We are writing a letter for a friend in English. How to learn to write long letters

16.10.2019

Almost anyone can write a letter to their friend. There's nothing complicated about it. At the beginning of the letter you need to greet your friend, then you need to write about yourself, how are you doing, what’s new. You should also definitely ask how your friend is doing. You can mention some common memories. That's all. You can write a letter like this, for example.

Letter

Hello, my dear friend, Snezhana. So again I am writing you another letter. How are you doing? What's new? What are your academic achievements? Perhaps you are also already preparing for the new year? Where are you planning to celebrate the holiday? How are your parents? I'll write a little about myself. I'm fine. Studying takes a lot of time, of course. Well, I’m trying very hard to study well, because I’ll go to college soon. I really hope that I will be able to enter the Faculty of Economics, as I dreamed of. I recently started studying with a teacher from the institute and signed up for preparatory courses.
I often remember how we vacationed last summer with you at the camp. It was a lot of fun, it was my first time relaxing at a camp and I’m glad that I found such a good and faithful friend as you. I often look back at our photos and remember:

how we participated in competitions;
how they constantly made fun of the guys;
how they swam in the warm sea;
sunbathing on the beach.

I hope we will definitely meet next summer. If it doesn’t work out at the camp, then I’ll try to persuade my parents to let me come to your city for a couple of weeks. Well, or you come to me. We are now fully preparing for the new year both at home and at school. At school we are preparing for festive concert, we decorate the classrooms and assembly hall. There is already a festive atmosphere at home, yesterday we decorated the apartment and decorated the Christmas tree. I have already prepared gifts for everyone. My sister and I also wrote a letter to Santa Claus, she still believes in him and hopes that he will definitely bring her a gift on Christmas Day. New Year's Eve.
Okay, my dear, say hello to your parents. I wish you all a Happy New Year! I miss you very much and look forward to our summer meeting. Goodbye. Yours, Christina.

you try, write, select the necessary words - and everything is useless! A potential partner or investor does not open your business letter or skims through it without even bothering to respond. Common situation? In our new article We tell you how to conduct business correspondence correctly and what to write in a letter so that it is read to the end.

Who is this article for?

Let’s note right away: we’re talking about emails. If anyone else uses snail mail, we assure you that the rules are the same. In principle, all these rules apply to regular mailings, which we have already written about. Now we are talking specifically about business correspondence. If you:

an entrepreneur who communicates with people important to the business;
an employee who writes to a boss or future management;
a person who is interested in the basics of Internet etiquette and human psychology - then feel free to read it, it will be interesting.

Features of business correspondence

smooth, calm presentation - not to be confused with dry bureaucratic language;
communication is strictly to the point - to convey certain information to the addressee;
small volume - an A4 sheet is more than enough;
respect for subordination, no familiarity. In special cases, when an informal, non-working relationship develops with the addressee of a business letter, of course, this rule can be neglected. But this will no longer be a completely business letter, but a friendly one, will you agree?
A letter written on the company's letterhead gives special credibility. It must contain a logo and name, details and contact information, and website address.

Types of business letters

1. Information. Such letters do not require a response - you write them to tell the recipient about some information. For example, you own an online store and announce that tomorrow is the last day of discounts. Or that prices change. There are many types of information letters: they can state intentions, remind about important event, confirm delivery and receipt of goods and so on.

2. Letters of requests. How often do entrepreneurs, especially beginners, have to write them! These are appeals to investors with a request to sponsor your cool project, countless offers of cooperation, various kinds of requests to find out, for example, certain information.

3. Post-letters - something that sometimes needs to be written after a meeting with the addressee. In this letter, recall the main topic of your meeting, express your attitude towards it, emphasize that you want to continue cooperation and offer your option for the time and place of the next meeting.

4. Warranty. If you have already agreed on cooperation, there may soon be a need for this type of letters. In them you guarantee that you will fulfill your obligations: you will do the work on time, pay for the service, deliver the goods on time, and so on.

5. Work letters are the same ones that any company sends and receives every day. This is correspondence with partners and clients: concluding contracts, discussions and negotiations, getting acquainted with the price list and product catalogue, reminders about meetings - routine work processes.

6. Letters of complaint - yes, it happens that way. They are usually written when one party is dissatisfied with the actions of the other. And not just actions, but responsibilities enshrined in the contract. For example, Vasya entered into an agreement with suppliers of goods, and they, such radishes, constantly delay deadlines. Or he bought a car, but it broke down.

7. Non-work letters are messages that are not directly related to your activities. These are congratulations, thanks for work and even condolences - everything happens in life.

1. Heading. Writing email headers is a whole science. We talked more about secret techniques in the article. In short, the headings of business letters should be as useful as possible for the addressee.

Provocations and humor are unlikely to be suitable here: we are writing to serious people, remember? If you get to know the person better, then you can try, but for now it’s better not to risk it.

Introduction. Like a regular letter, a business letter begins with an introduction, or preamble. In it you say hello and tell the very essence, the meat. Save the recipient’s time: tell them right away what you need from them. “I, Vasya Pupkin, have come up with a cool startup in the field of Internet marketing (construction, beauty, industry, auto - depending on your field of activity) and I ask you to familiarize yourself with it and support it financially. The main mistake at this stage is to let your thoughts wander, mumble, and not get to the heart of the matter.
The main part. Everything is simple here: you tell in detail what your idea is, present facts and arguments that can interest the addressee. If we return to Vasya and his startup, he will explain what its essence is, the benefits and benefits for humanity in general and for the addressee of the letter in particular. He will provide figures and facts, the opinion of the target audience, and the opinion of experts. We believe in Vasya, he can do it!
The most important. If you ask, ask again. If you ask, ask the question clearly and specifically. If you hope for cooperation, clearly formulate your proposal again. And all this in a few lines.
Conclusion. Thank you for your attention and express your hope that the recipient will answer you or take another necessary action. Use a call to action like in selling texts or .
Please provide your details: full name, contacts, name of the organization and its details.
Attached files. This is often forgotten, but in vain. Many people find it easier to evaluate visual information than just letters and lines. Attach photographs to the letter for the most complete picture of the subject of the letter, attach Required documents to assure the addressee of your solvency and seriousness of intentions.

The most common mistakes in business letters

Don't say hello. Yes, thousands of polite and educated people For some reason, they forget to say hello, starting a letter with the words “Dear...” Of course, it’s nice to be respected, but no one has ever canceled a simple human greeting.
As has already been said, to spread a thought, that is, a thought, along the tree. If you jump from one thing to another, learn to formulate your thoughts, and if you don’t have time, hire copywriters and journalists - they will definitely help.
Speak with a lifeless, dry tongue. Leave all these “taking into account”, “if possible” to the officials - you don’t express yourself like that in real life, so why should your recipient? Have pity on the person, write as simply as possible!
At the same time, do not slip into familiarity. There are two styles in business correspondence: personal and formal. In personal, you communicate in the first person - that is, “I, Vasya Pupkin, offer you...” In formal personal pronouns, as a rule, are replaced by the neutral-neutral “The Horns and Hoofs company offers you...” Which style is closer to you and to what extent it correlates with the field of activity of your addressee - it’s up to you. If your partner is young modern man, feel free to write in the first person. If you need to communicate with government agencies, municipal organizations— it’s better not to tempt fate and communicate neutrally. They will answer you - they must! - but you can make a negative impression. Be relevant.
Be unfounded. You can say a hundred times what kind of profitable proposition And cool idea, but what's the point without proof? Business people They are used to operating with facts; they do not believe pretty words and pictures. Numbers, facts, specifics - these are your main weapons.
Don't yak, but forge. Imagine that you yourself receive a business letter from Vasya Pupkin. You open it, start reading, and there... nothing but praise for Vasya and his product. I’m happy for Vasya, you might think, but what does that matter to me? But if Vasya tells you how he can help you, what benefits he will bring and how quickly the investment will pay off, then things will become interesting.
Errors, typos, sloppy design (different fonts, lack of spaces) - no comments.
Excessive use of slang. Even if you and your recipient work in the same field with special professional slang, use specific expressions carefully. It is better to insert them into the text to a minimum, decipher abbreviations, explain the meaning of some words. What if your interlocutor is 60?
Irrelevance. We still hope for Vasya. Vasya is smart, he will not send offers about his startup in the auto business to beauty salon owners. How many times does Pet and Kohl make such a mistake? How to create a database of mailing addresses commercial offers, well written in the article.

How not to and how to. Real example

And here it is - the most important question that the collective mind will now answer. Editor Pavel Molyanov recently held a competition among subscribers of his group on VKontakte.

Hello, Anton. Half a year has passed since you moved to another city. Since you left, a lot has changed in the class. Since the first of September, three new students have joined our class. Two girls and one boy. One girl does ballet, the other goes to music school. But the main acquisition of our class is Sergei, he plays football very well. So now our team has become stronger. Next time you come, we'll definitely play together.

And just recently, our classmate was sick, even in the hospital. Our whole class visited her. After 2 weeks, she was cured and allowed to go back to work.

At the beginning of September, there was “Exercise with a Star” at school. It was led by an Olympic champion. The basketball court outside was also renovated and the backboards and hoops were painted.

Come quickly, the guys and I miss you.

Letter to a friend - essay

Hello, Mishka! I am incredibly glad that you passed all the exams with excellent marks and summer holidays you will spend in a health camp. Everything is fine with me: I still make music, perform at competitions and concerts.

I can’t wait to tell you how yesterday my classmates and I visited the city amusement park. It attracts with its extreme attractions, sports grounds and green spaces. The square is designed for visitors who want to spend time actively and “tickle their nerves.”

Quite recently, a high-altitude ropes complex “Laziness in the Stump” opened there. This is a unique combination of difficult obstacles at height. A cable car with barriers of varying difficulty levels is stretched along the trees.

First we were given protective equipment. Professional instructors brought us up to date and ensured that all safety rules were followed.

At the start, I was overcome with anxiety and doubts tormented me: would I really not be able to resist and be the first to leave the race? But I pulled myself together and managed to complete the route from start to finish. I even completed the “path of the brave” stage - moving on a roller in the air. It was the most breathtaking experience.

You can’t even imagine, but moving through an obstacle course of ingenious combinations of ropes, logs and boards, I felt like a conqueror of heights, a rock climber and just a dexterous boy. In this park I received a lot of impressions, joy, adrenaline and positive emotions. I felt cheerful and ready for exploits. For me, it was not only an excellent workout for all muscle groups, but also a way to overcome my fear of heights, develop determination and the will to win.

After an energetic time, I had developed an enviable appetite. The park provided an opportunity to have a tasty meal. I liked the cherry pies, orange juice and chocolate ice cream.

I returned home with a pleasant tiredness in my body, but happy. It was one of my successful days!

I look forward to a letter from you. Your friend Nikita.

Letter from Misha

Dear friend, how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other! I received your letter a week ago, it made me very happy. Now I have a free minute, I decided to answer you.

I am spending this summer at the dacha with my parents and younger sister. We go to the city very rarely. But I’m not drawn to go there. It's very good at the dacha. The weather is excellent, very hot. Our whole family goes to the river every day to swim and sunbathe. We spend a lot of time on the beach. In this weather, all the summer residents are there. Mom bought me and my sister an inflatable mattress each, and I also bought fins. I can swim very fast in them. One day I even wanted to swim from one bank to the other, but dad didn’t allow me. On next year I will definitely do this.
My sister and I have one entertainment. On Wednesdays we always go fishing together. The night before, my sister always prepares food for us to take with us. And I dig for worms and take fish food with me. We get up very early to go fishing. It is still damp and cool outside at this time of day, so you have to dress warmly. Walking back we take off our windbreakers.

We always go fishing to the same place. This is our favorite lake with reeds and ducks. There are a lot of little ducklings there this year. We feed them with the bread we have left over after breakfast. We take the fish that I catch to my mother. If we catch a large fish, then my mother cooks it for us for lunch. And if it’s small, then she gives it to the neighbor’s cat Vaska. He is very happy about our catch.

The days fly by. A whole month of vacation has already passed. I'm already starting to miss school and my classmates a little. I would like to see everyone quickly and find out how they spent the summer.

Write to me what’s new with you, how your brother Artem is doing. I'm very interested in what's going on with you.

Goodbye. See you at roll call in the fall.

Your Bear.

Short essay for 5th grade

My dear friend!

I have never written you a letter, and most likely you will be surprised when you receive this letter. I hope that no distance will be an obstacle to our communication.

I'm very sorry that we had to part, but I'm happy for you. New horizons are now opening up before you. "Big the ship is big swimming!". You should know that no matter what happens in life, you can always count on me.

Of course, I'm sure we will meet. You can always come to our city, and I will be very glad if you stay with me. I often remember our conversations. You know, I am proud of our friendship and value it. I am very glad that I have you and want to thank you for your friendship.

Write to me. I miss you.

Your sincere friend.

A letter about one of the successfully spent evenings or days in the family (with relatives, friends), at school, in a club, etc.

Several interesting essays

Essay Servant Peter in the novel Fathers and Sons of Turgenev
The novel “Fathers and Sons” is relevant to this day due to its problems, which, in fact, are revealed in the title of the novel. Turgenev shows us the confrontation between generations
The history of the creation of Griboyedov's comedy Woe from Wit (conception, production, publication)
The main characters of the fairy tale The Snow Queen by Andersen essay
The main characters of the fairy tale are the boy Kai and the girl Gerda. These are named brother and sister, very attached to each other. Children are poor, but endowed with pure hearts
Analysis of the novel by Chevengur Platonov
Platonov as Soviet writer very often turned to themes of Soviet political system, the concept of building a new socialist society seemed incorrect to him
What is Khlestakovism in the comedy The Inspector General essay, reasoning
IN famous work N.V. Gogol contains many human vices, which the author repeatedly ridicules. He even somewhat distorts reality, drawing attention to the injustice and connivance of local officials.

You have prepared a letter with strong content. It contains benefits, a cool promotion or an advantageous offer. But will subscribers know about this? Every day they receive 40-50 (or even more) letters, and they are running out of time:

They delete some letters without looking
Others put it off until later and forget.
Still others read right away

In order for the letter to be in the third group, you need to give the subscriber motivation that will push him to open the letter. Give it in the subject of your email. This article will help with this. From it you will learn:

What does the subject line of an email consist of and how to work with each field
What is the optimal subject line length?
What words and symbols will help you increase open rates?
What techniques do spammers use?
How to make sure the subject line of your email is correct

What does an email look like in your inbox?

Some people think that the most important part of an email is the subject line (highlighted in red in the picture):

However, there are other parts besides it: the sender and the preheader, and they also play an important role in whether the recipient will open your message or not.

On a mobile device, emails look like this:

To make the recipient want to open your letter, you need to work with each field.

When filling out the “Sender” field, adhere to two principles:

If you are applying on your own behalf, write your first and last name:

If from a company – company name:

Some add to the company name the name and position of the person who communicates with subscribers. They explain it this way: “People prefer to communicate with people rather than with a faceless company.” I agree, but all this may not fit in the field:

This is bad, because you won’t immediately realize who Olga Shuravina is. It turns out that this is who:

To find out, I had to open the letter. But I was motivated - I needed to set an example. Will the subscriber have motivation? Therefore, do not write the name of the company representative in the “Sender” field, but introduce yourself at the end of the letter:

Heading

The purpose of the headline is to tell about the content of the letter, to highlight it from others, to intrigue or provoke. Nine techniques will help with this:

Format
Order
Audience
Relevance
Intrigue
Question
Allusion
Provocation

Let's look at each one.

Format

The essence of the technique is to show the way the content is presented: guide, instruction, test, survey, practice, video, etc. With the help of the format, the value of the letter increases: the reader sees that inside is not an ordinary article, but, for example, practice (read, implement and get results).

Company	Heading
Magazine "Personnel Affairs"	Step-by-step instruction: how to attract to work in holidays
	[Educational program] Email marketing for a store: how to set up a newsletter in MailChimp
Lead Generation Academy ( comprehensive training Internet promotion)	[Video] Benefits of having your own lead generation department
AutoZvuk (auto electronics store)	How to choose wipers? Video!
Salecontent (content marketing agency)	[Infographic] 7 Repeat Sales Tools
	Practice: Improving your sales funnel

Order

The essence of the technique is to show that the information in the letter is structured. This technique also increases the value of the letter: the order hints to the subscriber what the author has done great job, selecting a few good ways (tips, tricks) from among the many available.

Company	Heading
Razor (sports and children's goods: scooters, skateboards...)	10 reasons to buy a scooter
Fotoshkola.net (photography training)	5 good reasons to join the new intensive course
Magazine "Glavbukh"	4 typical cash register violations: simple ways to correct Official letter: 3 simple rules registration
Mr.Kolgotoff (online tights store)	Autumn dress code rules
E-xecutive.ru (business community for managers)	Three main mistakes of Russian marketers
Condom-Shop.Ru (sex shop of intimate goods)	Recipes for the autumn blues
Magazine "Salary"	Difficult questions on salaries that require your answers 10 New Answers to Accountants' Questions
Texterra	5 the best ways come up with an idea for super content

You don't have to use numbers to show order. For example, let's compare two headings: "Ways to increase conversions" and "5 ways to increase conversions" - both show the order.

Audience

The essence of the technique is to show who the letter is addressed to: managers, marketers, girls, mothers, married couples etc. By specifying the audience, you personalize the message, which motivates the subscriber to open the letter.

Company	Heading
Wix (website builder)	A secret for Wix users: a seminar on SEO secrets
Forzieri (online store of bags, shoes, clothes, accessories and jewelry)	VIP event for bachelors and friends
003.ru (online store household appliances, electronics, goods for home and office)	Everything for children on 003.ru! The best promotions and useful gifts for mothers and babies!
Panyushkina Oksana (teaches hairdressers)	To all hairdressers who cannot live without creativity
Mnogo.ru (savings program for the whole family)	For liters buyers: 40% discount + triple bonuses

Relevance

The essence of the technique is to tie the content of the letter to reality. This way the subscriber will see that now or today is the best time to read the letter - a little later, tomorrow or in a week it will be too late. With the help of relevance, the value of writing increases: a person first thinks about pressing problems, and then about eternal topics.

Company	Heading
Terminal.ru (online store)
Travelata (online hypermarket of tours)
Quelle (online store of clothing, shoes and accessories)
SendPulse (mailing service)
Texterra
InMyRoom (most large collection interior design and decor ideas)

Intrigue

The essence of the technique is to engage the subscriber’s curiosity. To satisfy him, he will open the letter.

Company	Heading
Lamoda.ru (online store of clothing, shoes and accessories)	It seems you forgot something interesting
Insider.pro (publication about financial markets)	What Putin will talk about and what happened in California
Megabreakthrough (business development center)	Trading business without money (almost)
	Til Schweiger makes spaghetti Bolognese like this... (Here the author deliberately put an ellipsis, so he hints: if you want to know how Til Schweiger makes spaghetti Bolognese, then open the letter)

Question

The technique works the same way as intrigue. The main thing is that the subscriber wants to know the answer to the question you ask in the subject line of the letter.

Company	Heading
RuTraveller (city and country guide)	Where to have fun in winter? Where to go besides Egypt?
DAW-PLAYER (games for early development)	How to work and earn money on Instagram? Free webinar! What to give your baby for the holiday?
Shelomentsev Dmitry (helps people lose weight)	Why do you crave sweets so much?
Allo.ua (online store of equipment and electronics)	What to do if you wet your smartphone?
Arthur Budovsky (founder of the TextUnique school of article business)	Why do you never have problems with orders?

Humor

The essence of the technique is to cheer up the subscriber. A person likes someone who cheers him up, so he is more likely to open the letter.

Use this technique with caution because people perceive humor differently—what's funny to you may be offensive to your subscriber.

Allusion

The essence of the technique is to attract attention with the help of a title that resembles proverbs, sayings, established expressions, titles of TV series, films, books, songs and phrases from them. Allusion is used to make the subject of the letter both stand out and intriguing.

Company	Heading
	I want ideas from you Change or die Joy from the mind
Yves Rocher (online store of cosmetics and perfumes)	One is good, but six is better
Academy of Proper Copywriters
Ozon.ru (online store for everything)	There is no such thing as too much tea! 3rd pack for 1 ruble
Domos.ru (online tableware store)	Buy more - pay less! Profitable New Year's gifts

Often, with the help of an allusion, it is possible to attract attention, but not show what the letter is about. Because of this, some subscribers may think: since it is not clear what the letter is about, I won’t waste time on it. Therefore, further in the heading or pre-heading, hint about the content of the letter. For example, (title) Whoever succeeds is a professional copywriter (pre-title) Black Friday has begun.

Provocation

The essence of the technique is to tell the subscriber something out of the ordinary, something that will cause indignation or joy, but will not leave them indifferent. This will make you stand out from others.

Be careful with provocations: if a subscriber realizes that you used this technique only to sell something, he may blacklist you or unsubscribe.

In addition, you can play with techniques: use not one, but several at once.

Testing will show which technique or combination of techniques will work best in your case. We'll talk about this in the last part of the article.

The purpose of the pre-headline is to reinforce the headline and give the subscriber additional motivation to open the email.

When you don't use a preheader, the subscriber sees this:

Or this:

It's not so bad. It’s worse when the pre-header duplicates the “Sender” field and the header:

But when this happens in the pre-title, it’s like saying “hack!” to the executioner who was about to let you go:

The mail service generates a pre-header automatically from the first words found in the body of the letter. However, it is in our power to make sure that what we need gets into it.

How to create a pre-header and make it invisible

Click on the pre-heading and a menu will appear. In the menu, click on settings:

Click on the color selection field in the font section, and a window with color options will appear:

Select the color you want.

This is what will happen in the end. Look, the pre-heading in the subject line is:

I open the letter and don’t see him because he white, like the background:

Now we’ll find out what to do to make the pre-heading reinforce the title of the letter.

Decipher the title if you used allusion or intrigue:

Company	Heading
Magazine " Commercial Director»	Punishment cannot be forgiven Do you think it is necessary to punish an employee if he committed...(at this point the postal service cut off the pre-header)
Alexander Tchaikovsky (helps clients sell products and services online using sales texts)	Playing bad and good clients How to speak with a client as equals
Megaplan	Joy from the mind How to use knowledge The boy who was sold Secrets of turning a product into a brand I want ideas from you How to distinguish good idea from bad
Megabreakthrough	Increase sales with a marker How to organize social competitions on a separate magnetic marker board
	Everything about yourself and about yourself A selection of soul-saving articles on how to write about yourself

Explain your request if you ask for something in the title:

Use a call to action:

Intrigue:

Use positioning (headings are different, but the pre-heading is always the same):

Add information if the letter touched on several topics:

Challenge:

Tell us what to do with the information received:

You noticed that in two examples the email service cut off the pre-header. It's not scary, but it's better if this doesn't happen. Therefore, be guided by how many characters in the pre-header a particular email service displays and whether it displays it at all. The images below will help with this:

To check whether the pre-header is displayed correctly in mailboxes, do the following:

create test boxes in all email services that subscribers use;
add them to the database;
first send a letter to test boxes;
look at how the pre-header is displayed on different email services, devices (computer, smartphone, tablet) and browsers - if it’s ok, send the letter to the entire database.

Optimal header length in email subject line

Marketers often ask what the optimal headline length is for a subject line. Let's look at the research results.

According to research from the company, which analyzed 1.2 billion emails in 2012, headings 4-15 characters long have the highest Open Rate (15.2%), and headings longer than 51 characters have the lowest (10.4%).

If you are offering the same thing to your entire base, then it is better not to use the recipient's name. Instead, use headline writing techniques, share interesting information and help solve problems. Then the subscriber will open your letters, regardless of whether they are personalized or not.

As with headline length, only testing will tell whether a personalized message will have an effect.

Magic words in the email subject line

It is believed that there are magic words, which increase email open rates. UniSender tested 12 words that are recommended and often used in mailings, and came to the conclusion that they do not greatly affect the open rate of letters:

In addition, expert opinions differ on the impact of certain words on open rates. For example, the words “free” and “gift”.

Andrey Tsilikov, sales director at Sendsay, in the article “5 Deadly Sins of Email Marketing” writes that the word “free” reduces open rates, while “gift” increases them.

Maxim Khiger, founder and head of the Smartresponder service, in the article “How to create an effective subject line? ” writes that “free” can increase open rates, and gives as an example the results of testing a letter with an invitation to a master class on speed reading:

The headline “Download a free mini-book on speed reading” worked better than the headline “Increase your reading speed by 2 times” - Open Rate 38.4% versus 28.3%.

And the results of a study of 300 million emails conducted by SendPulse show that the subject line of an email with the word “gift” has the lowest Open Rate.

What does this mean? That it is worth listening to the opinions of experts, and looking closely at the results of research, but checking all this with the help of testing. As Andrey Tsilikov writes in the above-mentioned article:

“Don’t forget about A/B testing of email headers and you will find your magic words.”

Emoticons and symbols in the email subject

The purpose of emoticons and symbols is to attract the attention of the subscriber and make the letter stand out from the rest. They are:

Experian found that the black heart increased Open Rate by 2.2%, the black sun by 14.9%, and the umbrella by 50%.
Swiftpage conducted an A/B test: it sent half of its database an email with a character in the subject, and the other half without a character. For letters with the Open Rate symbol, the Rate was higher by 3.29%.

He targeted Gmail subscribers who access their email on their computers.
I sent one half a letter with an animated symbol in the subject, the other half without.
I checked the result after 70 hours: the theme with animated symbols had a 20% higher Open Rate.

The problem lies with the email services and devices used to view email: they display emoticons and symbols differently or not at all.

Gmail displays everything:

But sometimes there are crashes that depend on the operating system, browser and device used to view mail:

Yandex.Mail and Mail.ru display symbols and emoticons in black and white, even if you used colored ones.

Mobile Gmail and Outlook display popular characters on iPhone and behave unpredictably with rare ones. For example, let's take a familiar topic:

E-Mail Marketing Tips – Animated options are marked in yellow. To use emoticons and symbols, copy the box above the image and paste it into the subject line of your email.

Pro-smm – here are emoticons and symbols for social networks, but they can also be inserted into the subject line of the email (there are no animated ones). To do this, copy the desired symbol and paste it into the subject of the email.

How to use

To prevent subscribers from perceiving the letter as spam, use emoticons and symbols appropriately and do not overuse them.

Here's a spammy example:

One or two characters are enough for one topic. If there is only one symbol, put it:

If two:

When it comes to relevance, the key is to ensure that the symbols convey the essence of your brand or subject line:

Inappropriate	Appropriate
	50% discount on guitar lessons
How to find out if your husband is cheating on you	Every Friday two pizzas for the price of one

Unfortunately, even if these conditions are met, some subscribers may perceive a letter with emoticons and symbols as spam. Therefore, test options with and without symbols.

Spamming ways to compose an email subject

Spammers also want their emails to have a high Open Rate. And they came up with two methods for this: disguising it as personal correspondence or as notifications from government agencies. We under no circumstances recommend that you use these methods because they involve deception: the subject line of the email does not match what is inside. Because of this, it causes negativity among recipients and harms the company’s reputation. We provide these examples for informational purposes only, because they really increase the Open Rate, and simply cannot be left out of this article.

Masking as personal correspondence

This technique increases Open Rate by 15-20%.

Heading	What is the strength
RE: Here is the information you asked for	The prefix RE: tells the recipient that this is a response to his letter. He doesn’t remember sending it (not surprising, since he didn’t send it), but the obvious fact is that this is a response to his letter. The recipient will doubt his memory and open the letter.
We're going on Friday	Potentially, only a friend or colleague can communicate with the recipient in this way. He doesn't feel there is a catch and opens the letter.
(No subject)	It’s very similar to personal correspondence, because when we correspond with friends and colleagues, we are often too lazy to fill out the header field, they say, based on the content of the letter, everyone will understand everything. Again, the recipient does not feel the catch and opens the letter.

Masking as notifications from government agencies

Just for example.

A certain company sent middle and senior directors educational institutions a letter with an offer to make a website and place it on hosting without advertising for 21,500 rubles. To ensure that as many recipients as possible opened the letter, she titled it as if it were a notice from the prosecutor's office:

“About site checks educational institutions by the prosecutor's office"

As a result, the letter was opened by more than 70% of recipients.

Test

If you have read carefully up to this point, you will have noticed a pattern: you always need to test to find the most effective option email subject lines. There are no universal methods, because subscriber bases, like people, are different: what worked on one base is not a fact that it will work on another. And vice versa.

Each mailing list creation service implements the testing function differently, but the essence is the same. Let's say you come up with three headlines and want to determine the most effective one. To test them:

Create three copies of the letter with the same content, but different headings.
Mark Open Rate as the parameter by which the system will determine the winner.
Determine the percentage of subscribers to test. To determine how many subscribers to send the test to ensure the results are reliable, use the sampling calculator.
Set the testing duration. Typically marketers set 24 hours. Microsoft says you should allow 48-72 hours for the test, and notes that this period may vary by industry and segment. If you are short on time, set it to 3 hours - this is what UniSender advises.
Set a start time for testing.
Run the test.

It will randomly select a specified percentage of subscribers and send them letters.
Collect information about open rates for a given time.
Will send an email with the winning header to the rest of the database upon completion of the test.

This way pre-headings, title length, topic with and without name and symbols are tested.

Now we’ve finished figuring out how to write a subject line for an email so that it is opened by as many recipients as possible. You learned:

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It is foolish to deny the benefits of electronic communications. But they have one significant drawback: they can never convey the warmth that we feel and the joy that we experience when we write a real letter.

Of course, traditional mail should not replace our online communication. Writing letters the old fashioned way should be an enjoyable hobby.

Think how great it is when you have one or even several pen pals to whom you can write a real letter. Imagine: you open your mailbox and find the message you've been waiting for. What a joyful feeling this is!

In addition to friendly correspondence, there are seven types of letters that I suggest everyone writes at least once in their life. Correspondence is a win-win lottery; you will win it in any case: both as the author and as the recipient. The author learns to express his feelings in words, and the recipient receives moral support.

Writing at least one letter from each category is a minimum task. The habit of writing letters regularly throughout your life will bring you significant benefits. Well, go ahead!

1. Letter of congratulations

We are proud of ourselves when we achieve our goals. But when others recognize our achievements, it undoubtedly makes our victory that much sweeter. We want people to see in us the potential that we see in ourselves.

Congratulatory letters - good tool in strengthening both personal and professional contacts. Great idea- regularly send such letters to colleagues and loved ones, congratulating them on pleasant events in their lives. However, if someone next to you achieves great heights, does something that you can admire, then this is an excellent reason to write them not just a small congratulation, but a full-fledged congratulatory letter. Maybe your brother just became a Marine and your friend broke all the records at the shooting range. Or your daughter became a college graduate, the first in your family, by the way.

Let others see that you know about their victories. And be proud of them.

2. Letter to your father

A father is an important figure in the life of any person. Good or bad, but in any case, fathers are the first standard of masculinity for a child.

Every boy wants to become an “ideal dad” in the future. Our fathers are sometimes so far from this model that we are very upset when we realize how much better they could have been. And sometimes the exact opposite happens: they are close to ideal, and we worry that we will not be able to follow their example.

One way or another, the relationship with our father largely shapes our personality. Sometimes our feelings for a parent are so deep and complex that we ourselves cannot fully understand them.

Most of us never take the time to thank our fathers for all they have done for us. The opposite situation is also possible: sometimes we cannot forgive them for the pain they once caused us. Yet, if we are not aware of our feelings for our fathers, we will never be able to understand how they influenced us, and to some extent we will not be able to fully understand ourselves.

Writing a letter to your father is a great way to reflect on all of these questions. You don't have to send this letter if you don't want to - you're doing it for yourself. The goal is to gain a better understanding of your own feelings.

3. Letter of condolences

Of all the letters you will write, a condolence letter will be the hardest. At such a moment it is very difficult to find the right words. We are afraid to say something wrong, we feel awkward. For these reasons, we very rarely write condolences. We assure ourselves that people already know about our sympathy and support, and words are unnecessary here.

Yes, they probably realize that you empathize with them. But they all want to hear it from you. People need a reminder that you are thinking about them when they are having a hard time. Maybe not for long, but your words will make them feel a little better. It really means a lot when someone takes the time to tell you, “I know how hard it is for you, and it hurts me that you are suffering.”

4. Letter to your future

Someday in your life there will definitely come a moment when you feel that you have changed: you look at many things differently, make different decisions. It's quite strange to feel this way, actually. This does not mean that you begin to forget your past or categorically reject your “younger self.” It’s just that your previous life is left behind, and it seems to you that “you before” and “you now” are two completely different people.

This “borderline” state between past and present gives us an excellent opportunity to reflect on who we are now. Think about what the child you were would say to the adult you now see in the mirror?

Now write a letter to your future self. You will not print this letter for several years or even decades. Describe the hopes you have for the person you will be when you read this letter a second time. How do you see your career? Are you married? Do you have any children? Are you true to your favorite habits? What are your goals? What ideals have stayed with you throughout all these years?

When you read this letter many years later, you may find that your previous goals and ideals have changed dramatically, but you, in essence, do not mind: you now have ones that suit you much better. Your youthful maximalism and naivety can make you smile and even laugh a little :) Or, on the contrary, once again faced with your old dreams, you can realize how much you wanted to achieve and how little you actually achieved.

Such time travel will help you remember your youthful dreams and aspirations, inspire you to new achievements, and if now everything is not going the way you once wanted, then there is always a chance to fix it.

5. Love letter

It is not always easy to express your emotions towards other people. Men would be much more willing to express their feelings through actions rather than words. But women, as you know, love with their ears. They want words that will be followed by actions.

The difficulty lies not only in finding beautiful words, but also to say them out loud. When we prepare a beautiful love speech in our mind, very often we do not take into account the environment in which we will “expose” our feelings. The most awkward situation is when you are sitting next to a person and desperately trying to remember exactly what words you were going to say to him. To avoid all these incidents, let's start writing a love letter.

We often associate love letters with the past century. Men from the front wrote letters to their wives and brides, saying how much they missed their warmth, and the girls, in turn, wrote that they loved and were waiting. Such letters went on for months, but arrived only a few times a year.

In the biographies of great people, one often encounters beautiful love confessions that they wrote to their wives and mistresses.

Again about my love. About the notorious activity. Does love exhaust everything for me? Everything, but only differently. Love is life, this is the main thing. Poems, deeds, and everything else unfold from it. Love is the heart of everything. If it stops working, everything else dies off, becomes superfluous, unnecessary. But if the heart works, it cannot but manifest itself in everything.
From a letter from Vladimir Mayakovsky to Lilya Brik

However, your beloved does not have to be far away for you to decide to write her a love letter. You can even address it to the girl you sleep with every night. It will be more original and pleasant than the standard love confessions that we say every day.

Romantic letters are testaments to your love story. Which your grandchildren will probably read later.

6. Letter of encouragement

There have been moments in everyone's life when they had to fight doubts and fears, or moments in which they wanted to give up everything and retreat. If you are lucky, then in your life during this sad time a person appeared who could cheer you up, convince you that everything would be fine, in other words, raise your self-esteem and help you move on.

Such support always has a positive effect on a person, especially if the words are supported by encouraging actions (patting on the shoulder, for example). Although there are times when a letter is best option in order to provide support. And not only because you physically cannot always be present with those you want to cheer up. The letter stays with the recipient for a long time; he can return to it and re-read it at any time. When we listen to a fiery motivational speech, we listen to every word and believe that everything will pass and all problems can be solved. But as soon as we are left alone after a while, all our fears and doubts overtake us again.

An encouraging letter tells the recipient that you believe in him and his abilities, that he can cope with all difficulties. Maybe your niece recently started college and feels out of place and is considering dropping out. If you have similar experience, you can help her with advice and encourage her. Perhaps your son broke up with his first love and thinks it's the end of the world. Let him understand that everything is exactly the opposite and this is not the end, but only the beginning.

7. Letter of gratitude

Gratitude is one of the brightest feelings. Nothing else can support our personal and professional relationships like it does. Appreciation can instantly melt the ice between two people.

We all understand how much we need the kindness and help of others. You are very lucky if you have people in your life that you can thank.

For many there is only one thing kind word helped to become human again, but gold turned out to be powerless.
Erich Maria Remarque "Shelter of Dreams"

Write Thanksgiving letters needed as often as possible. Of course, it's much easier to send a thank you note via email (and it's certainly better than nothing). But just imagine how touching it is to receive a real handwritten letter. For example, if you have an employee in your office who is diligent and successful in his or her job, you could leave him a short note letting him know how much you appreciate his efforts.

We hope that, in addition to such small news, at least once in your life you will write full letters of gratitude to the most important people in your life: mother, wife (husband), loved one school teacher, to the best friend.

Think about all they have done for you and the difference they have made in your life. Remember that there is nothing in the world more valuable than simple human gratitude.

Which of these letters have you already tried to write? Share in the comments!