Email Marketing Isn’t Boring, You Are
Your emails aren’t underperforming because the channel is dead. They’re underperforming because you sound like a transactional receipt.
“If your emails sound like a transactional receipt, your customers will treat them like one.”
Most DTC founders treat email like a checkbox. Welcome discount? Sent. Sale alert? Sent. Tracking update? Sent.
But no one’s clicking. No one’s replying. And repeat orders? Nowhere in sight.
The problem isn’t the channel. It’s the lack of soul. Let’s fix that.
A Real Turnaround Story
Jamie runs a smart-casual menswear label in the UK. His brand is tight — think crisp Oxford shirts and clean branding. His Instagram is strong, Meta Ads are scaling decently, and influencers are tagging him. But email? Flat.
Subject lines like:
“January Offers Inside”
“Your New Favourite Shirt Is Here”
“Final Call: 10% Off Ends Tonight”
Metrics?
Open rates: 17%
Clicks: 0.8%
Replies: 0
Repeat orders: weak
Then one email changes everything.
Subject Line:
“The 5 Shirts That’ll Make You Regret Laundry Day”
Instead of another dry promo, Jamie sends a punchy, personality-driven campaign.
The email features five products — each described with wit and voice. A scrollable layout, product shots, and copy that sounds like a friend, not a brochure.
The results?
2.4x higher click-through rate
Customers replied
Spike in repeat purchases
Lesson: Email isn’t boring. You’re just not using it right.
Common Email Crimes
Using the same tone as your product tag
Nobody wants to read “Premium heritage cotton” in an inbox. It’s not a label. It’s an opportunity to connect.Being afraid of humour
If you’re a DTC brand that wants loyalty, you can’t afford to sound like your bank. Be brave with your tone.Treating email like a receipt
An order confirmation should still feel like it came from your brand. Not a warehouse bot.
How to Fix It — Across All Email Types
Promotional Campaigns
Don’t say: “Flat 10% Off on New Arrivals”
Try: “Shirts So Good, We Almost Kept Them for Ourselves”
Welcome Flows
Don’t say: “Thanks for subscribing. Here’s 10%.”
Try: “Welcome to the list. We dress better than we write… usually.”
Post-Purchase Emails
Don’t say: “Your order has been shipped.”
Try: “Your shirt’s on the move. We’ll miss it.”
Winback Campaigns
Don’t say: “We miss you.”
Try: “Did your laundry win? We’ve got options.”
Newsletters
Don’t say: “Monthly Updates from [Brand Name]”
Try: “The Best Shirt We Almost Didn’t Launch (And Why You’ll Love It)”
Why It Works
Subject lines with personality = more opens
Punchy copy = better on mobile
A clear voice = actual connection
Cohesive flows = better LTV and retention
This isn’t fluff. It’s structure, storytelling, and brand memory — in a channel you own.
Mindset Shift
If your email campaigns feel boring to write, they’ll feel boring to read.
And if they feel boring to read, they’ll never get clicked, shared, replied to, or remembered.
The fix isn’t a better template. It’s better tone, better writing, and better thinking.
Want Emails That Actually Work?
At Growth Canvas, we help Brands stop sounding like auto-replies and start sounding like something worth opening.
From welcome flows to winbacks — we build email systems that grow LTV and make retention feel less like a churn report and more like a conversation.
Let’s write emails that get opened, clicked, and remembered.