You’ve built an email list. Maybe it’s 50 people, maybe it’s 5,000. But if your open rates are stuck in the teens and nobody’s clicking, your list isn’t working for you.
Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels for small businesses — but only when people actually read what you send. Here’s how to write emails that get opened, read, and acted on.
The Subject Line Is Everything
Your subject line is a promise. It tells the reader: “This is worth your time.” If it doesn’t deliver on that promise, nothing else matters.
What works:
- Curiosity: “The one thing most solopreneurs get wrong about pricing”
- Specificity: “How I got 47 new clients from a single email”
- Urgency: “Last chance: 30% off ends tonight”
- Direct benefit: “Save 5 hours this week with this free template”
What doesn’t work: vague subjects like “Newsletter #12” or “Quick update.” Give people a reason to click.
Write to One Person
The best emails feel like they were written just for you. Use “you” more than “we.” Write as if you’re talking to one specific person — your ideal customer — sitting across the table from you.
This shift alone can transform your email engagement. People respond to personal, not corporate.
Lead With Value, Not a Sales Pitch
Nobody wants to open an email that’s just an ad. The best email marketers follow the 80/20 rule: 80% value, 20% promotion.
Share a tip, tell a story, give away something useful. When you consistently deliver value, your audience will actually look forward to your emails — and they’ll be much more receptive when you do make an offer.
Keep It Short (Seriously)
Your email doesn’t need to be a blog post. For most solopreneurs, the sweet spot is 150-300 words. Get in, deliver your message, and get out.
If you have more to say, link to a blog post or landing page. The email’s job is to get the click — not to tell the whole story.
One Email, One Goal
Every email should have one clear purpose and one call to action. Don’t ask people to read your blog, follow you on Instagram, check out your new product, AND reply to your email. Pick one.
A focused email with a single CTA will always outperform a scattered one with five different links.
Send Consistently
The biggest email marketing mistake isn’t bad copy — it’s inconsistency. If you email once and then disappear for three months, your audience forgets who you are.
Pick a frequency you can maintain (weekly is ideal for most solopreneurs) and stick with it. Consistency builds trust, and trust drives sales.
Start Today
You don’t need fancy automation or a huge list to start seeing results from email. Write one great email this week. Focus on being helpful, personal, and clear. Build from there.
Need help crafting your email strategy? Let’s talk — we write email sequences that convert.