Writing is an art, and anyone who disagrees has never written or wrote I don’t know how to appreciate a beautifully written letter.
Writing service is also a dying art form. Because of the prevalence of email and instant messaging applications, our messages can instantly reach their destination. Since communication can take place in real time, we do not spend so much time choosing our words and composing our sentences.
But there is one case where you need to pay close attention to how you deliver your message. We are talking about an open letter.
1) What is an open letter, after all?
Well, people who get annoyed with open letters might describe them as “this chain mail your activist friend creates when he doesn’t like something.” True, Merriam-Webster defines an open letter as a “letter of protest or appeal” addressed to an individual, but intended to be read by the general public.
Yes, some people find them annoying, others consider them to be spam. But most Internet users see them as a means of expressing their opinions about things that matter to them, and they raise awareness about a particular issue. Open letters are also a great way to get the attention of officials or agencies that you might not be able to communicate with otherwise.
So, you need to make sure that the open letter you write is powerful and interesting enough to attract people. But before that we need to get something out of the way.
2) The effectiveness is controversial
Effectiveness is debatable; it has nothing to do with your ability as a content writer. An open letter is meant to change something or draw attention to something. It is one of the many channels of online activists who regularly use their strategy. But if your goal is to change something, an open letter should be part of your strategy, not the strategy itself.
However, this should not discourage you from writing open letters. When combined with an original marketing campaign, they can have impressive impact.
With that in mind, here are a few things you can keep in mind when writing open emails.
3) Establish relevance
This may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but you’d be surprised to find out how many people write open emails without knowing their audience.
You may be concerned about global warming and want to raise awareness about it, but others may be concerned about different issues. This is the problem when you send an open letter to an unfamiliar audience.
Read also: 7 marketing tips to boost your brand awareness
People tend to be more responsive if they feel that a problem is directly related to them or to someone they know. Make the task relevant to them and you will get better results.
4) be concise
People don’t read on the Internet, they run. If your letter is longer than Tolstoy’s novel, or the platform you’re using interferes with ads and pop-ups, then they may not read your letter at all.
Try to be as short and precise as possible. Use subheadings, bullets, and bullets to highlight important information. Add links to articles and data that support your arguments. Be smart about how you format your text as any styling is sure to grab your audience’s attention. Also, don’t go into details. Your letter should inform them about the problem, it is not necessary to provide all information about it.
5) Offer solutions
One of the reasons some Internet users see open letters as an excuse to complain about everything is that most people don’t offer any solutions. The letter about the pollution level in your city is important for people to read, but unless you add a call to action or advice on how to improve it, those who read this letter may perceive you as just another crying person on the Internet.
6) Conclusion
Yes, you can use open emails. Just remember, you are writing for both an audience and a specific purpose. Dark letters about how the world ends are outdated and people don’t answer them. Try to catch a glimpse of the hope and encourage your recipients to take action.
