Why I’ve changed my tune about email length

“An email should be like a woman’s skirt — short enough to get attention, long enough to cover the details” So I used to quip when giving public talks about email. It was always guaranteed to trigger at least one overly-fragile sob sister. But also, it was and still is true. And I think whether you write a 100 word or 10,000 word email that advice applies. In fact, I still teach that as a general guideline to those new to email until they learn the craft of pithy writing. Especially since people like to go off on tangents about the time aunt Martha made soap in the grove but that has nothing at all to do with whatever they are selling. But it did not take long to realize longer emails can be a whole lot better. Especially when I started experimenting with 600, 700, even 900+ word emails. And the exact opposite happened that I originally thought would: My sales and engagement usually went up. Certainly the quality of customer was much higher. Not every time, in every case, with every promo. But as long as I was using solid direct response copywriting, writing from the gut, and doing it with intensity and lots of Forward Intent (purposely making it a little harder and taking a little more time than needed, not just going through the motions), they almost always were getting more sales, engagement, replies, forwards to peers/friends, invites to teach on podcasts and speak at events, ideas for whole books and courses coming to me as I was writing them, and the list goes on. The short ones of 300 - 500 words? Not so much. But that was only after I honed my writing over thousands of emails written. So there is context to that.. Probably the single most overall engaging email (it wasn't selling anything) I ever wrote was on January 1, 2023 last year — which was a 2,500+ word, 6-page email eulogy for my dog of 15+ years Zoe, who had just passed a few days earlier. Got 100's of replies, stories shared, relationships strengthened, the list goes on. Not everything can be tracked with a spreadsheet. The long term intangibles have always been far more long term profitable for my business than the short term trackable and measurable stuff. Nowadays: I'm hammering out 1,500 - 2,000 word emails without even thinking about it or caring or even looking at the word count unless I just am curious for whatever reason. Many of the 30+ emails I wrote at the tail end of 2023 (to sell the January 2024 150th Email Players issue, which was a 64-page issue to commemorate the event) clocked in at 1,500+ words, and some were closer to 2,000 words or more. Bottom line: It all reminds me of something Email Players subscriber and the man universally considered to be the world’s greatest copywriter Gary Bencivenga once said. He was talking about direct mail, but has long proven to be just as true for my business in email: “Anyone who says long copy doesn't work is out of their minds” On that note… Short or long - if emails are your bag, check out BerserkerMail platform. It’s very “long email friendly.” And if you’re writing emails people want to read, it can potentially help ramp up your overall email deliverability through the roof compared to whatever it is now. That has been my experience, at least. And it’s been the experience of many clients we’ve heard from to the point where it almost sounds like it startles people. A good problem to have… You can get a free test drive (no credit card needed, just put it away) here: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/berserker]( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2024 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA