Part of ✍️ SECTION 3: Real-World Copy Projects to Practice in AI Copywriting Business Crash Course (25-Part Series)
Because inboxes are crowded — but your voice doesn’t have to be.
So, You Wanna Write Emails That Don’t End Up in the Trash?
Let’s just say it out loud: nobody wakes up excited to check their email anymore. Not unless Beyoncé personally sent them something. Most people’s inboxes are just a war zone of discounts, updates, and “Hey, just circling back…”
But here’s the cool thing — when you do it right, email is still one of the most powerful, personal, and profitable tools in the digital copywriting toolkit.
And guess what? With a little help from AI, a splash of strategy, and your own spicy voice — you can write email newsletters and sequences that don’t just get opened… they actually get read. And clicked. And loved.
Whether you’re writing for your own business or for clients, let’s walk through the ins, the outs, the inbox-friendly secrets — and how AI can help you without turning your emails into robotic spam casserole.
📬 First: Let’s Talk About Why Email Still Matters
Quick story: I once had a client with 34 followers on Instagram and a mailing list of 237 people. Not exactly influencer territory, right?
And yet… one killer email (subject line: “We messed up. Here’s what we’re doing about it.”) got over $3,000 in sales in 24 hours.
The moral of the story? Your email list is your inner circle. It’s the warm crowd. It’s people who’ve already said, “Hey, I like what you’re doing. Let me hear more.” That’s gold.
No algorithm. No hashtags. Just a direct line from you to them.
Now let’s make that line sing.
🧠 Wait, What’s the Difference Between a Newsletter and a Sequence?
Good question.
A newsletter is:
- Ongoing
- Usually once a week (ish)
- Great for building trust, sharing tips, telling stories, or promoting stuff casually
Think: your digital pen pal, but with CTAs and an unsubscribe link.
An email sequence is:
- Automated
- Triggered by something (signing up, downloading a freebie, abandoning cart)
- Designed to guide people toward an action (like buying or booking)
It’s more like a conversation with a plan — you’re not just vibing; you’re leading somewhere.
🛠️ How AI Helps (And How It Doesn’t)
Let’s get this out of the way:
AI isn’t here to replace your brain.
It’s here to unstick you when you’re staring at a blank screen, and your coffee has betrayed you.
Here’s what AI can help with:
- Writing first drafts (newsletters, welcome sequences, sales flows, etc.)
- Rewriting bland lines into ✨something better✨
- Coming up with catchy subject lines
- Brainstorming story ideas or angles
But you still need to:
- Understand the reader
- Bring the emotional depth
- Inject your or your client’s brand voice
- Know when to toss what AI spits out and go rogue
✍️ How to Write a Newsletter with AI (That Sounds Like You)
Ready? Let’s walk through this with a pretend client (or your own brand — either works).
Let’s say you’re writing for a small handmade candle brand called Wax & Wane. They’re chill. A little witchy. They drop a new scent every month and have a loyal, scent-obsessed fanbase.
Step 1: Set the Scene
Before even touching AI, ask:
- Who’s getting this email?
- What do they care about right now?
- Why should they even bother opening it?
If it’s late October, and you’re dropping a “Pumpkin Moon Ritual” scent — you already know the vibe. Autumn lovers. Cozy girls. People who schedule their lives around lunar phases.
Step 2: Start with a Prompt
Here’s one to try:
“Write a friendly, slightly mystical email newsletter for a handmade candle brand announcing their new fall scent: Pumpkin Moon Ritual. Include a short story or mood, benefits of the candle, and a soft CTA.”
AI might give you something like:
“Autumn is in the air, and our latest scent is here to light your path…”
Cool. Now fix it. Make it sound like you.
Step 3: Add Your Voice
Maybe change it to:
“The leaves are crunching, Mercury’s kinda behaving, and we’re in full-on cozy mode. Our newest candle, Pumpkin Moon Ritual, smells like cinnamon-dusted magic and staying in.”
Then add a little story:
“We brewed this blend under a full moon (no joke), sipping chai and whispering intentions. It smells like fall. But it also smells like letting go. Of bad vibes. Of old playlists. Of that weird situationship you finally ghosted. Light it up.”
Boom. You’ve got a vibe. Add your CTA:
“Grab one before it vanishes with the leaves 🍂 →”
That’s it. Casual. Fun. Feels like a friend. AI helped you start, but you made it something real.
🔄 Sequences: The Automated Secret Weapon
Let’s say someone signs up for your client’s free eBook called “10 Easy Energy Hacks for Creative Burnout.”
Now you’ve gotta warm them up. Turn that “Hey” into “Here’s my money.” Gently.
Here’s a basic welcome sequence format you can tweak with AI:
Email 1: The Welcome Hug
“Hey, you found us! Here’s your freebie + a little intro to what we’re about.”
Prompt:
“Write a warm welcome email to a new subscriber who downloaded an eBook on creative burnout. Tone: kind, conversational, real.”
Email 2: The Value Bomb
“Hey, I know burnout’s real — here’s one quick tip to try today.”
Prompt:
“Write an email sharing a personal story about creative burnout and how one small shift helped. Include a gentle tip.”
Email 3: The Soft Pitch
“If you liked that, here’s how I can help more (without being weird).”
Prompt:
“Write a soft sales email offering a low-ticket workshop to help creatives manage burnout. Friendly tone. Empathy-driven.”
Email 4: The Nudge
“Last chance to grab this before it disappears…”
Prompt:
“Write a short, slightly cheeky email reminding the reader the burnout workshop closes soon. Use humor and urgency.”
Again — AI gives you the bones. You bring the heart. You trim the robotic bits. Add some slang. Maybe toss in a personal moment (“I cried into my planner last Tuesday — so you don’t have to.”)
That’s the difference between AI content and copy that lands.
😬 Mistakes I’ve Made (And You Can Now Avoid)
- Forgetting the human on the other side.
If your email reads like a press release, try again. - Overusing AI outputs without edits.
It’s tempting to copy/paste, but that’s how you end up with emails that feel like they were written by a toaster. - Too much, too soon.
Slow your roll. A welcome sequence isn’t a sales funnel speed run. - Trying to sound “professional.”
Just… sound like a human who gives a damn.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Use AI as Your Assistant, Not Your Author
You know what makes a newsletter great?
It’s not perfect grammar. It’s not clever wordplay. It’s honesty. It’s voice. It’s connection.
Your AI tool? It’s your brainstorming buddy. Your first-draft ghostwriter. Your “let me rewrite this five times until it feels right” partner.
But the magic — the actual connection — comes from you.
It comes from the messy stories. The moments you almost didn’t hit send. The weird little inside jokes and heart-on-sleeve truth bombs that remind your reader: Hey, I see you. I get it. Here’s something that might help.
That’s copy. That’s connection. That’s the real stuff.
💌 Want a Homework Challenge?
Pick a brand or idea. Could be your own. Could be your dream client. Then…
- Ask AI to write a welcome sequence (4 emails).
- Take the bones and rewrite each one with more heart, humor, and honesty.
- Read it out loud. If it sounds robotic, fix it. If it makes you smile, you’re close.
- Optional: send it to a friend and ask, “Would you read this all the way through?”
That’s how you learn. That’s how you grow.
And that’s how you become the go-to email writer with a lil’ AI spark and a whole lotta soul. 💥