I Know Nothing About Formal Messaging

‘Register Now: Revolutionary Trends and Discussions at Conference 2025!’

‘This is the least boring email you'll get today. Maybe.’

So, dear reader, let's take your imagination to some work: you're a VP or director of a big company. You get dozens of emails a day. Most of them are boring ‘Blah, blah, innovation, blah, blah, efficiency gains, join our conference.’ Frankly, you're already immune to such emails (and already have all solutions you need at the moment. Or so you believe).

Now take a look at the headlines above. Which one will you open? Which one will make you linger for a second?

In my experience in marketing and copywriting, I've noticed one interesting pattern: formal headlines get lost among hundreds of them. But add a bit of irony, intrigue, or mild absurdity and the chance the email will at least get noticed goes up by leaps and bounds.

‘Yes, yes, I'm another letter in your mail. Will you open me?’

‘Am I doomed to gather digital dust here? Don’t leave me like that!’

‘Don't open me. Seriously.’

Pure curiosity might have killed the cat, but it’s what makes people click on these headlines. Catchyphrastic pieces keep readers hooked, and indicating pain points of your target audience is also a great trick:

‘5 mistakes you make during public speaking’

’Employees leave after a month on the job? Find out why’

’AI in marketing: tool or threat?’

But even the best subject line can’t work miracles: especially if your email is taking an unplanned vacation in the spam folder or if your recipient is having a ‘delete everything’ kind of day.

But if they've already clicked - congratulations, you've passed the first level. Next comes the most interesting part: attention retention.

Depending on the situation, I used different email styles. Here are a couple of examples:

1) Conversational and friendly, but professional:

Subject: This might be the least boring email you receive today. Maybe

Hi Julia,

If you've made it to this sentence, you're already in top 10% of people who – supposedly – made it as well! Congratulations! And now, I'd appreciate if you let me steal one minute of your time.

My name is Oleksandra, and I'm a representative of AL Group, international conference organiser. And I am here to tell you a bit about the event we are orginising in Vienna. To be more precise – [Event Name], [Date], [Venue].

Julia, the industry evolves, and I assume you must have some pain points on your way. Are digital transformations keeping you up at night? Do you need to equip your back-office teams with new skill sets? Are you looking for more efficient ways to work with KPIs and reporting? Or is there another pressing issue on your mind?

You might find plenty of reasons to just close this message now, forget my name (do you still remember it?) and move on.

But maybe – just maybe – you’d be interested in joining a gathering where every voice is heard and every opinion matters. I am talking about an engaging, collaborative environment with 40-70 like-minded professionals and seasoned speakers sharing insights from decades of experience in banking operations.

Do you think you can do perfectly well without it? Absolutely. If you choose to pass, I sincerely wish you success and a fantastic day ahead. You're still reading it after all, so I've already won!

But if any part of this resonated in your soul and mind – even just a little – simply reply to this message, and I will be happy to start a conversation with you!

Are you still with me?

Warm Regards
Oleksandra Drohobetska
Copywriter | Marketing Manager

2) Promotional, for marketing email campaigns:

Subject: Does Your Recruitment Feel Like an Uphill Battle?

Dear Julia,

Feel exhausted? Spending hours crafting job posts, filtering through applications, conducting interviews — only to see top candidates slip through your fingers. Or worse, leave within a month. It’s frustrating, expensive, and it’s holding your company back.

Meet the expert who’s been there and done that: [Name], [Job title] at [Company]. She knows the struggle firsthand and will be presenting at the [Event Name], [Date], [Venue].

Join the discussion based on her powerful case study: [Title].

Requesting the brochure with the full programme is free and takes you just one click. Proceeding with old recruitment strategies is expensive and will cost you much more time.

Warm Regards
Oleksandra Drohobetska
Copywriter | Marketing Manager

or

Subject: Rising costs and your supply chain fragility — let’s talk

Hi Julia,

The recent imposition of US tariffs on imports is exacerbating challenges for sectors heavily reliant on global supply chains, leading to increased costs and potential disruptions.

These developments underscore a pressing concern: the fragility of supply chains in the face of external shocks (including other geopolitical tensions and material shortages).

In this context, [Name], [Job Title] at [Company], presents a relevant case study titled “Integrating Strategic Objectives into IBP: A Resilient Response to Recent Supply Chain Disruptions”.

We’re hosting the [Event Name], [Date], [Venue]. Can I send you the details?

Talk soon,
Oleksandra Drohobetska
Copywriter | Marketing Manager

3) Classical sales messages for B2B outreach:

Subject: Position Your Brand Among Industry Leaders at the 2025 Pharma Summits

Dear Julia,

We are excited to inform you that on the [Date], top experts from the pharma industry will be gathering in Berlin to discuss current and future trends in regulatory, medical affairs and pharmacovigilance fields.

Meet seasoned speakers from [Companies], and many more at these conferences, who are not only sharing their expertise and insights on crucial matters in the industry but are also searching for solutions that will help streamline processes and improve their strategies. 

[Event Names]

Click here to request the sample list of participants.

• Networking: Meet potential clients among C-Level experts from pharma industry, facing problems and searching for YOUR solutions;
• Speaking and exhibition:  Share your insights and showcase your services through exhibition and speaking opportunities;
• Brand visibility:  Your brand will be featured in all conference materials, including event website, promotional emails, social media posts and on-site signage

Why choose us?

The feedback from the industry is great, and with some of our sponsors already reserving their slots and exhibition spaces, now is the time to secure yours!

Let’s discuss how we can maximise your impact at these summits. I’d be happy to share available sponsorship opportunities that align with your business goals.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Warm Regards
Oleksandra Drohobetska
Copywriter | Marketing Manager

Marketing is a game of trial and error. Constant experimentation.

There's no one-size-fits-all recipe. What works today may not work at all tomorrow. The same person may smile at a joke in an email on Monday and ignore it on Tuesday. So, I test, I tweak, I adapt... and then do it all over again.

My favorite approach: creativity, a little boldness and a touch of unpredictability. After all, even the busiest CEO of a huge company is still a human being.

Well, dear reader, you’ve made it this far, which means two things. First: you appreciate creative writing. Second: you need a copywriter. Maybe even me.

Oleksandra Drohobetska