Email copywriting can feel like a tightrope walk. You want to grab attention, build a bond, and prompt action—all within a few lines of text. It’s easy to slip, and there are some common mistakes that can send your email straight to the trash bin (or worse, the spam folder). But, it’s not all doom and gloom. You can refine your emails, boost engagement, and see better results. Let’s dive into the common pitfalls in email copywriting and learn how to sidestep them.
Ignoring the “Why” Behind Your Email
Before you write a single word, ask yourself: why are you sending this email? What do you hope to achieve? Is it to welcome a new subscriber, announce a sale, or share a new blog post? Every email must have a clear goal. If you do not know the purpose of your email, your reader sure won’t.
The message in your email should be a logical step toward your goal. If you want sign-ups for a free trial, every part of your email should lead to that sign-up page. If it is to simply keep your audience engaged and provide value, then be sure your email does not come off as salesy.
Think of each email as a part of a larger story. Each message must have a role. When each part contributes to a bigger goal, the whole campaign becomes stronger. Avoid sending emails just for the sake of it. Each message should bring something useful to the reader, and move your goal forward.
Forgetting Your Audience
It’s easy to get caught up in your own product or service. But, email copywriting is about the reader. Always keep them at the center of your writing. Before you begin, ask yourself a few questions:
- Who are they?
- What are their needs?
- What are their concerns?
- What will resonate with them?
By understanding your audience, you can write with them in mind. If you send emails that do not address their needs, they’ll tune out or unsubscribe.
Tailor your language to suit their profile. Are they technical experts, or people new to your field? Use words and terms they grasp. Use examples they can relate to. Don’t use jargon they’ve never heard of. Be sure you provide content they find helpful.
Show them you “get” them. When they feel seen, they’re more likely to listen to what you have to say.
Weak Subject Lines
Subject lines are the gatekeepers of your emails. They are what the reader sees first. If they are not compelling, your email will be ignored, no matter how great the content is. A dull or vague subject line will doom your email from the get-go.
Think of your subject line as a mini-headline. It must be short, attention-grabbing, and tell the reader what to expect inside. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Be Clear: Make sure the subject line conveys the topic of the email, or a relevant point from it.
- Be Concise: Aim for a subject line that can be fully viewed on a phone screen. Short subject lines get more opens.
- Create Urgency: Use action words and phrases to create a feeling that they should open the email now.
- Ask a Question: A relevant question that intrigues your reader makes them more likely to open your email.
- Use Numbers: Numbers in subject lines can help your message stand out in an inbox of emails.
- Personalize: Use the reader’s name, or a detail about them, to make your subject line relevant to them.
Test different subject lines to see which ones work best with your audience. A good subject line will make or break your email campaign.
Writing a Boring Opening
You’ve hooked your reader with the subject line; do not let the opening kill the momentum. Your first few sentences need to be as engaging as the subject line, if not more. This is your best chance to make a solid impression. Do not waste it with filler text and dull phrasing.
Begin with a powerful line that directly speaks to your reader. You can ask a question that makes them think, state a shocking fact, or share a unique insight. The goal is to pull them deeper into your email, so they want to read on.
Steer clear from vague starts like, “We hope this email finds you well.” Jump straight into the core of your message. Your reader is short on time and does not want to read filler text. Be direct. Be clear. Be sharp.
Long, Dense Paragraphs
No one enjoys wading through blocks of text. Long, dense paragraphs make your message seem hard to read. People scan emails. They do not read each word. If your paragraphs are like walls, your reader is sure to give up and delete the email.
Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Aim for three to four sentences per paragraph at most. Use line breaks to give your reader’s eyes a rest. Break up long walls of text into smaller parts, to make your email look light and easy to read.
Use bullets, numbers, and lists to organize info. This makes your email easy to read and digest. A skimmable email will always be much more effective than a heavy, text-filled one.
Lack of a Clear Call to Action
The call to action (CTA) is the most crucial part of your email. It tells your readers what you want them to do next. Without a strong CTA, your email is like a boat without a rudder. It’s going nowhere.
Make your CTA clear, concise, and compelling. Use action-oriented language like “Shop Now,” “Sign Up Today,” or “Learn More.” Your reader must not have to guess what to do next.
Make your CTA easy to find. Use buttons or clear links. Position the CTA so that it grabs their attention. You should put it where they expect to see it.
Every email should have one main call to action, and other secondary CTAs that help your reader further. Do not clutter your emails with too many calls to action. This can confuse the reader and lessen the impact of your email.
Ignoring Mobile Users
Most people check their emails on their phones. If your emails are not optimized for mobile, you will miss out on many of your readers. An email that looks great on a desktop may be a mess on a mobile screen.
Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly. Use a responsive design, where the layout adjusts to fit any screen size. Use large, easy-to-click buttons, so mobile users can interact with your emails with ease.
Always test how your emails look on various devices. This ensures all readers have a smooth experience. If they can’t interact with your emails, they sure won’t engage with your brand.
Writing Like a Robot
People want to engage with people, not robots. If your emails feel stiff or too formal, they’ll not resonate with your audience. Your goal should be to build relationships, not just make a sale.
Write as if you are talking to a friend. Use warm, conversational language. Do not use too much jargon, or overly formal terms. Be clear and down to earth.
Use “you” to connect with the reader. Let them know that the email is meant for them. Show that you care about their needs and their concerns. Your tone should be friendly, helpful, and positive.
Being Too Salesy
No one enjoys being sold to. If your emails are always about selling, your reader will see them as nothing more than ads. They will quickly tune out, and unsubscribe.
Focus on giving value before you try to sell. Share useful tips, new information, and relevant content that helps your readers. Engage them in a helpful way.
When you do make a sales pitch, do not be too pushy. Focus on the benefits of your offer, not just the features. Be authentic. Make your sales pitch relevant to their needs and desires. Build a bond with your audience.
Using Generic Language
Generic language is the killer of engagement. Terms like “best,” “great,” and “amazing” are used too often, and lack power. They do not tell you anything new or help you relate with the text.
Use specific, descriptive language that paints a picture. Show, do not just tell. Rather than saying “our software is great”, say “our software cuts down task time by 25%”. Instead of saying “our new product is amazing”, say “our new product has 10x battery life compared to our last model.”
Use numbers, data, and customer testimonials to add heft to your claims. Show proof of your points. This will help you gain more trust. The more specific you are, the more your readers will believe in your message.
Overlooking Personalization
Personalization goes beyond using the reader’s name. It’s about using what you know about them to create relevant and unique messages. Generic emails will never connect with your audience as well as those tailored to them.
Use the data you have to segment your email lists. Send emails based on your reader’s past actions, what they’ve bought before, or how they’ve interacted with your content.
Show them that you know their needs. If someone has been reading your blog posts about SEO, then they may find email content about SEO tools to be helpful. Use personalization to provide more value to your reader.
Ignoring the Preheader
The preheader is the text that follows the subject line in an inbox preview. It’s like a second subject line, so do not waste it.
Use the preheader to add more context, or make your subject line more enticing. You can use it to extend your message, or add an extra hook that draws people in.
Do not leave it blank, or let it get filled with generic text. A smart preheader can boost your open rates. Use it to your advantage.
Bad Formatting
Bad formatting can make your emails hard to read, and make the whole email seem messy and hard to digest. If your emails are not visually appealing, then people are less likely to read them.
Use a clear and simple layout that is easy to follow. Use proper font types, sizes, and colors that match your brand. Make good use of white space to keep your email clean and well-spaced.
Use bold text or subheadings to highlight key points and make your emails easier to scan. The formatting of your emails can impact how people see your brand. Good formatting can keep your emails readable and enjoyable.
Not Proofreading
Errors in your email content can ruin your credibility. A spelling or grammar mistake can come off as sloppy and unprofessional. No matter how great the message, you must always proofread.
Check every email before you send it out. Use grammar and spell check tools to catch obvious errors. Have a colleague do a final review.
A well-polished email shows that you care about details. It helps you build trust with your audience. Mistakes can hurt your image and damage your connection with your readers.
Not Testing
You would not launch a new car without a test drive. The same idea applies to email. If you don’t test your emails, you may end up with broken links, errors in text, and more.
Test your emails on different email clients and devices. Make sure all links are working. Double-check that your formatting is on point. A simple test can catch errors before they hit your reader’s inbox.
Do not trust that everything will work as it should. Always test before you send. You can save time, and a lot of embarrassment. It also protects your brand’s reputation.
Ignoring Data and Analytics
Email marketing is a science. You must study your results. If you are not tracking how well your emails do, you will not know how to improve.
Pay attention to your email open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. See which emails perform well. Figure out what worked, and what didn’t. Use this data to fine-tune your strategy.
A/B test your subject lines, calls to action, and email content to discover what resonates most with your audience. Data-backed decisions always outperform gut feelings. Do not ignore the info right before your eyes.
Inconsistent Branding
Your emails are an extension of your brand. If your brand identity is not clear in your emails, then your emails do not feel like they belong to your brand. Inconsistent branding makes your emails look less legit, and damages trust.
Use the same colors, fonts, tone of voice, and logos in your emails as you do on your website, and other marketing channels. The look and feel of your emails should match your other marketing materials.
Make sure your emails look as if they came from you. Do not stray from your brand’s style. Consistency helps build brand recognition and trust.
Sending Too Many Emails
Email fatigue is real. If you send too many emails, your readers will become annoyed and may unsubscribe. The goal is to keep your readers engaged, not to bug them.
Find the sweet spot. Send emails that are not too frequent, but still keep you top-of-mind. It’s best to send a few great emails, than many not-so-great ones. Let your readers know how often to expect messages from you, so that they’re not caught off-guard.
Give them the option to choose how often they hear from you, and what topics they want to receive emails about. This shows you respect their time and inboxes.
Not Having an Unsubscribe Option
It’s very bad practice to not allow people to unsubscribe. Hiding this option is an easy way to make people upset and lose their trust. It is also against the law.
Make the unsubscribe option easy to find. Place it at the bottom of your email. It should be a quick and easy way for people to opt out of your email list.
Respect their choices. If people do not wish to hear from you, that’s okay. Do not make it hard for them to leave, or try to trick them into staying. A clean list of engaged readers is better than a long list of uninterested people.
The Missing Element of Storytelling
Stories are what makes people care. They connect with us, and give your message an emotional depth. If your emails are just a series of points, they may fail to resonate with your reader.
Weave narratives into your emails, where you can. Use stories that show the real impact of your products or services. A human-centric approach to email is much more effective than a fact-driven one.
Share stories of people using your product or service. Use a real experience that highlights the value you bring. Make the stories real, not fictional. When people connect with stories, they engage with your message.
Neglecting the Power of Visuals
While text is important, visuals are as important. A good visual helps capture your audience’s attention and make your emails more engaging. Visuals can also make your emails more memorable, and easy to digest.
Use photos, images, and icons that fit with your brand and the message of your email. If you use images, optimize them for mobile devices. Keep them small so that your emails load fast.
Do not overdo the visuals, they are there to support your message and not distract from it. Make sure that your emails look as good as they read.
Assuming Your Audience Will Just “Get It”
Never assume that your readers understand your jargon. If you use too much technical jargon, you may alienate people who are new to the topic.
Write with clarity and ease. Explain complex things with clear and simple language. Avoid terms and words that may be hard for the average reader to follow.
Your message should be easy to grasp, even for someone who has never come across your topic before. Use simple words, clear ideas, and be straight to the point.
The Neglect of Plain Text Emails
While HTML emails are pretty, plain text emails have their own value. Some people choose to receive only plain text emails. They do not wish to see fancy graphics, or ads. If your email is only HTML, you may miss out on people who prefer plain text.
Always include a plain text version of your email. This makes sure that everyone, regardless of email client or setting, can read your message. It shows you care about all of your readers.
Also, plain text emails can also improve your deliverability, as they can help you avoid the spam filters. Make it a habit to provide both versions in all of your email campaigns.
The Failure to Test Email Deliverability
It’s crucial that your emails land in your reader’s inbox, and not in the spam folder. If you do not test for email deliverability, your efforts will be wasted.
Use tools that test your email’s deliverability. These tools check for things like spam trigger words, broken links, and bad formatting. Check if your email passes email spam filters.
Make sure your emails meet the best practices for deliverability. Use a valid “From” address, authenticate your emails, and do not use spammy language. Testing your deliverability will make sure your emails get to where you want them to be.
Not Offering Value in Every Email
Every email should give some kind of value. If every email is just a sales pitch, then your readers will soon tune you out. The best way to build long-term connection is to be helpful and give more than you take.
Offer useful insights, new ideas, how-to guides, or exclusive content, in addition to your sales pitches. Be a trusted source of knowledge. When you give before you take, your emails become a welcome guest in your reader’s inbox.
Make your emails part of a healthy conversation. Be there to serve the needs of your audience. When they believe in your value, they will be receptive to your offers.
So, Are You Ready to Write Emails That Connect?
Email copywriting is not just about writing. It’s about creating a human connection. By keeping your reader at the core of your writing, you can create emails that grab attention, build bonds, and inspire action. If you avoid these common errors, and keep learning, you’ll be sure to see great results.
