The practical craft.
THE SUBJECT LINE
Determines whether it is opened. Specific and honest beats clever.
Say what the message is about. Curiosity gaps work occasionally and erode trust when overused.
Avoid words that trigger filters: excessive capitals, multiple exclamation marks, urgency language.
THE FROM NAME
Your business name, consistently. Recognition is what gets messages opened.
Changing it between sends loses you that.
THE FIRST LINE
Preview text appears alongside the subject in most clients. Write it deliberately rather than letting it default to your header text.
THE BODY
Short. Most people read on a phone.
One main point per message. A message with five things in it communicates none of them.
Plain language, the way you would write to a customer directly.
THE CALL TO ACTION
One, obvious, and specific. Not three competing options.
LENGTH
Shorter than you think. A message that can be read in thirty seconds is read; one that cannot is deleted.
