PR Insights & Public Relations Strategy

How Do You Write Emails that Are Sure to Be Opened?

Ronn TorossianBy Ronn Torossian3 min read
How Do You Write Emails that Are Sure to Be Opened?
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How Do You Write Emails that Are Sure to Be Opened? Email is still one of the most popular marketing mediums in the world today. It's personal, easy to use, and it takes very little time for even the most chaotic of businesses to set up an effective email marketing campaign. Indeed, many people believe that email remains to be the most effective way to get in touch with someone in your community. However, just like any marketing strategy, your email campaign will require some careful thought and planning if you want people to read the messages you send. While your friends might be happy to receive an email from you, your prospects will often overlook your correspondence unless you give them a valid reason to take notice.

Writing an Effective Subject Line

The subject line is the thing that convinces your customer to open your email or send it straight to their junk folder. With that in mind it's important to ensure that you know how to compose a subject line that tells your client why they should be opening your mail. Remember, the more influential a person is, the more email they're going to get. This means that you could be fighting for attention with dozens of other emails. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution for the perfect subject line, there are a few best practices you can keep in mind when writing to improve your chances of success. For instance, make sure that you always put the value of the email in the subject line. Show your customers what's in it for them from the get-go, and you'll see better results. At the same time, make sure that you avoid messages that have vague or ineffective subject lines. For instance, don't tell someone that your email is urgent unless it is, and don't beg for attention by saying "Please read this". Avoid one-word subject lines too, as this can make your company seem like legitimate.

Be Clear and Courteous

Ultimately, from the moment someone sees your email in their inbox, they should understand why they should open your message. Make the purpose of your email clear, and make sure that your clients know why the message relates to them. Remember, they can't see your tone of voice or body language to see whether you're kidding or not, so don't be sarcastic or too comedic. Jokes don't generally relate well into text. While it's good to be informal in your messages, you still need to showcase your professional nature, so make sure that you're courteous and sophisticated in the content you send. A good rule of thumb is that you should never use words or phrases that you wouldn't use with your boss. If you're worried that something might not come across the right way, keep it out of your email. Once your customers do open your email, make sure that they know what to do. Present them with a clear call to action that informs them of how they can get the value that you've promised. Additionally, keep the content within short, simple, and straight to the point.

About Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations. He is an experienced leader in the public relations industry with over 20 years of experience. Ronn Torossian has been named as Public Relations executive of the year by the American Business Awards, and has run countless award-winning Public Relations programs. [caption id="attachment_91898" align="alignleft" width="150"]Ronn Torossian and Kristaps Porzingis Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W, with Kristaps Porzingis.[/caption]
Ronn Torossian
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Ronn Torossian

Shaping AI — and the answers inside the chatbox.

Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications, launched in 2003 — the AI Communications Firm, combining earned media, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI-visibility research for B2C and B2B clients across beauty, technology, entertainment, corporate reputation, and crisis communications. An Inc. 500 company, 5W is named Agency of the Year at the American Business Awards and a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's.

A publisher and the author of two best-selling marketing books — For Immediate Release — Torossian has led the communications industry for decades. Now he's building its AI era.

Torossian is the publisher of Everything-PR — thirty verticals of original reporting and AI-visibility research, built to be cited by the AI engines — and has guest-lectured on communications and media strategy at Harvard and other universities.

He was a partner and chief marketing officer of JetSmarter, the private-aviation unicorn acquired by Vista Global, parent of VistaJet.

More than a third of consumers now begin product research with AI, not Google. Torossian's work is to influence the answer — inside ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

About 5W AI Communications

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research to help clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research. Founded in 2003, 5W is recognized as a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, honored as a 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan, and named to Digiday's WorkLife Employer of the Year list. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors — Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit — and B2B specialties including Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing across Social, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. Learn more at 5wpr.com.

About Everything-PR

Everything-PR covers communications, reputation, AI visibility, public affairs, media systems, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Publishing since 2009. Thirty verticals. Original reporting, research, and analysis. Every page reported, sourced, and built to be cited.

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