| name | email-copy |
| description | Write marketing emails: subject lines, body copy, CTAs, personalization, A/B test variants, and compliance (CAN-SPAM/GDPR). TRIGGER when: user says /email-copy, "write an email", "email campaign", "marketing email", "newsletter copy", "drip sequence".
|
| argument-hint | [email purpose, e.g. 'product launch announcement' or 'abandoned cart recovery'] |
| user-invocable | true |
Email Copy
Write high-converting marketing emails with optimized subject lines, body copy, CTAs, personalization tokens, A/B test variants, and full regulatory compliance. Supports one-off sends, drip sequences, and triggered emails.
Process
Step 1 — Define Email Purpose and Context
Clarify the strategic context before writing a single word.
| Input | Question | Why It Matters |
|---|
| Email type | What kind of email? | Determines structure, tone, and length |
| Goal | What should the reader do? | Shapes the CTA and copy hierarchy |
| Audience | Who is receiving this? | Drives tone, personalization, and content |
| Sending context | Cold list, warm subscribers, triggered by action? | Affects open rate assumptions and copy approach |
| Brand voice | Formal, casual, playful, authoritative? | Ensures consistency |
| Key offer/message | What is the core value proposition? | Becomes the headline and hook |
Common email types and their characteristics:
| Email Type | Primary Goal | Typical Length | Tone |
|---|
| Welcome email | Onboard, set expectations | 150-250 words | Warm, helpful |
| Product launch | Drive awareness and action | 200-400 words | Excited, confident |
| Newsletter | Inform, engage, retain | 300-600 words | Conversational |
| Promotional / Sale | Drive purchases | 100-200 words | Urgent, benefit-focused |
| Abandoned cart | Recover lost conversion | 100-150 words | Helpful, low-pressure |
| Re-engagement | Win back inactive users | 100-200 words | Personal, curious |
| Event invitation | Drive registrations | 150-250 words | Professional, compelling |
| Case study / story | Build trust, nurture | 200-400 words | Narrative, proof-oriented |
| Transactional (receipt, confirm) | Inform, reduce support | 50-150 words | Clear, factual |
Step 2 — Write Subject Lines
The subject line determines whether the email gets opened. Produce 5-8 variants across different psychological approaches.
| Approach | Example | When to Use |
|---|
| Benefit-driven | "Cut your onboarding time by 60%" | When you have a clear, quantifiable benefit |
| Curiosity gap | "The one metric most teams ignore" | Newsletters, thought leadership |
| Urgency / scarcity | "Last chance: early-bird pricing ends tonight" | Promotions, events with deadlines |
| Personalized | "{{first_name}}, your Q3 content plan is ready" | Triggered emails, high-value segments |
| Question | "Is your checkout flow losing you customers?" | Problem-aware audiences |
| Social proof | "Why 2,000+ teams switched this quarter" | Consideration-stage prospects |
| How-to | "How to write proposals that close in 3 days" | Educational content, lead nurture |
| Announcement | "Introducing: AI-powered campaign planner" | Product launches, feature releases |
Subject line rules:
- Length: 30-50 characters for mobile-first (6-10 words)
- Preview text: Write complementary preview text (40-90 characters) — it is NOT a repeat of the subject line
- Avoid: ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation (!!!), spam trigger words (free, guarantee, act now) unless contextually appropriate
- Emoji: Use sparingly (0-1) and only if it matches brand voice
Step 3 — Write Body Copy
Structure the email body using this hierarchy:
1. Hook (first 1-2 sentences) — connect to a pain point, desire, or context
2. Value / Story (2-4 sentences) — deliver the core message or narrative
3. Proof (1-2 sentences) — data point, testimonial, or social proof
4. CTA (1 sentence + button) — clear, single action
5. PS line (optional) — secondary CTA or urgency reinforcement
Copy principles:
| Principle | Guideline |
|---|
| One email = one goal | Do not split attention across multiple CTAs unless it is a newsletter |
| Write for scanners | Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences), bold key phrases, use whitespace |
| Second person | "You" focused, not "We are excited to announce" |
| Specific > vague | "Save 4 hours/week" beats "Save time" |
| Active voice | "Download the guide" not "The guide can be downloaded" |
| Mobile-first | 600px max width, 14-16px body font, tappable CTA button (44x44px min) |
| Plain text version | Always provide a plain-text alternative for deliverability |
Step 4 — Craft the CTA
| CTA Type | Button Text Examples | Best For |
|---|
| Direct action | "Start free trial", "Download the report" | Conversion-focused |
| Low commitment | "See how it works", "Learn more" | Awareness, top-of-funnel |
| Urgency | "Claim your spot", "Get early access" | Limited offers, events |
| Personal | "Build my plan", "Show me my results" | Personalized experiences |
| Social | "Join 5,000+ marketers", "See what others built" | Community, social proof |
CTA rules:
- One primary CTA per email (can repeat the same CTA 2-3 times in longer emails)
- Button text: 2-5 words, starts with a verb
- Place the primary CTA above the fold AND at the end
- Use contrasting button color
- Link the CTA to a dedicated landing page, not a homepage
Step 5 — Add Personalization
| Personalization Level | Example | Data Required |
|---|
| Basic | "Hi {{first_name}}," | First name |
| Contextual | "Since you downloaded our SEO guide..." | Behavioral data |
| Segment-based | Different copy blocks for different industries | Segment tags |
| Dynamic content | Product recommendations based on browsing history | Product/behavioral data |
| Send-time optimization | Deliver at each recipient's optimal open time | Engagement history |
Always include fallback values: {{first_name | "there"}} so emails don't render as "Hi ," for contacts with missing data.
Step 6 — Create A/B Test Variants
Produce at least two testable variants. Only test one variable at a time.
| Test Variable | Variant A | Variant B | Minimum Sample Size |
|---|
| Subject line | Benefit-driven | Curiosity-driven | 1,000+ per variant |
| CTA text | "Start free trial" | "See it in action" | 1,000+ per variant |
| Email length | Short (100 words) | Long (300 words) | 1,000+ per variant |
| Personalization | With first name | Without first name | 1,000+ per variant |
| Send time | Tuesday 10am | Thursday 2pm | 1,000+ per variant |
| Sender name | Company name | Person's name | 1,000+ per variant |
Recommend the user test subject lines first (highest impact on open rate), then CTAs (highest impact on click rate).
Step 7 — Ensure Compliance
Every marketing email must comply with applicable regulations.
| Requirement | CAN-SPAM (US) | GDPR (EU) | CASL (Canada) |
|---|
| Consent | Opt-out (can send without prior consent) | Opt-in required (explicit consent) | Opt-in required (express or implied) |
| Unsubscribe | Must include, honor within 10 business days | Must include, honor without delay | Must include, honor within 10 business days |
| Sender identity | Accurate "From" name and reply address | Identify the data controller | Identify the sender |
| Physical address | Must include valid postal address | Not explicitly required but recommended | Must include valid postal address |
| Subject line | Must not be deceptive | Must not be deceptive | Must not be deceptive |
| Data rights | N/A | Right to access, rectify, delete, port data | Right to withdraw consent |
Compliance checklist for every email:
Output Format
Deliver the email copy as follows:
EMAIL: [Email name / campaign name]
TYPE: [Welcome / Promotional / Newsletter / etc.]
AUDIENCE: [Segment description]
GOAL: [Primary action desired]
SUBJECT LINE OPTIONS:
1. [Subject line] | Preview: [preview text]
2. [Subject line] | Preview: [preview text]
3. [Subject line] | Preview: [preview text]
4. [Subject line] | Preview: [preview text]
5. [Subject line] | Preview: [preview text]
A/B TEST RECOMMENDATION: Test subjects #X vs #Y — [rationale]
---
FROM: [Sender name] <[email]>
SUBJECT: [Recommended subject]
PREVIEW: [Preview text]
[Full HTML-ready body copy with formatting notes]
---
CTA: [Button text] → [Landing page URL or description]
PERSONALIZATION TOKENS USED:
- {{first_name}} — fallback: "there"
- [any others]
COMPLIANCE FOOTER:
[Unsubscribe link, postal address, privacy policy link]
PLAIN TEXT VERSION:
[Full plain-text alternative]
A/B VARIANT:
[Variant B copy with the tested variable changed]
Quality Checklist
Edge Cases
- Cold outreach (not marketing email): Note that cold emails have different legal requirements. CAN-SPAM still applies, but GDPR requires legitimate interest basis. Recommend keeping cold emails very short (50-100 words) and highly personalized.
- Drip sequence (multi-email): Produce all emails in the sequence with clear trigger conditions, wait times between sends, and exit conditions. Ensure the narrative progresses across emails.
- Re-engagement to inactive list: Warn that sending to a cold list risks deliverability. Recommend a small test batch first. Use a "We miss you" or "Should we remove you?" angle to get an explicit signal.
- No brand voice defined: Default to professional and conversational. Flag the assumption and recommend the user establish brand voice guidelines.
- Multiple CTAs required (e.g., newsletter): Use a clear visual hierarchy — one primary CTA, others as text links. Do not make every section equal weight.
- Highly regulated product (financial services, healthcare): Add a disclaimer review step. Flag that specific claims may need legal review. Avoid guarantees or specific outcome promises.
- Very small list (< 500 contacts): A/B testing is not statistically reliable. Recommend sending the best single version and testing subject lines when the list grows.
- Transactional email that includes marketing: Note that mixing transactional and marketing content may change the regulatory classification. Keep marketing content minimal and clearly separated.
