Learn how to write emails that people actually read. Practical tips for solopreneurs to craft engaging, value-packed messages that build trust and drive results.
Your emails aren’t just messages — they’re conversations. Focus on clarity, value, and storytelling, and you’ll turn subscribers into engaged readers who trust you, without feeling like a pushy salesperson.
Email marketing can feel like shouting into the void. You write something carefully, hit send, and… crickets. But the reason people don’t read your emails usually isn’t the tool — it’s the writing itself. If your emails feel like generic corporate fluff, your audience will ignore them.
The secret? Treat each email like a mini-conversation. Write to a single person, solve a problem, and leave them with something useful or inspiring.
Step 1: Start with the subject line
Your subject line is the first impression — the difference between being opened or ignored. Keep it:
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Specific: “How I doubled my email list in 30 days” beats “Grow your email list.”
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Curious, but truthful: Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
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Brief: 5–8 words often work better than long sentences.
Even a simple platform like Kit makes it easy to A/B test subject lines and see what resonates with your audience.
Step 2: Write to one person
Instead of imagining your email going to thousands of people, picture a single reader sitting at their desk. Ask:
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What do they need right now?
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What’s their pain point?
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How can I help them today?
This approach keeps your voice natural and relatable. Even automated emails from Systeme.io can feel personal if written this way.
Step 3: Lead with value
Nobody reads emails for the sake of reading. Give them something useful upfront:
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A tip or shortcut
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A link to a free resource
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A quick story that makes a point
For example, if you sell a digital course on productivity, your first email could be:
“Here’s a simple 10-minute routine that helps me stay focused — no fancy apps needed.”
This builds trust and establishes that your emails are worth opening.
Step 4: Keep paragraphs short
Long walls of text are intimidating. Break ideas into 2–4 sentence chunks. Use whitespace to make scanning easy. Your reader should feel like they’re having a conversation, not reading a textbook.
Step 5: Close with clarity
Every email should have one main action. Don’t bury the goal under a bunch of other messages. For example:
“If you want the full 5-step guide, click here to download it.”
Even if you’re not “selling” in every email, you can guide readers toward a next step naturally.
Step 6: Test and adapt
Writing emails that get read isn’t a one-time effort. Track open rates, click-throughs, and replies. Tools like Drip or ActiveCampaign let you see which emails land and which don’t, so you can iterate.
Small tweaks — a different subject line, a rearranged paragraph, or a new story — can make a huge difference.
Real-world example
A solopreneur using Kit noticed her emails were barely opening. She rewrote her sequence as if she were talking to a friend — sharing daily struggles and practical tips. Open rates jumped from 20% to 42%, and engagement increased across the board. The lesson: clarity and empathy always beat fancy formatting or “marketing speak.”
Key takeaways
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Write to one person, not a crowd.
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Give value first, even before you pitch.
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Keep subject lines short, paragraphs shorter.
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Have one clear action per email.
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Test, iterate, and adapt — reading habits change, and so should your approach.
When your emails read like a conversation, people will not only open them — they’ll look forward to them. And that’s the foundation of trust, engagement, and revenue growth.
