3 Rules To Follow To Write Powerful Emails That Drive Results
I shook the little plastic baggie with little slips of paper and said, “everybody take one. You have 20 minutes to write an email about the word on your paper…GO!”
Avocados. Cher. Deep Sea Diving. Traffic lights.
At first there was mild panic. The room got very quiet, except for the sounds of pens flying across paper. I could hear the wheels turning and almost smell the creativity.
When the 20 minutes were up and people began reading what they had written, we were collectively shocked by just how good these emails were.
It was at that moment when I realized WHY business owners struggle so much with email marketing – and it was also in that moment that I discovered how to solve it for GOOD.
If you’re a business owner, there’s a very high chance you know the importance of having an email list in your business.
But simply having an email list and actually nurturing and growing it into an ENGAGED list are two different things.
Many people I know have an email list full of people, but they don’t do anything with it. Instead, it just sits there until they’re ready to sell something… and then they’re confused when no one buys.
Well, when people don’t hear from you for months and then randomly receive an email saying “course doors are open!”, they typically aren’t as eager to enroll.
But when you communicate with your list regularly and provide valuable and insightful content for them on a consistent basis, THAT is when you can expect to see incredible results when you’re selling something.
If email marketing feels like a struggle for you, like many people, it likely comes down to three main things:
- You’re giving yourself too much time to write.
- You aren’t narrowing down your topic.
- You don’t have a proven structure.
I’ve found this to be true with my students, clients, and even myself which is why I continue to follow 3 rules when writing emails – whether it’s for a weekly email to my list, a sales sequence for my courses, or an entire launch sequence for a client.
These 3 rules are what allow for powerful emails and can change the email writing game for you, too.
3 Constraints to Follow When Writing Emails for Your Business
- Rule #1: Time Constraint
Have you ever heard of the concept that your work expands to the time you give it? This is called Parkinson’s Law and we’ve all experienced it before.
It’s the concept that allows us to hustle to meet a deadline and be the most productive the day before we leave for vacation.
This concept can be intentionally used to your advantage, especially when it comes to writing your emails.
A lot of times I hear that people “don’t have time” to write emails consistently each week, but I’m here to say that isn’t true. The reality is that you’re giving yourself TOO much time to do this fairly simple task.
Because let’s be real: if you give yourself 8 hours to write one email… it will take you 8 hours.
If you give yourself 20 minutes… it will take you 20 minutes.
So, it’s time to leverage Parkinson’s Law by setting a timer while you write and watching what happens. I’ve done this over and over again and the results are pure magic.
- Rule #2: Topic Constraint
Imagine being given a blank canvas and being told you can paint ANYTHING…
Your mind starts to wander all over the place, right?
You could paint a banana, a grizzly bear, a sunset, the ocean – the options are endless.
Now imagine being told to paint an elephant.
Even if you aren’t a good painter, you at least now know the end goal and can give it your best shot.
Between the two, the elephant painting will be done faster because starting from scratch is HARD and causes a ton of procrastination.
This is why choosing a topic for your email BEFORE you sit down to write is the key to unlocking your creativity.
And if you’re reading this and wondering HOW to choose an email topic, I have two tips for you:
- Keep an ongoing list of possible email ideas – this can be something you keep in your phone notes app, in a journal, or on a Google Doc
Anytime an idea comes to mind, jot it down. Anytime you experience something in life or business that can be connected back to your content, jot it down.
Even if the idea feels weird or crazy, write it down so you can refer to the list when you’re feeling dry.
- Scan your environment and pick any random object to write about – trust me, it works
Remember the story from above where I had my class pick a random slip of paper and write an email about their item?
That’s the same concept here. If you’re feeling totally stuck on what to write about, pick something around you and get creative with how you connect it back to your business.
This works because it stands out to people, is more memorable, and leaves more impact – all of which can lead more people to buy from you!
- Rule #3: Structure Constraint
As counterintuitive as it may sound, structure actually gives you MORE freedom because you aren’t guessing on how to write. Instead, you know exactly what it needs to look like.
Creating a structure for your emails allows you to crank out an email in a fraction of the time it would normally take.
Just like any good story follows the hero’s journey, or has tropes that we recognize, you can use simple yet powerful email frameworks to make things even easier.
Of course you can shake things up sometimes, but knowing the structure before you write lets you make the most of your 20 minutes and get it done!
Email Writing Resources For You
At the end of the day, writing emails for your list that people ACTUALLY want to read doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming.
All it really takes is committing to doing it and implementing these 3 “rules” so that you do it well.
If you’re in search of more support for writing powerful emails, I have a few things that can help:
- Inbox Love – the 14-day mini course to help you write irresistible emails that you love to write and your people love to read 💌
Since the whole idea is to get better at writing emails, I designed this course way differently than you’ve probably seen before.
Instead of a portal filled with videos and PDFs, you get 1 email each day for 14 days with a quick writing assignment so you ACTUALLY put in the work.
It’s like your daily email copy workout. 🏋🏻♂️
Since initially launching the mini-course, I’ve added an optional VIP Video Series to help you:
➡️ dive deeper into the Inbox Love Framework so that email writing feels less of a chore and more of something that you’re excited to do
➡️ move your written emails from Google Doc drafts to the inboxes of your audience with full confidence
➡️ get more opens, more clicks and more sales through your emails alone
CLICK HERE to get access to the 14-day Mini Course along with the NEW VIP Video Series!
(Note: When you purchase Inbox Love you’ll have the option to easily add the video series to your cart for just $199.)
A key part of writing powerful emails that drive results is crafting attention getting subject lines that hook your reader from the very beginning.
This part of the email writing puzzle tends to be a struggle for people, which is why I’m revealing 30+ proven subject line shortcuts that are *almost* guaranteed to get your emails opened.
When you download, you’ll learn the:
➡️ open loop subject lines that readers just can’t resist clicking on (and the templates so you can adapt it again and again)
➡️ eyebrow-raising subject lines (and how to be “controversial” without alienating your audience)
➡️ goldfish subject line (this is the one you use when you REALLY have no idea what to write about)
➡️ and 27 more!