Email Copywriting Guide
Your open rates are fine. So why is nobody clicking?
You've fixed your deliverability. Your open rates are solid — 30%, maybe 35%. But your click-through rate is stuck at 1-2%. People are opening your emails and then doing... nothing. They read (maybe skim), close, and move on with their day.
The problem isn't your subject line — that got them to open. The problem is what happens after they open. Your email body doesn't give them a reason to click. It's either a wall of text nobody wants to read, a discount-only message they've seen 50 times, or a generic product grid with no context for why they should care about those specific products right now.
Writing an email that gets clicked is a different skill than writing one that gets opened. It requires a clear value proposition within the first two sentences, a single focused CTA, and copy that speaks to where the reader is in their customer journey. Here's the framework.
3-5%
Target Click-Through Rate
150+
Brands We Write For
$23M+
Revenue Driven
Gold
Klaviyo Partner Status
How to fix this — step by step
Lead with the value in the first two lines
The preview text and first two lines of your email determine whether someone keeps reading or closes it. Don't waste them on "Hi [Name], we're excited to share..." Get to the point: "Your most-requested color is finally back — and it's selling fast." The value — what's in it for them — needs to be immediate and specific. If someone can't understand why this email matters within 3 seconds, you've lost them.
Write for one person, not your entire list
Stop writing like a brand talking to an audience. Write like one person emailing a friend. Use "you" and "your," not "our customers" or "subscribers." Tell them what they specifically should do: "You left this in your cart" is better than "Don't forget about the items in your cart." Personal, direct, specific. Every email should feel like it was written for the person reading it.
One email, one goal, one CTA
The #1 email copywriting mistake: too many links and too many asks. An email with 8 product links and 3 different CTAs converts worse than an email with one focused product and one "Shop Now" button. Pick one goal per email. Is it driving traffic to a new collection? Then everything in the email supports that single goal. No sidebar links. No footer promotions. One path, one destination.
Use urgency that's real, not manufactured
Manufactured urgency: "SALE ENDS TONIGHT!!!" (it doesn't). Real urgency: "We made 200 units. 47 are left." Real urgency works because it's believable. Stock-based urgency (limited quantities), time-based urgency (actual deadlines), and access-based urgency (email-exclusive, first access before public launch) all drive clicks when they're true. Fake urgency trains people to ignore your emails.
Make the CTA button impossible to miss
Your CTA button should be above the fold on mobile, use a contrasting color, and have specific action text. "Shop Now" is fine but "Get Your Size Before It Sells Out" is better. Make the button at least 44px tall for mobile tappability. Include it once above the fold and once at the bottom. If someone has to scroll past three paragraphs to find your button, most of them won't.
Test one variable at a time and let data decide
A/B test in Klaviyo: subject lines first (biggest impact on opens), then CTA copy and placement (biggest impact on clicks), then email length and layout. Change one thing per test. Run each test to at least 1,000 recipients per variation for statistical validity. Keep what wins, test the next variable. Compounding 5% improvements across 10 tests is how you go from 1.5% click rate to 4%+.
Want us to handle this?
These six principles will transform your email click rates. Go audit your last five campaigns against this checklist — you'll immediately see what's been holding you back.
But writing great emails consistently is a skill that compounds with data. Knowing which products to feature, when to send, how to segment your messaging, and how to A/B test at scale — that's what we do for our Klaviyo clients every day. If you want us to review your email copy and campaigns, that first audit is free.
Questions our best clients asked first
Want a professional audit of your email campaigns?
We'll review your recent campaigns, identify what's hurting your click rates, and deliver specific rewrite recommendations. Free email copy audit.
Pick a Time15 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your data and our honest take.
More guides
Email List Growth Guide
Brands with 10K+ engaged subscribers make 30-40% of their revenue from email. Here's how to get there.
Your email list is your most valuable asset. Here's how to grow it from 0 to 10,000+ subscribers — with tactics from a Klaviyo Gold Partner.
Learn moreEmail Design Guide
Your emails look beautiful. They also don't convert. Let's fix that.
Pretty emails don't sell. Structured emails do. Here's how to design email templates that drive clicks and revenue — not just compliments.
Learn moreEmail Personalization Guide
"Hi {first_name}" is not personalization. Here's what actually moves the revenue needle.
Adding someone's first name isn't personalization. Here's how to build truly personalized email campaigns that drive 3-5x more revenue per send.
Learn moreEmail Analytics Guide
Still measuring success by open rates? That's like measuring your car by its paint color.
Open rates don't pay the bills. Here are the email marketing metrics that actually matter — and how to track them in Klaviyo.
Learn moreEmail Revenue Guide
Top eCommerce brands drive 30-40% of total revenue from email. Where are you?
Email should drive 25-40% of your total revenue. If you're below that, here's the exact playbook to close the gap — from a Klaviyo Gold Partner.
Learn moreEmail Automation Guide
The top eCommerce brands generate 30-40% of email revenue from automations. You're probably at 8%.
Email automations should generate 30-40% of your email revenue on autopilot. Most stores are at 8%. Here's the exact flow system from a Klaviyo Gold Partner.
Learn moreNeed help with this?
Book a free call