How to Make an Email Template Your Own, So It Appeals to Your Audience

This blog post was originally written in 2019. It has been updated to include new information about email templates and artificial intelligence, as well as a few other things.

I have a love-hate relationship with email templates.

Any kind of template, really.

They bug the crap out of me as a professional copywriter.

Is it because I’m snobbish and think everyone should write their own copy?

No.

Far from it.

Email Templates Are Not Evil

In fact, many email templates out there are well-written and can bring in great results when used appropriately.

There’s the key phrase…

Used appropriately.

I stress this, because I see so many people put out excellent templates, only to have them abused by the people who adopt them.

What do I mean by “abused?”

I’m talking about the people who fill in the “blanks” in a template, changing nothing else, giving no indication of their company personality, products and services (beyond the requisite blanks), or audience appeal, then expect the template to convert at 100%.

That will never happen!

That wouldn’t even happen if you were marketing a product exactly like the one the person you bought the template from was selling.

Why?

Because you’re not that person!

You’re you! You’re selling your products or services through your business and you need to make this template fit who you are!

Yes, I am using bold typeface deliberately here.

In my opinion, the worst thing about email templates is the idea that anyone can use them, just the way they are.

Instead, they should be used as a framework for your emails.

Why am I so specific about this?

Because that’s what templates are.

A framework for you to build your own words around.

They’re not meant to be used, word for exact word.

You wouldn’t sound like you. You’d sound like whoever wrote the template.

And that won’t appeal to your audience, who are used to hearing from you.

They’ll wonder why you sound so weird. Why you no longer sound like your authentic self. And it can impact their decision to buy from you.

An Interesting Conversation About Templates

You may have heard of Stu McLaren.

Stu is famous for various enterprises, including WishList Member and helping Michael Hyatt create Platform University.

He’s also the founder of TRIBE, a community for people who offer memberships in any number of niches.

Within his TRIBE framework, Stu used to offer something called the Copy Creator.

Stu has a bunch of templates he’s created for himself over the years, so he could repeat whatever framework he created for his own promotions.

He put these templates into an automatic template system where you could literally fill in the blanks – Mad Libs style – and have it spit out a “perfect” copy script for you.

In 2019, I attended TRIBE Live – Stu’s membership conference.

Conferences are loud, noisy, overwhelming affairs, under the best of circumstances. It’s just their nature. I have found this to be true, regardless of the conference, the subject or the venue.

At one point, I found a large, comfy chair in the lobby of the conference hall and sat to try to find a bit of respite in the sea of humanity and excitement swirling around me.

An older gentleman walked up to me and started a conversation, commenting on the general chaos and my chosen seat of quiet within it. We chatted for a bit, until it came up that I am a copywriter.

That brought about the subject of the Copy Creator and how to use it. He commented that he really liked the Copy Creator, but what was there just didn’t fit the feel of what he was offering for his own membership. (I believe he was a therapist of some sort. It was definitely something on a much more individual level than a marketing membership or conference.)

I said that I also really like the Copy Creator and I think it provides an excellent structure for every template it offers.

But that’s how you have to take it. As a structure.

If you use it, word for word, you won’t sound like ‘you,’ you’ll sound like Stu.

Please understand. Stu is awesome! He’s really good at what he does.

But he’s not you. He’s not offering what you have. And if you don’t customize each of his templates to fit what you’re offering, it will turn people off and lose you new members.

This fellow appreciated what I had to say. He was feeling the same way and I think he needed someone “professional” to validate what he was feeling.

For my part, I’m glad other people feel the same way about templates. Templates of all kinds, email templates, sales page templates, lead magnet templates, they’re all excellent starting points.

Most of them will put you light years ahead of starting with good advice and a blank page.

Unless all you do is fill in the blanks, put it out into the wild and expect it to work.

A Quick Word About Using AI for Email Writing

A lot has changed since I originally wrote this post in 2019. At that time, the idea of using artificial intelligence to write anything was just emerging and candidly, it was lousy.

Now, AI platforms like ChatGPT are everywhere and they’re being added to just about every platform I use in one form or another. The robots are taking over. Depending on how you look at this, it can be good, or bad.

On the good side, it speeds up everyday tasks and does a decent job of spitting out words at about the same proficiency as the average high school student.

On the bad side, many people are taking the text AI spits out and using it verbatim without bothering to check facts or alter the text so it sounds more like the person claiming to have written it and less like the over-active chatbot that actually did the work.

That’s what AI text-generating platforms are, by the way, chatbots. They’re built on the same technology and while they’re trained on billions of data points, they’re very much still at the “autocomplete on steroids” stage of being able to coherently string words and sentences together.

They’re not bad at it, but as I said in a past post about ai email marketing, “computers don’t know how to human yet.”

Until they do, I would never use exactly what they spit out without a LOT of editing.

I mention this because AI platforms are now generating a lot of marketing copy, including emails. And if you don’t train the AI by giving it very specific prompts and information, you’re essentially using a very fancy generic template. And that’s exactly what your email will sound like.

Fortunately, you have options.

How to Take An Email Template and Make It Your Own

With all this chatter about email templates, I will confess, I offer a set of my own.

As one of my lead magnets, I have an email welcome sequence template that I currently give to folks who share my blog posts on Facebook or LinkedIn.

This is the sequence a new subscriber would receive after they opt into your lead magnet.

Since I have these sitting around, I figured I should demonstrate how to take a set of email templates, like mine, and customize them so they resonate with your audience and sell your product or service.

But first, some general advice on working with any template, email or otherwise.

6 Important Tips on How to Customize a Template for Your Business

Tip #1: Use Your Own Voice

Seriously. If you do nothing else, do this!

You are not Stu McLaren, me, or anyone else who puts copy templates out there.

You are you.

People are interested in who you are and what you have to offer. They were drawn to you because you have a solution to a problem they’re having and they want to find out more about that solution, to see if it will work for them.

You be you.

As trite as that may sound, it is the most important and authentic thing you can do in your copy, whether you write it yourself or adapt it from a template.

You’ll get better results, more people will get excited about what you have to say, and you’ll get more customers raising their hands and saying, “Yes! That’s me. I want what you’re talking about.”

Tip #2: Answer Your Prospect’s Primary Question – “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIMF)

I know, I go on ad nauseum about this on this blog and in my emails.

That’s because it is so important!

This is the question that every consumer, everywhere in the world asks, when faced with any sort of conversion scenario, whether it’s giving their email address or handing over their hard-earned cash.

When you answer it upfront, they’re more likely to keep reading and decide that what you’re offering is a good idea.

Tip #3: Use Benefits-Driven Language

I wrote an entire blog post about this. I recommend reviewing it now.

Here’s the short version:

• State the feature of your product or service. What it is or what it actually does.
• Talk about how your potential customer will benefit immediately from this feature.
• Talk about the “deeper” or long-term benefits they will receive from this feature.

For example: If you customize my email templates as a welcome sequence for your business, you’ll reduce the amount of time you’ll spend writing these emails by half and you’ll have an excellent welcome sequence that will make your new subscribers feel like part of your community and prime them for future purchases.

The feature is the email templates as a welcome sequence.

The immediate benefit is the fact that you’ll spend less time writing emails.

The deeper or long-term benefit is that this welcome sequence will make your new subscribers feel like part of your community and prime them for future purchases.

See?

Easy-peasy.

Tip #4 Address Your Reader Directly in the “Second Person”

You’ll notice that throughout this blog post, I’ve addressed you directly by using “you.”

This is deliberate. I want this to feel like a conversation between us. Even though you’re reading this after I’ve been up late, slaving over the perfect words to make you understand how important all of this is.

Anyway, back to you. Like, the actual word, “you.”

This is writing in the second person.

If you’re “of a certain age” like me, you may remember the Choose Your Own Adventure” books. They were all written in the second person. “You open the door.” “You pick up the sword.” “You push the button.”

The point is to make you feel like you’re part of the story.

I’m doing the same thing in this blog post by addressing you directly. I’m bringing you into the story.

You need to do the same thing for your potential customers. Talk to them directly. Make them feel like you’re having a personal conversation with them, even though they’re reading an email.

Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

Tip #5: It’s Not About You or Your Product or Service, It’s About Your Potential Customer

This is one of the biggest mistakes most business owners make. They talk about themselves, their companies, their products and services as though those are the only things that matter.

Those things don’t matter at all.

Why?

Please re-read Tip #2.

It’s not about you.

It’s about your potential customer and the question they’re asking, “What’s In It For Me?”

Focus on answering this question and you’ll be just fine.

There will be plenty of time to talk about your products and services.

And you’ll frame that in terms of that “What’s In It For Me” question.

Tip #6: Use Emotional Triggers

We are all emotional creatures. Especially when it comes to making decisions.

If you’re grumbling to yourself that you always make decisions based on logic, I’ll let you keep deluding yourself for now.

Here’s the truth. We all make decisions based on emotions, then rationalize those decisions to ourselves with logic.

What’s more, every good marketer knows this and plays on this fact.

You should be doing the same thing.

Empathize with your subscriber:

• I was once in your shoes.
• I know how you feel.
• I totally get it.

Show that you’ve been where they are now and have overcome the odds to find success.

• Once I figured out XYZ, I was able to turn everything around.
• It took me a lot of trial and error, but I finally figured it out, and now I want to share that with you, so you don’t make the same mistakes.

All of these phrases play on your readers’ emotions.

Why?

Because it works.

And it persuades your reader to take the action you’re asking them to take, whether it’s exchanging their email address for your lead magnet or buying your product or service.

Customizing My Email Templates for Your Business

First, I should let you know that this set of email welcome series templates is based on the structure Ryan Deiss of Digital Marketer recommends in his book, Invisible Selling Machine.

(See, everyone has an email template. It’s all in how you use them.)

Every recommendation I give above in the Tips section and here in the customization section can be applied to any email template, sales letter template, web page template, or whatever other templates you come across.

The important thing is to make it your own.

As a musician, I live by this rule when doing covers. I am not Van Morrison. However, I do sing Moondance. But it’s my version of Moondance, not his. People appreciate them both and enjoy my version just as much.

Take this and make a version your people will enjoy, appreciate and respond to.

Now then…

This is a basic 3-email welcome sequence.

The first email is sent as soon as someone opts into your lead magnet and is used to introduce you and your company.

The second email is sent the next day and gives your new subscriber useful information that relates to your lead magnet.

The third email in this sequence is sent on the third day and makes an offer. If you don’t have anything to offer yet, you don’t have to send this email. Or you can adjust it to get people excited about a future offer you know you’re going to make and have them join your waiting list.

Here is the key to following the templates below.

Everything in italics is the email text.

If it’s in bolded italics, replace it with your own information.

If it’s in regular font, it’s instructions.

(If it’s in regular font and inside parenthesis, it’s commentary from me. Read it, follow it, implement it.)

This first email template pretty much is just plug and play. (I know after everything I just said, how dare I?) I do recommend you make sure everything in each of these emails follows your phrasing instead of mine and “feels” like it’s from you.

Email Template #1

Email 1: Send immediately after a new subscriber opts into your email list

Subject line: Thanks for downloading name of your lead magnet – Here’s what’s next

Preview text: Here’s how you get name of your lead magnet and what to expect from me.

(Most ESPs and CRMs offer a place in their email systems to add preview text. It’s that bit of text you see in your inbox listing after the subject line. If you don’t add something here, you’ll see, “Hi there, blah blah blah” or some sort of technical text your ESP or CRM may insert for you.)

Welcome!

(If you want to add their name here, you can do that via your ESP or CRM’s fields. You did just ask them to give it to you, after all.)

Thanks so much for downloading name of your lead magnet. If you haven’t downloaded it already, click here to do it now.

Highlight “click here to do it now” right click or command click on the text, choose “hyperlink” and insert link to your lead magnet.

(Depending on the system you use, you may also be sending them a separate email with the link to the download. If this is the case, add “Another email with the link should have shown up in your inbox by now” instead of the “if you haven’t downloaded it already, click here to do it now” sentence.)

I’m very happy to welcome you to my community. 

(If you would prefer to say, “Welcome to the family” or “Welcome to my tribe,” or whatever feels appropriate, please do so. This is where you make it yours.)

You’ll receive emails from me over the next few days. Then you’ll get updates on what I’m doing and offers from me on name of product(s)/service(s) (State how often they’ll receive updates, every day, once a week, once a month, etc.) Please make sure you whitelist youremail@yourdomain.com so you don’t miss out.

(This bit is really important. You want to make it absolutely clear how often they’ll hear from you. You’re training them in advance to expect emails from you. Once you make this promise, you have to stick to it, so decide on a cadence you can keep up with.

Also, if you plan on sending blog posts or informational emails, include that in the list of what you’ll send.

And replace that fake email address with the one you use in your ESP or CRM.)

I’d love to stay in touch on social media as well. 

Click here to follow me on Facebook. Highlight “Click here to follow me on Facebook” right click or command click on the text, choose “hyperlink” and insert link to your Facebook business page.

Click here to follow me on Twitter. Highlight “Click here to follow me on Twitter” right click or command click on the text, choose “hyperlink” and insert link to your Twitter business account.

(Add any other social media platforms you use for your business following the formula and instructions above.)

(This comes straight out of the Invisible Selling Machine playbook. It’s based on the theory some pick-up artists use to familiarize themselves with women while in bars. They take these women to different places in the bar to make moving around with them “normal.”

I know, it seems a bit sleazy, but here, you’re asking someone to make “micro-commitments” by connecting with you on social media. Nowhere near as sleazy and a good way to make sure you stay in touch.)

Thanks so much and please keep a look out for my email tomorrow. There’s something special in there for you.

(Here, you’re prepping your new subscriber to expect an email from you the next day. You’ll use a blog post you’ve written, or if you don’t have one, something someone else has written. The point is, you’re giving them useful information and making yourself trustworthy.)

Talk to you soon,

Your Name 
Your Salutation

(BTW, salutation can be as simple as a link to your website or as complicated as your full contact information, a quote, poem or saying. It’s up to you.)

Email Template #2

Email 2: Send the next day

Subject line: Something special for you

Preview text: Here’s what I promised in yesterday’s email.

Hi again,

As I promised yesterday, I have a little something special for you.

Since you’re interested in name of your lead magnet, I figured you’d also be interested in blog post or article from your website. 

(This is where you link to a blog post that you have written, or that you recommend to your readers. It needs to connect to the subject of your lead magnet is, so you’re giving them a reason to trust you and appreciate what you’re giving them.

For example, the lead magnet I normally offer that leads to these templates is 3 free tools to start and grow your email list. My email would look like this:

Since you downloaded my 3 Free Tools to Start and Grow Your Email List, I figured you’d also be interested in this blog post about How to Make an Email Template Your Own, So It Appeals to Your Audience link to this blog post)

This blog post or article explains subject of blog post or article and how it relates to your lead magnet. I wanted you to have this so you’ve got more information to work with as you make a decision about/work on/think about topic related to lead magnet.

(To continue my example: This blog post explains exactly how to take an email template and customize it so it resonates with your audience. That way, you’re speaking in your own, authentic voice, even though you used a template to get started. In fact, I include a set of email templates in the post to help you welcome new subscribers to your list.

I wanted you to have this information now, so you can get started building your email list right away.)

I hope this helps.

Tomorrow, I want to tell you about a new thing we’ve got going on. I’m pretty excited about it.

Talk to you again soon,

Your Name

Your Salutation

Email Template #3

(As mentioned before, if you don’t have something to sell right now, or you don’t want to sell right away, you can opt not to send this email, or you can turn this into a link for the waitlist for whatever new product or service you have coming up.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you keep up a regular email cadence after this, so your subscribers don’t forget who you are and look forward to receiving your emails in the future.)

Email 3: Send the next day

Subject line: I want you to be one of the first to know

Preview text: I mentioned this in yesterday’s email. Open up to find out all about it!

I want to let you know about a very special offer we have going on right now.

It’s exclusively for new customers, which means you’re eligible.

Outline new customer offer. Product or service should relate to lead magnet. Describe the product or service and explain the benefits your new potential customer will get from the product or service. Ex: This revolutionary hairbrush will make your hair shine and stimulate the follicles so your hair grows faster and stronger.

(This is where you add detailed information on your product or service. If you have a sales page set up, I recommend linking to it in this section. If you’re sending people to a waiting list, link to that page instead. Remember, use benefits driven language, answer the WIIFM question and make it all about your potential customer, not about you, your company or your product or service.

Here are a couple of examples for you, the first is for a made-up product I don’t sell.

“Since you downloaded ‘3 Simple Steps to Healthy, Shiny, Gorgeous Hair,’ I’m guessing that your hair is very important to you. If you’re like me, it’s your ‘one vanity,’ the physical appearance you spend the most money on.

I get this. I do the same thing.

I want to introduce you to the Healthy Hairbrush. It’s designed to slide smoothly through your hair and not break the ends. The ionic charge from the handle reduces static and keeps the “flyaway bits” tamed down so your mane looks sleek and stunning, with not a hair out of place.

Normally, we sell this amazing hairbrush for $XX.XX…”

The second example is for a waitlist page for an email list-building course I’ll be offering soon.

“Your email list is one of your business’s most valuable assets. Some would say the most valuable asset. If it’s not growing, your business isn’t growing. You can’t afford to let your email list languish, hoping people will opt-in every once in a while. You need a robust plan to boost your numbers and keep your subscribers engaged, happy, and buying your products or services.

In the next couple of months, I’ll be offering a special workshop designed to help you get that boost in subscribers and show you how to keep them engaged with your content and clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button. If you’d like to be one of the first to know when this workshop is offered, please tell me you’re interested by joining my waitlist.”

For those of you who are wondering, yes, this link goes to a waitlist page for my course. Go check it out if you want to see an example of that too. )

You can get this right now for just (insert price). 

But this is the only time I’ll offer it at this special, new customer price. 

You have insert deadline of 3-5 days to take advantage of this. After that, I’ll have to take your name off the eligible list.

Don’t miss out.

If online

Click here to learn more. Link to sales page for product Use the coupon code Insert coupon code to get your special discount.

(Yes, it’s incredibly common to link to a sales page more than once in an email. 3 times is pretty common. I’ve seen up to 5, but I think that’s excessive, personally.)

If brick and mortar

Print out this email and bring it into our store at Insert store address to get your new customer discount. If you do popup shows or art shows, link to a list of your upcoming shows and offer the product or service at the show.

I hope to hear from you/see you soon,

Your Name

Your Salutation

Make These Email Templates Your Own

These templates are deliberately general.

I have no earthly idea what you do, what you sell, who you are and who you’re writing to.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the basic structure I’ve given you here and customize it to make these email templates your own.

Use your own sense of humor. Talk in your own voice. Appeal to your own audience.

Have fun! Be creative. You can probably do everything you need to do to these email templates with the techniques in this blog post, minor tweaks to the copy and your own basic information.

I’ve gotten you partway there. It’s up to you to bring everything together.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a clean copy of these email templates, without all of my silly commentary, for your own use.

Click on the button below to get your copy of these Email Welcome Sequence Templates and transform them into the things of beauty that will make your audience want to say “Yes!