How to Make Personal Recommendations in Your Email Marketing

Written By Katherine Kinlin

The beauty of sending out personalized emails: they can come from anyone.

Even Domino’s did it by writing a first-person email from their CEO with a coupon.

There’s something incredibly powerful about an email that feels personal, even if it’s coming from a big company.

You don’t always have to go to the top, though.

A great example is The SSL Store “abandoned cart” emails I reworked to come from the Director of Customer Experience herself.

When you’re bumping emails for attention in the inbox, old school works. Think pen and paper, a letter going to and from, a story told for a reason.

Maybe a recommendation was shared recently during a call. You can take that story and share it via email. (And if the reader likes that recommendation, they too, can get on a call to see how they can do/get the recommendation.)

“How do I make recommendations to our email list(s)?”

You get to pick the different levels of trust going out of your emails. Are you looking to inspire confidence with a top-down, high-level approach, or are you giving them that "we’ve got this" feeling from someone who’s been there, done that, and is getting things done?

You could send out an email with the backing of the founder’s trust.

On the other hand, you could send an email from whoever is your boots-on-the-ground kind of person. The one who’s on calls, solving problems, and getting your hands dirty with the details. Sending an email that taps into that "real world" perspective offers a different kind of trust.

Recommendations can be made in:

  • Standalone emails

  • Webinar emails (A recommendation on why they should attend instead of just another boring invite)

  • Newsletters

  • Abandoned cart emails

  • Renewal emails

Write emails that recommend without the “hard sell"

A good recommendation makes your email feel less like a sales pitch and more like a conversation.

Here’s how:

  1. Keep the tone in your emails personal
    “I thought you might find this useful because…” feels a lot more natural than “Buy this now!”

  2. Make the recommendation relevant
    No one wants to hear about something they don’t care about. Use what you know about your audience to tailor your recommendation. (Some audiences are more technical than others, etc.)

  3. Focus on what’s in it for them
    Why will this product, service, or idea make their life better? Keep it about their needs, not just what you’re promoting.

  4. Be honest about recommendations
    If something’s not for everyone, say so. “If you’re into [specific thing], you might love this” comes across as genuine and helps build trust with your audience.

  5. End with a Soft Call-to-Action
    No pressure. Just a gentle nudge. “Check it out here if you’re curious” feels way better than “Don’t miss this opportunity!”

Hiring a copywriter/content manager to write emails

It’s about making your readers feel like you get them—not like you’re trying to sell them something at every turn. A copywriter/content manager knows how to hit that sweet spot.

They the time to understand your audience—what they need, what they want, and what they’re curious about. Instead of throwing random links or offers their way, they write recommendations that feel thoughtful and tailored.

It’s not just, “Here’s this thing.” It’s, “Here’s something I think you’ll love.”

Katherine Kinlin