Crafting clickable emails | Email teardown with Emily Ryan
I recently sat down with the brilliant Emily Ryan - fellow Mailchimp Pro and Email Agency Co-Founder - to chat about one of her all-time favourite brand emails. No overhype here: she opens every single email they send. And she’s been on their list for years.
The brand? Tattly - they make temporary tattoos by real artists, and their emails are honestly just fun. But also? They’re smart.
Let’s break down what they’re doing right (and where they bend the rules).
They’re bold, bright, and super consistent
Tattly’s emails are full of colour, packed with big graphics, and instantly recognisable - even if you didn’t read a word.
Emily summed it up perfectly:
“You know what to expect when you open a Tattly email. They’re fun, bright, and consistent - and that builds trust.”
They use a clear layout (image, short text, button, repeat) so even though the emails are on the longer side, it doesn’t feel like a chore to scroll. You just want to keep going.
Yep, it’s mostly images - and somehow it works
Most email marketers will tell you not to go heavy the images. Accessibility, load times, deliverability... there are good reasons to keep live text in the mix.
But Tattly does the opposite - and their emails still load fast and feel super engaging. Why? Because they’ve clearly tested and optimised for their audience.
Would I recommend image-heavy emails for everyone? Definitely not. But Tattly makes it work. And the fact that Emily’s never had issues opening them tells you something.
They get their audience
Right at the bottom of their emails, they include a round-up of links - blog posts, quirky articles, little creative gems. Nothing salesy, just pure joy.
And that’s exactly what keeps people like Emily subscribed.
“I always scroll to the bottom for those links,” she told me.
It’s such a simple thing, but it shows they really know who they’re talking to. And if you’re sending weekly emails, having a few go-to sources for that kind of content makes your life easier too.
There’s definitely a designer involved
If you’ve ever done the strategy / copy / build / test / send juggle by yourself, you’ll spot this a mile off: these emails are professionally designed.
“You can tell,” Emily said. “There’s polish here - and that’s a luxury.”
When brands invest in good design and pair it with a solid strategy? That’s when emails really shine.
They nail the little details
From the cute signature at the end to animal characters, Tattly’s emails are full of personality. Even though some of the headings are images - not ideal for accessibility - you kind of forgive it, because the whole thing feels joyful and intentional.
“It’s not perfect,” Emily said. “But it’s delightful. And that’s what keeps me opening.”
What you can learn from Tattly
Be consistent. People like knowing what to expect.
Design matters.
Surprise and delight goes a long way.
If you’ve got a designer on hand, use them. If not, build a repeatable template that makes your life easier.
Want your own (private!) email review? I can SHOW you what works, what doesn’t, and how you can make sure YOUR emails convert. I teardown your emails, so that you can build them up bigger and better - CLICK HERE!
