Email Copywriting: How to Write Emails People Actually Read
Why Most Marketing Emails Get Deleted in 3 Seconds
The average professional receives 121 emails per day. The average consumer opens about 20% of marketing emails. That means 80% of your emails are competing for a glance — and losing.
The emails that win are not the ones with the fanciest templates or the cleverest puns. They are the ones that respect the reader’s time, deliver clear value, and make the next step obvious. Good email copywriting is not about being a great writer. It is about being a clear communicator who understands what the reader wants.
The Subject Line: Your One Chance to Get Opened
Your subject line is a 6-10 word advertisement for the email itself. If it fails, nothing else matters because the email never gets read.
Subject Line Principles That Work
Be specific, not vague.
- Weak: “Big news!”
- Strong: “We just launched free same-day shipping”
Include numbers when you can.
- Weak: “Tips to improve your email marketing”
- Strong: “7 email tweaks that doubled our click rate”
Match the email’s actual content. Clickbait subject lines get opens but destroy trust. If your subject says “You won’t believe this,” the email better contain something genuinely surprising.
Keep it under 50 characters. Subject lines get truncated on mobile after about 40-50 characters. Front-load the important words. “7 email fixes that boost opens” works. “Here are some interesting tips about how you might improve your email open rates” does not.
Test questions vs statements. “Are you making these email mistakes?” often outperforms “Common email mistakes to avoid.” Questions engage the brain differently — the reader instinctively wants to know the answer.
Run every subject line through our Subject Line Grader before sending. It scores length, power words, spam risk, and readability so you can optimize before you hit send.
The Preheader: Your Second Headline
The preheader (preview text) appears next to or below the subject line in most inbox views. It is free real estate that most marketers waste with “View this email in your browser” or, worse, leave blank.
Use the preheader to extend your subject line:
- Subject: “7 email tweaks that doubled our click rate”
- Preheader: “Number 4 took us 2 minutes to implement”
The subject line gets the open. The preheader seals the deal for readers who are on the fence.
The Opening Line: Hook or Lose Them
You have approximately 8 seconds after someone opens your email before they decide to keep reading or move on. The opening line must earn the next sentence.
Opening Patterns That Work
Start with the reader, not yourself.
- Weak: “We are excited to announce our new product line.”
- Strong: “Your email open rates are about to get a lot better.”
State a problem they recognize. “If your emails are landing in the Promotions tab instead of the Primary inbox, you are not alone. It happens to 68% of marketing emails.”
Use a surprising fact or statistic. “The average email subscriber is worth $48 per year. But the top 10% of email marketers generate over $200 per subscriber.”
Ask a question they want answered. “What if you could double your email click-through rate by changing just one thing?”
What NOT to Open With
- “Hope this email finds you well” (everybody skips this)
- “I wanted to reach out because…” (get to the point)
- “As you may know…” (do not assume what they know)
- Company news that does not benefit the reader
Writing the Body: Structure for Scanners
People do not read emails word by word. They scan. Your job is to make scanning easy and ensure the key message lands even for a 5-second skim.
The Inverted Pyramid
Put the most important information first:
- Key message or benefit (first paragraph)
- Supporting details or evidence (middle)
- Call to action (end)
If someone only reads the first paragraph and the CTA, they should still understand what the email is about and what you want them to do.
Formatting Rules for Readability
Short paragraphs. 1-3 sentences per paragraph. A wall of text is an instant delete.
White space. Double-space between paragraphs. Single-space within paragraphs. The extra breathing room makes the email feel lighter and easier to read.
Bold key phrases. Not whole sentences — just the 2-4 words that carry the meaning. Scanners’ eyes naturally land on bold text.
Bullet points for lists. Any time you list three or more items, use bullets instead of a run-on sentence.
One idea per email. The most common mistake in email copywriting is trying to do too much. One email, one message, one call to action. If you have three things to say, send three emails over three days.
Tone and Voice
Write like you talk. Read your email out loud. If it sounds like a corporate memo, rewrite it. If it sounds like something you would actually say to a colleague, you are on the right track.
Use “you” more than “we.” Count the pronouns in your draft. If “we” and “our” outnumber “you” and “your,” flip it. The reader cares about their problems and their benefits, not your company’s news.
Be direct. Replace “We would like to inform you that” with “Here is.” Replace “It has come to our attention that” with nothing — just state the thing.
Use contractions. “We are” sounds formal. “We’re” sounds human. Marketing emails are not legal contracts.
The Call to Action: One Button, One Job
Every marketing email should have one clear call to action. Not three. Not five. One.
CTA Button Best Practices
Use action verbs. “Get the Guide,” “Start Free Trial,” “Shop the Sale.” Not “Click Here” or “Learn More” (too vague) or “Submit” (too cold).
Make the benefit obvious. “Save 20% Today” is better than “Shop Now” because it tells the reader what they get.
Place it above the fold AND at the bottom. Engaged readers will click the top CTA. Readers who need more convincing will read through and click the bottom one.
Use a contrasting color. The CTA button should be the most visually prominent element in the email. If your email template is blue, make the button orange or green.
Size for thumbs. At least 44px tall, ideally 48px. Mobile readers should not have to pinch-zoom to tap your button.
Text Link CTAs
For emails that feel more personal (B2B, creator newsletters, relationship-building emails), a text link CTA can outperform a button. “Reply to this email with your biggest challenge” feels more personal than a big green button.
Email Types and Their Copy Structures
Different email purposes require different approaches:
The Promotional Email
Structure: Problem, solution (your product), social proof, CTA. Length: 50-125 words. Get in, make the offer, get out.
The Newsletter
Structure: Brief intro, 3-5 curated items with your commentary, CTA or ask. Length: 300-500 words. Readers expect (and want) more substance.
The Educational Email
Structure: Hook, teach one concept clearly, application example, CTA to deeper resource. Length: 400-800 words. Value earns the length.
The Re-Engagement Email
Structure: Acknowledge the silence, offer something valuable, ask if they want to stay. Length: Under 100 words. Brevity shows respect.
The Launch/Announcement Email
Structure: What is new, why it matters to them, what to do next. Length: 100-200 words. Excitement and clarity, not exhaustive detail.
Common Copywriting Mistakes
Writing for yourself instead of the reader. Every sentence should pass the “so what?” test. If the reader could respond with “why should I care?” you need to rewrite it.
Burying the lead. The most important information should be in the first 2-3 sentences. Do not make readers scroll through three paragraphs of context before reaching the point.
Using jargon. Unless you are writing to a highly technical audience that expects it, use plain language. “Improve your email deliverability” beats “Optimize your MTA reputation scoring.”
Multiple calls to action. When you give people too many choices, they choose none. One email, one CTA. If your email has three buttons leading to three different pages, you have three emails pretending to be one.
Ignoring mobile. Over 60% of email opens happen on mobile. Short paragraphs, large buttons, single-column layouts, and readable font sizes (16px minimum) are not optional.
Testing and Improving Your Copy
The best copywriters are not the ones who write the best first draft. They are the ones who test relentlessly and learn from the data.
A/B test subject lines on every send. Read our A/B testing guide for the complete process.
Track click-through rates per email to identify which copy structures drive the most action.
Monitor reply rates if you use plain-text, conversational emails. High reply rates indicate strong engagement and improve deliverability.
Review unsubscribe spikes. If a particular email causes an unusual number of unsubscribes, analyze the copy. Was it too salesy? Too long? Off-topic?
Good email copy is not born — it is iterated. Write, send, measure, learn, and write better next time. After six months of consistent testing and iteration, your emails will be unrecognizable compared to where you started.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a marketing email be?
There is no universal ideal length. Promotional emails perform best at 50-125 words. Newsletter-style emails work well at 200-500 words. Educational emails can go longer (500-1,000 words) if the content is genuinely valuable. The real answer is: as long as it needs to be and not a word longer. Test short vs long with your audience.
What makes a good subject line?
Good subject lines are specific, create curiosity, and match the email content. They typically run 30-50 characters (6-10 words). Include numbers when possible, avoid all caps and excessive punctuation, and test question formats against statements. Use our Subject Line Grader to score your options before sending.
Should I use HTML templates or plain text emails?
It depends on your audience and purpose. B2B and personal brand emails often perform better as plain text because they feel like real correspondence. E-commerce and media brands benefit from HTML templates with product images and branded design. Test both formats with your list -- the results may surprise you.
How often should I email my list?
Start with once per week. This frequency keeps you top-of-mind without overwhelming subscribers. As you build your content pipeline and understand your audience's tolerance, you can test increasing to 2-3 times per week. Watch your unsubscribe rate -- if it spikes after increasing frequency, scale back.