Hey, it's Chase and Jimmy here.

AI can generate email copy in seconds, but let's be honest, most of what it produces is generic, forgettable, and sounds nothing like your brand.

The issue isn't the AI itself. It's how you're prompting it.

When you ask AI to "write an email about our sale," you get something that could work for literally any brand selling anything. But when you treat AI like a junior copywriter who needs a creative brief, clear direction, and feedback? That's when it actually becomes useful.

Today we're breaking down how to write AI prompts that turn generic output into copy you can actually use without killing your brand voice.

Also inside:
✔️ Opens dropping, clicks tanking, subscribers going quiet. Sound familiar? Here's what's actually broken.
✔️ Your next revenue breakthrough isn't coming from a new ad campaign.
✔️ Quick Clips: This week's top eCom news stories

Let’s dive in.

Opens dropping, clicks tanking, subscribers going quiet. Sound familiar? Here's what's actually broken.

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What you'll learn:

• How to identify the root causes of low engagement (not just the surface-level metrics)

• Segmentation and content strategies that re-activate subscribers without annoying them

• When to suppress, sunset, or double down on specific audience groups based on behavior

This isn't about sending more emails or changing your subject lines. It's about understanding why subscribers go quiet and applying targeted fixes that restore engagement without damaging deliverability.

→ Register free

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How to write better AI prompts for email (Without sounding like a robot)

AI can write your emails in seconds. But most of the time, what it spits out is generic, forgettable, and sounds nothing like your brand.

The problem isn't the AI. It's the prompt.

When you ask AI to "write an email about our sale," you're going to get something that could've been written for literally any brand selling anything. But when you treat AI like a junior copywriter who needs a creative brief, clear direction, and feedback? That's when it actually becomes useful.

Here's how to write prompts that turn AI from a useless content generator into a tool that actually saves you time without killing your brand voice.

Start with a creative brief, not a vague request

AI only knows what you tell it. If your prompt is broad and lazy ("write 10 subject lines for a product launch"), you'll get broad and lazy output.

To get results you can actually use, treat every prompt like a creative brief. That means you're specifying:

• The goal of the email (drive clicks, build awareness, convert a sale)

• Who you're talking to (not just demographics, but psychographics and behavior)

• The tone and voice (casual, urgent, witty, elegant)

• The format and length (character limits for subject lines, paragraph count for body copy)

Instead of: "Write 10 subject lines for a new product launch."

This gives you generic garbage that's too long, too boring, and could work for any brand.

Try this: "Write 10 subject lines under 30 characters for the launch of a premium vitamin C serum. The audience is women aged 25-45 who prioritize skincare and are familiar with active ingredients. Half should feel fun and approachable, half should feel elegant and science-backed."

Now you get subject lines that are specific, on-brand, and actually usable. The difference is you gave AI the context it needed to do the job right.

Assign AI a role so it writes from the right perspective

AI writes better when it knows who it's supposed to be. Instead of asking it to "write an email," tell it to write as someone with a specific perspective or expertise.

This trick works because it forces AI to adopt a lens, which makes the output feel more authoritative and less like a template.

Instead of: "Write an email about our new vitamin C serum."

This gets you boring, surface-level copy that doesn't say anything interesting.

Try this: "You're a skincare specialist writing to women aged 25-45 who take skincare seriously. Write an email introducing our vitamin C serum. Focus on its ability to brighten dull skin, reduce dark spots, and boost collagen production. Keep the tone warm, professional, and expert-driven, but not clinical."

Now the copy feels like it was written by someone who actually knows skincare instead of a robot trying to hit word count. The role gives the output a point of view. Take it a step further and you can generate the HTML for your email using your new copy. 

Define tone with precision, not generic descriptors

Saying "make it friendly" or "sound professional" doesn't tell AI much. Those words mean different things to different people.

The more specific you are about tone, the more consistent and on-brand your output will be.

Instead of vague tone descriptors, try these:

• Casual and approachable: "Write like you're texting a friend who trusts your taste. Keep it conversational but not sloppy."

• Urgent but not desperate: "Create urgency without sounding pushy. Focus on scarcity and timeliness, not pressure tactics."

• Luxury and refined: "Write with elegance and restraint. No exclamation points, no hype. Let the product speak for itself."

• Witty and engaging: "Inject personality and humor, but keep it smart. Think clever wordplay, not cheesy puns."

You can also ask AI to generate the same email in multiple tones and pick the one that feels most aligned with your brand. This is faster than rewriting from scratch and helps you test which voice resonates with your audience.

Break complex requests into step-by-step instructions

AI doesn't do well with big, vague tasks. It does much better when you break things down into structured steps.

Instead of asking for "a sales email," give it a roadmap to follow.

Instead of: "Write a sales email for our webinar."

This gets you a wall of text with no clear structure or flow.

Try this: "Write a 3-part product launch email for our new eco-friendly water bottle.

1. Start with a hook that addresses a common frustration: single-use plastic waste and lukewarm drinks by noon.

2. Follow with 2-3 key product benefits (keeps drinks cold for 24 hours, made from recycled materials, fits in any cup holder).

3. End with a strong CTA that creates urgency: pre-order now for 20% off, limited to first 500 orders."

Now you get an email with a logical structure, clear messaging, and a CTA that actually drives action. The step-by-step format keeps AI from wandering off into generic territory.

Keep your work in one conversation thread

Every time you start a new chat with AI, you're erasing all the context from the previous conversation. That means every new prompt starts from zero, which wastes time and creates inconsistency.

Instead, build on your prompts within the same conversation. This way, AI remembers what you've already said and can refine its output based on your feedback.

Here's a workflow that works:

1. Start by asking for subject lines: "Write 10 subject lines under 40 characters for our summer sale email."

2. Pick the best one and expand on it in the same thread: "Great, use subject line #3 and write the email body. Keep it under 150 words, focus on free shipping and 20% off, and use a casual, fun tone."

3. Refine the output: "Make the opening line punchier and change the CTA to 'Shop the Sale.'"

This iterative process is way more efficient than starting over every time. You're guiding AI toward what you need instead of hoping it nails it on the first try.

Use AI to expand rough drafts, not replace your thinking

AI works best when you've already done the strategic thinking. If you have an outline, a few bullet points, or a rough concept, AI can help you flesh it out into polished copy.

Example workflow:

You've got some rough notes:

• New product launch

• Solves problem: dry, flaky skin

• Key benefits: hydrating, fast-absorbing, clean ingredients

• Offer: 15% off for early access

Paste those into AI with this prompt: "Turn these bullet points into a persuasive product launch email. Keep the tone warm and approachable, emphasize the clean ingredients and fast results, and end with a strong CTA for early access."

Now AI does the heavy lifting of turning your strategy into actual copy, but you're still in control of the message and positioning.

This also works for repurposing content. Got a blog post you want to turn into an email? Or an email you want to condense into an SMS? AI can handle the reformatting while you keep the core messaging intact.

AI is your co-pilot, not your autopilot

If you're copying AI's first draft and hitting send, you're doing it wrong.

AI-generated copy is almost always bland, safe, and missing the personality that makes your brand memorable. It's a starting point, not a finished product.

Here's how to use AI as a tool without letting it take over:

Review every draft with a critical eye. Does it actually sound like your brand? Or does it sound like every other marketing email in existence? If you can't tell who wrote it, your customers won't either.

Mix and match the best parts. AI might give you five versions of a subject line. Take the hook from one, the phrasing from another, and tweak it into something better than any single option.

Add the details that make it real. AI doesn't know your brand's inside jokes, your customers' specific pain points, or the nuance of your product positioning. That's your job. Inject those details after AI gives you the foundation.

Use AI for speed, not strategy. Let AI handle the grunt work (drafting variations, reformatting, expanding outlines), but keep the strategic decisions in your hands. What angle to take, which offer to lead with, how to position the product. Those calls are yours.

AI gets you 80% of the way there. Your judgment, creativity, and brand knowledge take it the rest of the way.

What separates good AI output from garbage

Good AI output comes down to how much effort you put into the prompt. The more specific and strategic you are upfront, the less editing you'll need to do on the back end.

Here's what the best prompts have in common:

Specificity over speed. The more details you include (audience, goal, tone, format, length), the better the output. Don't rush the prompt. Treat it like a creative brief.

Iteration over starting from scratch. Stay in the same conversation thread and refine AI's responses instead of restarting every time. Guide it toward what you need through feedback, not by hoping it guesses right.

AI as a tool, not a replacement. Use AI to brainstorm, draft, and suggest variations. But your judgment, creativity, and brand knowledge are what make the final email actually work.

If you're copying AI's first draft and hitting send, you're going to get forgettable results. But if you treat AI like a junior copywriter who needs direction, feedback, and editing, it becomes useful. The difference is in how you use it.

Your next revenue breakthrough isn't coming from a new ad campaign.

Plot twist: It's coming from the customers already on your list.

The ones who bought once, trust your brand, and actually want to hear from you. The problem is most brands never build a real system to convert them. The welcome flow is an afterthought. Campaigns go out whenever someone remembers to send one. And the revenue that should be compounding just... isn't.

That's not a traffic problem. That's a retention problem. And it's one of the most expensive mistakes an eCom brand can make.

We've watched this play out across thousands of brands and $200M+ in email and SMS revenue. The fix is never more traffic. It's always a better retention system.

That's what the eCom Retention Vault is. 50 proven campaigns. 130+ pages of real signup forms, welcome emails, and SMS examples. Copywriting frameworks. Design principles. And a private community of 300+ retention marketers who are solving the same problems you are.

The customers are already there. Now go convert them.

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Quick Clips:

• What's on retail's radar for 2026: NRF's State of Retail & Consumer recap had a few consistent threads; supply chains are diversifying, Gen Z wants authenticity and surprise, and AI is creating jobs more than cutting them. The macro read: consumers are resilient, but the growth won't be evenly spread across income groups.

• The room had thoughts on AI: Shoptalk Spring's big theme was "Retail in the Age of AI" and executives weren't short on opinions. Gap's CTO said to keep experimenting because "something that didn't work yesterday will work tomorrow," while Sally Beauty's CEO pushed back; beauty is human-centric and AI can't tell you if a color actually looks good on you. The consensus: AI is the foundation, not a feature, but the human touch isn't going anywhere.

• E.l.f.'s AI rule: humans stay in the loop: E.l.f. Beauty's Chief Digital Officer Ekta Chopra laid out a clear framework at Shoptalk; AI handles the operational lift, humans handle the creative soul. Their community will literally call them out if content feels inauthentic, so AI stays behind the scenes. One standout use case: their AI now drafts responses to 90% of community questions, which a human then reviews before posting.

• The cold start is over: TikTok Shop's newest challenge for brands isn't getting discovered... it's proving you're legit once someone lands on your page. A new Bazaarvoice integration lets brands syndicate existing reviews, photos, and videos directly to their TikTok Shop storefront so they're not starting from zero. Smart move as big names like Ulta and PepsiCo set up shop alongside thousands of creator-sellers.

• Gummy money and cactus capital: Two emerging wellness and beauty brands just closed fresh rounds this week. Create Wellness, the creatine gummy brand, raised $20M to expand retail and launch a new Creatine + Electrolytes product, now live in Target. And Nopalera, the culture-forward Mexican beauty brand, closed a $4M Series A (doubling revenue year over year) with a Costco rollout coming this summer.

• Olaplex finds its fairytale ending: After losing nearly 95% of its value since its 2021 IPO, Olaplex is being acquired by German consumer brand Henkel in a $1.4 billion deal; a 50%+ premium on its closing price. Not the public comeback story they were hoping for, but for a brand that's been fighting its way back from a reputation-wrecking lawsuit, getting scooped up at this valuation isn't a bad exit.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me. Always a pleasure to have you here.

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Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

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