rather than emphasizing the benefits for the reader. While features are important, they don’t emotionally connect with the audience or convey how the product or service will improve their lives. People care less about what a product is and more about what it does for them.

How to Avoid This Mistake:

• Shift the Focus to Benefits: Instead of listing features, explain how those features address a customer’s pain point or improve their experience. For example, rather than writing, “Our blender has a 1,500-watt motor,” you could say, “Easily crush ice and blend smoothies in seconds with our powerful motor.” This shifts the emphasis to the outcome—something tangible that the customer will appreciate.
• Use the “So What?” Test: Whenever a feature is highlighted, ask yourself, “So what?” until you arrive at how it directly benefits the reader. For instance, if a product is “made of premium stainless steel,” ask why that matters. The answer might be: “so it lasts longer, stays rust-free, and looks great in your kitchen.”
• Create a Picture of the End Result: Paint a vivid picture of what life looks like after using the product or service. People respond to imagery that helps them envision themselves experiencing the benefits. For example, instead of just listing a feature like “built-in noise reduction,” add a benefit like “enjoy peaceful mornings without the noise disrupting your routine.”
• Use Empathetic, Reader-Centric Language: Shift from “We have...” to “You will...” Using “you” makes the copy more personal and benefit-focused, showing the reader that the email is about them and what they stand to gain. For example, instead of “We offer premium cloud storage,” say “You can access your files anytime, anywhere, knowing they’re secure.”

Emphasizing the benefits rather than focusing solely on features makes email copy more engaging, relatable, and persuasive. This helps avoid the mistake of delivering information that doesn’t connect emotionally, ensuring that your message resonates and drives the desired action.

One of the most common mistakes in email copywriting is a lack of clarity and focus. Many email writers make the error of trying to pack too much information into a single message or fail to highlight a clear call to action (CTA). This can overwhelm the reader, leading to confusion or inaction.

How to avoid this mistake:
 

Have a Clear Objective: Know what you want the recipient to do after reading the email. Whether it's clicking a link, replying to a question, or making a purchase, your email should have one primary goal, and everything in the copy should support that goal.

Keep it Focused and Concise: Avoid long paragraphs and unnecessary details. Each sentence should serve a purpose and lead the reader toward the desired action. Keep your message short, engaging, and easy to digest.

Strong, Actionable CTA: Your call to action should be crystal clear and compelling. Instead of vague CTAs like "Click here for more info," try something specific and action-driven, such as "Get your free guide now" or "Claim your discount before it expires."

Segment and Personalize: Tailor your emails based on the audience you're sending to. Personalization and segmentation help ensure the content is relevant, making the email more likely to be opened and acted upon.

By focusing on clarity, brevity, and a direct CTA, you'll make your emails more effective and more likely to achieve the desired result.

The most common mistake is only sending emails when you are selling something! Your readers have joined your list for a reason, and it's not to only get sales pitches. Share your expertise, give them content that benefits them, and show them a more personal side of you. 

Then sell!

Oh, shoot. The other common mistake is not following through. If you are in the middle of a campaign, don't just send one or two emails. Have a deadline and send three emails the day of: one in the morning, one 1 hour before the deadline, and 1 five minutes before the deadline.

ONE: Emails are supposed to be personal.

So, make them personal.

Nobody likes to read an email from a corpo.

Unless it is of utmost importance. Like somebody hacking into your computer and you hear from Microsoft.

Otherwise, who reads emails from Microsoft?

TWO: Emails are meant for introductions. Not for sales.

So, do not use emails for selling. Just introduce new stuff available for your audience to check out.

And use your landing page to do most of the heavy lifting.

THREE: Write for your audience. Not for your brand.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Will this email benefit my audience?
• Will people on my list love to read this email?

If you get YES on both, write the email. If you get NO on both, do not write it. If you get just one YES or NO, test it.

Nobody likes a self-praising parrot. So, try not to be one in your emails.

P.S. Sometimes, people are too uncomfortable sending their first email. It's a natural response. Don't worry about it.

P.P.S. Just make sure you ask yourself the 2 questions above, and you're golden.

The most common mistake in email copywriting? Being too gosh-darn nice 'n' friendly!

Now, I'm not telling you to go and tell your readers and subscribers to buy now or go kick rocks.

But please stop making this #1 mistake: starting your emails with "I hope this email finds you well".

1. It wastes your reader's time. 
2. It makes your email look like everyone else's emails (remember, it's the most common mistake - so chances are your reader just read that same line, like, 20 times last Monday).
3. It SCREAMS "This is a sales email" (and everyone knows sales = scary).

Instead, stick to my tried-and-true formula that forces you to start your email with something much more interesting.

1. Remind them of the pains they/their business are going through right now.
2. Jump right into your pitch.
3. End with a super-clear and super-specific call to action.
4. And try not to be stiff about it. Be conversational. Write like you talk so you don't sound like an email bot.

Thinking like this will force your brain out of the find-you-well-zone. And it's my go-to strategy for businesses in every niche (wellness, ecommerce, tech, construction, etc., etc. the list goes on).

Give it a try. If done right, you'll naturally start writing better email openers.

- Rafael Meneses (The Guy that Writes the A's to your Q's in Copywriting)