Why agencies prefer straightforward emails

HubSpot analyzed 500M+ emails. Plain text emails get 42% more clicks than HTML templates and 25% better open rates. After years of brands investing in beautiful email design, responsive templates, and GIF-heavy campaigns, the data says: strip it down. Why is plain text winning? 1. It feels personal. Looks like it came from a human, not a marketing department. 2. No image blocking issues. The message is the message, not dependent on images loading. 3. AI inbox friendly. Plain text is easier for algorithms to parse and summarize accurately. Your carefully designed layout? Gets flattened in an AI summary anyway. The irony: the lowest-effort email format is outperforming the highest-production emails. This doesn't mean design is dead. It means design for design's sake is dead. Retention marketing in 2026 isn't about prettier emails. It's about more relevant emails that don't need visual tricks to drive action. If your email needs a hero image and three GIFs to get someone to click, the problem isn't your design. It's your relevance. Plain text forces you to write better. And the data proves it works.

I've sent over 5 million cold emails at this point And the pattern is pretty clear Every time I've tried to get 'creative' with complex frameworks or fancy personalization, the performance drops The simple, straightforward emails consistently get more replies — I'm not saying personalization doesn't matter I'm saying people overcomplicate it What doesn't work: – Three paragraphs explaining your company story – Overly detailed case-studies in the first email – Multiple CTAs giving them 5 different options – Clever wordplay that reads like a copywriter What actually works: → One specific observation about them → One sentence about what you do → One clear next step That's it The emails that look like they took 2 minutes to write outperform the ones that look like they took 20 minutes Prospects don't want to read an essay from a stranger They want to know if you're relevant in under 10 seconds — I see founders spending hours perfecting one email template when they should be sending 100 simple ones and learning from the data Complexity doesn't impress people ... clarity does Keep it simple, keep it human, keep it short That's the formula that's worked across millions of sends

Why are SO MANY cold emails filled with fancy corporate lingo?? "We leverage cutting-edge methodologies to optimize your customer acquisition funnel through strategic implementation of advanced lead generation protocols." I know you think it makes you sound smart and “sophisticated” when you write this out. But believe me when I say this: these types of cold emails RARELY work. Now here's an email that actually gets replies: "We can help you get more customers without relying on expensive agencies." The first email sounds like a press release while the other sounds like a conversation. Which is why email 2 just works better. I've actually tested this across hundreds of campaigns. And simple language consistently outperforms corporate jargon. Here's a real example from our campaigns: Instead of: "We facilitate comprehensive automation solutions for your client onboarding infrastructure." We write: "We can automate your entire client onboarding process so you save 100+ hours per month." Busy executives (or anyone for that matter) don't have time to decode your fancy language. They want to understand your offer in 10 seconds or less. So just write it like you're explaining your service to a friend. Use words a fifth-grader would understand. Replace "facilitate" with "help."  Replace "utilize" with "use."  Replace "implement" with "set up." Trust me, your prospects aren't impressed by big words. Just get straight to the point without unnecessary complexity.

The moment someone reads, “I hope you are doing well,” their mind already switches to ignore mode. They know a generic message is coming next. Nothing personal. Nothing useful. Good outreach works differently. It begins by showing you actually looked at the person, not just their email address. You talk about something real --- a recent launch, a post they shared, a challenge their company is facing, or a trend in their industry. Then you connect that to a clear problem you help solve. You keep it simple. No big words. No long story. After that, you invite a small response instead of pushing for a meeting immediately. A quick question that feels easy to answer works much better. For example, instead of sounding polite and empty, you sound direct and relevant. This makes people feel like the email was written just for them. Because people don’t reply to perfect English. They reply to messages that feel real, personal, and useful to their work.

As an agency owner, I look at communication as the first portfolio of any professional. Recently, I received a freelancer’s first message: “Hw r u.” No greeting. No punctuation. Nothing. And it doesn’t stop there. I often get: “Send the details.” or “Vacancy open?” That’s it. No hi, no context, no name, no signature. Here’s the thing, If you can’t communicate with basic courtesy, how do I trust you with client work that requires detail, empathy, and presentation? At my agency, we value: ✔️ A simple “Hi and your name” to open a conversation. ✔️ Emails that are structured (clear subject lines, proper spacing, bullet points). ✔️ Proposals with attention to detail (right file names, page order, hierarchy). ✔️ A professional close, because “Regards” still matters. Why? Because communication is not “extra.” It is the work. It shows whether you’re reliable, thoughtful, intrigued and client-ready. So, to anyone looking for opportunities, remember: Your email, your text, your proposal… that’s your brand before your actual work even begins. Do you also notice these little things, or is it just me being extra particular?

This plain text email generated $26K in 48 hours. Here's why it outperformed our designed emails: Most DTC brands think fancy designs = higher conversions. They're wrong. This simple, text-only email crushed our beautifully designed campaigns. Why plain text emails work: Higher deliverability - Bypasses spam filters Feels personal - Like getting a text from a friend Mobile-friendly - Loads instantly (no heavy images) Creates urgency - Without looking salesy or pushy The psychology behind it: When someone opens a plain text email, their brain thinks: "This is important. Someone took time to write this personally." Designed emails trigger: "This is marketing. Delete." Here's the exact framework we use: 80% designed emails (for brand building) 20% plain text (for maximum conversions) When to use plain text: • Flash sales • Urgent announcements • Founder messages • Re-engagement campaigns • Last chance offers The $26K email structure: Personal subject line: "Quick question..." Conversational opener One clear offer Simple CTA Founder signature Pro tip: Your plain text emails should feel like they came from your phone, not your marketing team. The result? $26K revenue in 48 hours Bottom line: Sometimes less design = more dollars.

We average 4–6 media opportunities per client, per month. Not because we’re doing anything flashy, but because we use a simple system that lines up with how reporters actually work. P.S. I break down the exact PR strategies and "behind-the-scenes" data we use to land media opportunities every week in my newsletter, Pitch Smarter. Join 730+ founders, CEOs, and PR leaders who are reading Pitch Smarter, here - https://lnkd.in/eDnmKjCi 1️⃣ We’re very straightforward in the first email. The subject line basically says, “Hey, here’s a new expert on a topic you already cover.” Reporters get enough vague emails so being clear right out of the gate helps. 2️⃣ We spend more time on their beat than our client. We reference what they’ve been writing about and explain why this person is actually useful to them. That tends to land because reporters need people who can help them move a story forward when they’re already in it. 3️⃣ If we don’t hear back, we follow up by phone. Usually after a day or two. And the first thing we ask is, “Are you on deadline?” If they are, we get off the phone and if they’re not, a quick real-time conversation lets them decide fast whether a source works. It just speeds everything up. 4️⃣ Then we send flexible, genuinely helpful commentary. Most of the time, that’s over email. We’ll reference a few recent pieces they’ve written and make it clear the source isn’t locked into one angle. That makes it easier for them to see whether an old story is worth expanding on or whether they’ve just found someone they’ll want to call again later. That’s usually when we hear back with “Yeah, this is helpful. Can we set up a call with your source?” So the system isn't fancy, but allows my team and I to show up in a way that makes a reporter’s job easier.

A plain text email with 12 words generated $36,000. No fancy design. No graphics. No clever copywriting. Just this: Subject: "Ever wondered what we have on sale?" Email: "Ever wondered what we have on sale? Find out below. Shop Now" That's it. We tested this against beautifully designed promotional emails. The plain text version won every time. Here's why it works: It creates an open loop. Your brain literally can't help but want to close it. When someone reads "Ever wondered what we have on sale?" they think: "Yeah... maybe I have wondered that." Click. The psychology is simple: → It doesn't look like marketing → It feels personal, like a quick question → The curiosity gap forces engagement → There's no friction to the click Most brands overthink email campaigns. They spend hours on design, layout, and copy. Meanwhile, the simplest approach often converts the best. Because people don't want to be marketed to. They want to feel like they're having a conversation. Plain text does that. Fancy images doesn't. Next time you're crafting a campaign, try stripping everything away. Sometimes the best email is just a simple question.

I’ve been doing cold email/outbound for over 10 years now and scaled one of my last companies to $19m/year… currently run a relatively successful cold email agency. Your subject lines really matter… if they suck your campaign will bomb. Most people overthink subject lines in cold email. They try to be clever or tricky, when the only thing that really matters is what the person on the other side actually wants. If your subject line makes them curious about something they care about, they’ll open. If it doesn’t, they won’t. Simple as that. The best ones usually look almost boring because they’re so direct. Example if you’re reaching out to a local business like a landscaper: “landscaping project in {{city}}?” Or if it’s a real estate agent: “home buyer in {{city}}” Both work because they speak to the exact thing the prospect wants. That’s why they get opened. Just try and do it in a way that there’s still some context in what you’re actually sending. Even something as simple as {your company name} <> {company name} still gets solid open rates… Boring? Yes but effective. Too often I see noobs writing really complicated subject lines or subject lines that are really relevant to the campaign and explain the campaign in some way when really they’d be MUCH better off doing something much simpler and using the above methodology.

We recently ran an A/B test with a statistically significant outcome, and the results are pretty compelling. The Setup: Variation A: Plain text email with a direct, no-frills approach, coming from the brand's founders who are well-known to customers through their appearances across social channels. Variation B: Designed email with visuals and branding. What We Learned: Oftentimes, simplicity wins. The plain text email not only outperformed the designed one in engagement but, more importantly, drove nearly double the revenue. Why do Plain Text emails work? - Pattern-Interrupt: Plain text emails stand out in crowded inboxes, catching the reader’s attention. - Clearer Offers: Without distractions, offers are presented more directly, leading to better click rates. - Better Deliverability: Plain text emails tend to have higher deliverability rates, which contributed to the higher open rate we saw in this test. This is something we consistently see success with across clients. However, it must be used sparingly. It doesn’t mean you should start sending only plain text emails. Balance is key. Sometimes, keeping it simple really does work wonders—but remember, variety keeps your audience engaged.