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SOAP — Email · Storytelling

Story · Objective · Appraise · Persuade

An email-specific formula built on narrative. Opens with story, builds to persuasion — without ever feeling like a pitch.

5 min readUpdated June 2026
Formula
SOAP
See the steps ↓

What is the SOAP formula?

SOAP — Story, Objective, Appraise, Persuade — is a narrative-led email copywriting formula that builds persuasion through story rather than pitch. Where PAS leads with pain and SSS leads with character, SOAP is specifically structured for email: it opens with a relatable story that draws the reader in, states the objective that the story is building toward, appraises the options the reader faces, and then persuades toward one clear action. SOAP is most effective in newsletter and relationship-based email contexts where direct selling is resisted and the story format earns the persuasive right to make an ask.

Step by step

The 4 stages of SOAP

S
Stage 1
Story
Open with a relatable story. First-person or third-person — but specific and immediately gripping.
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The Story stage is SOAP's entry point and its most important stage. Unlike SSS where the story is an extended narrative, SOAP's story is compact — one to three paragraphs that place the reader in a recognisable situation. The story can be your own experience, a client's experience, or a hypothetical scenario framed as real. What matters is that the reader immediately sees their own situation reflected. The story should hint at the resolution without delivering it — the tension of an unresolved story is what carries the reader into the Objective stage.

Do
  • Open in a specific, concrete moment — not a vague scenario
  • Use the first person when the story is your own experience
  • Choose a story that directly mirrors your reader's current situation
  • End the Story with an unresolved tension that the Objective will address
Don't
  • Open with a story that's so specific only you could tell it — readers need to see themselves
  • Resolve the story in the Story stage — the tension is what carries readers forward
  • Use a story that's interesting but irrelevant to the email's core message
  • Make the Story stage too long — two or three short paragraphs is usually enough
O
Stage 2
Objective
Name the destination. What does this email exist to help the reader achieve?
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A
Stage 3
Appraise
Show the reader their options. Evaluate each one honestly before pointing to the best path.
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P
Stage 4
Persuade
Make the case for your solution with evidence, specifics, and one clear CTA.
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See it in action

Real example

Real example — newsletter email for a writing productivity toolA weekly newsletter email to an audience of freelance writers.
Story“Last year I spent an entire Tuesday writing the same email three times. Not improving it — rewriting it from scratch each time because I'd lost the previous draft. By 4pm I had a version I was happy with. I hit send. I'd spent six hours on an email that took 20 minutes to read.”
Objective“Today I want to show you the system I now use to write faster without sacrificing quality — specifically the one decision that changed everything.”
Appraise“The obvious fix is templates. The problem with templates is they kill your voice — every email starts to sound like every other email from every other marketer. The other obvious fix is writing less. But if you're already writing at the minimum viable frequency, that just means fewer touchpoints with less revenue. Neither of these addresses the root problem: the blank page and the decision paralysis that comes with it.”
Persuade“What actually worked was a pre-writing framework — a five-question brief I complete before I open a blank document. It takes four minutes and the email practically writes itself after. I've written it up as a free one-page download. If the Tuesday I described above sounds familiar, this is for you. Download the brief here →”
Best applications

When to use it

Newsletter emailsNewsletter emails
Welcome sequencesWelcome sequences
Relationship-based email marketingRelationship-based email marketing
Content marketing with a soft CTAContent marketing with a soft CTA
The psychology

Why it works

  • Story creates engagement before any selling begins
  • Appraise builds trust by showing genuine evaluation rather than a predetermined pitch
  • Persuade arrives when the reader is already oriented toward the solution
  • Feels like reading, not selling — critical for list health over time
Avoid these

Common mistakes

✕ An Appraise stage that's obviously biased
FixIf the reader can see you're dismissing alternatives unfairly, the trust built by the Story stage evaporates. The Appraise stage must engage genuinely with the alternatives' real merits.
✕ A Story that takes too long to get to the point
FixSOAP works best in email where space is limited and attention is short. Keep the Story to two or three paragraphs — longer and the reader is waiting for the point before the Objective even arrives.
✕ A weak CTA after three strong stages
FixSOAP builds significant persuasive momentum. A vague or passive CTA wastes it. The Persuade stage should close with the clearest, most direct ask in the piece.
Going further

Variations worth knowing

SSS
Star · Story · Solution
SSS is better for longer narrative formats (VSL, brand video) where extended storytelling earns the time. SOAP is built for the constraints of email — quicker story, more structured appraisal.
Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What does SOAP stand for in copywriting?↓
When should I use SOAP instead of PAS?↓