This article was written by Alix Hager, Passport Software’s Digital Marketing Manager. We hope you find these marketing tips useful.

Smart brevity is a concept that helps marketing content have more impact on customers and prospects. You can capture more attention with short subject lines and the use of simple, direct language.

For emails and blog posts, write like you speak and avoid unnecessary jargon. Use relevant headlines and get straight to the point.

By placing useful information up front and using clear bullet points, you can dramatically improve reader engagement. Respecting readers’ time and providing actionable information improves open rates.

Simplicity

Simple language and clean formatting make email content and blog posts easily scannable. This optimizes reader interest levels.

Aim for six or fewer words in subject lines and keep emails under 300 words, preferably around 200 words. Use conversational language with short paragraphs:

• Lead with the main point, keeping the topic useful
• Keep paragraphs to 1-2 sentences, using simple language
• Use bullet points and white space to prevent reader fatigue

Focus on the most relevant topic, providing information they need to do their job well. Share important updates, so readers can make smarter business decisions.

Anchor Points

Studies show that readers scan text in emails and blog posts, so having anchor points helps readers absorb your main points quickly.

Highlight key details and stay brief, as long words and phrases slow readers down. Use bolding to summarize relevant points.

These tactics may seem simple, but they result in more effective communications to busy customers and prospects.

Personalization

Knowing your audience well and using helpful calls-to-action (such as links to resources) allows you to personalize content for your reader.

Refer to your customer personas and address their pain points. Creating email content for various buyer/customer segments allows you to adapt content to your prospects’ needs.

• High-quality content provides actionable tips for your audience
• Link to helpful blog posts, videos, or other useful content
• How you can help your customer solve pain points

Consistency

The number of emails required to convert a prospect into a customer varies.

This depends on your industry, product complexity, and sales cycle length. Some scenarios require 20-50+ interactions (emails, website, blogs) before a customer will consider your offering.

Instead of focusing on a specific number of interactions, offer valuable content. Consistent and helpful tips, not salesy emails, build trust.

Create a robust content outreach strategy and avoid spam triggers like the use of exclamation points, all caps, and lack of an unsubscribe link.

Deliverability

The CAN-SPAM Act is a U.S. law setting an array of rules for commercial emails and is important to read. You must offer a way for readers to opt-out of email correspondence.

The act states, “Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future marketing email from you. Your message must include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting marketing email from you in the future.”

Good email deliverability requires low spam complaints (under 0.10%). Periodically removing prospects that don’t open emails can help.

Email Authentication

Proper technical setup of SPF, DKIM, DMARC is crucial for email deliverability.

These are email authentication protocols that verify sender legitimacy by checking if an email comes from an authorized server (SPF), ensuring content integrity with a digital signature (DKIM), and telling receivers what to do with failed checks (DMARC).

The settings are configured in your domain’s DNS settings, which you access through your domain registrar or your web host’s control panel depending on where your domain’s nameservers are pointed.

It’s not done within your email provider (like Outlook). Call your domain registrar or web host support if you need guidance.

Your emails are more likely to pass spam filters with email authentication, clean lists, and good content.

Smart Brevity was created in the Axios newsroom but works for any communication style. To learn more, here’s a short video about Smart brevity.