How I get my audience to open, read, click, and reply to product marketing emails

Most marketing emails get ignored—and honestly, they deserve it.

They’re impersonal, overloaded with buzzwords, and clearly written to blast, not connect. You can spot them a mile away: “limited-time offer,” “unlock exclusive access,” “don’t miss out.” It’s no wonder people tune out, unsubscribe, or worse—mark them as spam.

But I’ve written those kinds of emails too.

You know the ones—robotic, too long, trying too hard. I sent plenty of them early on. But over time, through trial, error, and some hard-earned replies, I learned a few things that made a real difference.

So if you want your emails to feel more personal, get more engagement, and actually open up a conversation, I’ve got a few lessons worth sharing.

Product Emails as Opportunity

A few years back at GiveWP, we started treating our product updates like personal messages, not corporate announcements. I sent them from my real email ([email protected]), signed them with my name and face, and always invited folks to reply.

It wasn’t rocket science—but it worked. People started replying. A lot.

That’s when Customer Experience stepped in.

Even now, email marketing isn’t my day-to-day. But CX is. And that reply button? That’s one of our best lead nurturing tools. At StellarWP, we use a simple rule: every product email’s reply-to goes to [email protected]—so when someone responds, it lands in the inbox of our Customer Success team. From there, we can build loyalty, answer objections, or turn a curious reader into a paying customer.

So while I don’t oversee marketing campaigns currently, I still help teams write emails that feel like conversations—and spark the kind of replies that grow both trust and LTV.

1. Start with a real person, not a brand voice

This is one of the easiest shifts to make—and one of the most overlooked. Who an email comes from sets the tone for everything that follows.

Your sender matters more than your subject line.

At Give, we ditched “The GiveWP Team” and made product emails come from me: “Matt from Team Give.” It included my face in the signature, a friendly opener like “Hi there, 👋🏼” and a clear signal that a real person was on the other side.

That’s a subtle cue that changes the reader’s posture. You’re not broadcasting—you’re starting a conversation.

Tip: If your list is small, you have an advantage. Be scrappy. Be personal. You don’t need a team of copywriters—just your own voice.

2. Make reply-worthiness your north star

If you take nothing else from this article, take this: replies are the clearest sign that your email actually landed. They’re proof of trust, interest, and connection.

Every email I sent included something like this:

“Reply to this email with your thoughts or questions. I read every reply I can and me (or my team) always write back.”

That wasn’t fluff—it was policy. And it worked.

People responded. They asked questions, reported bugs, even shared ideas that turned into product features.

But here’s the twist: those replies didn’t just come to me—they went to our Customer Success team.

Today, our reply-to is always something like [email protected]. Marketing casts the wide net, but when someone replies, it turns into a 1:1 touchpoint. That’s where CX comes in.

A thoughtful reply can:

• Unblock a confused user and win their loyalty
• Surface a presales question we can answer in minutes
• Or open the door to a conversation that turns into a conversion

Replies aren’t noise—they’re signals. And if you’re not set up to receive and respond to them, you’re missing the best part of email engagement.

The Inbox Collective summarizes this really well. They break down why replies are such a powerful indicator of trust—and how to encourage more of them. I recommend subscribing to Inbox Collective. It’s one of the few email newsletters I read top to bottom every time.

Another highly recommended read from Inbox Collective is this one about putting personality AND personalization into your emails.

3. Write short updates that highlight what’s in it for them

Nobody wants to read a novel in their inbox—especially not about bug fixes. But that doesn’t mean you skip the details. You just need to frame them through the lens of the reader.

Each product note in our updates was two sentences max. And each one led with the benefit.

We didn’t say:
❌ “Version 1.0.1 of Double the Donation is now available.”

We said:
✅ “Fix: Prevents the field from showing up twice.”

It’s direct, useful, and customer-focused. No filler, no internal jargon.

The reader doesn’t have to guess:
“Does this update affect me?”
They know in two seconds.

4. Use purposeful CTAs—not generic buttons

Your call to action is the turning point. It’s where passive reading becomes active engagement. But too often, we treat it like an afterthought.

“Click here” is lazy. “Read more” is vague. Every link in our emails was outcome-based:

• “View the full changelog”
• “Apply on our website”
• “Watch our first town hall”
• “Book a group demo”

Each one told the reader what to expect and why to care.

When you write your CTA, ask:
If they click, what do they get? Then say that.

5. Layer in optional value—without overwhelming

Some readers want to click. Others just want the update. So how do you serve both without cluttering the message?

Not every reader wants the same thing. That’s why we ended each email with a soft, skimmable section of extras:

• Set your email preferences
• Learn at the Give Academy
• Buy swag
• Book a demo

These weren’t hard sells. Just invitations.

By keeping it at the end—and well labeled—it never cluttered the core message. But for folks looking for more, the value was right there.

This “buffet footer” works because it respects attention. It lets the reader choose their own next step.

Wrap Up: What Really Works

Email isn’t about tricks. It’s about trust.

When you send emails like a person—with clarity, honesty, and an open door for conversation—people notice. They read. They reply. They click.

And if they don’t? That’s a signal, too.

Keep it human. Keep it short. And always write with one person in mind.