5 Things Every Promo Email MUST Have (If You Want Sales!)**

5 Things Every Promo Email MUST Have (If You Want Sales!)**

If your promo emails are getting meh opens or zero clicks, this quick-hit episode is your wake-up call. After reviewing dozens of client emails inside Nail Your Email Marketing and in my 1:1 sessions, I’ve seen the same mistakes again and again… especially during sales season.

So today, I’m walking you through the 5 non-negotiables every promo email should include to actually get opened, read and clicked.

This is your micro-masterclass in writing emails that convert, not collect dust in the inbox.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why your subject line needs to slap, not snooze

Boring subject lines get ignored. You need curiosity, clarity, or straight-up benefits. I share what makes a subject line irresistible and why A/B testing should be your new best friend.

2. The must-have CTA above the fold

If your audience has to scroll to find the link, you’ve already lost them. I break down what “above the fold” actually looks like and why clarity always wins.

3. High-contrast design that people can actually read

Pastel on pastel? Tiny fonts? Hard pass. I share my go-to readability tool and the simple graphic design rule that will instantly improve your emails.

4. Clear, non-waffly copy that respects your customer’s time

Promo emails should be quick, direct and obvious. No filler paragraphs, no “hope this finds you well.” Tell them the offer, why it matters and why they should care right now.

5. One email, one goal

If you give people too many choices, they choose nothing. I walk through why your promos need ONE job and exactly how to structure them.

+ Bonus tip

A little movement goes a long way — think GIFs, scrolling marquees, or icon-style features that communicate essential info fast.

• Subject Line Examples: here
• My favourite contrast checker: https://coolors.co/contrast-checker

• Nail Your Email Marketing Program: Learn how to create emails that convert like crazy.

Want help boosting your sales, getting your emails actually opened, and creating a marketing system that makes

Transcript

Mel Robbins (00:00)
Welcome to today's podcast my name is Melissa Robbins this is going to be a short shop episode that I'm bringing you because I have seen issues with this the last few weeks I ran my Nail Your Email Marketing program a couple of weeks ago live and went through lots of different emails I have had a number of one-on-one clients in the last couple of weeks where I'm reviewing their emails before they get sent out and this has come up a few times so I just wanted to come on here and talk about

and because of this time of year lots of people on promotion lots of people are running Black Friday sales or anytime you're doing this it's still gonna be relevant for you but your promo emails need to have these five things please make sure that you if anything you at least cover these details

So there's five things are number one most crucial a kick-ass subject line if your subject line is boring it gets lost in the mix

doesn't invoke curiosity, doesn't sort of entice anyone to actually open it, it's gonna stay unopened amongst all the other emails that are out there, especially this time of year.

You need to make it specific. need You need to, it needs to be curiosity driven. It needs to be benefits led. Like why am I opening this email? Give me something, give me a reason to open this email in the first place. Now I've got a whole list of example ones that you should have an example of ones that worked really well. And I'll put that in the show notes as well.

So subject line got the option to A-B test in your email system, then do that too because what it will do is it'll send out your emails with two different options for the first little while and then the one that gets the most open, so one that gets the most response, it'll just start running with that one. So if you've got that capability, A-B test as well.

Number two is a call to action above the fold.

Your customer is busy scrolling, they're probably opening their email on their phone, they're probably in the middle of doing three other things at the same time, they might not be wearing their glasses, there's all different things that are distracting people and vying for attention. So make sure you make it really clear and obvious, above the fold, what do they see when they first open that email? Is the information there? Is your call to action above the fold? Can they take action immediately?

instead of scrolling down three times to find the actual shop button or direct button to tell them what to do.

And don't get too tricky, don't get too like, don't be too quirky and clever with your button. Be really clear, like shop now, learn more.

buy now, here's the gift guide. Like make it really clear what that quarter action button is, make it stand out, make it pop, make it above the fold.

If you're not putting your call to action by the fold you're losing money full stop.

Now this one I think I need to have this tattooed somewhere in my body but three... but number three is high contrast. High contrast. Please, please, please for the love of God. Maybe I should have been a graphic designer, I don't know. But I have got this real bee in my bonnet about the low contrast that so many people use. Make it easy to read. use a contrast checker before you send anything out and again I'll put the link in my show notes because...

I use this link and give it to so many different people. check the readability of your colors, your graphics, your fonts. Do they stand out? Are they easy to read from a distance? Do they pop from the page? Make it easy to read high contrast bold fonts.

No pastel text on pastel backgrounds. Your grandma should totally be able to read this without her glasses on. Use that as your guide.

because if they can't read it, they won't click it.

Okay now remember we're talking specifically about promo emails here. This is specific to promo emails which everyone is probably sending out this week. Number four is clear copy that does not waffle. Get straight to the point. Tell people upfront above the fold what your email is about. Make it clear. We don't want four paragraphs in there.

Promo my emails need to be clean, direct and fast. Get the information to them quickly.

tell them what the offer is, why it matters.

and why they should care right now. Do you have some time limits in there? Do you have ⁓ only open for a couple of days? Is it a limited stock availability? Tell people clear and upfront all about what your promo and your offer is.

People read emails like they're in a hurry because they often are, their attendance short. Keep it tight, keep it really clear about what the email is about.

You can repeat things, so you can put a button further down as well. if you're gonna do that, have that be the same call to action in terms of, you know, whether it's a shop now or shop the gift guide, whatever it might be, but have it be really clear what that is.

All right, number five is one job per email.

If you give people too many options, they'll choose none. Just have one action per

One promo email, one goal.

If you're driving sales for this particular email then that's Then every line needs to lead them to the sale. Don't confuse them. Don't try and have too many different things going on.

If you're launching something, build that desire and urgency.

No detours, no side quests, no other things going on that you also want to tell them about. Use a separate email. One email, one goal.

So let's just go over those five. Number one, your subject line has

to be a killer. It has got to actually nail it.

Number two is your call to action above the fold. Number three is high contrast bold fonts. Number four is clear copy that doesn't waffle, it's direct and to the point. Number five is one job per email.

And what I'll throw in there as well is bonus points if you've got a little bit of movement. I love either a scrolling marquee across the top or a flashing GIF in there as well. Again, don't do too many, but having some sort of movement always helps as well.

And then if at the base of your email, maybe in your footer, you also have some little icons too, which give the information quickly without having to read. Is it a free shipping threshold? Is it three days only? Is it that you have a certain unique selling point in your brand and your product? Have those things in as little icons down the bottom too.

All right, so that's that little micro masterclass because I've seen this come up again and again in the last week and I wanted to share this with you. If you are like, I need help with my email, I really don't understand how it can have the impact that I know that it could.

And if you want to boost your sales and deep dive on how to use email marketing properly, I have a Nail email marketing program. Just go into the show notes or DM me on

You'll be obsessed. There's so much clarity in there, so much information to help you actually figure out what content to create, how to create it, what it should look like,

to do with email marketing because that should be one

the sales channels you use inside your business.

Alright hope you go and make some tweaks and changes to your emails after this. Go and check yours. Are they ticking all those boxes? If you want some help doing it, come and see me. Alright speak to you soon. Bye.