Write Emails That Actually Get Opened
You know you should be emailing your customers, but every time you sit down to write one, you stare at a blank screen for 20 minutes and give up. Here's how to use AI to draft and schedule email campaigns that sound like you wrote them — because your customers can smell a template from a mile away.
Tools You'll Need
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Email marketing platform — manages your list and sends campaigns | Free up to 500 contacts | Get it → |
| ChatGPT or Claude | Writes your email copy, subject lines, and calls to action | Free | Get it → |
The Walkthrough
Step 1: Set Up Your Email Platform
What to do: Go to Mailchimp and create a free account. Add your business info and create your first audience (contact list).
Why you’re doing it: You need a proper email platform — not Gmail. Mailchimp handles unsubscribes, tracks opens and clicks, and keeps you compliant with email laws.
What to expect: Setup takes about 20 minutes. You’ll enter your business name, address (required by law), and import any existing contacts.
Common mistakes: Don’t buy email lists. Ever. They tank your deliverability and can get your account banned.
Step 2: Write Your First Email with AI
What to do: Open Claude and use this prompt: “Write a marketing email for [business name]. We’re [what you do] and we want to [goal of email — announce a sale, share tips, introduce a new service]. Tone should be friendly and conversational, like writing to someone you know. Include a subject line and call to action. Keep it under 200 words.”
Why you’re doing it: Short, personal emails outperform long, corporate ones every time. AI gets you a solid first draft in seconds.
What to expect: A complete email with subject line, body, and CTA. Read it, adjust the voice to match yours, and paste it into Mailchimp’s editor.
Step 3: Schedule and Send
What to do: In Mailchimp, paste your email copy into a new campaign. Choose your audience, set your send time (Tuesday or Thursday mornings perform best), and schedule it.
Why you’re doing it: Scheduling lets you batch your email work. Write 4 emails in one sitting and schedule them for the month.
What to expect: Expect 20–30% open rates and 2–5% click rates for a well-written email to an engaged list.
Step 4: Review and Iterate
What to do: After each send, check your Mailchimp analytics. Note which subject lines got the highest open rates and which CTAs got the most clicks.
Why you’re doing it: Email is a feedback loop. The data tells you what your audience wants. Use it.
What to expect: Your first few emails are experiments. By email #5, you’ll have a clear sense of what works for your audience.
What to Do If It Doesn’t Work
- Problem: “My open rates are terrible.” — Test different subject lines. Use Claude: “Write 5 different subject lines for an email about [topic]. Make them curiosity-driven.”
- Problem: “People are unsubscribing.” — You’re emailing too often or the content isn’t relevant. Dial back to once a week max.
- Need more help? Mailchimp Help Center or email us at hello@thenewsbakery.com.