There’s no denying that email marketing is an efficient way to drive business, but maintaining a steady flow of fresh content can be a challenge.

On the one hand, you don’t want to inundate your readers with so many messages that they unsubscribe. On the other hand, it’s incredibly valuable to sustain digital communications that keep you top-of-mind with past, current and potential clientele.

The key is to keep your email content compelling and original. If you have email marketing writer’s block, here are four quick tips that will help jump-start your efforts.

1. Empathize with your audience

As you start crafting an email message, put yourself in the shoes of your desired customer base. If you were one of the many subscribers receiving this message, what would you like to see? What would encourage you to open the email, and more importantly, act on it?

There is some give-and-take at play here as well. You want to deliver content your customers will act on, but you also want to remain true to your brand’s voice and positioning. Don’t let the desire for opens and clicks tempt you to write something that is out of character for your business, or you’ll risk confusing your audience.

2. Make it personal

Of the hundreds of emails most of us receive on a daily basis, how many are actually opened and read from start to finish? Considering most email clients automatically divert messages away from recipients’ inboxes, the percentage is relatively small.

That said, the emails we’re most likely to open and read are from people we know. These messages are written in a very personal way, rather than as a large company addressing a nameless, faceless customer.

No matter what you communicate in your emails, write them as if you’re sending them to a single person, even if there are hundreds or thousands of recipients on your subscriber list. Assuming you’ve already imagined what your customers want to hear from you, writing as if you’re sending to a single recipient will further guide your content as you start tapping at the keyboard.

3. Use numbers

People love numbers. Offering readers a numbered list is a proven attention-grabber. This technique is most often used in “listicle”-style stories popularized by websites like BuzzFeed.

If the subject line of your email reads, “5 Things to Know Right Now About Your Health,” it’s much more likely to get opened than one with a subject line reading, “Get To Know Your Health.”

There is something about numbers in a news headline that makes audiences feel they’re about to read a quick-hitting story that can be consumed in no time. That same principle can be applied to email subject lines for great effect.

4. Keep it short and simple

Driving potential customers to open an email is one thing, and getting them to act on it is another. A great subject line can cause your open rates to skyrocket. That means you need body copy to match it. Avoid ultra-long body content in emails, which is more likely to induce eye rolls than produce clicks.

Come up with a catchy opening to your email, get to the heart of your message, and then get out. Don’t overthink it. Audiences appreciate emails that are short and simple because it shows how much you appreciate their time.

When writer’s block strikes, get your creative juices flowing again by remembering to empathize with your readers, talk on a personal level, offer some interesting numbers if appropriate, and above all keep it simple! Or if you’re simply too short on time, let Pro+ Full-Service Email Marketing handle the entire email marketing process for you.

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