Email has consistently been among the most effective marketing channels.
But the outcome of your email campaigns relies heavily on one crucial element: your email copy.
From subject lines to calls to action, well-crafted email copy has the power to captivate your audience, drive engagement, and ultimately convert readers into customers.
This article will delve into email copywriting and explore inspiring examples that can transform your emails from “meh” to memorable.
What is email copywriting?
Email copywriting is the fusion of creativity and strategy, intricately woven to leave a lasting imprint on your recipients.
It goes beyond simply conveying information; it aims to ignite curiosity, evoke emotions, inspire action, and build strong connections with your audience.
Effective email copywriting can make a significant difference in the success of your marketing efforts, driving higher open rates and click-through rates, and ultimately boosting conversions.
Here are some interesting email marketing stats that prove email copy plays a significant role in:
- Deciding open rates
- Driving click-through rates and engagement
- Impacting conversion rates and revenue generation
- Fostering strong customer relationships and driving customer retention
- Establishing a positive brand perception and building trust with subscribers
We’ll touch upon more specific data in respective elements of email copywriting.
Before we explore email copywriting examples, let’s get familiar with what makes a memorable email copy.
Elements of memorable email copy
Email copywriting goes beyond words to craft an email that stands out.
You need to pay attention to each of its key elements to achieve the desired outcome.
What are these?
1. Attention-grabbing subject lines
According to Campaign Monitor, 47% of email recipients open the email based on the subject line alone.
The subject line is the most crucial element, as everything starts from here. It’s like a doorway to your message.
Unless this door doesn’t appeal to your recipient or they don’t care to step inside, the story ends right away.
So, how do you compel the reader to pause and take notice?
- Craft subject lines that pique curiosity, create urgency, or promise value.
- Make it resonate with the recipient and align with the content inside or the email’s purpose.
- Add personalization and relevancy to grab the reader’s attention. Personalized email subject lines are 22% more likely to be opened.
- Keep it short and crisp. 6-10 words in a subject line see 21% open rates, 0-5 words 15% open rates, and 11-14 words 14%.
- Use emojis🧐. Experian reports using emojis in the subject line boosts open rates by 56%.
2. Compelling opening lines and hooks
Once your reader is in, the real game starts – to compel them to keep reading.
A strong opening line helps set the tone, capture attention, and entice the reader to continue reading.
Here are some ways to craft a powerful opening line:
- Start with something that immediately resonates with the reader.
- Pose a question that piques curiosity and prompts the reader to think.
- Spark curiosity by hinting at something valuable or exciting, leaving them eager to explore further.
- Address their pain points or offer solutions that resonate with their situation.
- Share an interesting fact or statistic related to the email’s topic.
- Tailor the message to the recipient using personalization. Use their name or reference specific details that show you understand them or care about them. Segmented email campaigns see a 50% increase in CTR.
- Use words or phrases that create a sense of urgency or exclusivity.
- Keep the focus on the recipient. Use “you” and “your” language to make the email feel personal.
3. Clear and concise messaging
Clear and concise messaging is one of the most vital pillars of effective copywriting.
According to Campaign Monitor, the ideal length for email copy is 50-125 words, resulting in over 50% response rates.
However, a clear and concise email goes beyond the word count. It also delivers value and meets expectations that help build trust and credibility.
Here’s how to ensure your message is clear, concise, and effective:
- Keep your copy to the point, avoiding unnecessary fluff.
- Clearly communicate the purpose of your email and the value it offers.
- Use straightforward language that your recipients can easily comprehend.
- Avoid jargon, technical terms, or unnecessary complexity that might confuse or alienate your audience.
- Break down your message into short, digestible sentences. Use headings, bullet points, or numbered lists to break down complex information.
- Highlight the benefits or value that your message offers to the recipient. Communicate how your message will address their needs, solve their problems, or provide valuable insights.
- Trim any unnecessary details or tangents that don’t contribute directly to your main message.
4. Persuasive calls to action
From a business perspective, a call to action is a super-vital component of an email.
The ultimate goal of many email campaigns is to convert recipients into customers or leads.
A persuasive and compelling CTA significantly increases the chances of conversion by guiding recipients toward the desired conversion point.
Unless you guide recipients to take the desired action, they may not act at all.
Here’s how your copywriting can encourage action:
- Use a strong action verb that precisely conveys the desired action.
- Incorporate urgency into your CTA to create a fear of missing out. Use words like “limited time,” “exclusive offer,” or “act now” to emphasize the need for immediate action.
- Stick to a single CTA to reduce clutter. Such emails get 371% more clicks, as per Campaign Monitor.
- Clearly communicate the benefits or value that your audience will gain by following the CTA.
- Make your CTA concise and easy to understand. Use short, clear sentences or phrases that leave no room for confusion.
- Make it visually stand out. Use design elements such as bold fonts, contrasting colors, or buttons. According to Campaign Monitor, button-based CTAs improve click-through rates by 127%.
- Incorporate trust signals into your CTA to alleviate any concerns or doubts your audience may have.
- Ensure your CTA aligns with your content’s overall message and tone.
5. Eye-catching visuals
As the web is going increasingly visual, emails are not left behind. 68% of millennials enjoy seeing emojis, GIFs, and stickers in their emails.
Visuals can not only make your emails appealing but also help enhance the impact of your copy.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Choose visuals relevant to your email content and resonate with your audience.
- Keep it simple and uncluttered. Avoid overcrowding your email with too many visuals.
- Ensure that the visuals you choose support the overall narrative of your email and provide value to your recipients.
- Consider using videos or animated GIFs to add dynamic and engaging elements to your emails.
- Include descriptive alt text for your images to provide context for recipients who may have images disabled in their email client or are visually impaired.
- Optimize visual elements for quick loading.
- While visuals are essential, don’t neglect the importance of compelling copy.
6. Other complementary elements
Apart from the above key elements we discussed, here are a few more components that help elevate an email copy.
The first one is segmentation. Segmenting email lists and tailoring the copy to specific audience segments show a 50% higher CTR.
The next is mobile optimization. Not only do over 81% of users check emails on phones, but over 42% of email recipients delete non-mobile optimized emails.
Thus, optimizing email copy for mobile becomes crucial.
Last but not least is the preheader text. Placed right next to the subject lines, preheaders are often an overlooked part.
However, it holds an incredible opportunity to grab attention and compel recipients to open the email. You can leverage preheaders to give a preview of the email, build curiosity, or add context.
Time to skip to the good part with email copywriting examples.
6 Memorable email copywriting examples
Now, let’s dive into practical demonstrations of how these components come together to create exceptional email copy.
Here are some emails I found memorable.
1. Dropbox’s summer email
The first in my list of amazing email copywriting examples is this email I received from Dropbox last year.
Dropbox is a file hosting service that lets you store your files in a personal cloud. It sent an email highlighting its utility in storing photos.
Look at this subject line. It made me curious, and the preheader text gave me context for what the email was about.
Together, both made me open the email and see what they’re offering.
As you open this email, the opening line delights you.
Connecting the summer season desires and a relatable situation, the copy addresses a common problem – losing your precious clicks due to a lack of storage.
The copy beneath further builds a connection with more pain points and solutions. Finally, it not only gives a clear call to action but guides the recipient on how to do it.
The GIF below demos the same, leaving no room for doubts.
The next part of the email provides more value by highlighting the steps to organize photos and how easy they are.
Notice how clear and concise the copy is.
2. Wordtune’s miss you email
Wordtune is a fantastic AI writing tool that I didn’t use in a while. I received this email from them, which made me start using it again.
Isn’t it an excellent example of what an email copy should be able to do?
Though quite simple, the subject line felt personal – the reason why I opened the email. Once I opened it, I was in for a treat.
The image not only immediately catches your attention, but it’s also super creative and impactful in conveying the utility of Wordtune. At the same time, it is endearing.
Moving to the email body, it is a great example of simple and succinct. It highlights the value while speaking to the audience in their language.
Further, it addresses the possibility of forgetting how to use the tool. And gives the solution in a witty manner.
CTA is as simple as it can be yet encouraging and personal.
The best part of this email copywriting example is how powerful it is in injecting the brand’s personality and its voice and tone. Also, how the focus is always on the audience.
3. Notion’s AI access announcement email
Next in my list of memorable email copywriting examples is this email announcing Notion AI access.
Notion, the productivity and note-taking application, recently hopped on the AI bandwagon. In the sea of new AI tools, justifying its value can be challenging – but not with this email.
The subject does a great job of evoking curiosity and exclusivity. It made me feel like I was getting access to something new and exciting.
As you open the email, the image catches your attention and immediately establishes value with the three bullets.
The email body is a powerful example of impactful brevity. In a few words, it justifies the value of AI within Notion and tells you all you do and achieve using Notion’s AI capabilities.
Lastly, the CTA is clear and simple, yet the perfect copy to quell the curiosity built so far.
4. Adobe Acrobat Reader’s mobile app email
This email by Acrobat Reader is another excellent email copywriting example.
Acrobat Reader is a popular PDF reading software. This email asking to download the mobile app exudes much copywriting wisdom.
The subject line paints a pleasant picture, sure to resonate with someone wishing for a workation. That would be a lot of us.
The preheader text works fantastic with the subject to give the context of what’s inside.
Then, the opening line and byline strike the right chord by addressing the problem, presenting a solution, and showing the value.
The next part of the email highlights the features and benefits of using the app in simple and easy-to-understand words.
Lastly, the CTA button text is simple yet compelling, leveraging the rest of the copy.
The best part of the email is its conciseness, text organization, formatting, and powerful imagery.
5. National Geographic’s pop quiz email
I opted for the Nat Geo newsletter but haven’t been a subscriber to their gated content. They send these kinds of emails, pushing to become a subscriber.
Who doesn’t like to test their knowledge with fun quizzes?
I sure do. The subject line strikes the right chord, making me open the email.
As you get in, the opening line clearly tells you what’s in it for you.
You decide to take it, and regardless of the answer, you’re compelled to learn more about it, which the link below the Yes and No buttons addresses.
Ignore the typo “note.” Once in a while, it can happen to anyone.
The next part gives information on their latest content. Read its description. Doesn’t it sound interesting?
Since the email is to turn you into a subscriber, the last part highlights the benefits of it. Short and sweet.
While the email has a lot going on with multiple CTAs, each serves the common purpose of compelling you to explore the gated content.
Another great thing about this email is how it’s been organized to avoid the overwhelm yet stay visually appealing.
6. Zomato’s Mother’s Day email
If you’re an Indian and a copywriter, you know how strong Zomato’s copywriting game is.
For the unversed, Zomato is an Indian food delivery app that is known to strike the right chords with its audience through its creativity and copywriting.
Zomato sent this email on Mother’s Day, and it is nothing short of a delight.
The subject line sparks a lot of curiosity. Which clue? What’s it for?
As you open the email, you see a very relatable opening life. Moreover, it’s engaging and fun, making you scroll down and scan the image.
Then you stumble upon the clue “room saaf karo yehi gift hai.” It translates to “clean the room; that’s the gift.” How witty!
The story ends with them asking you to wish your mom. The CTA is highly relevant to the occasion, taking you to the app to order something for your mom.
All the good things aside, this email is a powerful example of relevance, personalization, and resonating with the audience.
Wrapping it up
Emails are a marketing powerhouse; your email copy can make or break it.
By embracing the key elements of powerful email copywriting, you can transform your emails from average to extraordinary.
The email copywriting examples we explored are just a few gems in the mine of many. I hope these help you set off in the right direction.
Remember, copywriting is an ongoing journey of learning and refinement.
Continuously seek inspiration, test different strategies, and listen to your audience to evolve your email copy.
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