email copywriter

Let’s Talk About Email: Chanteuse Marie

Guess who’s back on the ZeroBounce blog? We saw how much you enjoyed our first interview, so we invited our friend Chanteuse Marie for a second round of questions. Email copywriter extraordinaire, founder of Blockbuster Copy Co., she talks about what she does best and loves the most.

Best email you received today:

It’s the email from Ash Ambirge: “No, You’re Not Overreacting. You’re Not Reading Into It Too Much. And You’re Not Being Overly Emotional, Either.”

I’m not a fan of the title case format of her subject line, but the email content is both hilarious and insightful.

Here’s a snippet:

“They say you should trust your gut, but I never really liked that saying. You want me to entrust this REALLY BIG DECISION on a bunch of leftover pizza and four Werther’s Originals?”

That opening line alone gave me the giggles.

The last email you sent:

To: Allure Magazine Customer Service

Subject: I can’t log in to my Beauty Box account

Body:

[my email address]

[my zip code]

That’s it. Short and sweet. I can get wordy with my emails, but sometimes it’s nice to get straight to the point. Timesaver!

Most intriguing subject line you ever got:

As an email copywriter, I can usually tell if a copywriting technique is being used to get me to open an email.

But this subject line from Abbey Woodcock totally got me: “Join me tomorrow?” It seemed like a personal email from a friend, so I opened it.

The email body consisted of two sentences only: “As a reminder, I’m getting a few copywriters together tomorrow to talk about how to accurately find your client’s voice. Would you like to join us?”

That totally got me, too. I replied, and it turned out she’s selling a spot in her workshop for $597. Ha!

I gotta give her kudos for doing an effective job in engaging me. I have since noticed this subject line question + short email technique with other online marketers, but now I know better.

Your biggest email pet peeve:

It may work sometimes, but I could never get behind the overuse of emojis. *insert eye-rolling emoji* 

If you could email any famous person, it would be:

Too many choices! Recently, though, I’ve been obsessing over the brilliant Yorgos Lanthimos. He wrote and directed some of my all-time favorite movies. I’d love to chat with him about storytelling.

Cartoon of two guys sitting discussing the proper use of email
The Buddhist approach to email. By the way, monks use email validation tools to get their emails in the inbox and stay zen. 

An email you wish you had never sent:

I was complaining to my best friend about someone, and I absentmindedly sent the email to the person I was complaining about. I was mortified.

What you most love about email:

It’s more intimate than, say, social media. When done right, it’s more effective in building meaningful relationships with people who are already interested in what you have to say.

An email you’d be happy to get:

An email from The New York Times telling me they’ll finally publish my essay. Or an email about a book deal. Or an email from any of my dream clients asking me to write their launch copy. It’s a toss-up, really.

Funniest or most unusual email address you’ve ever seen:

Dang it, I can’t think of any. Maybe laura@talkingshrimpnyc. I mean, who wouldn’t find an NYC-based talking crustacean named Laura funny or unusual? Then again, I’m easily amused.

Related >>> Laura Belgray: “Email Is the Engine of My Business”

No.1 reason why you unsubscribe:

If you pester me with multiple emails. Every. Single. Day. It’s already a struggle to reach Inbox Zero as it is.

Exceptions: Ben Settle and Belinda Weaver. They write really good emails on a daily basis, but it’s just not possible for me to read everything. I don’t plan on unsubscribing, so I filter their emails to a separate folder instead. Occasionally, I’d read an email or two from that folder. Maybe someday I’ll find the time to read all of their emails. Like when I’m retired or something.

Biggest no-no in an email campaign:

Even if an email is going to your entire list or a segment of it, don’t make it sound like you’re talking to a group. For example, avoid saying “Hey, e’erbody!” Write your emails as if they’re meant for one person only. You know you’ve made a connection when your subscriber feels like you wrote the email especially for her.

Silliest email address you’ve ever had:

Nada. I have a few email addresses with made-up names though. I use them for free trials or newsletter subscriptions. That’s as silly as I could get.

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You may also want to read:

Chanteuse Marie: “Everyone has their unique brand of weird. It’s all about owning it.”

Want to learn more about Chanteuse? We’ll let you in a little secret: friends call her Sha-sha. But if you’re curious for more, boogie over to her website! Also, follow her on Instagram, where she posts the most hilarious memes.