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You’ve probably read web content or emails that seemed overly technical or gave you that slight impression that something was off. Then you wonder if the writer was trying to impress you but instead came across as pedantic. We can try to deny it, but we live at the dawn of the artificial intelligence age. That text just may be AI-generated.
Either way, coming across like a robot is not likely to make a genuine connection with your email subscribers. There is already enough tech-generated content and soulless copy in the world.
To stand out, strive to make your emails more “human,” which will always be better at developing a relationship.
Read on to learn how.
Want emails that connect? Don’t write too formally
Understandably, people want to be professional, but the tone of communication has changed in every sector of society. Informal is much more acceptable, and formal can now be considered off-putting.
Try to imagine you are writing a letter to a close friend. That tone is far more effective in email marketing than formal correspondence you’d send to a courthouse.
“People want to feel like they’re in a conversation,” said Anne Ghaltchi, Chief Marketing Officer at ZeroBounce. The email marketing expert went on: “It can seem strange to write in such a lively and casual way, but it’s easy to shift from overly serious to folksy. Just practice, and you’ll engage your audience more.”
Building engagement is vital to your email deliverability, which is the number of emails that reach the inbox. The more people interact with your emails, the better your inbox reach will be.
If you must use AI, use it judiciously
Everyone has their feelings about AI. While some consider it the be-all and end-all of modern times, others roll their eyes or even find it frightening. One thing that is a huge turn-off is receiving something and realizing that it was entirely AI-generated. Negative reports of people submitting resumes or workplace bios written by ChatGPT are becoming common. It makes the person handing it in look incompetent or disingenuous.
Some experts suggest using AI for ideas but only relying on it partially, lest you be found out. You can ask AI to write something for you and then use those ideas to influence your writing and help with structure. But don’t just copy and paste something AI writes and use it in your email newsletter. Use AI judiciously in your email copy. It can make life easier and still have the real feeling you need.
Remember to make sure your email list is all human, too
While you’re trying to be as human as possible, you can’t forget that you want your email list to consist of high-quality data. That means a set of valid email addresses belonging to real human beings.
There are several ways to maintain your email list. The first step is to validate it using a reputable email checker. All kinds of harmful and obsolete email addresses can find their way into your list. In fact, it’s inevitable. Everything from disposable emails to spam traps will lead your email list to corrode in a hurry. To prevent that, run your database through an email validator regularly.
Next, pay close attention to metrics such as open and click rates. You’ll notice that some subscribers won’t open your emails for long periods of time. To maintain good engagement, consider removing these inactive subscribers.
Finally, if you send many cold emails, it pays to use an email tracking system so you can get real-time insights into your performance. You want to avoid sending emails to people who never click.
For an email list to be effective, it must be human in every way – both the sender and the recipients. Keep it real, and the results will be just as tangible.
