What To Write
What To Write
What To Write
AUTHORS
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Introduction
How to use this guide
Email Writing Basics
Making Connections
Chapter 1: The Confirmation Email
Chapter 2: Welcome Emails
Chapter 3: Automated Welcome Campaigns
Chapter 4: Newsletters
Chapter 5: Event Invitations
Introducing Your Brand and Nurturing Subscribers
Chapter 6: Product/Service
Chapter 7: Case studies
Chapter 8: Nurture campaigns
Selling Your Product/Service
Chapter 9: Selling a product
Chapter 10: Selling a service
Developing Loyal Customers
Chapter 11: Delighting customers
Chapter 12: Dealing with unhappy customers
Chapter 13: Turning customers into brand advocates
Maintaining a Healthy Email List
Chapter 13: Asking for feedback in a survey
Writing Engaging Emails
About AWeber
INTRODUCTION
With a fresh cup of coffee by your side and your fully-charged computer in front of you,
you place your fingertips on the keyboard. It’s time to write an email to your subscribers.
After a 15-minute cycle of typing, deleting and staring at a blank email template, you find
you can’t seem to gather the right words.
Whether you have a lot to say and don’t know where to start, or you’re just dealing with
the worst writer’s block ever, or you’re looking for new inspiration to level up your
current email strategy, you’ve come to the right place.
Writing quality content – and doing so consistently – is one of the biggest challenges for
anyone who sends emails. But it’s worth devoting time to. According to research from
Statista, 86 percent of consumers would like to receive promotional emails from
companies. And that means you want to make sure you’re sending emails that create a
positive experience with your brand, and motivate people to take action.
So we decided to help.
Taking our 18+ years of email experience, we’ve created a series of email templates to
take the guesswork out of writing your emails. With templates ranging from welcome
emails to automated email campaigns to one-time broadcasts, you’ll have the tools you
need to easily write and send engaging emails.
We organized this guide by grouping together emails based on what they will help you
accomplish (ex: making connections with your audience, introducing your brand, going
for the sale, etc.). Depending on your unique email content strategy, you may have
different needs for your emails and will only need to send a few different ones to your
audience.
As a result, this guide is meant to be a resource – not just now, but for reference in the
future as you try new things with email marketing and test new types of emails to engage
and grow your audience.
In the beginning of each chapter, you’ll learn more about the overall strategy and purpose
of the types of emails in that section. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find all of the
corresponding templates. The templates are super easy to use: simply copy and paste the
content into your email (or word document) and fill in the blanks.
EMAil
Writing
BAsics
While you can easily use the fill-in-the-blank templates to
content. This will help you get the most out of the templates
in this guide, and give you the knowledge to write your own
With that said, here are six tips on writing great emails.
Your subscribers are busy individuals, and they won’t always consider
emails are worth their time. Every email you send should bring value to
your audience. Whether it’s content (such as your latest blog post or a
Too many business owners view their subscribers as a list of faceless email
addresses, just waiting to be turned into dollar signs – but subscribers see
your subscribers are real people who want to know you have their best
interest at heart. Having this mindset before you send an email makes it a
keep it engaging. This will ensure your emails hold the attention of your
subscribers, even when they’re busy or just cleaning out their inbox.
To stand out, keep your emails concise and relevant to their interests.
And if it’s relevant to your audience, feel free to liven up your content with
It’s inevitable that writer’s block will strike at some point. But if you’re
light on content topics or can’t find the right words to express your
thoughts, chances are you already wrote similar content somewhere else.
Many business owners already have the content they need – it just might
be in a social post, blog article or a 1:1 email you sent to a customer. Look
back at previous things you’ve written to see if you can extract anything
and re-write it for your email. As long as it’s relevant to your subscribers
and what they expect to receive from you, you can reuse it to create your
next email.
Whether you have a few hundred subscribers or a few thousand, the key
to writing great emails is to imagine you’re only writing to one. This will
ensure your emails feel more like a personal message from a helpful friend
exercise can help you get a better sense of the individuals to whom you’re
Writing well and using proper grammar are important for establishing
credibility with your audience, but at the end of the day, subscribers care
If you’re not sure if readers are gaining value from your emails, ask them
for feedback and suggestions on what they want to learn about. This will
either validate the content you’ve been sending, or will give you ideas on
A win-win!
Now that we’ve covered the basics of writing emails that engage
subscribers, let’s dive into the heart of this guide: the emails
and templates.
SHARE THIS
GUID
Making
Connections
Write emails that help you establish connections with
11
confirm that they want to opt-in to an email list. This is known as confirmed
opt-in (COI) and is a best practice in email marketing because it serves as a filter
for subscribers who aren’t really interested in receiving your emails. By using
confirmed opt-in and allowing only quality subscribers to join your list, you can
improve deliverability and email reputation so your emails make it to the inbox
of more subscribers.
Depending on which email marketing platform you use, you might have the
soon as they sign up to your email list. In it, subscribers are asked to click a link
in the email to confirm they want to receive emails from you. While your email
marketing platform will create an automated message, you might have the
Since this is a straightforward email, you don’t have to add a ton of bells and
whistles to it. But, it is a good opportunity to remind readers who you are, why
they’re receiving this email and why they’ll benefit from your emails.
CHAPTER 1
Woo-hoo! Thanks for signing up for [insert your company name]’s [insert what they signed up
for].
But before you can get your all-access pass to [insert list of content they can expect to receive],
you need to confirm your subscription. Click below to confirm.
Click the link above to give us permission to send you information. It’s fast and easy! If you cannot
click the full URL above, please copy and paste it into your web browser.
Confirmation Email
You’re almost there! Confirm your subscription to the [insert your company name]’s [insert
Subject line
Body copy
13
When setting up your email marketing, the most important place to start is with
your welcome email.
A welcome email is the first email your subscribers would receive after signing
up to your list, and it helps set the tone for all future emails you send them. It’s
also one of the most engaging emails you can send; we see our highest open
To easily set this up, you’ll want to create an automated email (also known as an
autoresponder or follow up) before you begin collecting subscribers. This way,
the message will automatically send to every new subscriber that joins your list.
The purpose of the welcome email is to thank subscribers for joining your
list and give them a warm welcome (hence the name!). This is also a great
how often they should expect to receive emails from you. Doing so not only sets
expectations for subscribers, but it also reduces the risk of spam complaints or
unsubscribes.
If you offer an incentive (or lead magnet) in your sign up form, the welcome
email is where you should deliver it. An incentive is one of the best ways to
encourage people to sign up to your email list – it can be a link, a promo code, a
CHAPTER 2
Welcome Emails
14
Since not everyone who signs up to your email list will be familiar with your
brand, share a little information about yourself and your brand. Add additional
your email address. Whitelisting is simply the process of adding your address to
their address book, which guarantees your email is delivered to their primary
other information you want to share (like your latest blog post), do so in future
emails.
Since there are different types of welcome emails you might need to set up,
for different incentive offers. You can find them at the end of this chapter or by
Hi {!firstname_fix},
Welcome!
Thanks for signing up for updates from [insert the name of your business or blog].
Now that you’re in, here’s what you can expect in your inbox.
You’ll get [insert email send cadence, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly] updates with
the latest [insert content type, such as blog posts or news] from [insert the name of your
business or blog]. You’ll also get the exclusive [insert bonus they might receive]!
To ensure you never miss an email from us, be sure to whitelist our email address [insert
[Insert the name of your business or blog] am/is [insert who you are and what you do]. If you
Thanks again!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
Thanks for signing up for updates from [insert the name of your business or blog].
As promised, here’s the free download to help you [insert what the download will teach your
subscribers or help them do]. Just click the link below to access it.
Get my free download [Hyperlink the text with the link to the download]
Now that you’re in, here’s what you can expect in your inbox.
You’ll get [insert email send cadence, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly] updates with
the latest [insert content type, such as blog posts or news] from [insert the name of your
business or blog]. You’ll also get the exclusive [insert bonus they might receive]!
To ensure you never miss an email from us, be sure to whitelist our email address [insert
[Insert the name of your business or blog] am/is [insert who you are and what you do]. If you
Thanks again!
[Insert your signature]
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
Thanks for signing up for updates from [insert the name of your business or blog].
As promised, here’s the free ebook to help you [insert what the download will teach your
subscribers or help them do]. Just click the link below to access it.
Get my free ebook [Hyperlink the text with the link to the download]
Now that you’re in, here’s what you can expect in your inbox.
You’ll get [insert email send cadence, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly] updates with
the latest [insert content type, such as blog posts or news] from [insert the name of yourself,
business or blog]. You’ll also get the exclusive [insert bonus they might receive]!
To ensure you never miss an email from us, be sure to whitelist our email address [insert
Thanks again!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
Thanks for signing up for updates from [insert the name of your business or blog].
As promised, here are the free templates to help you [insert what the templates will teach your
subscribers or help them do]. Just click the link below to access them.
Get my free templates [Hyperlink the text with the link to the download]
Now that you’re in, here’s what you can expect in your inbox.
You’ll get [insert email send cadence, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly] updates with
the latest [insert content type, such as blog posts or news] from [insert the name of your
business or blog]. You’ll also get the exclusive [insert bonus they might receive]!
To ensure you never miss an email from us, be sure to whitelist our email address [insert
[Insert the name of your business or blog] am/is [insert who you are and what you do]. If you
Thanks again!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
Thanks for signing up for updates from [insert the name of your business or blog].
As promised, here is the free video course to help you [insert what the course will teach your
subscribers or help them do]. Just click the link below to access them.
Get my free course [Hyperlink the text with the link to the download]
Now that you’re in, here’s what you can expect in your inbox.
You’ll get [insert email send cadence, such as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly] updates with
the latest [insert content type, such as blog posts or news] from [insert the name of your
business or blog]. You’ll also get the exclusive [insert bonus they might receive]!
To ensure you never miss an email from us, be sure to whitelist our email address [insert
[Insert the name of your business or blog] am/is [insert who you are and what you do]. If you
Thanks again!
Subject line
Body copy
20
If you want to share additional information about your business or help guide
of time for your new subscribers. As soon as a new subscriber signs up, they
automatically receive your series. This saves you the hassle of sending the same
information over and over again to each new subscriber and gives you the
opportunity to make a great first impression with less time and effort.
So instead of just sending one welcome email to subscribers, you can automate
a longer series set to a cadence of your choosing to provide even more value.
The content in your autoresponder series should be evergreen, meaning you can
send it to any new subscriber at any time of the year. You also control the timing
for example, you might want to add an email with frequently asked questions
and your most popular content. Or if you want to share more about your
business beyond what was included in your welcome email, you can dedicate an
CHAPTER 3
Automated Welcome
Campaigns
21
Sent immediately after the subscriber signs up or clicks the confirmation email link
About My Business
Connect with Me
Your automated welcome campaign can be as long or as short as you want, but
keep in mind the value you’re delivering to subscribers. It’s better to outline the
EMAIL 1
EMAIL 2
EMAIL 3
EMAIL 4
Have questions about [insert the name of your business or blog]? Check out these FAQs we’ve
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix}!
We can’t wait to learn more about you, but you’re probably also wondering a few things about
[insert your company name] allows [insert what your product or service does]. Since [year
your company originated], we have been [insert what your company has been doing] including
[example of work].
Today, [number of customers] are making the most of our service and [name specifically what
To learn more, check out our “About Us” page to learn more:
[insert signature]
About My Business
Get to know [choose: me/us]!
Subject line
Body copy
Thanks for reading [insert content the reader previously read]! Do you feel on top of the latest
While you’re anxiously awaiting our next post, connect with us on social:
• Like [insert what you post on Facebook] (and who doesn’t)? Like us on Facebook! [insert
• The best 140 characters you’ll ever read. Follow us on Twitter. [insert hyperlink or link to
• Say cheese! We’re on Instagram. Check out our posts on [insert topics you post about on
• Find inspiration, tips and ideas. Network with us on LinkedIn. [insert hyperlink or link to
LinkedIn page]
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a tweet, give a shout out and let us know how we’re doing.
Connect with Me
Join the conversation on social media!
Subject line
Body copy
25
Whether you write blog posts, upload YouTube videos or want to share your
with your brand, you can remain top-of-mind as a reliable source of information.
the latest information you wish to share with subscribers. Since a newsletter
broadcast email must be created and sent to your subscriber list each time,
you’ll want to determine a regular cadence for sending.
Whether it’s once a week or twice a month, the timing is up to you and your
you create content, and then determining when you’ll have enough to share in
a newsletter. Aim to send at least one email a month to subscribers to keep your
The business newsletter template is great if you primarily create content about
a variety of business updates and news (such as policy changes, events you’re
attending, etc.).
CHAPTER 4
Newsletters
26
If you regularly publish blog posts, videos and/or podcasts, the content
newsletter (or digest) template is perfect for sharing your latest creations with
subscribers.
A curated newsletter is one way to create an email without spending too much
time writing content. If you find articles written by someone else that are
relevant to your subscribers, group them and link to them in your email!
To help position yourself as a thought leader in your industry, try sharing news
and blog articles written by others (in addition to a summary of your own
You can explore templates for the most popular ones below:
Hi {!firstname_fix},
We’ve been working on new content and product updates, so we wanted to share them! Read
on for everything from [insert example of new content/features] to [insert another example of
new content/features].
We are so excited about this new feature and how it’s going to help you [insert customer
benefit(s)]. Here’s what it does: [insert information about the new feature].
We want to give you the best and most relevant content… so we are doing just that! Check out
our new article about [insert description of article] [insert hyperlink or link to the new feature].
Learning about what you and our other customers need helps us build our products. After all,
no one knows what is best for our customers better than you. If you’re interested in taking part
in a quick survey to improve our products, please click here! [insert hyperlink or link to the
survey]
Business Newsletter
Here’s what’s new!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
We want to share some new content with you! Check out some of our most recent content, as
This is one of our most popular posts that we think you’d love!
[featured image for article 2: popular legacy content]
And here’s one more thing you may want to take a look at:
[insert title]
Happy reading!
Content/Blog Newsletter
[insert title of your favorite article]
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_ fix},
I wanted to give you a heads up on some of the latest news going on in [insert your industry]. I
This article is about [insert a topic]. It’s important because [insert a reason]. Check it out!
Here’s a post about [insert a topic]. I think you’ll like it because [insert a reason].
Check out this article about [insert a topic]. You should read it because [insert a reason].
Happy reading!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
I wanted to give you a heads up about some [insert your industry] news I thought you should
know about.
[Insert a description of the news event. Tell your subscriber how it will affect them. Include links
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
I’ve curated the biggest news in [insert your industry] this [insert week, month, etc].
Check it out!
For more on [insert your industry ], head over to [insert your website title with link].
Subject line
Body copy
It’s here! I gathered the latest on [insert topic of the industry you’ve written about] and the
article is ready for you to read. [insert hyperlink or link to the article]
Oh, and a few weeks ago, I wrote about [insert topic you’ve recently written about] and I think
you’d be interested! [insert hyperlink or link to the article]
Hungry for more? Check out our blog — there’s more where this content came from.
Cheers,
Subject line
Body copy
33
Quality relationships between brands and subscribers via email are essential,
But when you have an opportunity to interact with them outside of the inbox,
whether in a conference room or webinar room, the relationship can only get
The same can also be said for any follow up emails that happen afterwards.
If you plan on hosting a recurring recorded webinar, however, that can be set up
welcome campaign for your business newsletter, you might want to include
an invite to attend a recurring webinar that goes into greater detail about your
CHAPTER 5
Event Invitations
Check out the templates:
Hi {!firstname_fix},
I’d like to invite you to [insert name of your event] on [insert date and time] at [insert location].
Join us for [insert what happens at the event, e.g., live music, food specials, etc].
Event RSVP
{!firstname_fix}, join us for [insert your event name]!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi {!firstname_fix},
It was great meeting you in person at [insert event name]! I hope you enjoyed [insert specific
event activity].
I wanted to follow up and see if you had any specific questions about [insert your expertise] or
[insert your business name]. I’d love to connect and talk more!
Feel free to reply back to this email if you’d like to talk more!
Event Follow Up
It was great meeting you at [insert event name]!
Subject line
Body copy
Hi!
I’m hosting a live webinar [insert date of webinar] on [insert a general overview of what you’ll
In this webinar, I’ll be walking through [insert a more detailed explanation of webinar topics].
Can’t make it? Register anyway! All registrants will get access to watch the webinar replay on
Keep in mind that once we hit the limit on attendees, registration will close.
Have a specific question about the webinar? Email me at any time: [insert your email address].
Thank you!
Webinar Invite
Claim your seat for our free online webinar!
Subject line
Body copy
Thanks for registering for our workshop, [insert name of workshop] hosted by [insert name of
I recommend watching (or rewatching!) the workshop today. [insert hyperlink or link to the
webinar]
You’ll get tons of valuable tips to [insert what the workshop will help you do] and much more!
Cheers,
[insert signature]
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