(Because inboxes are war zones, and your emails need to survive.)

Let’s be real for a second.

When was the last time you saw a marketing email in your inbox and thought, “Oh wow, I can’t wait to read this!”

…Yeah, I didn’t think so.

If you wouldn’t read your own emails, why would anyone else?

The truth is, inboxes today are absolute battle zones. Between sales pitches, spammy discounts, and the occasional “Just checking in…” email from that one networking event you went to in 2018, your email has approximately 0.2 seconds to make an impression before it gets deleted.

So if your emails aren’t getting opened, read, or—heaven forbid—clicked on? It’s not your audience’s fault. It’s yours.

Let’s fix that.

The Brutal Truth About Email Open Rates

Here’s the deal:

• The average email open rate is between 20-25%. That means 75% of your list isn’t even opening your emails.
• Click rates? Even worse. Only 2-3% of people actually engage with an email.
• The competition is brutal. The average person receives 100+ emails a day—and let’s be honest, most of them go straight to the trash.

Translation: If your emails aren’t making an impact immediately, they’re toast.

But don’t worry—I’m about to show you how to make your emails impossible to ignore.

Why Your Emails Are Getting Ignored

If your email open rates are flopping, at least one (or all) of these things is happening:

• Your Subject Line is Dry. If it doesn’t hook them immediately, your email might as well not exist.
• Your Emails Sound Like a Robot Wrote Them. “Dear valued customer, we are pleased to announce…” STOP. Nobody talks like that.
• You’re Talking At Your Audience, Not To Them. If your email reads like a press release instead of a conversation, people will check out.
• There’s No Clear CTA. If they don’t know what to do next, they’ll do nothing.

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How to Write Emails People Actually Open & Read

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1. Subject Lines That Demand Attention

Your subject line is your first impression—and if it’s not immediately compelling, your email is dead on arrival.

Think about it this way:

• If your subject line sounds like an announcement, people will ignore it.
• If it sparks curiosity or emotion, people will open it.

Let’s compare:

Bad: “March Newsletter” (Yawn.)
Good: “STOP doing this if you want more sales” (Intriguing.)
Better: “I made this mistake—don’t let it happen to you” (Personal + emotional.)

Try This:

• The Question Hook: “What if I told you your branding is losing you clients?”
• The ‘Oops’ Formula: “I messed up—and you probably are too”
• The Urgency Play: “Your exclusive offer expires in 3 hours ⏳”
• The ‘Inside Scoop’ Hook: “Nobody is talking about this marketing mistake (but I am)”

Pro Tip: Test different subject lines and track which ones get the most opens. A/B testing is your best friend.

2. Make It Sound Like a Human Wrote It

Nobody wants to read an email that sounds like it was copy-pasted from a corporate handbook. Write like you talk.

For example:

• Bad: “We are pleased to announce the launch of our new product.”
• Better: “Okay, you need to see this—I just dropped something game-changing.”

• Bad: “We’d like to extend an exclusive discount to our valued customers.”
• Better: “Because you’re awesome, here’s 15% off—go treat yourself.”

Try This:

• Use contractions (it’s, you’re, we’re) to sound more natural.
• Write how you’d talk to a friend—not how you’d talk in a board meeting.
• Cut the fluff—if you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it.

Pro Tip: Before you hit send, read your email out loud. If it sounds weird when spoken, rewrite it.

3. The Power of the P.S. Line

Did you know? The P.S. is one of the most-read parts of an email.

That’s right—people skim your email, but they almost always read the P.S.

• Use it to reinforce your CTA.
• Use it to add a personal touch.
• Use it to tease your next email.

Example:

P.S. Next week, I’m dropping my #1 secret for getting more leads without spending a dime. Keep an eye out.

Pro Tip: Even if your email is short, always add a P.S.

4. Make the CTA Obvious

If you don’t tell people exactly what to do next, they’ll do nothing.

• Bad: “Check out our website for more details.” (Details about what? Where do I click? I’m confused. Bye.)
• Good: “Click here to grab your spot before we sell out!” (Clear, urgent, action-driven.)

Try This:

• Want more clicks? Use buttons. (People are more likely to tap a button than a plain link.)
• Use action words. (Buy, Download, Claim, Get, Join—verbs get people moving.)
• Limit your CTAs. (One strong CTA is better than three weak ones.)

Pro Tip: Make your CTA pop—bold it, underline it, make it stupidly easy to find.

Bonus: What Not to Do

• Don’t send emails too often. (Unless you’re dropping fire content, too many emails = unsubscribes.)
• Don’t make your emails too long. (Short and engaging is better than long and rambling.)
• Don’t bury your CTA at the bottom. (If people have to scroll too much, they’ll never get there.)

Fix Your Emails & Watch Your Open Rates Skyrocket

Tweak your next email using these tips and watch what happens.

• Better subject lines = higher open rates.
• Conversational tone = more engagement.
• Strong CTAs = more clicks.

Your inbox game is about to level up.

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Final Thoughts: Your Emails Deserve Better (And So Do Your Readers)

Listen, your emails aren’t bad, they’re just… a little lost. And it’s not your fault—most people were never taught how to write emails that actually connect with real humans.

The good news? Now you know exactly what to fix:

• Craft subject lines that make people need to open.
• Ditch the corporate-speak and write like a human.
• Make your CTA so obvious they can’t ignore it.
• Use the powerful P.S. to make sure they actually remember you.

Your emails are a direct conversation with your audience—treat them that way. Make them fun, make them valuable, make them worth opening.

Because if you do? People won’t just read your emails. They’ll look forward to them.

Now go forth and hit ‘send’ like the email marketing rockstar you are.

P.S. (Because We Love a Good P.S.)

Ever notice how the best emails feel like a text from a friend? The kind you actually want to open, not the ones you let sit in your inbox for six weeks while you pretend you’ll “get to it later” (we’ve all been there).

So, here’s your challenge: Next time you write an email, imagine you’re sending it to your favorite person. Would you use the same boring subject line? Would you start with “Dear Valued Customer”? Would you forget to include a single interesting thing?

Didn’t think so.

Now go forth and write emails people actually want to read. And if all else fails—just add a great P.S.