“Stuart! Daniel Throssell has given you a shout-out in his email!” read the unexpected Slack message from one of my copywriting friends.
(Thanks for the heads up, Sarah!)
If you don’t know him, Daniel Throssell is a big name in copywriting circles—inventor of the Parallel Welcome Sequence, Australia’s Best Copywriter (self-proclaimed, but arguably deserved), and an expert in story-based email.
And reading your name in his emails is pretty common thanks to his tendency to use merge fields with great comedic effect, such as:
Never be afraid to admit that the Stuart Tarn of six months ago was an idiot
and
The ugliest copywriter in the world, Stuart Tarn
And the apology he sent the following day:
I need to issue a public apology.
Yesterday I did something I am very ashamed of:
I publicly emailed my entire list saying that a copywriter named Stuart Tarn was — and I cringe to re-read this now — the “ugliest copywriter in the world”.
I made this flippant remark based on a glimpse of Stuart’s email profile pic I had gleaned from a reply I got once … and on the assumption they would not read my email.
Well…
It turns out Stuart Tarn is still on my email list.
Oh, dear.
I’m very embarrassed.
Stuart, if you’re reading this, I’m very sorry I said that about you.
That kind of statement doesn’t reflect the kind of person I want to be in these emails.
And besides … if that is the face you were born with, who am I to say anything bad about it?
Still, if you feel like replying to flame me, I understand.
Hit reply and let it all out.
I’ll cop it.
Daniel Throssell
(of course, every subscriber on Daniel’s list would have seen their own name in place of mine)
So, yes, seeing my name in Daniel’s emails is pretty common.
But this time was different because someone else saw my name… and that’s not how this merge-field joke works!
Of course, I knew what it was about because I’d been chatting with Mr Throssell recently about some changes Apple is bringing in with iOS18, which is coming out next week.
I’m a bit of an unashamed Apple fanboy, and I often test out the new software, even though it makes my battery last about 14 minutes and my phone heat up to the temperature of the sun.
Still, worth it to play with shiny new toys.
But by testing this, I’d had early access to a new “feature” where Apple’s AI will summarise an email in your inbox so you can get the gist of what it says without going to all that bother of actually reading it.
And I’d sent a screenshot to Daniel to show him what Apple’s AI had to say about one of his recent emails, which prompted his shoutout to his list.
Which to be fair, was the main takeaway, but the email itself was a little more nuanced.
Just a little, though.
Daniel has a certain… style that can rub people up the wrong way.
But this new AI “feature” is gong to put the cat amongst the pigeons, make no mistake.
Which brings us to the Rule Of One.
This concept is a pretty sacrosanct to us email copywriters, and my go-to approach when writing emails for clients.
Write to ONE person about ONE topic and ask them to take ONE action.
So rather than “Hey, everybody!” style of mass communication, you speak to your reader as if it were a one-on-one conversation.
It’s much more personable and conversational and makes people feel special and not one of a crowd.
You also only ask people to do ONE THING, i.e., Buy This or Subscribe Now or Click Here… instead of giving people a whole shopping list of instructions, which can overwhelm them with choice, so they end up doing nothing.
And that brings us to the ONE TOPIC.
Rather than talk about multiple topics in a stream-of-consciousness approach, your email should be focussed, strategic, and lead people towards one undeniable outcome—which is probably to buy something from you.
But is this final Rule Of One’s days numbered thanks to AI?
Because if your email is focussed, strategic, and leads people towards one undeniable outcome, or if you rely on cryptic subject lines and dangling the carrot of intrigue to get people to open your email and read, well, I’m afraid Apple has decreed that they're going to reveal your punchline right before you can even lay up the joke.
That means offer deadlines, discounts, topics, hidden secrets, dramatic reveals… all of them, are laid bare in your customer’s inbox.
There’s no way to influence the AI Summary, either.
It writes what it wants to write, and there’s nothing we can do about it…
And this change by the good folk of Cupertino means that now, more than ever, the most important feature of your email marketing is…
Your name.
Because if you’ve got a strong reputation with your readers, if they like you, trust you, and look forward to what you send and buy whatever it is you’re selling, well, it doesn't matter what your subject line or AI Summary says… you’re reading regardless.
And no matter how good AI gets, its ability to pump out interesting and intriguing emails, opinions and hot takes, relationship-building personal stories that persuade you to buy is… well, it’s pretty poor.
No one really cares about the opinions of R2GP3PO.
In a weird twist of fate, AI isn’t “taking copywriter’s jobs” as has long been feared… it’s made us even more in demand.
And if you're in need of one, well, Surrey’s Best Copywriter* could be at your service... but you'll have to act quick.
Demand is off the charts.
*Do you think it will catch on?