You already did most of this work in the Story System. Now you're just applying those insights to email.

Subject lines that get opened

Pull inspiration from your Hooks section of your Story System. Here are 15 proven formulas with examples:

Curiosity-driven:

• "The 2-minute rule that changed everything"
• "Why [competitor] customers are switching to us"
• "The mistake 90% of [target audience] make"

Benefit-focused:

• "Cut your [pain point] in half with this"
• "Finally, [desired outcome] without [common frustration]"
• "How [customer name] saved [specific number] hours"

Personal/Direct:

• "Quick question about your [relevant topic]"
• "[First name], your [product] trial ends tomorrow"
• "Is this the reason you signed up?"

News/Update:

• "[Feature name] is live (and it's pretty cool)"
• "What we learned from 1,000 [your users]"
• "We fixed the thing you complained about"

FOMO/Urgency (use sparingly):

• "24 hours left to [specific benefit]"
• "Only 50 spots remaining"

Testing tip: Write 3-5 subject lines for each email. Pick the one that makes you most curious to open it.

Body copy structure

Use your value propositions from the Story System to drive the message.

Ideal flow

1. Hook (first 1-2 sentences)

‍Start with your main point or benefit:

• "I noticed you haven't been back to [Product] in a week."
• "We just shipped something I'm excited to tell you about."
• "Quick question: what's the biggest challenge with [relevant problem]?"

2. Explanation (2-3 sentences)

‍Why this matters to them specifically:

• "Maybe you got busy, or maybe something wasn't working the way you expected."
• "This feature solves the #1 complaint we heard from users like you."
• "Here's why this matters for [their specific situation]."

3. Proof/Example (optional)

‍Show, don't just tell:

• "[Customer name] used this to [specific result]"
• "Early testers are saying [social proof quote]"
• "Users who do this are 3x more likely to [desired outcome]"

4. Call-to-Action

‍One clear next step:

• "Jump back in: [Login Link]"
• "Try [Feature]: [Link]"
• "Get the template: [Link]"

5. Formatting

It’s important to keep emails skimmable by using short lines and bolding important elements. Walls of text lose readers fast, especially on mobile.

Writing best practices

Keep it conversational:

• Write like you're helping a friend
• Use contractions (you're, we'll, it's)
• Ask questions to keep readers engaged

Structure for easy reading:

• Keep paragraphs 1-3 sentences max
• Use bullet points for lists
• Bold key benefits or numbers
• Add white space between sections

Cut unnecessary words:

‍❌ "We wanted to reach out and let you know about..."

✅ "We just launched..."

❌ "In order to help you succeed with..."

✅ "To help you..."

One clear purpose:

When in doubt, cut anything that doesn’t drive toward that single action.

Call-to-action best practices

Pull directly from your standard CTA language defined in the Story System.

One CTA per email:

‍Don't give people 5 different options. Pick one primary action and make it obvious.

Action-oriented language:

• "Start your trial" (not "Learn more")
• "Get the template" (not "Click here")
• "Try it now" (not "Visit our website")

Visual prominence:

• Use contrasting colors (if your email is mostly white, make CTA button blue/green)
• Make it big enough to tap on mobile
• Put it above the fold AND repeat at the bottom

CTA examples by email type:

• ‍Onboarding: "Complete your setup"
• ‍Win-back: "Log back in"
• ‍Feature announcement: "Try [feature name]"
• ‍Educational: "Get the guide"

Brand voice consistency

Every email should sound like your brand voice from the Story System. But, it’s also worth testing small shifts in tone (like more casual vs. more professional) and see which one gets better email engagement.

Voice consistency checklist:

• [ ]  Would someone recognize this as coming from your company?
• [ ]  Does the tone match your website and product?
• [ ]  Are you solving problems the way your brand would?
• [ ]  Does it sound like a real person wrote it?

Examples of brand voice in email:

Professional but friendly (B2B SaaS):

‍"Hi Sarah, I noticed you haven't logged into [Product] lately. Everything going okay? If there's something we can help with, just hit reply—I read every email."

Casual and direct (Consumer app):

‍"Hey! Miss us yet? 😉 It's been a week since you've opened [App], so we thought we'd check in."

Expert but approachable (Technical product):

‍"Quick technical update: We just shipped the API improvement you requested. Here's what changed and why it matters for your integration."

Remember: You already defined your value props, brand tone, and messaging in the Story System. Don't reinvent the wheel—just apply what you built.

Email design essentials

Keep it simple:

• Plain text or simple HTML templates work best
• Avoid image-heavy designs (they often go to spam)
• Make sure it looks good on mobile (60% of emails are opened on phones)
• Make sure it looks good in dark mode. The colors and contrast need to hold up.
• Keep font size at least 16px so text is easy to read on mobile.

Template structure:

• Header with your logo (optional)
• Clear subject line preview
• Body text in readable font (16px minimum)
• One prominent CTA button
• Footer with unsubscribe and address

Goal: Write 2-3 emails using your Story System as the foundation. Test them on yourself and a few team members first.