An effective mailing does not rely solely on its deliverability, targeting, or complianceIt also plays out in the words. The ones that make you want to open the door. The ones that make the message crystal clear. The ones that truly trigger action. And in this area, two elements carry significant weight: the object et the CTATwo small formats, big impact 👀
The object: no smarter, no clearer
A good subject line doesn't need to be flashy. Its main purpose is to give the recipient a good reason to open the email. In an overflowing inbox, you won't win with a clever or overly mysterious phrase. You'll win with a clear, readable, and useful promise.
The most effective objects often activate one of these levers: usefulness, the novelty, the gain, the legitimate emergency or an controlled curiosityThe idea is not to oversell. The idea is to help the reader immediately understand what they will find in the email… and why it deserves their attention.
Some formulations are particularly effective ✍️
We can start from benefit + a context, topic followed by key points to remember, An invitation or resource associated with a clear promise, or even a reader-centric approach: you + action verb + result.
Conversely, overly vague or generic descriptions often fail to convince. “Our April newsletter”, “Replay available”, “Invitation – June workshop”… these say little about the true value of the content.
What if AI could help you find the right item? 🤖
Yes, AI can be a real boost in moving beyond bland or predictable phrasing. Provided, of course, that it's properly briefed. The challenge isn't to ask it to "give me objects," but to give it a specific role, target, and objective.
For example:
“You are a web marketing expert and you have just written the email below for [TARGET]. Suggest X effective email subject lines to encourage the target to read the email and pursue my objective of [OBJECTIVE].”
Simple, concrete, useful. And often very effective at generating several leads quickly.
The CTA: a simple button… or a true trigger for action?
A good CTA doesn't just tell you where to click. It tells you why to act now.
That's the whole difference between a button pressed reflexively… and a button designed as a conversion lever. An effective CTA is clear, specific, action-oriented et aligned with the reader's intentionThere must be no room for doubt. We must understand immediately what will happen after the click.
That's why labels like “See the program”, “Reserve my seat”, “Access the replay” ou “Answer the questionnaire” are often more efficient than the eternal “Learn more”, "Click here", "Discover" ou “Read more”.
The right approach? Replace half-hearted clicks with concrete actions 💥
Multiple CTAs in the same email: good or bad idea?
Yes, you can have multiple CTAs… but not multiple directions.
In other words, you can repeat several times the same main action in a mailing. On the other hand, if you multiply the CTA By offering different options, you muddy the message and dilute the conversion. Too many options often kill the action.
The rule is simple: 1 email = 1 main objective = 1 priority CTA.
There's no such thing as a miracle color 🎨
The color of a CTA certainly plays a role. It helps to locate the button, structure the email, and attract attention. But it will never save a vague label.
The real issue is contrast, visibility, and consistency with your brand guidelines. A CTA should be immediately noticeable, without being obtrusive. Simply put: a simple button with clear text is better than a large, colorful block of text that says nothing.
Imperative or not imperative?
Often, the imperative mood works well. It is more direct, more actionable, and clearer. “Reserve your place”, “Discover the program”, “Download the guide” : we immediately understand what is expected of us.
But there's no dogma here. What matters isn't so much the grammatical form as the clarity of the action. A good CTA should be explicite, concrete et without ambiguityImperative or not, the question remains the same: do we immediately understand what we are going to do... and why is it worth the click?
In email marketing, clarity remains your best ally.
Ultimately, good copywriting practices can be summed up in a few words: a clearer subject line, a more readable promise, a more precise call to action. Nothing spectacular on the surface. And yet, that's often where everything hinges.
Because an effective mailing isn't one that tries too hard. It's one that creates desire, gets straight to the point, and removes as much hesitation as possible.
For further exploration...
You're happy with the writing but the technical aspects are still unclear? Do you have questions about the CNIL's new regulations regarding tracking pixels? Watch the replay of the We Are COM Club meet-up with Stéphane Germain, CTO of ACTIVECOM, to get your questions answered..
