Copywriting tips that actually move the needle

Subject lines

The subject line is the most important piece of copy in any email. It determines whether everything else gets read. A great email with a bad subject line gets ignored. A mediocre email with a great subject line gets opened — and once it's open, it has a chance.

The subject line's only job is to get the open. It doesn't need to sell. It doesn't need to explain the whole offer. It just needs to be compelling enough that someone taps or clicks.

What works

The best subject lines tend to do one of three things: create genuine curiosity, make a specific promise, or signal urgency around something real. The key word in each case is genuine and specific — vague curiosity baiting and fake urgency both erode trust over time.

Hooks

A hook is the first line of your email body — the sentence that determines whether someone reads on or closes the email after opening it. Most emails lose readers in the first two lines. The subject line got the open; the hook keeps the reader.

Strong hooks do one of the following: make a bold claim, open a story mid-scene, ask a question the reader needs answered, or state something surprising or counterintuitive. Weak hooks start with "I" or with brand-centric language nobody cares about yet.

Hook examples that work

Copywriting frameworks

Frameworks are structural templates that give your copy a proven shape. They don't replace creativity — they channel it. When you're staring at a blank page, a framework gives you somewhere to start. When you're editing, a framework tells you whether your copy is structurally sound.

Email body copy

Once someone opens your email, the body copy determines whether they click. Most email body copy fails at the same things: it starts with the brand instead of the reader, it tries to say too much, and it buries the CTA.

The fundamentals

Lead with the reader, not the brand. The first sentence of your email should be about the reader's world — their problem, their desire, their situation — not about your company or your product. You earn the right to talk about your product after you've made the reader feel understood.

One email, one message. Every email should have a single purpose. If you're running a sale, that's the email. If you're launching a product, that's the email. If you're sharing a tip, that's the email. Mixing messages dilutes all of them.

Write short. Short emails outperform long ones in almost every ecommerce context. If your email can't be read in 30 seconds, it's probably too long. Every sentence that doesn't earn its place is making the email worse.

Write like a human. The best email copy reads like it was written by a person, not a marketing department. Use plain language. Write in short sentences. Avoid jargon. If you wouldn't say it out loud to someone, don't write it in an email.

Calls to action

A CTA is the moment of truth in every email — it's where you ask the reader to do something. Most CTAs are weak because they're vague, generic, and give the reader no reason to click right now.

The best CTAs are specific about what happens next, create a reason to act now rather than later, and align precisely with the offer in the email. "Shop now" is weak. "Get 20% off — ends midnight" is strong. "Claim your free sample" is specific. "Learn more" is vague.

Use one CTA per email. Every additional CTA you add splits the reader's attention and reduces the probability of any action being taken. If you find yourself wanting multiple CTAs, that's usually a sign you're trying to do too much in one email.

Common copywriting mistakes

These are the mistakes that show up most frequently in ecommerce email copy — the ones that cost opens, clicks, and revenue every single day.

• Starting with "We" or the brand name

  Readers don't care about your brand until they care about themselves. Lead with their world, not yours.
• Vague subject lines

  "Big news inside" and "You don't want to miss this" tell the reader nothing. Specific subject lines consistently outperform vague ones.
• Multiple CTAs

  Every additional CTA reduces the chance of any CTA being clicked. One email, one ask.
• Fake urgency

  If you say "last chance" every week, it stops meaning anything. Urgency only works when it's real.
• Burying the offer

  The offer should be clear in the first two sentences or in the subject line. If someone has to scroll to find it, most people won't.
• Writing for yourself, not the reader

  Copy that sounds impressive to you is often the copy that connects least with readers. Write for the person you're sending to, not for your own aesthetic.

25 quick copywriting tips

• Write the subject line last

  Write the email first, then write the subject line based on what's actually in it. You'll write better subject lines every time.
• Use numbers in subject lines

  Specific numbers outperform vague claims. "3 subject line mistakes" beats "common subject line mistakes" almost every time.
• Test plain text vs designed emails

  Plain text emails often outperform designed templates for flows because they feel more personal and less like marketing.
• Lead with the benefit, not the feature

  Readers care about what something does for them, not what it is. "Save 3 hours a week" lands harder than "automated workflows."
• Use preview text strategically

  Preview text is a second subject line. Use it to extend the curiosity or urgency from the subject line, not to repeat it.
• Short paragraphs

  One to two sentences per paragraph in email. Long paragraphs get skipped. White space is your friend.
• Ask one question at a time

  Multiple questions in one email create decision paralysis. Ask one thing and make it easy to answer.
• Use "you" more than "we"

  Count the ratio of "you" to "we" in your copy. The best emails are heavy on "you." Most brand emails are heavy on "we."
• Specificity beats generality

  "Helped 847 brands increase email revenue by 34%" is more compelling than "helped hundreds of brands improve their results."
• Use social proof near the CTA

  A review, a customer count, or a result placed just before or after the CTA reduces friction at the moment of decision.
• Read your copy out loud

  Anything that sounds awkward when spoken will feel awkward when read. This catches more bad copy than any other editing technique.
• Eliminate adverbs

  "Really great" and "very important" are weaker than "great" and "important." Adverbs usually dilute the words they're modifying.
• Make the CTA a sentence, not a label

  "Get your 20% discount before midnight" is a sentence. "Shop now" is a label. Sentences convert better.
• Don't bury the lede

  The most important thing — the offer, the insight, the news — should be in the first two sentences or the subject line.
• Use the word "because"

  Giving a reason — any reason — increases compliance. "We're offering 20% off because it's our anniversary" outperforms "We're offering 20% off."
• A/B test one variable at a time

  Test subject lines, not subject lines and CTAs simultaneously. You can't know what caused the result if you change two things at once.
• Avoid marketing speak

  "Best-in-class," "cutting-edge," and "seamless experience" mean nothing. Replace every piece of jargon with plain language.
• Mirror your reader's language

  Use the exact words your customers use to describe their problem and your product. Read reviews. Mine support tickets. The best copy is written by customers, not marketers.
• Edit by subtraction

  First draft: write everything. Second draft: cut everything that doesn't earn its place. Most copy is 30% longer than it needs to be.
• Use open loops

  Start a story or make a claim at the top of the email that you don't resolve until later. Readers stay engaged to close the loop.
• Make it easy to say yes

  Every word that creates hesitation is costing you conversions. Remove risk, reduce friction, and make the next step obvious.
• Write to one person

  Email is a one-to-one medium even when you're sending to 100,000 people. Write as if you're writing to a single specific person. The copy will be better every time.
• Study what you buy from

  The emails that made you click and buy are better copy lessons than any textbook. Save them, reverse engineer them, understand why they worked.
• Rewrite your first sentence ten times

  The hook is worth more attention than any other single line. Write ten versions of your opening sentence and pick the best one.
• Ship and learn

  The best copywriters are the ones who send the most. No amount of studying substitutes for writing, sending, and reading the results.

Frequently asked questions