The Complete Guide to AI Email Marketing: How to Write Better Emails in Half the Time

This post is based on AI email marketing insights from our AI panel featuring Kate Kordsmeier (Success with Soul), Ruth Poundwhite (business coach), Destini Copp (business growth coach), Steph Blake (business consultant), Elizabeth Stapleton (legal expert), and Tara Reid (marketing strategist).

During our recent AI panel, six successful business owners revealed exactly how they’re using AI to improve their email marketing. Not just to write faster, but to write emails that actually get replies, drive sales, and build deeper connections with their audience.

If you’ve ever stared at a blank email draft wondering, “Didn’t I already write this nurture sequence back in 2019?”… you’re not alone.

Email marketing is powerful. It’s profitable. It’s personal. And it’s also a lot.

The good news? AI can help. Not just with writing faster, but writing better. Smarter. More you. Without turning your emails into awkward robot-speak or losing your voice in a sea of soulless automation.

This guide is your complete walk-through to using AI to elevate your email game… without handing over the reins to a machine.

Why Use AI for Email Marketing?

Because writing emails takes time. A lot of it.

Especially when you’re:

• Creating welcome or nurture sequences
• Running weekly newsletters
• Writing launch campaigns, sales emails, evergreen funnels…
• And trying to sound like a human being while doing it

AI helps you move from “I’ll get to that sequence someday…” to done and scheduled.

But here’s the key: you need to train your AI to think like you.

The Problem with Most AI Email Marketing

Before we dive into what works, let’s address what doesn’t.

Most people approach AI email writing like this: “Write me an email about my summer sale” and then copy-paste whatever generic output they get.

The result? Emails that sound like they were written by a robot for robots.

As Ruth Poundwhite emphasized during our panel: “We know our audience, we know the work that we do best, and we get to make those executive decisions. I think it’s an assistant. At the end of the day, we get to pick and choose what resonates with our audience.”

The entrepreneurs on our panel have cracked the code on using AI as a strategic partner, not a replacement for their voice and judgment.

Strategy 1: The Multi-GPT Approach for Better Email Copy

Who uses this: Kate Kordsmeier from Success with Soul

Instead of relying on one AI conversation, I use multiple specialized GPTs to create more compelling emails.

My process:

1. Create the same email request in 5 different custom GPTs
2. Each GPT is trained on different aspects (copywriting, brand voice, email strategy, etc.)
3. Take the best elements from each response
4. Combine them into one powerful email

“I’ll put the request into my Magnetic Messaging Map GPT, then I’ll open another GPT that’s trained specifically on email copywriting, and I’ll put the same request in it,” I shared on the panel. “Sometimes I have five different GPTs giving me the same ask, and then I’m taking bits and pieces from what I liked about each one.”

Why this works: You get different angles and approaches, making your final email more nuanced and human-sounding than any single AI output.

Time saved: Instead of struggling with writer’s block for hours, I get multiple starting points in minutes.

Strategy 2: Story-to-Business-Lesson Email Generation

Who uses this: Tara Reid, marketing strategist

Tara discovered how to turn everyday experiences into engaging business emails that get massive engagement.

Her viral example: She told ChatGPT about her dog farting so loud it woke her up at 6:30 AM, then asked it to turn this into a business lesson email.

The result? “Dozens and dozens of replies.”

Her follow-up strategy: “I went back into that chat and said, ‘What are some other questions you have for me so I can give you more stories to create funny emails like this that will lead into value content or business lessons?’ And now I have like 10 emails that are hilarious.”

The key insight: AI excels at finding business lessons in personal stories, but you need to provide the authentic, personal details that make the story compelling.

Strategy 3: Newsletter Research and Industry Updates

Who uses this: Elizabeth Stapleton, legal expert

Liz uses ChatGPT’s deep research function to quickly create the “what’s new in the industry” section of her newsletter.

Her process:

1. Ask ChatGPT: “What’s been happening in the last 30 days in [industry] regarding [specific topic]?”
2. Request: “I want a blurb for this topic that I can include in my newsletter”
3. Add her own commentary and links
4. Newsletter section complete

“I don’t care about acquisitions so much, but sometimes that’s interesting. It just very quickly gives me this whole summary, and then that section of my newsletter is done,” Liz shared.

Time saved: What used to take hours of research and reading now takes minutes.

Pro tip: Be specific about what type of news you want to avoid information overload.

Strategy 4: Brand Voice Training for Consistent Emails

One of the biggest challenges with AI email writing is maintaining your authentic voice. My solution is a comprehensive brand voice guide that trains AI to write like me.

What to include in your brand voice training:

• Tone adjectives (For example: “empowered, rebellious, nurturing, candid”)
• Signature phrases and recurring themes
• What you never want to sound like
• Personal details that make your writing unique
• Email structure preferences

My example: My brand voice guide includes details like “I’m OCD, struggle with anxiety, I’m a sushi fiend, animal lover, and entrepreneur down to my bones. I’m also a sexual assault survivor and VERY PROUD feminist.”

The result: AI that writes emails that actually sound like you, not like generic business copy.

🤖 Pro Tips for Not Sounding Like a Robot

• Always personalize the intro or closing. AI doesn’t know how you actually felt when your toddler spilled oat milk on your laptop during your launch week. But your readers do.
• Run everything through a “Does this sound like me?” gut check.
• Add emojis, formatting, or Easter eggs that make your brand feel human.
• Don’t let AI write everything. Let it do the heavy lifting, then bring in your sparkle.

Strategy 5: Automated Email Optimization and Analysis

Several of us on the panel use AI to improve existing emails rather than writing from scratch.

The process:

1. Take an email that performed well
2. Ask AI: “Analyze why this email was successful”
3. Request: “Help me write 5 more emails using these same principles”
4. Or: “Improve this email draft using the successful elements from this other email”

Ruth’s approach: “I ignore loads of the suggestions it gives me because that’s not quite right for my audience, or that’s not where I want to go. We get to make those executive decisions.”

Strategy 6: Email Series and Sequence Creation

Who uses this: Destini Copp for her membership onboarding

Destini uses AI to create email sequences that guide new members based on where they are in their journey.

Her challenge: “I have people coming in that have 70,000 people on their email list and people that are just starting out. So I really need to point them to different resources.”

Her solution: AI-powered email sequences that segment and guide members to the right resources based on their experience level.

Application for your business:

• Welcome sequences for different customer types
• Educational email series
• Product launch sequences
• Re-engagement campaigns

The Technical Setup: AI Tools and Platforms

For Beginners: Custom GPTs

• Pros: Easy to create, no additional cost if you have ChatGPT Plus
• Cons: Limited password protection, users need ChatGPT access
• Best for: Testing concepts, personal use, small team collaboration

For Advanced Users: Third-Party Platforms

• Pickaxe: Most popular but expensive
• Mazal/Tiny Talk: AppSumo lifetime deals
• Lovable: Tara’s current favorite for building custom apps

Email Platform Integration

Most entrepreneurs are using AI to write emails, then copying them into their existing email platforms (ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, etc.). The AI handles the creative work; your email platform handles the delivery and analytics.

Tools I Recommend

• ChatGPT Pro (for custom GPTs)
• Poppy (to train AI on your voice + past content)
• ConvertKit AI (for subject line and email assist)
• Notion AI (if you plan your editorial calendar in Notion)

You don’t need them all. Pick one and start. You can always upgrade later.

Common AI Email Mistakes to Avoid

1. The Copy-Paste Trap

The mistake: Taking AI output without editing or personalization.
The fix: Always add your own perspective, experiences, and voice.

2. Generic Prompts

The mistake: “Write me a newsletter about productivity.”
The fix: “Write a newsletter for overwhelmed entrepreneurs about productivity, using a story about my chaotic morning routine, in a conversational tone with actionable tips.”

3. Ignoring Your Audience

The mistake: Letting AI determine what your audience needs.
The fix: Use your knowledge of your audience to guide AI suggestions.

4. Over-Relying on AI

Ruth’s wisdom: “We don’t have to do it all once. We don’t have to be everything to everyone. We don’t have to know everything.”

Advanced AI Email Strategies

The Question-Generation Technique

When you’re stuck, ask AI: “What questions do you have for me to help create better email content?”

Tara’s example: After her successful dog story email, she asked AI what other questions it needed to help her generate similar engaging content.

The Multiple-Angle Approach

Ask AI: “What are 10 different angles I could take on [topic] for my email newsletter?”

The Improvement Loop

1. Write email with AI assistance
2. Send and track performance
3. Feed results back to AI: “This email got a 45% open rate and 12% click rate. What made it successful?”
4. Apply learnings to future emails

Measuring Success: What to Track

Engagement Metrics

• Open rates: Are your subject lines (AI-assisted or not) compelling?
• Click rates: Is your content driving action?
• Reply rates: Are you creating genuine connection?

Efficiency Metrics

• Time to write: How much time are you saving?
• Email frequency: Can you send more consistently with AI help?
• Quality consistency: Are your emails maintaining quality even when you’re busy?

Authenticity Check

The ultimate test: Do your emails still sound like you? Are you getting replies that show people feel connected to your authentic voice?

Getting Started: Your 30-Day Email AI Challenge

Week 1: Foundation

1. Create a basic brand voice document
2. Set up one custom GPT for email writing
3. Write one email using AI assistance
4. Compare time spent vs. your usual process

Week 2: Experimentation

1. Try the multi-GPT approach for one email
2. Use AI to turn a personal story into a business lesson
3. Ask AI to analyze your best-performing past email

Week 3: Optimization

1. Create an email series using AI
2. Use AI for newsletter research
3. Refine your brand voice training based on results

Week 4: Systematization

1. Document your most effective AI email processes
2. Create templates for your most common email types
3. Plan your ongoing AI-assisted email strategy

The Future of AI Email Marketing

As the panel discussed, the technology will continue evolving rapidly. But the fundamental principles remain:

1. AI amplifies your voice, it doesn’t replace it
2. Authentic stories and experiences can’t be replicated
3. Your knowledge of your audience is irreplaceable
4. Efficiency gains allow for more consistent, valuable communication

Ruth’s perspective: “Even if the tech changes in the future, the amount of time and effort that I have saved already is 100% worth it.”

Want the complete playbook? Our AI panel covered everything from technical setup to advanced strategies. The full 94-minute recording includes live examples and detailed Q&A from six entrepreneurs who’ve transformed their email marketing with AI.

Final Word: Your Voice Is Still the Magic ✨

Yes, AI is powerful. Yes, it can save you hours. But it’s not the point.

You are the point.

Your stories, your energy, your off-beat jokes, your lived experience… those are what turn lurkers into loyal readers and clients.

AI can help you scale your message. But never let it replace your magic.

Now go write that nurture sequence. And then maybe finally take a nap!