Write the Whole Email: A Re-Engagement Send From Scratch
Objective: Given a real segment scenario, write a complete promotional email, subject line, preview text, AIDA-structured body, and single CTA, applying every rule from the lesson in sequence rather than in isolation.
Bonobos is running a summer re-engagement campaign targeting customers who bought once 90+ days ago and haven't opened an email since. You've been given the offer (20% off, this weekend only) and the segment. You write the email.
Build the email layer by layer: subject, preview, then AIDA body, then one CTA. Each layer has to earn the next one.
Before you start
What you'll need
Free path (everything below is enough to finish)
Free plan supports full email drafting and a mobile preview panel
Paid upgrades (optional, faster/deeper)
Useful once the segment logic needs real purchase-history personalization
No access? Mailchimp's merge tags cover first-name personalization on the free plan
The process
4 steps
Step 01 of 04
The lesson's Layer 1 rules: specificity beats cleverness, personalization lifts opens and clicks, and 61-70 characters (under 32 on mobile) gets the best open rates.
This subscriber hasn't bought since a single order 94 days ago. Write a subject line that's specific to the offer and would survive a 32-character mobile cutoff.
Procedure
- Name the concrete offer (20% off) in the subject line itself, not a vague teaser
- Keep the first 32 characters meaningful on their own, since that's where iPhone cuts off
- Avoid ALL-CAPS and exclamation-heavy punctuation that trips spam filters
Draft: "20% off, this weekend only" (27 characters, survives mobile cutoff intact)
Healthy
A subject line under 70 characters that states the specific offer plainly
Unhealthy
A vague teaser like "We miss you!" that gives no reason to open
What this means
A specific, short subject line lets the mobile-cut version still make sense on its own.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Draft subject line reads as generic ("Come back!") | Rewrite to name the concrete offer and the time window | 5 min |
Step 02 of 04
The lesson treats preview text as a second subject line, 85-100 characters, that extends the hook before the body loads.
Write preview text that adds new information the subject line didn't already say.
Procedure
- Do not repeat the subject line
- Add the piece of information that makes the offer feel real (e.g. the exact discount code or the expiry)
- Keep it under 100 characters
Draft: "Use code WEEKEND20 at checkout, ends Sunday at midnight." (58 characters)
Healthy
Preview text that adds a new detail (code, deadline) not already in the subject
Unhealthy
Preview text that just repeats the subject line in different words
What this means
Subject and preview should read as two lines of the same pitch, not duplicates.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Preview text restates the subject line | Replace it with a concrete detail: the code, the deadline, or the exact saving | 5 min |
Step 03 of 04
The lesson's body-copy rule: Attention (subject/opener), Interest (a problem the reader recognizes), Desire (proof it works), Action (one CTA). Paragraphs stay 2-3 sentences.
Write the body in four short beats: a relevant opener, the interest hook (why now), the desire proof (a stat or reason to trust the offer), and a lead-in to the CTA.
Procedure
- Open with something specific to a lapsed 90-day buyer, not "we hope this finds you well"
- State the interest hook: the weekend-only window creates urgency
- Add one proof point (e.g. a bestseller detail) instead of a generic claim
- Keep each paragraph to 2-3 sentences
"It's been a minute. Your last order (the Riviera shirt) is still one of our best-rated pieces this year.\n\nThis weekend only, take 20% off anything in the shop with code WEEKEND20."
Healthy
Two short paragraphs, each doing one AIDA job, reader-focused language throughout
Unhealthy
One long paragraph mixing company announcements with the offer
What this means
Short, sequenced paragraphs let a scanning reader absorb the whole pitch in seconds.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Draft body runs past 3 sentences per paragraph | Split into AIDA beats: interest, then desire, each as its own short paragraph | 5 min |
Step 04 of 04
The lesson's CTA rules: one action per email, action verbs, first person converts better ("Start my trial" over "Start your trial"), personalized CTAs convert 202% better than generic ones.
Write one CTA button, first person, tied to this specific offer.
Procedure
- Delete any second button or link you were tempted to add
- Use an action verb specific to the offer, not "Learn More"
- Write it in first person
Button text: "Get my 20% off"
Healthy
One button, first person, names the specific benefit
Unhealthy
Two buttons ("Shop Now" and "Learn More") splitting attention
What this means
A single, specific, first-person CTA is the only ask the email makes.
So what do I do about it?
| Symptom | Action | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Draft has a second "just in case" link in the footer | Remove it; if there's a second message, send it as a separate email | 5 min |
Final deliverable
A complete email draft: subject line, preview text, two-paragraph AIDA body, and one CTA button, all written for the 90-day lapsed-buyer segment.
See a reference example
Zendesk internal re-engagement template (reference structure) Subject: "20% off, this weekend only" Preview: "Use code WEEKEND20 at checkout, ends Sunday at midnight." Body: "It's been a minute..." / "This weekend only..." CTA: "Get my 20% off"
Success criteria
You're done when you can:
- Subject line names the specific offer and survives a 32-character mobile cutoff
- Preview text adds new information rather than repeating the subject line
- Body follows the AIDA sequence with paragraphs under 4 sentences
- Exactly one CTA, written in first person with an action verb