Email copywriting: how to write copy people actually read

Email copywriting is writing email copy so that people open it, read it to the end and click. What decides this is less the product and more how well you know the recipient. Write in their language, spark curiosity with the subject line and headline, describe what they will get out of the email, split the copy into short blocks and finish with one clear call to action. Anyone can write, but only those who think of the reader before themselves can hold attention.

Key takeaways

1. Describe the same product to each group in different words: quark to athletes as a source of protein, to mums as a snack ready in five minutes.
2. The subject line and headline decide whether the reader carries on. Promise something in them that the reader cares about.
3. Instead of the product's features, describe a situation in which it helps the reader.
4. Readers spend an average of 9 seconds on an email (Litmus, 2022), so they only scan the copy. Short blocks and subheadings keep the reader going.
5. One email, one main call to action. The link should say what happens after the click.
6. The click-through rate and an A/B test show whether the copy works.

In short: what email copywriting is, what matters and where to start

• What it is: writing the subject line, headline, copy and call to action so that people open the email, read it to the end and click.
• What matters: how well you know the recipient. Their words, their problems and what they are looking for.
• Where to start: with a short survey among your customers that gives you their own words.
• The most common mistake: a newsletter written "about us, for us" that describes the company instead of the benefit for the reader.

What has changed since publication: The article was first published in Czech in March 2016. In October 2026 we rewrote it, added copy structure, the call to action, personalization, measurement and sample emails, and published it in English for the first time. The original examples with quark, a dance course and glasses have stayed.

What is email copywriting

Email copywriting (also called email copy) is writing email copy with a clear goal: that the recipient opens it, reads it to the end and does what you ask them to do. It covers the subject line and preheader (a short text shown in the inbox right after the subject line), the opening headline, the body copy and the call to action.

Everyone perceives words a little differently. Over a lifetime we build up a huge vocabulary from childhood, school, work and films. The primary meaning of words stays the same, but each of us links them to different situations. This is worth remembering especially in written copy. Once it is written, it is out there.

You have very little time to win attention. According to Litmus, in 2022 readers spent an average of 9 seconds on a single email. In that time they silently answer five questions:

Source: Quanda online course Email Copywriting and Design That Gets Read. Reading time: Litmus, Trends in Email Engagement.

If you hesitate over any of the questions after finishing an email, you know exactly which part to rewrite. The steps below go through six principles that help you answer them.

1. Speak your target audience's language

First decide who you are writing to, then choose the words that this group uses itself. The best way to get to know your target audience is to ask them. A short survey among your customers gives you their own words for their problem. How to prepare such a survey is described in the article 6 steps how to create a survey.

Let us show it on ordinary quark (tvaroh), the fresh curd cheese. For athletes, you highlight its nutritional value, the protein that helps build muscle, and use the words they search for themselves: nutrition, sport, healthy lifestyle. For mums with small children, on the other hand, you describe it as a cheap and healthy snack that kids love and that takes little time.

2. Spark curiosity with the subject line and headline

The subject line and headline are the first things the reader sees, so they must promise something the reader cares about. When you pick the right words and form, you have a much better chance that the email sparks curiosity. Compare two subject lines:

• "Visit our dance course"
• "Come along, let's dance!"

Which one caught your attention more? The first makes a matter of fact announcement, the second promises an experience.

But watch out for who is writing. In the inbox, people look at the sender first. In a 2017 Quanda survey of 311 respondents, 56% of people looked first at who was writing to them, 30% at the subject line and 14% at the preheader. So use a sender name your recipients know.

After opening, the eyes stop first on the image and then on the headline. Connect the headline to a familiar problem or a situation the recipient experiences regularly. How to write a subject line people open is covered in the article How to write an email subject line people actually open, and the preheader in the article Email preheader: 9 tips for writing preview text.

3. Describe benefits, not features

Do not just describe the product's features, let readers picture themselves in a situation where the product helps them. You do not have to send jokes. It is enough to write originally, playfully and with the intention of making the recipient's day better. There is a difference, after all, between:

• "Our glasses will suit you."
• "Your glasses don't have to be rose tinted for the world to look beautiful."

The most common newsletter mistake is the "about us, for us" style. The company describes itself, its features and its news, while the reader wants to know what's in it for them. Before you send an email, try answering the question "So what does the reader get out of this?" for every paragraph.

Do not be afraid of a personal tone. From our experience, emails with a real person, a personal experience or a story behind them earn trust faster than a perfectly polished corporate message. But always adapt the tone to your audience. You would not write "Hey, fancy a trip at a cool price?" to the clients of a travel agency for seniors.

Tip: Addressing people by name no longer impresses anyone, but a wrong greeting does harm. A subject line like "Special offers tailored for you Peter" is more likely to raise a laugh. In Quanda you prepare the greeting with an automation in Contacts, ideally right at import (in languages such as Czech, Slovak or Polish, including the correct grammatical case). How to insert it into an email is described in the help article Personalization in campaigns.

4. Write copy that can be scanned

Readers do not read on screen word by word, they scan. They notice headlines, images, buttons and links, and only then perhaps start reading. A wall of text is therefore the quickest way to the bin.

Split the content into short blocks, use subheadings and leave white space around the elements. Information is easier to absorb from well structured copy. More than the overall length, what matters is the ratio of text to images: text should prevail. Spam filters such as SpamAssassin are also stricter with emails that have a large image area and little text. If your message needs more text, it belongs on a landing page. In the email keep a headline, a short intro and a prominent link to the place where the reader can learn more.

5. Give one clear call to action

Every email should have one main call to action that says what happens after the click. A call to action (CTA) is a link or button that leads the reader to one specific step, such as signing up, buying or reading an article.

• Do not write just "here". Instead of "Learn more about the product HERE", make the link out of the whole phrase "Find out more about this product". A longer link is easier to see and tells readers what to expect.
• Make the button stand out. A contrasting colour, a decent size and white space around it.
• Test both the button and the link. Sometimes a text link gets more clicks, sometimes a button does. The result varies from audience to audience.
• Connect it to the landing page. The email and the page after the click should work like a mirror: the same headline, the same images, the same colours. Then the reader will not hesitate for a second about being in the right place.

6. Write regularly and in the same spirit

When your emails are useful over the long term, recipients will open them simply because they come from you. They know your emails do not bother them but brighten their day or bring them interesting information. That makes for satisfied customers, and a satisfied customer is the best advertising.

It may seem that you have to think about a lot of things when writing. But once you have tried it a few times, you will think about these principles automatically. How to plan what to send and how often is described in the article How to create a newsletter: 3 keys to success.

How to check that your email copy works

The click-through rate is the share of recipients who clicked a link in the email. It is the best measure of your copy. A high open rate with a low click-through rate means the subject line worked and the content did not. The average click-through rate across industries is 2.1 to 2.6% (Mailchimp, MailerLite). What affects it and how it differs by industry is covered in the article Email click-through rate: 8 mistakes that lower it.

The most reliable way to find out which version of the copy people read more is an A/B test. In Quanda you send two versions of the email to part of your contacts, and the rest then receive the winning version. Quanda can pick the winner based on opens or on clicks. You can test the subject line, the headline, the length of the copy and the form of the call to action. A/B testing is available from the Professional plan and you send the test to at least 11 contacts.

Tip: Artificial intelligence can also draft the copy. But always read the final version as the recipient would: does it speak your target audience's language, does it only promise what the email delivers and does it sound like you? Send yourself a test email and read it on your phone.

Checklist: email copy before sending

Before you send the email, go through these eight points.

• I know who I am writing to and I use the words this group uses itself.
• The sender is a name the recipients know.
• The subject line and headline promise something the reader cares about.
• The copy describes the benefit for the reader, not just the product's features.
• The copy is split into short blocks with subheadings.
• The email has one main call to action and the link says what happens after the click.
• The greeting is in the correct form and the tone suits the audience.
• I have sent myself a test email and read it as a recipient.

Conclusion

Anyone can write, but only those who think of the reader can hold attention. Follow the principles, but also your own instinct. Then every piece of copy you write will be an original, and that is what it is all about.

You can go through the whole topic in depth in the free online course Email Copywriting and Design That Gets Read. And if you would like us to look at your emails together with you, get in touch.