Email marketing challenges even the best writers with a trifecta of demands. You have to find the right words to engage, inform, and persuade your audience. Luckily, email templates are a powerful starting point without the intimidation of starting from scratch. Beginners may feel overwhelmed by the nuances of marketing language or lack confidence in their writing skills. But templates are a stepping stone to discovering and shaping your brand voice, and establishing an identity that resonates with your audience.

Let’s take a closer look at why email templates are valuable for beginners, how to customize them to reflect your brand, and a practical approach to developing your brand voice, even if you’re not a professional writer. We’ll look at specific examples and guidelines to make sure your emails reflect a voice that aligns with your brand values and audience expectations.

Why email templates are good for newbies

For those new to email marketing, templates provide:

  1. Structure and Flow: Templates guide you through essential components, like greeting, body, call-to-action, and sign-off. This structure helps you maintain clarity and organization in your emails.
  2. Proven Strategies: Templates are often crafted by marketing experts who understand effective communication strategies, so you can rely on tested approaches for readability and engagement.
  3. Time Efficiency: Templates reduce the amount of time you spend on each email, allowing you to focus more on fine tuning the message’s personalization and authenticity to your brand.
  4. Confidence Booster: A well-structured template gives you confidence, reducing the blank-page anxiety that we all hate.

Customizing: The first step to bring out brand voice

Your brand voice is the personality your brand embodies in all its communications. It reflects the values, style, and tone that differentiate your brand from competitors and build trust with your audience.

  1. Adjust Greeting and Sign-Off: Templates often start with standard greetings like “Hello” or “Dear [Customer’s Name].” Customize this greeting to match your brand’s personality. For instance, a tech brand aimed at younger audiences might use “Hey [Name]!” while a luxury brand may prefer “Dear [Name].”
  2. Infuse Tone into Body Copy: The body of the email is where your brand’s tone shines. If you’re an educational brand, your tone may be informative yet friendly. For a playful, trendy brand, add emojis or conversational language that feels approachable. A formal brand might stick to polished, professional language.
  3. Personalized Call-to-Action: Your CTA should align with the action you want readers to take while also matching your voice. Think about how your brand’s personality can shine through.

Developing your brand vocabulary

Even if you’re not a writer, developing a brand voice is achievable. Here’s a step-by-step approach:

1. Define your brand’s core values

Your brand voice should align with what your brand stands for. Start by asking:

  • What are the core values that drive my business? (e.g., innovation, trust, creativity, accessibility)
  • Who is my target audience, and what do they care about?

These answers help you define a voice that resonates with your audience. For instance, if you’re a tech startup, your values might include innovation and simplicity. This could translate into a voice that is straightforward, jargon-free, and encouraging.

2. Use adjectives to describe your voice

Identify three to five adjectives that capture the essence of your brand. Here are examples to get you started:

  • Friendly: Approachable and warm, often with conversational language.
  • Professional: Polished and respectful, using clear and formal language.
  • Playful: Fun and lighthearted, possibly incorporating humor.
  • Empowering: Encouraging and supportive, often with motivational language.

By focusing on these adjectives, you’re creating a guide for how your brand “speaks” in emails and beyond. For example, if your adjectives are “friendly,” “honest,” and “empowering,” your email tone might include positive language, straightforwardness, and supportive statements.

3. Reflect your audience’s world

Knowing your audience helps you use relatable language. If you’re addressing young entrepreneurs, you might use language that reflects the excitement and hustle of startup life. For example:

  • “We know you’re working hard to grow something amazing.”
  • “Let’s make that next milestone easier with [Product/Service].”

Conversely, if your audience is professional consultants, you might focus on expertise and efficiency:

  • “Achieve your goals with a solution designed for industry leaders.”
  • “Make the most of your expertise with tools that work as hard as you do.”

4. Test and refine

Crafting a brand voice is an iterative process. Pay attention to how your audience responds to different tones and styles. You might find that a slightly playful tone resonates better than a strictly formal approach. Encourage feedback from your readers, if possible, and use analytics to determine what language drives engagement.

Examples: brand voice in email marketing templates

Here are a few examples of how brand voice can be infused into common types of email templates:

Example 1: Welcome email for edgy tech

Template
“Hey [Name]! Welcome to [Company Name]. We’re thrilled to have you on board. Dive right in and explore what’s new.”

Customized
“Hey [Name]! Welcome to the [Company Name] fam. 🚀 We’re all about leveling up your [industry/field], so dive in and check out what’s waiting for you on the other side.”

This version feels more personal and relatable, using emojis and friendly language that resonate with a younger, tech-savvy audience.

Example 2: Promo email for a fancy brand

Template:
“Dear [Name], Don’t miss out on our exclusive offer. Visit our website to learn more.”

Customized with Brand Voice:
“Dear [Name], indulge in something truly remarkable. We’re delighted to offer you an exclusive invitation to explore our latest collection, available for a limited time only.”

This language aligns with a high-end brand by maintaining a tone of sophistication and exclusivity.

Example 3: Re-engagement email for a bestie casual brand

Template:
“Hi [Name], We miss you! Come back and see what’s new at [Company Name].”

Customized with Brand Voice:
“Hey [Name], it’s been a while! We’ve been cooking up some exciting new things at [Company Name], and we’d love for you to be part of it again.”

This version feels more inviting, with conversational language that encourages the reader to re-engage with the brand.

Finally

Using email templates as a starting point allows you to experiment with language, structure, and tone. Each time you customize a template, you’re developing and refining your brand voice. This ongoing process will ultimately help you build a recognizable, trusted identity that resonates with your audience and drives engagement.

Related resources

5 welcome email examples swipe