Letters & Light
Illuminate your brand
We all delete emails. How could we not? We must triage the barrage of inbox noise or lose all hope of productivity for the day. Sometimes we delete because of the subject line, or because the sender has reached the point of pestering for attention, or we’re not able to buy today, but don’t want to unsubscribe. Often, it’s a matter of not enough time so we read what we prioritize.
How can you get your business emails noticed, opened, prioritized, and achieve the holy grail of getting the click on your call to action (CTA)?
Where there’s a will and thoughtful copywriting strategy, there’s a way. Sure, you could blast out an AI generated (salesy, pushy, boring…robotic) email campaign. If you throw enough verbiage against the inbox, you might see some results. But “delete” is a millisecond action. Or the email might get marked as spam because you irritated your audience who expected better from you. Unsubscribe is also a quick action.
I was interested in a particular copywriting company that’s been around for quite a while and makes big claims. I subscribed but their emails were so annoying, so long form, so transparently manipulative, that I had to unsubscribe. If you’re anything like me, you’d rather be pulled into relevant content by great storytelling or value messaging, than be shoved.
So, think back to your brand identity and remember, your brand is the promise you make to your customers. When you write your email content, think about your brand voice and how you want to be “heard.” This is how you should talk to your email recipients. By doing so, they will come to trust you and either open, or save your email to read for later, rather than hit delete.
When I receive an email with an intriguing or trusty subject line, the content kept me reading past the first few sentences, and I didn ’t feel like I was being “sold” to, I deem that email a success. And if I click the CTA, that email gets a gold star (thanks Gmail stars!).
Want that gold star response? Write authentic, on brand, personalized, valuable, and respectful email copy.
In every business, whether you’re a startup or scaling, some days will feel like water flowing downhill, other days you’ll be herding cats. You might be vision rich, but resource poor. One thing is certain, you don’t want to waste resources on average, ineffective email copywriting.
Let’s get you started with essential tips and strategies to help you write emails that your customers will want to read.
First, Why Email Copywriting Matters for Your Business
You have a website, a product or service, you've developed a content plan, and you're chugging along on social media. But the leads are not coming in. How can you connect with potential customers in a way that's personal, engaging, and direct? That’s where email copywriting comes in.
Getting an email was once new and exciting. If you remember the sound of a duck being squashed when connecting to the internet, you know what I’m talking about. Even though we’ve become so accustomed to “You’ve got mail!” email is still one of the most effective tools for building relationships, boosting sales, and growing your business.
The key is to write emails that captivate, convert, and keep your buyers coming back for more.
Email lets you communicate with your target audience. It lands in their inbox which people check multiple times a day. It provides an opportunity for you to speak directly to potential customers or upsell customers that will come back for more—they are already receptive.
Constant Contact is a digital and email marketing platform and in their 2023 Email Marketing Statistics: Facts, Trends & Figures they listed the widely reported stats below. They also stated that “more than 90 percent of survey respondents say email marketing is important to their company’s overall success.”
Email is considered one of the most effective channels for marketing, with 79 percent of marketers placing it in their top 3.
The global market for email marketing software was worth $7.5 billion in 2020. By 2027, it is estimated to reach $17.9 billion.
More than half the world’s population (over 4.2 billion people) were active email users globally in 2022. By the end of 2026, that figure is projected to go over 4.7 billion.
55 percent of consumers say email is their preferred digital channel for business communication.
Brands made $36 for every U.S. dollar they spent on email marketing.
The average open rate for 200 million emails sent among Constant Contact customers was 34.51 percent, the average click rate among all delivery was 1.33 percent, and the average bounce rate was 10.28 percent.
Strategic Email Frameworks to Help You
You don’t have to start from scratch. Marketing pros have developed proven frameworks and strategies that structure messages in a way that leads to results. You’re not locked into any of these—see what resonates with your style, product, or service.
Here are some effective email models you can use for strategic copywriting:
AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) This classic model walks your reader through four stages:
Attention: Grab the reader’s attention with a compelling subject line.
Interest: Keep them interested with engaging content or an intriguing story.
Desire: Build desire for your product or service by highlighting its benefits.
Action: Prompt them to take action—whether it’s clicking a link, making a purchase, or signing up for a service.
BAB (Before, After, Bridge) BAB is all about transformation and is perfect for businesses offering solutions to common pain points, like life coaches, healthpreneurs, fitness trainers, or software providers.
Before: Identify a problem your audience faces.
After: Show how their life or business could improve after solving that problem.
Bridge: Present your product or service as the solution that makes that transformation possible.
PAS (Problem, Agitation, Solution) PAS works by first stating the problem, then agitating it by emphasizing how painful or frustrating it is, and finally offering a solution—your product or service.
Problem: Are you struggling to write optimized content for your blog?
Agitation: We get it. It takes time and expertise and you’d rather be focused on upselling to your best customers.
Solution: We can provide optimized blog content to help increase your website traffic and lead generation so you can focus on what you do best.
PPP (Praise, Picture, Push)
Praise: People like praise when it shows you have done your homework. State how you are impressed by something your prospect has done.
Picture: Show how your product or service can help them be even more effective or successful.
Push: Have a strong call to action to get them to connect with you.
4 Ps (Promise, Picture, Proof, Push)
Promise: Here’s what you can do for your prospect.
Picture: Paint the picture of how their life could be with what you offer.
Proof: Provide testimonials and social proof from real clients.
Push: Have a compelling call to action. Reminder, a push is not a shove!
The 4 Ps here are different from the 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) and there are other Ps, for example pain, then promise, then proof etc. You get the general idea. Each of these strategies can be tailored to your business and audience.
Use these email frameworks as guidelines but be sure to personalize your copywriting within the structure.
The Power of a Great Subject Line
The first thing people see when they receive your email is the subject line. This tiny but mighty line of copy has the power to make or break your entire email marketing campaign. Why? Because if your subject line doesn’t grab attention—delete! And when writing subject lines, the best practice is to avoid being scammy or shady. You know it when you read it (lose 40 lbs. in 3 days!!!).
Here are a few tips for writing subject lines that compel, while being respectful.
Keep it Short and Sweet: Aim for 40-50 characters. You want your subject line to be visible on mobile devices and easy to read.
Spark Curiosity: Create a sense of curiosity that makes readers want to open your email to find out more. Example: “Are You Making This Mistake in Your Business Emails?”
Use Numbers or Lists: People love numbers and lists because they promise quick, digestible content. Example: “5 Email Copywriting Tips to Increase Leads.”
Personalize It: Adding a personal touch—like using the recipient’s first name—can increase open rates. Example: “Jeremy, you left something in your cart.”
Create Urgency: If it fits the content, adding a sense of urgency can encourage readers to act quickly. Example: “Don’t Miss Your Chance to Get 20% Off.”
The Deal: “30% off fall styles during back-to-school week.”
In addition to subject lines, spam filters look at content quality. Poorly written emails are a red flag. Filters look at links, attachments, how often your emails are opened or marked as spam, the send reputation of your domain and IP address, and if you’ve landed on block lists or allowed lists. If you want to dig in here’s the CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business.
Keep It Concise: Deliver Value Quickly
Your email audience doesn’t have time to waste. It’s estimated that most people receive over 100 emails a day and they’re not going to wade through all the stuff you live, breathe, and think is the bee’s knees. If you want to keep your readers engaged, get to the point, provide value fast, and provide a clear CTA. If you get them to come to you, to subscribe, buy in, or ask for a demo, you will have plenty of bee’s knees time.
Here’s how:
Focus on one key message: Don’t try to do too much in a single email. Choose one key point you want to make and stick to it.
Highlight the benefits: Readers care less about what your product is and more about what it can do for them. Lead with benefits, not features.
Use clear, simple language: Fancy jargon won’t impress your audience. In fact, it might confuse them. Aim for clarity and simplicity.
Break up text for readability: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to make your email easy to read.
Have a CTA near the top (in journalism terms, “above the fold”) and the bottom depending on the length of your email. Make it easy to see and click.
Write human-to-human. Adjust the level of professional or casual conversation tone as needed.
Remember, you’re not just marketing B2B, or B2C, you’re communicating human-to-human, or “H2H.”
Short-Form vs. Long-Form Emails: When to Use Each
Depending on your goal, you need to decide whether to go with a short-form or long-form approach. So, which one is better? The answer depends on the context.
Short-Form Emails
Short-form emails are great when you have a clear, straightforward message. They work best when:
You’re sending a quick update or announcement.
You want to drive readers to a specific action (like a flash sale or event registration).
You’re following up after a recent interaction (such as a purchase confirmation or welcome email).
Short-form emails should be concise and to the point, with a strong CTA that leaves no room for confusion.
Long-Form Emails
Long-form emails are ideal when you need more space to tell a story or explain something in detail. They work best for:
Educational Content: Explaining a process or sharing a deep dive into a topic.
Product Launches: Introducing a new product or service with all the details and benefits.
Newsletters: If your audience expects a lot of content in one email, such as weekly updates or featured articles.
With long-form emails, be thoughtful and don’t be too salesy—it comes off as condescending. Make sure to break up the text with images, bullet points, or subheadings to avoid overwhelming your reader.
Drip Campaigns: Nurturing Your Relationship Over Time
Drip campaigns are a series of emails sent out based on specific actions or timelines. They’re effective for nurturing leads, educating your audience, and building stronger relationships over time.
The best practices for drip campaigns vary depending on your business model, but here are a few general tips:
Welcome Emails: Always start with a warm, friendly welcome email when someone subscribes to your list. This sets the tone for your relationship and provides immediate value.
Educational Drips: For businesses like life coaching or consulting, send educational content that establishes your topic authority and helps your audience solve problems.
Sales Drips: If you’re launching a product or service, create a drip campaign that walks your audience through the benefits of your offer, building anticipation, and leading up to the final call to action.
Abandoned Cart Drips: For e-commerce businesses, sending a follow-up email to customers who left items in their cart is an effective way to recover lost sales.
Using AI Tools to Streamline Your Email Copywriting
AI tools can be an excellent resource for copywriters and help increase personalization based on your audience segment.
Always keep a human in the loop to provide quality assurance and creative oversight. It's critical to ensure the copy sounds like your brand, is factual, and doesn't sound canned. Some companies are cutting corners and deploying email content straight from the machine with little success. Others are putting in maximum efforts to train AI, with better results.
AI tools are just that—tools. The output is only as good as the prompt input and depth of AI training. AI can help speed up the copywriting process and can absolutely increase your efficiency, but the personal touch you add is what will resonate most with your audience.
You can use AI to get the ball rolling and fuel momentum, but don’t rely on it to replace human connection.
At the Heart of Great Email Copywriting is Connection
Every email you send is an opportunity to strengthen your brand, deepen your relationship, and showcase the value you provide.
Whether you’re reaching out for the first time, nurturing a new subscriber, converting a lead into a customer, or addressing a customer complaint, your words have the power to build trust, inspire action, and drive growth.
Your brand integrity should inform your email strategy and how you speak to your audience.
Want Some Help With Your Email Copywriting?
Letters & Light is here to help you with email copywriting that will connect with your audience and drive results. Let’s captivate your customers and elevate your business. Reach out today for a free consultation!
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