Writing Emails That Use Social Proof

Last week, I spoke to two email copywriters pitched similar clients. First one showed their portfolio and writing samples. Second one showed revenue screenshots and client results. Guess who got the $5,000 project? It wasn't the better writer. Had a call yesterday with someone charging $500 per email sequence. Asked to see her client results. She pulled up a campaign that made $43,000 in three days. "But I'm not sure I can charge more yet." I nearly fell out of my chair. Numbers tell stories portfolios can't. When you show a writing sample, clients see expenses. When you show revenue results, clients see investments. I've tracked this pattern for years. Email copywriters focus on showing: • Writing samples • Past clients • Templates used • Creative approaches But clients care about: • Revenue generated • Open rates achieved • Lists grown • Sales converted One email manager I worked with shifted her entire presentation. Instead of showing email examples, she showed: • engagement rates • revenue generated • her unique process • 3 case studies Her rates jumped from $1,000 to $5,000/month. Same skills. Same experience. Different proof. Different prices. Most email specialists hide their best selling tool. They track results but never show them. They create wins but never share them. They generate revenue but never claim it. The math does the selling for you: If your emails made a client $30k, charging $3k is obvious. If one automation makes them thousands each day, charging 3x makes sense. But instead, many copywriters on LinkedIn show: • Email samples • Writing style • Pretty designs • Clever subject lines Meanwhile, clients are desperate for proof. They don't need to see another portfolio. They need to see results. Your current rate isn't your ceiling. It's just a reflection of what you're showing clients. Want to charge more? Stop showing what you do. Start showing what you create. The proof is already in your reports. You just need to present it.

Reviews are more than social proof. They’re your best copywriters. Let me explain 👇 Most brands just throw reviews on a PDP and forget about them. Here’s a better idea: turn your best reviews into full email flows. Here’s how: • Take your top 10 5-star reviews. • Label what problem each one is solving. • Build an email around each. Examples: • Review: “Finally something that fits my wide feet!” → Subject: “Got wide feet? We made this for you.” • Review: “I was nervous buying shoes online…” → Subject: “She doubted it too — until she tried this.” • Review: “Works even with my 3 toddlers running around.” → Subject: “Kid proof. Mom tested.” You’re not showing off. You’re letting real people tell your story. Let your customers do the talking. It comes across more real than anything you could write yourself.

People trust people. Not brands. You can say your product is amazing a hundred times. Or… you can let your customers say it once. And that’s why the 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 works so well. 📌 The Setup: Send it to engaged subscribers—people who have opened or clicked an email or SMS in the last 60 days (or just signed up). They’re already interested. They just need a nudge. 📌 The Strategy: Drop a glowing review right into their inbox. ✅ A short, powerful testimonial. ✅ A hero image of the featured product. ✅ A simple “See why everyone’s raving” button. No clutter. No fluff. Just social proof doing what it does best. Here’s why it works: People trust 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 people. They want to hear from buyers who’ve already been there, done that, and loved it. A single review can turn hesitation into action. A single quote can push them from “Maybe later” to “Take my money.” And if you layer in urgency (limited stock, trending, last chance to buy)? You’ve got a 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁. So, the next time you’re crafting an email… Skip the sales pitch. Let your happiest customers sell for you. Are you leveraging social proof in your email flows? #emailmarketing #ecommerce #growth #Shopify #Klaviyo