Second Brain

Your Emails Should Sound Like You’re Messaging Your Mom

The Story

“It’s all about empathy. I think marketing’s a lot about empathy.” (Source 1).

Harry’s core copywriting principle: write like a human talking to another human. “Your emails should be written like you’re just messaging your mom or your dad or your brother and sister.” (Source 1).

The framework behind this: “People don’t want a better toothbrush, they want a brighter smile.” (Source 1). Don’t describe the product. Describe what the product does for the person. Features are the toothbrush. Benefits are the smile.

This principle directly informed his decision to rebrand from the faceless “Marketing Examples” to “Harry’s Marketing Examples.” “People buy from people” (Source 2). He put his name and face on the newsletter because the empathy connection requires a person on the other end, not a brand.

He applies the same thinking to titles: “Spend a lot of time writing titles.” (Source 1). The title is the first empathy test. If it doesn’t connect with what the reader cares about, the content never gets read.

His newsletter sends the full article in the email body rather than just a link. The reasoning: meet people where they are instead of asking them to go somewhere else (Source 1). “The whole value proposition really of Marketing Examples is email list.” (Source 1).

Lesson for Creators

Most copywriting advice is about tricks: power words, urgency, scarcity. Harry’s approach is simpler. Write like you’re talking to someone you know. If your email wouldn’t make sense as a text to your brother, it’s too formal. If your headline describes a feature instead of a benefit, it’s too product-focused. Empathy isn’t a technique. It’s the default setting that most marketing overrides.

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