The other day I got a chuckle. Somebody opted out of one of my lists because he said my emails were too long. I wonder what he would have done with a friend of mine who essentially writes novels for his list. Long is definitely in the eyes of the beholder. However, it is possible to write emails that are simply too long or don’t stay on topic. How long is too long? Well, I’m going to explore that question in this article, which I hope in itself isn’t too long.

There is an old saying in the field of copywriting that a sales letter should be like a lady’s skirt…short enough to get attention but long enough to cover the important details. Yeah, it’s a fine balance and something that takes time to master. But it still doesn’t answer the question…how long is too long? Well, the truth is, there is no answer to this question simply because it depends on what it is you’re trying to say. That is what the real focus should be on…saying it, making it clear, and then getting out before you bore somebody to tears.

So let’s say, for example, you want to tell somebody about this great new site you just found that you know they’re just going to love but you don’t want to tell them too much about it because you don’t want to ruin the surprise. In that case, an email such as the following is all you need.

“Hey *subscriber name*:

Look, I just found this really cool site that I know you’re going to love. I don’t want to ruin the surprise that you’re going to get when you see it so here’s the URL:

*URL*

Just go there. I promise you’ll thank me for it.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Now, if the site really is targeted to the topic of your list, then there is a very good chance that the subscriber WILL thank you for sending it and in this case, the above message, as short as it is, is all you need. Anything longer would be overkill in this situation. You want to get in, get the message across and get out.

But, what if you’re sending an email about a new product that you want the person to check out and you’ve personally used it? You’ll probably want to send a review of the product. In that case, the email is going to be much longer. And, if the product is something that your list would really be interested in, the longer the review (as long as everything you say adds to the description of the product itself) the better for the person reading it. In this case, you’d be hard pressed to write an email that was too long.

So you see, length depends on what has to be said. Say it and get out.

If you follow that principle, without babbling on, in most cases anyway, you’ll be sending emails that your subscribers will enjoy reading.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of not getting your emails delivered, read or opened? Sick of not making any sales from your email marketing efforts? Visit my site at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/emailmarketing/index.html and get your hands on 5 years of my personal experience with email marketing…experience that has earned me tens of thousands of dollars yearly.