8 Proven Email Copywriting Hacks for Content that Engages & Converts

When it comes to email copywriting, getting your audience’s attention is more important than ever as it determines whether subscribers stick with your newsletter or opt-out. 

Consumers prefer email over other channels but are more overwhelmed than ever. According to Sinch Mailgun’s global survey of over 2,000 consumers, 75% want to get brand offers and updates in their inboxes. However, with the average person getting over 10 brand emails a day, only a tiny fraction of those get opened.

In fact, the latest stats show the average email open rate across industries is 21%, meaning 8 out of 10 emails go unseen. The problem is clear: just getting into your customer’s inbox isn’t enough. Even more worrying, click-through rates are below 3%, so getting consumers to engage with the content is a big job even when emails are opened.

So, how do you make marketing texts that effectively guide leads through the sales funnel instead of turning them away? 

In this article, we’ll dive into email copywriting best practices and showcase examples of how to turn your emails from another unread message into one that gets attention, engagement and action. Whether you want to boost opens, clicks or conversions, these will make your email content work harder and deliver.

What Is Email Copywriting

89% of marketers rely on email as their primary channel for generating leads.

But with so much on the line, the pressure to write emails that get opened and inspire action has never been greater. 

Good email copywriting isn’t just about clever subject lines or witty phrases; it’s about understanding your audience’s needs, desires and pain points. It’s about offering value and solutions that feel personal and relevant. When done right, good text can turn an average email into a powerful tool that drives engagement, builds trust and converts leads into customers.

While consumers love brand communication via email, it can also be a source of stress and frustration with a never-ending stream of promotional messages, updates and offers, making them feel overwhelmed. Email overload means important messages get missed, or worse yet, they become annoyed with the brands contributing to the clutter.

For marketers, this means thoughtful email copywriting is more important than ever. It’s not just about sending another message – it’s about writing content that respects your audience’s time and attention. That means using data to refine your message, testing different approaches and always putting the customer at the heart of your strategy.

The right approach to email copywriting can help you cut through the noise and reduce inbox stress, not add to it. This means using concise, clear language that gets to the point quickly and makes your value proposition obvious. Additionally, understanding the nuances of tone, personalization, and timing can turn a potentially frustrating email into a welcome communication.

By segmenting your audience and tailoring your message to their specific needs, you can create relevant and engaging emails rather than intrusive ones. For example, studies show that emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, demonstrating how a slight tweak in copy can make a big difference in engagement. 

In essence, effective email copywriting is about creating a positive experience for the recipient that cuts through the clutter, delivers value and ultimately turns email into a meaningful communication channel.

8 Email Copywriting Tips to Boost Your Emails

Spoiler alert: Only through consistent A/B testing can you truly identify which newsletter texts resonate best with your audience. While research, statistics, and success stories provide a theoretical framework, their real-world effectiveness for your business needs practical validation. Nevertheless, a few tried-and-true email copywriting tips can enhance your emails' performance right from the get-go.

1. Personalize your emails

72% of consumers state they will only interact with personalized messages. 

A great email is always tailored to your audience's concerns and needs. Email copywriters should think about who they're writing for. However, personalization is much more than just using a person’s name.

Copywriting emails that effectively achieve their marketing goals requires a clear image of the recipient. For example, suppose you are creating an email for subscribers interested in Christmas products who value quality and reviews. In that case, you can create an email with a checklist introducing your products from a person’s favorite categories and add customer reviews for them. This way, the subscriber will feel you are providing value and considering their interests, not just trying to sell directly. 

Statistics claim: Personalized emails contribute to 58% of total revenue.

You can segment your audience to create different newsletters that match customers’ interests and needs using these characteristics:

• Demographic information: Age, gender, income, education, occupation, etc.
• Psychographic information: Values, attitudes, beliefs, interests, hobbies, lifestyles.
• Pain points and challenges.
• Goals and aspirations.
• Buying habits.
• Decision-making process, etc.

How do you get that data? Ask your website visitors using subscription forms and surveys. With Claspo custom popup builder, you can easily create a widget on your website, add the required fields, and gather user data to personalize your campaigns further.

Importantly, Claspo integrates seamlessly with various data management services and email providers, allowing immediate use of collected information for segmentation and personalization.

2. Create a catchy subject line and preview text

47% of subscribers open an email based solely on the subject line.

You can craft the perfect email, but if the reader doesn't open it, it won't matter. That's why paying special attention to the subject line is crucial. 

Here are some tips for an effective subject line:

1. Keep it short and clear: Aim for 7 words. Emails with 7-word subject lines have the highest open rate. Ensure the subject line is no longer than 50 characters so it fully displays on mobile devices.

For example:

• Unlock Your Free Guide to Boost Sales
• Exclusive Offer: Get 50% Off Today
• Join Us: Limited Webinar Spots Available

2. Front-load important words: Place the most powerful and specific words at the beginning to grab attention immediately. They are action-oriented, benefit-driven, or attention-grabbing words. For example, “Save Big Today: Exclusive Deals Inside.”

3. Limit punctuation: Avoid using more than 3 punctuation marks. Excessive punctuation can make your email look like spam: “!!!Amazing Offer!!! Act Fast!!! Limited Time!!!”

4. Use emojis: A survey revealed that 73% of email marketers see a positive impact when using emojis in subject lines.

• 🎉 Big News! Exclusive Offer Just for You
• 🚀 Ready to Boost Your Sales? Let’s Go!
• 🍂 Fall Sale Alert: 50% Off All Items

5. Focus on benefits: Highlight what’s in it for the recipient. Subject lines that promise benefits, such as “Unlock Your VIP Access,” tend to perform better​.

6. Use numbers and lists: Subject lines with numbers, like “5 Proven Strategies,” can attract attention by promising specific, actionable content​:

• 5 Tips to Skyrocket Your Productivity
• 3 Secrets to Better Email Marketing
• 7 Must-Have Tools for Your Business

7. Create a sense of urgency: Subject lines that include urgent language, such as "limited time" or "act now," can increase open rates by 22%:

• Last Chance: 50% Off Ends Tonight! ⏳
• Hurry! Limited Spots Left for Our Webinar🚀
• Act Now: Exclusive Deal Expires in 24 Hours 🔥

This is also true for a preview text. It provides additional context to the subject line and appears below or next to it in the inbox.

Don’t overlook this text. It plays a crucial role in encouraging clients to open your email. 24% of subscribers read the preview text before deciding to open an email. Known as second subject lines, email preheaders can boost open rates by up to 7%.

Here are examples of catchy preview text for the mentioned subject lines:

1. Subject: Last Chance: 50% Off Ends Tonight! ⏳

Preview Text: Don’t miss out on this final opportunity to save big before it’s too late!

2. Subject: Hurry! Limited Spots Left for Our Webinar 🚀

Preview Text: Secure your seat and get insider tips from industry experts. Act fast — spots are filling up!

3. Subject: Act Now: Exclusive Deal Expires in 24 Hours 🔥

Preview Text: Your chance of getting this exclusive offer is slipping away. Claim your discount before the clock runs out!

Here’s how Dreamstime used urgency, numbers, and benefits in their subject line and preview text:

3. Eliminate objections

To captivate your audience and drive action, you need to eliminate objections. Anticipate potential concerns or objections your recipients might have and address them proactively in your email body.

Common objections to address include:

• Price Concerns: Is the product worth the cost?
• Product Quality: How can I be sure of its quality?
• Return Policy: What if I’m not satisfied?
• Shipping Costs/Delivery Time: Are there hidden fees or long wait times?
• Trust and Credibility: Can I trust your company?
• Customer Support: Will I receive help if needed?

For example, the email can mention convenient shipping options, the return process and money-back guarantees. Companies that effectively address objections in their sales process can boost their close rates by up to 20%.

Here's how Rael crafted a concise yet impactful email. What’s important, it's personalized. The customer viewed a product but didn’t complete the purchase. The company sent a reminder email about the product, added a few personalized recommendations, and included a clear call to action.

What’s important is that the email addressed potential objections right away by including information about free shipping, a subscription discount, text reminder options and a referral program. Everything is concise and clear.

4. Stick to the tone of voice

The tone of voice is the character of the brand expressed in words. This is what you say to your audience and how you say it. Persuasive copywriting for email marketing always begins with a detailed tone-of-voice study.

What is unique about the tone of voice?

• It helps establish an emotional connection with the buyer.
• It emphasizes the character of the brand and broadcasts its values.
• It stands out from the competition.
• It increases brand recognition.

A well-chosen tone of voice hits the target and works for you, attracting the core of CA and scaring away irrelevant audiences. Always take into account the specifics of your subscribers. For example, 68% of millennials enjoy seeing emojis, GIFs, and stickers in their emails, while only 37% of people over 65 feel the same.

Here is an example of an email with a vibrant tone of voice. Resy, a restaurant-reservation service, emphasized the concept of relationships in their letter, calling it 'reservationship.' The text is light and cheerful, reflecting the nature of relationships. Notably, the copywriter included the start date of the 'reservationship', memorable places and a call to action — ‘Make a resy.’

5. Use a clear CTA

A compelling CTA ensures that the effort you put into crafting a valuable email translates into actionable results. To create CTAs that can’t be ignored, consider the following best practices:

1. Stick to a single CTA: Multiple CTAs can overwhelm your reader. Instead, use one clear CTA in your email copy to maintain focus and clarity. Email newsletters with a single CTA can boost engagement by 371% and increase sales by 1616% (KeyStar). It’s about ensuring the CTA says ‘Buy’ if the email promises information about special offers rather than ‘Follow us on social media’ or ‘Fill out the survey.’

2. Use actionable language: A CTA should prompt action. Use action-oriented words like “explore,” “access” or “generate” to guide your readers toward the desired action. Using action words in CTAs can increase conversion rates by 121% (Medium). Here are examples:

• Unlock Your Offer Now
• Explore Deals Today
• Access Your Free Guide

3. Personalize and specify: Personalization can make your CTA more engaging. Personalized CTAs can increase conversions by 202%, according to Medium. Here are examples:

• Alex, Save 25% Now!
• Jordan, 15% Off Your Wishlist!
• Sarah, 20% Off Summer Styles!

4. Keep it concise: A concise CTA is easier to understand and more likely to be acted upon. Avoid lengthy instructions and get straight to the point. According to Medium, clear, concise CTAs can boost conversions by 161%. Do: “Save 20% Now!” Don’t: “Click here to get a special 20% discount on your purchase.”

Remember, your CTA should align with the promises made in your subject line and preview text. For example, Buoy promises a discount in the subject line “👾 Cyber Monday! 30% off subscriptions” and uses a CTA with actionable language “Save Now” instead of a generic one.

6. Ensure clear structure

Imagine a subscriber was intrigued by your email's subject line and decided to open it. If the content inside is unstructured, lacks a clear CTA, and fails to convey the email's purpose, the subscriber will likely close it immediately.

When creating your email text, keep the following in mind:

• Few people want to read canvases of text, so incorporating bullet points or numbered lists can improve the readability and organization of your email content.
• Using clear and compelling headings helps break up content and guide readers through the email.
• Keep the purpose of the letter to a reasonable length. An average marketing email contains 434 words and takes about 3.3 minutes to read, according to Snov.io.

This is how OFFFIELD attracts readers’ attention with the help of a clear structure:

There are no strict rules regarding how much text and images should be included in an email. It's the balance that counts. Email content should flow as a cohesive narrative rather than a collection of disjointed elements.

7. Use psychological techniques

To create an effective email, leverage your knowledge of customer psychology. For example, use FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and social proof.

FOMO

Create urgency by using countdown timers, limited stock alerts or last-chance emails. For example, introducing a limited-time offer can tap into the fear of missing out, prompting quicker decision-making. Statistics claim that FOMO marketing tactics can increase email open rates by 22% (Hubspot).

Here are examples of email subject lines that use the FOMO effect. You can take these templates and customize them to fit your brand:

• Last Chance! Only a Few Spots Left for Our Exclusive Webinar
• Hurry! Sale Ends Tonight — Don’t Miss Out on 50% Off
• Limited Edition Alert: Get Yours Before It's Gone
• Almost Gone! Shop Now Before Stock Runs Out
• Exclusive Offer: Claim Your Discount Before It's Too Late
• Flash Sale! Grab These Deals Before They're Gone Forever
• Don't Miss Out! VIP Access Ending Soon
• Final Call: Reserve Your Spot Today
• Act Fast! Limited-Time Offer Expires Soon
• Going, Going, Gone: Last Chance to Save Big

You can use the FOMO technique to personalize communication with subscribers during the contact collection stage. For example, with the Claspo popup builder, you can add a countdown timer to the widget to encourage site visitors to subscribe.

After that, set up an automatic email campaign with a special offer exclusively for those who subscribe through this form. This is easy to do, as Claspo integrates seamlessly with many popular email service providers.

Try this template

Another option is to display a popup with a countdown timer to visitors who came from a specific email campaign, reminding them of the offer. This can be set up using Claspo UTM targeting.

Try this template

Social proof

Build trust and credibility by showcasing customer testimonials, success stories, and influencer endorsements. People tend to follow the actions of others, and displaying positive experiences can encourage new customers to engage. 83% of consumers are more likely to purchase based on recommendations (Chatter Matters Word of Mouth Report).

Skillshare email with reviews

8. Test your emails

If you have numerous email ideas, implementing them all at once isn't practical. Testing can help determine which ideas resonate best with your audience and enhance your email copywriting by providing insights into what works and what doesn’t. Here are tips on how testing can help you create engaging emails:

1. Test subject lines: Variations in length, tone, and the inclusion of power words. This helps determine which subject lines grab attention and increase open rates.
2. Experiment with email copy: Create multiple versions of your email with different messaging strategies — test variations in storytelling, personalization and urgency. Analyze the performance of each version by monitoring metrics such as click-through rates and conversions. Use these insights to refine your copy further.
3. Optimize CTAs: Test emails with different CTAs. Determine which approach leads to higher engagement and conversions. Experiment with different action-oriented words in your CTAs to see which prompts the most clicks. For example, compare "Shop Now" versus "Discover More."
4. Check personalization: Test emails with personalized content versus generic messages. Assess how personalization affects engagement and conversion rates.

This iterative process of testing, learning and optimizing ensures that your email marketing copywriting efforts continually improve and deliver the best possible results.

To simplify the testing process, our team has developed a template outlining the key steps of an A/B test. This template can be used not only for email campaigns but also for evaluating the effectiveness of other marketing activities.

Get Your A/B Testing Template Now

Email Copywriting Examples for Inspiration

Let's explore examples of brands successfully using email copywriting tips to engage and convert subscribers.

Fatty 15

Fatty 15 brand built its entire email on the FOMO effect. They began by piquing the subscriber's interest right from the subject line: “Our Mystery Summer Sale is almost over.”

After opening the email, the subscriber's attention is immediately drawn to the attractive banner and the title. The email is concise, containing only the most important information: a reminder that this is the last chance to get a mysterious gift. The copy is well-organized, with clear headings and subheadings, making it easy to read and navigate.

It also clearly states the promotion's end date. The final touch is a prominent and brief CTA.

One Trick Pony

One Trick Pony added credibility to their promotional emails by incorporating customer feedback. Instead of merely praising their product, they showcased testimonials from satisfied customers. These real clients’ experiences serve as social proof, making the promotion more authentic and compelling.

Besides being well-structured, the email has a touch of humor — thanks to the playful tone of voice. Another key to a successful email is a clear, prominently placed CTA.

Huckberry

It's not just a promotional email — it's a gentle nudge about a product a subscriber loved. Maybe they got distracted and left it in the cart. Huckberry reminds the client that this coveted item won't be in stock forever.

This email is a great example of

• Personalization — the email reminds the customer of products they're interested in.
• Actionable language — the headline and CTA use words like “do,” “check” and “make.”
• A clear CTA — subscribers are encouraged twice to complete their purchase — first, to check if their selections are still available, and then to make them their own.
• FOMO — the email reminds the subscriber that the item won’t always be in stock.

How to Put These Email Copywriting Tips to Work?

Email marketing offers an impressive return on investment and remains one of the most cost-effective methods to reach your audience. However, for your emails to drive meaningful results, they need to pack a punch.

You've gained insights into crafting persuasive emails that deliver outcomes, but before you even send those emails, you need to build your subscriber list. 

One of the most effective ways to do this is by adding an email subscription popup to your website. This is easy using the Claspo popup builder. 

With Claspo’s subscription popups, you can expand your contact base with new subscribers, gather additional data for personalization and segmentation, and seamlessly transfer the data to your provider's platform to launch your email campaigns.

Moreover, you don't need design or coding skills to create an attractive popup. Simply select a template from the library, customize it in our drag-and-drop builder, and set detailed display conditions. 

To make your popup effective, ensure it’s visually appealing and doesn’t interrupt the user experience. Timing is also crucial — consider displaying the popup after a user has spent a few seconds on your site or is about to leave. 

When executed well, a popup can capture the attention of your visitors at just the right moment, turning casual browsers into engaged subscribers.

Once you’ve captured these leads, you can incorporate the copywriting strategies you've learned into your email campaigns. This combination will help you create powerful emails that serve your audience and drive significant growth for your bottom line.