Is Your Sales Team Using The Right Keywords For Emails?

Words are often the only communication tool that we have. Without words we would be stuck simply gesticulating at the screen as we attempt to fill an email with the images (or dare we say it, emojis) needed to convey our sales messages. So you see, the importance of keywords cannot be overstated, which leads us to wonder why so many blog posts focus on keywords without discussing the nuances of using keywords for emails?

Keywords for Emails: What You Need To Know

The larger your digital footprint, the smaller the world becomes as six-degrees of separation between your customers becomes three or less. A prime example of the complexity with which your network becomes interconnected is LinkedIn. But what does this have to do with keywords and emails?

Simple.

The brain wants to categorize things. It actively seeks to make sense of the world and all that it encounters; as such, your customers’ brains are working on overdrive as they try to categorize you, what your company has to offer, and the words that you have carefully chosen for your sales emails. So, you see, keywords are a vital component of your communication and sales efforts.

Discovering the right keywords for emails will depend on five main components:

1. What are you trying to convey within your email?
2. How do you want your recipient(s) to associate with your brand?
3. Who are you writing to?
4. When will you send the email?
5. What action(s) do you want your recipient(s) to take?

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the above five components.

#1. Every email should have a specific message that you want to convey.

Whether you want to introduce a new product, check-in on a customer, up-sell your services, or move a customer through the sales funnel, your emails need to be carefully thought out. Once you have determined your specific message, you will be able to choose the right keywords to reinforce established brand identity, while simultaneously eliciting the desired response. For example, your email might be trying to convey the message that “you are an important customer.” The keywords associated with this message could include:

• Value — you value the importance of the customer.
• Relationship — you see the business relationship as one that is important.
• Appreciate — you appreciate the customer and their business.
• Understand — you understand what the customer needs to succeed.
• Encourage — you encourage the customer to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.

#2. Every sales email should reinforce your brand image.

The brand image is something that needs to be discussed and agreed upon across departments. In other words, once again your sales department will need to work as a unified team with your marketing members, so that all communications support the brand’s identity. We all know that keywords are an integral component of SEO. They are the descriptors that help customers understand who your brand is, what it offers, how it can help them, and why they should use your services or products. Without keywords, you wouldn’t be able to successfully implement SEO strategies, including the marketing tasks that are associated with sending a series of sales emails. In short, we’ve said it once, but it warrants restating, “like Batman and Robin, SEO and content marketing just aren’t the same without each other.”

#3. Every email has an intended audience.

Every audience has a certain set of expectations. Each set of expectations correlates to the building (or breaking) of your relationship with the audience. In order to create a positive correlation between the intended audience, their expectations, and the building of your relationship, you must choose the right keywords. To do this, you must understand who you are writing to, which means knowing what words will deliver the desired reaction. Is the audience more auditory or visual? Understanding the difference will help you to choose the words that will build a stronger rapport. For example, if your audience is interested in receiving “more bang for their buck,” then you might choose the following types of keywords:

• Deal — you can offer the recipients a good deal on the products or services you provide.
• Sale — you have an exclusive sale opportunity that is customized to your recipient(s).
• Observe — you have observed a need that your products or services can fill.
• Reduce — you can reduce costs.

#4. Every sales email should be crafted to match the time of day that it is sent (as well as the intended time that it will be viewed).

To make sense of the latter statement you need to think about the way that you communicate throughout the day. Do you use the same types of words in the morning as you do late at night? Does your cadence change throughout the day or evening? The answer to the first question is probably “no,” while the second is likely “yes.” In other words, no matter the time of day that your sales emails are sent, the keywords should be selected to match the mentality of the intended audience.

#5. Every sales email should be sent with a specific action (or actions) in mind.

In order for you to use the keywords needed to generate a desired reaction, you must determine how you can differentiate your business from your competitors. Next, you must be consistent in your messages across all communication platforms. From your social media posts to your website content to your sales emails, your messages need to be consistent. The more specific you are with your keywords, the easier it will be for you to encourage a desired reaction. To choose specific keywords, you should:

• Avoid vanity keywords.
• Use your thesaurus to discover variations on your ideal keywords.
• Target specific customers with specific keywords.
• Leverage the power of Google’s keyword planner.

Take Control Of Your Keywords for Emails

With a few meaningful sentences, and carefully selected keywords, you can improve your sales efforts. In conclusion, your sales, marketing, and SEO departments should work together to determine the list of consistent keywords that you need to effectively convey your message, build a strong brand association, and elicit the desired actions.