What kind of email content inspires readers and keeps them coming back?

A striking subject and outstanding content clearly make an email inspiring. There are frameworks that help you get there. Before you start designing or drafting, work through AIDA.

AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. If you want readers to take any intended action, use these four steps to guide them.

1. Attention: a subject line that pulls people into opening.
2. Interest: content relevant to the reader, containing an idea they have not run into before.
3. Desire: name the reader’s difficulty, then emphasise your product’s features and benefits.
4. Action: give the reader a chance to participate and respond.

Beyond AIDA there are the 4Ps: Persuasion (or Promise), Picture, Proof and Push. These help you build to a peak and draw out the response your email is designed for.

1. Research and understand your readers, work out what they want, then persuade them to take up your suggestion — or promise to deliver it.
2. Then picture your answer: create a mental image consistent with their values.
3. Proof is what shows the picture you just created has a foundation. Depending on your readers, that can be data, research, or evidence drawn from society itself.
4. Then push: state specifically what action you want your audience to take.

Think about and design your email content along AIDA and the 4Ps, and your readership will keep growing.