How to write emails that don't suck

About this video

A designer and founder discusses best practices for email marketing, emphasizing treating subscribers as people rather than targets. The speaker, who founded Really Good Emails and runs Fathom and Draft design studio, argues that most email fails because it doesn’t connect authentically with customers, and outlines specific tactics—from personalization to storytelling to thoughtful CTAs—that transform email from transactional to relational.

Key takeaways

• Understand what ‘sucks’ for your customers by talking to them directly and learning what job they’re hiring your product and emails to do, rather than relying on personas alone
• Build trust and intimacy in email through authentic voice, personalization (names, location, purchase history), vulnerability, and by treating communication as conversation with a friend rather than broadcasting to strangers
• Design emails for utility and mobile context with scannable headings, clear CTAs (one or two, not twenty-five), intentional links, and content valuable enough to justify the time customers spend reading—avoid screaming at subscribers when you could whisper to those eager to hear from you

Episode details: published January 25, 2018 · 1.9K views · 24:14 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The business ideas, figures and results discussed are the hosts’ and guests’ own claims, shared as brainstorming and entertainment — not verified facts and not investment advice.

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