The 7 Elements of High-Converting Email Copy
1. Subject Lines That Get Opened
Your subject line determines if your email gets opened. Average open rates: 15-25%. Great subject lines: 30-40%+.
Proven Subject Line Formulas:
Curiosity Gap
✓ "You're making this email marketing mistake"
✓ "The secret to 10X email ROI (it's not what you think)"
Urgency/Scarcity
✓ "Last chance: 50% off ends tonight"
✓ "Only 3 spots left for March cohort"
Personalization
✓ "[Name], your custom email strategy is ready"
✓ "For [Company] marketers: new automation guide"
Numbers/Lists
✓ "7 email templates that generated $2M in sales"
✓ "3 subject line tweaks = 40% more opens"
Questions
✓ "Are you making these email mistakes?"
✓ "What if you could double your email revenue?"
Avoid: ALL CAPS, excessive emojis (max 1-2), spam words (FREE, BUY NOW, LIMITED TIME), misleading clickbait
2. Compelling Preview Text
Preview text appears next to the subject line. Use it to expand on your subject line or create additional curiosity.
Example:
Subject: Your email list is dying (here's why)
Preview: 73% of subscribers become inactive within 6 months. Here's how to fix it...
3. Strong Opening Hook
First 1-2 sentences determine if readers continue. Hook them immediately with a bold statement, question, or story.
❌ Weak Opening:
"I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to share some information about our email marketing platform..."
✅ Strong Opening:
"Your competitors are stealing your customers while you sleep. Here's how to stop them with automated email sequences..."
4. Benefit-Focused Body Copy
Don't list features. Explain how those features improve the reader's life. Use the "So what?" test.
❌ Feature-Focused
"Our platform has advanced segmentation with 50+ data points and AI-powered send time optimization."
✅ Benefit-Focused
"Send the right message to the right person at the exact moment they're most likely to buy. Our customers see 3X higher conversion rates."
5. Social Proof & Credibility
Build trust with testimonials, case studies, statistics, and authority signals.
Examples:
- • "Join 50,000+ marketers who trust GetResponse"
- • "Sarah increased revenue by 312% in 90 days"
- • "Featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc."
- • "4.7/5 stars from 12,000+ reviews"
6. Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Tell readers exactly what to do next. Use action verbs, create urgency, make it visually prominent.
❌ Weak CTAs
• "Click here"
• "Learn more"
• "Submit"
✅ Strong CTAs
• "Get My Free Email Templates"
• "Start My 14-Day Free Trial"
• "Show Me How to 3X My Revenue"
7. PS (Postscript)
The PS is the second-most-read part of an email (after the subject line). Use it to reinforce urgency, add a bonus, or restate your CTA.
P.S. This 50% discount expires tonight at midnight. Don't miss out on $500 in savings.
Proven Email Copywriting Formulas
AIDA Formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)
Attention:
"Your email open rates just dropped 40%. Here's why..."
Interest:
"Apple's new privacy features are blocking email tracking. But there's a solution that actually works better..."
Desire:
"Imagine knowing exactly when each subscriber is most likely to open and click. Our AI does that automatically, boosting engagement by 3X..."
Action:
"Start your free 14-day trial now and see results in 48 hours."
PAS Formula (Problem, Agitate, Solution)
Problem:
"You're losing 80% of your email subscribers within 6 months."
Agitate:
"That's thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Every inactive subscriber costs you $42/year in missed opportunities..."
Solution:
"Our re-engagement automation brings back 30% of inactive subscribers automatically. Set it once, profit forever."
BAB Formula (Before, After, Bridge)
Before:
"You're spending 10 hours/week manually sending emails and getting mediocre results."
After:
"Imagine automated sequences running 24/7, generating sales while you sleep. 5X revenue, 90% less work."
Bridge:
"GetResponse automation makes this possible. Set up your first sequence in 15 minutes."
Psychology Tactics That Boost Conversions
1. Scarcity & Urgency
Limited time or quantity creates FOMO (fear of missing out).
✓ "Only 5 spots left"
✓ "Sale ends in 6 hours"
✓ "Last chance to save 50%"
2. Reciprocity
Give value first, ask for action second.
✓ "Here's a free template"
✓ "I made you a custom strategy"
✓ "Bonus: 3 extra resources"
3. Social Proof
People follow the crowd. Show popularity.
✓ "Join 50,000+ marketers"
✓ "Trusted by Fortune 500"
✓ "4.8/5 stars (2,000 reviews)"
4. Loss Aversion
People hate losing more than they love winning.
✓ "Don't lose $10K/year"
✓ "Stop leaving money on the table"
✓ "Your competitors are winning"
5. Curiosity Gap
Tease information to create desire to learn more.
✓ "The secret to..."
✓ "What nobody tells you about..."
✓ "The surprising truth..."
6. Authority
Credentials and expertise build trust.
✓ "As seen in Forbes"
✓ "15 years of experience"
✓ "Certified email expert"
Email Copywriting Best Practices
✅ Write Like You Talk
Use conversational language. Avoid corporate jargon. Read your email out loud—if it sounds robotic, rewrite it.
✅ Keep Paragraphs Short (2-3 sentences max)
Mobile users scan emails. Long paragraphs get skipped. Break up text with white space, bullets, and subheadings.
✅ Use "You" More Than "We"
Make it about the reader, not your company. "You'll save 10 hours/week" beats "We offer time-saving features."
✅ One Email = One Goal
Don't ask readers to do 5 things. Pick one CTA and focus everything on that action.
✅ Test Everything
A/B test subject lines, CTAs, email length, send times. Small improvements compound to massive gains.
Best Tools for Email Copywriting
GetResponse
GetResponse includes AI-powered email generators, A/B testing for subject lines and content, pre-built templates, and analytics to track what copy performs best.
Try GetResponse Free for 14 DaysGrammarly
Catch typos, improve clarity, check tone
Hemingway Editor
Simplify complex sentences, improve readability
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
Score and optimize subject lines
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should email copy be?
It depends on your goal. Promotional emails: 50-125 words. Educational emails: 200-500 words. Long-form sales emails: 500-1,000+ words. The key is value density—every sentence should serve a purpose. Test different lengths with your audience.
Should I use emojis in email copy?
Use 1-2 emojis max in subject lines (can increase opens by 10-15%). Avoid in B2B professional contexts. Never use in body copy unless your brand is very casual. Test with your audience—some love them, some hate them.
What's the best time to send marketing emails?
General best times: Tuesday-Thursday, 10am or 2pm in recipient's timezone. But this varies by audience. B2B: weekday mornings. E-commerce: evenings and weekends. Use your ESP's send time optimization (GetResponse has this) to automatically send when each subscriber is most likely to engage.
How do I write better CTAs?
Use action verbs (Get, Start, Claim, Download). Be specific about the benefit ("Get My Free Template" not "Click Here"). Create urgency when appropriate ("Start Your Free Trial Today"). Make it visually prominent with buttons. Test different copy—small changes can double click rates.
Should I personalize every email?
Yes, but smartly. Use first name in subject line and greeting (increases opens by 26%). Reference past behavior ("You viewed this product"). Segment by interests and send relevant content. Don't overdo it—"Hey [Name], I noticed you're in [City]" feels creepy. Personalization should feel natural, not robotic.
Ready to Write Emails That Convert?
GetResponse provides AI-powered copywriting tools, A/B testing, and templates to help you write better emails faster.
Start Your Free 14-Day TrialNo credit card required • Cancel anytime