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How to write the perfect solus email

June 13, 2017

Solus emails are a great way of reaching a really targeted audience with your courses.

Not only do they give you the opportunity to get your brand in front of thousands of potential students, they also allow you to link straight to your own landing page.

To help you get-to-grips with some best-practices, here’s everything you need to know about solus emails – and some tips on how to make yours even more effective.

 

What are solus emails?

Solus emails are third-party ads, sent by a company to a targeted list of subscribers.

They can be designed by the provider themselves, and users are sent straight through to their own site.

 

What are the benefits of using solus emails with reed.co.uk?

Solus emails are a great way to get your branding and courses across, and make the most of another company’s own email database.

They can be targeted towards the type of person you’re trying to attract, using criteria such as job title, industry and location.

And because you can link straight to your own landing page, you can make the most of your additional traffic and use your site to drive leads and conversions.

They’re also a really effective way of launching new courses and special promotions – as well as generating last-minute interest in a qualification if you still have a few seats left to fill.

 

How do I write one?

The content of your solus email will always depend on your brand, your assets, and the courses you’re looking to sell.

However, there are a number of best-practices you should follow to make them as effective as possible – whether you’re completely new to solus, or you’ve created one before.

Here are some of our top tips to help you write the perfect solus email:

 

  1. Create clear CTAs

Always include an obvious call to action to really stand out to the reader. Make sure it’s as close to the top of the email as possible and, if possible, displayed as a button.

Can also be repeated, if necessary.

 

  1. Use header images (and make them links)

Your CTA buttons aren’t the only things that should be clickable.

Adding a link to your header image will increase click through rates, and help make the most of your visual assets.

And with more than 5% of all clicks coming on the header image alone, you could be missing out on valuable leads simply by not connecting yours straight through to your course listing.

 

  1. Keep it short

Our research suggests that course seekers spend anywhere between three and eight seconds looking over solus emails before deciding whether they want to keep reading.

To help maintain their attention, keep copy short and articulate – ideally no more than eight lines of writing.

Just aim to summarise the key message, and make sure it’s easy to scan and understand.

 

  1. Optimise the experience

65% of our emails are opened on mobile devices.

In other words, by not making your designs responsive, you might be turning candidates off before they even get a chance to read your content.

Make sure your design and destination URL are optimised for all platforms, and you’ll provide all users with a great experience – no matter what device they’re using.

 

  1. Keep evolving your content

If you regularly send solus emails, you could fall victim to audience fatigue.

To help recipients stay switched on, always vary content and design to ensure a consistent level of engagement.

If you just keep serving users the same message, you’re only likely to lose their attention that much quicker – and see open rates noticeably decrease as a result.

 

 

Ready to build more engaging solus emails? Get in touch with your account manager today.