How to write emails your audience can't wait to open

You know that feeling when your email performance dashboard looks like a crime scene?

Open rate: tanked. Click rate: MIA. Unsubscribes: thriving. Yeah… it’s giving “left on read.” If your email list is drier than your dating roster, don’t worry, it’s not you. But it is the way you’re showing up. Because let’s be honest: most marketing emails read like corporate ghosters. Cold, forgettable, and completely void of vibe.

The fix is simple. You need to write emails that flirt back. So let’s, for hypothetical purposes, look at email as basically a dating app. Every email you send is you shooting your shot. Your subject line is your opener. Your preview text, the cheeky follow-up. And if you want someone to actually click, you need to make them feel something.

Not desperate. Not needy. Not “per my last email.” Please ENOUGH.  Intrigued. Delighted. Seen. Horny for your brand (emotionally speaking… mostly).

So, let's talk about how to stop writing dry emails:

1. Subject line: Give them butterflies (or a red flag they can’t resist)

No more “June Newsletter” energy. Your subject line is the spark!! Be clever, curious, or even downright chaotic. It’s your email, after all. Examples:

• “You up? 👀”

• “We need to talk…”

• “Click if you hate bad emails”

• “Open this for a good time (or at least a discount)”

2. Preview text: Don’t waste it.

This is your second chance to hook them. Treat it like a wink, not an afterthought. Bad: “View in browser.” Good: “I wrote this 5 coffees deep. You’re welcome.”

3. First line: Cut the small talk.

Nobody wants a “Hey there, chick!” from a brand. Start with a bang, a bold statement, or a question that actually gets a pulse going.

4. Body copy: Write like you’re texting your funniest friend.

Drop the jargon. Be weird, be warm, be you. Your email should read like a personality, not a press release. Bonus points for cultural references, inside jokes, or memes. Basically, the opposite of “just checking in.”

5. CTA: Make it irresistible.

Instead of “Read more,” try:

• “Spill the tea”

• “I need to see this”

• “Let’s make it official”

• “Take me there, daddy” (okay, maybe A/B test that one)

Flirtation = invitation. You’re not begging them to click. You’re making them want to.

Ok, now for a few red flags. The things killing your email vibe:

• Five conflicting CTAs = commitment issues

• No formatting = snoozefest

• Robotic tone = ick

• Sending too often = stage 5 clinger

• Not sending enough = playing too hard to get

So, what now?

Start treating your email list like the situationship it is. Tease a little. Reveal slowly. Surprise them. Make them laugh. Make them curious. Above all, make them feel like it was worth clicking.

The truth is, no one wants another freaking newsletter. They want a little fun in their inbox. A little wink. A little “oh okay, pop off.” Give them a reason to click, and a reason to stay.

-Sophie Randell, Writer