Stop 04 · Content Marketing & CopywritingTopics · 6/9

Email Copywriting

In short

Email is one of the few channels you own. But inboxes are crowded, so your subject line has to earn the open, and the body has to earn the click.

Writing emails that get opened (subject line) and acted on (body and CTA) — shorter, more conversational, and more personalized than most other marketing copy formats.

The blob happily opens a handwritten letter while a pile of pamphlets sits ignored.

Think of it like this

A letter from a friend vs a pamphlet

When the postman brings a pile, you open the handwritten letter from a friend first and drop the pamphlets in the bin. Good marketing email feels like that letter: personal, relevant and worth opening.

Watch it happen

What happens to one email

Brand

Inbox

Reader

Subject + preview text

1/5The email arrives. Only the sender name, subject and preview line are visible.

The big ideas

What you need to know

Subject lines matter

Short, specific and honest. Promise what's inside and deliver it.

Preview text is free space

The grey line after the subject is a second chance to earn the open.

Write to one person

Use their name if you have it, and write like one human to another.

Permission first

Only email people who opted in, and always include an easy unsubscribe link.

See it in code

Walk through the code

text

1Subject: Riya, your notes bundle is still in your cart2Preview: Plus 10% off if you finish today3 4Hi Riya,5 6You left the GATE Notes Bundle in your cart.7Still want it? It's saved for you.8 9[Finish my order]

1/3Subject and preview work as a pair to earn the open.

A short abandoned-cart email. Personal, specific, and one button. Most email tools fill the name automatically.

Save yourself the pain

Common mistakes

Oops

Clickbait subjects like 'URGENT!!!' that don't match the email.

Do this instead

Be specific and honest. Tricking opens leads to unsubscribes and spam reports.

Oops

Buying email lists.

Do this instead

Build your own opt-in list. Bought lists hurt deliverability and often break privacy laws.

Your mission

Write five subject lines

~20 min

Quick check

Your newsletter's open rate is fine, but almost nobody clicks. What should you test first?

Go deeper

1Write 3 subject line variations for the same hypothetical email and pick your favorite with reasoning.
2Draft a short promotional email with a single clear call-to-action.
3Learn why email copy generally performs better shorter and more personal than webpage copy.