10 hacks to instantly write better emails

(From someone who writes for 7, 8, & 9 figure founders)

I make a living writing emails for 7, 8, and 9 figure founders.

Here’re 10 copywriting tips plus one AI prompt to instantly make your emails more engaging (after writing & editing 1,000+ emails):

Tip #1: Write at least 10 variations of your subject line

It doesn’t matter how good your email is if nobody opens it in the first place.

That’s why your subject line is so important.

Now, it’s impossible to come up with a banger subject line on the first try.

Which is why I always like to brainstorm AT LEAST 10 subject line variations for each email I write.

Luckily, you can use AI to do this 10x faster.

One final pro tip: Always Keep your subject lines under 42 characters.

That’s the cutoff for most mobile screens - anything longer gets chopped off, and your reader only sees half your hook.

Tip #2: Write the intro of your emails the same way you’d write a hook for a LinkedIn post

Just because someone is reading your stuff in their inbox doesn’t mean you’re not competing for attention.

So skip the long greetings - and instead, aim to capture attention immediately.

For example, this was the introduction of this email you’re reading this:

“I make a living writing emails for 7, 8, and 9 figure founders.

Here’re 10 copywriting tips to instantly make your emails more engaging (after writing & editing 1,000+ emails):”

Now, here’s what a weaker intro for this email could have looked like:

“Hey there! Hope you’re having a great week. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about email marketing and what separates the emails that get opened and read from the ones that get ignored. After years of working with some of the biggest creators and founders in the game, I’ve compiled a list of my top tips that I think you’ll find really valuable…”

See the difference?

Tip #3: Speak directly to the reader

A lot of people write their emails as if they’re speaking to a big audience.

But the best emails feel like you’re having a 1:1 conversation with the writer.

Here’re 2 easy ways to make sure you don’t make this mistake:

• First, look for any instance where you’re clearly speaking to a crowd. “Hey everyone” → “Hey” or “Hey [name].”

• Second, aim for 80% or more of your email to be written in second person. If you’re using “I” or “they” more than “you,” you’re probably not speaking directly to the reader enough.

Tip #4: Edit your emails on your phone

Oftentimes, an email might look clean on desktop but feel overwhelming on mobile.

And that’s where most people will read your stuff.

That’s why I like to always edit my emails from my phone before I send them.

The main thing to look for:

Blocky paragraphs.

If you’ve got a long paragraph with 2-3 sentences, add some line-breaks and break it up in 1-sentence paragraphs.

That simple tweak will fix most mobile formatting issues.

Tip #5: Copywork your favorite emails

Copywork is the most effective way to internalize what good emails look and feel like.

The idea is simple:

Manually transcribe the best emails and sales letters you come across (yes, with pen and paper!).

A few classics worth doing copywork on:

• “The Tale of Two Young Men” (Wall Street Journal)

• “The Boron Letters” by Gary Halbert

• “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”

If you want a structured way to build this habit, I put together a 21-day copywork challenge called 21 Days to Better Copy.

Each day, you get a new piece of iconic copy to study and transcribe - so you can improve your copywriting skills without having to “think about it.”

Tip #6: Read your emails aloud

This one is pretty straightforward.

The problem is - most people simply don’t do it.

But if you actually take the time to read your emails out loud, you’ll immediately notice the parts that sound clunky, the sentences that don’t flow well, and the sections that feel boring.

Highly recommend giving it a try.

Tip #7: Use sub-heads to make the piece skimmable

Most readers don’t read - they skim.

Sub-heads give them signposts to quickly scan and understand what your email covers without having to read every word.

2 rules of thumbs I live by:

• If you’re writing a listicle (like this email), make each “item” its own sub-head.

• If you’re not writing a listicle, aim for at least 3-5 sub-heads. Find key sentences that drive a point home or mark the beginning of a new idea and turn them into a sub-head.

Tip #8: Always include a PS

It’s counterintuitive, but the PS is one of the most-read sections of any email.

Which makes it prime real estate.

3 ways you can leverage your PS:

• If you’re sending a value newsletter with no CTA in the body, use the PS for a soft, contextual call-to-action. The email stays valuable, but you still get to make an ask.

• If you’re writing a sales email, use the PS to address a common objection. Tackle the reason someone might hesitate to buy.

• Also for sales emails: Use the PS as a reminder. When does the offer expire? What’s the bonus if they act now? The PS is a great place to reinforce urgency.

Tip #9: Always make your CTAs contextual

If your CTA feels “out of place,” it won’t convert.

Now, there’re 2 levers you can push/pull to make sure your CTAs are contextual:

• Placing. What’s the most relevant section of the email for you to add the CTA you’re looking to plug?

• Phrasing. How can you frame your CTA copy in a way that feels natural and congruent with the rest of the section (or even the full email)?

Remember the CTA earlier in this email for 21 Days to Better Copy?

That’s an example of a contextual CTA :)

Tip #10: Turn blocky paragraphs into bulleted lists

If reading your email feels like work, nobody will read it.

Luckily, bullets make information feel 10x easier to consume than a wall of text.

A few rules I follow when using bullets:

• Only use 1-2 bulleted lists per email section. Otherwise the whole thing starts to feel like a bullet point dump.

• Always include 1-2 sentences before a bulleted list. Don’t just dive straight into bullets without additional context (feels weird).

• Keep bullets short when possible. If they run long, bold the key part of each bullet so readers can still skim. (Like I did here.)

And that’s it.

Now as promised, I also put together an AI mega prompt to help you implement some of these tips 10x faster.

The Email Formatting Optimizer Prompt

The prompt will help analyze your email and give you specific suggestions for 2 things:

1. Intro rewrites - 3 alternative versions of your opening that cut to the chase faster and hook the reader immediately.

2. Formatting improvements - spots where you could add line breaks, turn blocky paragraphs into bullets, or add sub-heads to make the piece more skimmable.

You don’t have to use every suggestion.

Just pick the ones that feel right and make the edits yourself.

All you have to do?

Copy and paste the prompt below into ChatGPT or Claude.

Then paste your email draft where it says [PASTE YOUR EMAIL HERE].