5 Email Copywriting Tips Every Small Business Owner Needs (If You Want Emails That Actually Work)

You didn’t sign up to be a copywriter.

You signed up to help people heal — to actually do the work you love.

But at some point, you realized:
If you want clients, you’ve got to write to them.

That’s where things start to get weird.

The newsletters that were supposed to “book you clients” just… sit there.

Open rates are low. No one clicks. You start wondering if anyone’s even reading them.

The truth?

You’re probably missing a few foundational pieces that make an email work. And work well.

Let’s fix that.

Here are the five things every great marketing email needs — and how to make sure yours has them.

1. Every great marketing email has a clear category or purpose

Every email should have a purpose before your fingers even touch the keyboard.

Think of it like this — if your email were a movie, what genre would it be?

The three main categories to think about:

• Storytelling: you’re building connection through a relatable story or moment.

• Advice/Education: you’re sharing tips or insight that position you as the go-to expert.

• Lead Generation: you’re guiding your reader toward your offer, program, or service — usually by highlighting a testimonial or case study.

If you start writing without knowing which category you’re in, your message ends up fuzzy — kind of like mixing a rom-com with a horror movie.

It just won’t work that well.

Pro tip: before you write, say this out loud — “This email’s goal is to ____.”

If you can’t fill in that blank clearly, pause until you can.

2. Follow a proven email writing framework or rhythm

Structure doesn’t make your writing stiff — it makes it effective.

Think of your favorite songs. They all follow a rhythm that makes them easy to remember. Your emails need that same rhythm.

Some tried-and-true email copywriting frameworks:

• Storytelling: Desire → Conflict → Transformation → CTA

• Authority: Idea → Example → Proof (testimonial) → CTA

Using a framework helps your writing flow instead of rambling.

It gives your readers that satisfying “ah, this makes sense” feeling — which means they’re more likely to keep reading (and click).

3. Speak to a pain point or desire

People don’t open your emails for fun. They open them because something in them wants or hurts.

Your job is to tap into that emotion — gently, honestly, and clearly.

Pain and desire don’t always have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s:

• Wanting to feel seen or understood

• Wanting to stop wasting time

• Wanting to finally feel confident doing X

• Or simply wanting someone to get their struggle

Even your storytelling emails should touch on something your reader recognizes in themselves.

Example:

If your audience typically has trouble losing weight naturally, you can pull upon this problem and solve it through your email, like:

“3 tips to lose weight naturally (without fad dieting).”

When in doubt, ask yourself:
“How can I emotionally connect to my audience?”

That question will keep your writing human — and effective.

4. How to write a good email CTA that drives clicks

Every email needs a next step.

Otherwise, your reader just nods, smiles, and moves on with their day — and all your effort dies in their inbox.

Your CTA (call to action) doesn’t have to scream “BUY NOW!” It just needs to direct your reader’s energy somewhere.

Examples:

• “Hit reply and tell me your biggest struggle with ___.”

• “Book a discovery call.”

• “Read the full post here.”

• “Grab your free guide.”

Clarity > cleverness. All day.

One strong, obvious CTA beats three cute but confusing ones.

Pro tip: if your reader can’t answer “what do I do next?” in two seconds, your CTA needs tightening.

5. Keep every email focused on one message for higher conversions

Most emails fail not because they’re bad, but because they’re trying to do too much.

One email, one message. That’s the rule.

Don’t try to teach everything you know about your topic in one go. Pick one idea, one takeaway, one emotion — and build around that.

If your reader can summarize your email in one sentence, you nailed it.

If they can’t, it’s probably time to simplify.

Remember: focus = clarity = conversion.

Pro tip: Whatever your main idea is… tie it into your hook (aka subject line). That’s what makes readers open in the first place.

Final Thoughts

Writing great emails isn’t about being a copy genius; it’s about understanding people.

When you build your emails around these five principles — purpose, structure, emotion, clarity, and action — they don’t just sound good. They work.

And when your emails work, your business does too.

And that’s exactly what I want for you!

If this still sounds like way too much work for you, I’d love to work with you.

Writing emails is kinda my thing. So, let’s chat 👇🏼