How To Write Emails That People Actually Want To Read
I’ve been on an email kick lately and that’s partly because:
a) I launched my own newsletter, Notes From Natty, at the beginning of January
b) I’ve found a few subscribe-worthy newsletters recently that have me fired up (more on those in a minute) and
c) I think an email list is something that most business owners have been told they need, but they don’t always understand the true importance of having that list OR what to do with it once you have it.
And maybe you can relate to that.
You started your business, started learning all kinds of businessy things and somewhere along the way, someone told you that you need to start an email list.
But did they explain why? If not, I talk more about the why behind having an email list in this video!
(if you already know the why, you can skip this part!)
TLDW (too long; didn’t watch): just like you don’t own the content you post on social media, you also don’t own your followers.
This means that if Instagram disappears one day, your account, your content AND your followers will go with it.
And if you haven’t actively moved your followers to a place you own (ahem, your email list) then you will have absolutely no way to communicate with them.
Aside from “owning” your followers, email also generates 174% more total conversions that social media posts. 🤯 I’m not sure if or when I’ll stop being mind blown by that statistic because that is WILD to me!
After you know the why of having an email list, then comes the how of starting your email list and then growing it - those are the two things I talk about in this blog post!
Once you know the why and the how, we can dig into what you’re really here for…
How to Write Emails That People Actually Want to Read
Something that I hear from a lot of people is, “I have an email list, but I don’t do much with it.”
That statement is far too common and the reason this happens is because the people who say you need an email list aren’t always the ones who help you know what to do with it once you have it - and I don’t want to be one of those people.
You see, starting a list just to have it sit there until you decide you want to sell something isn’t going to work.
You want to use your email list to build true relationships with people and that involves communicating with them on a regular basis.
The consistency of that communication is up to you, but I highly encourage you to commit to at least bi-weekly. If you can swing it, weekly is even better because you stay top of mind for people, they remember who you are and they learn to know exactly when they’ll hear from you.
Once you decide that consistency, it’s time to write! But the key is writing emails that people ACTUALLY want to read.
Anyone can write an email. Just look at your inbox - you’re flooded with them daily. But how many of those do you actually read?
I want more for you than just to write emails for the sake of sending them each week.
I want you to become the person that people look forward to hearing from. I want you to become the person that people DM saying how much they loved your email today.
I want you to be the person that people know they can go to for information about [insert your industry].
I want people to read every single word of your emails and actually respond when you ask them to.
I want you to get messages like this:
You might think that writing emails that people actually want to read is all about the content. And while of course the content in your emails do play a part, for this blog specifically, we’re going to focus on a few other aspects that aren’t talked about as often.
If email content topics are what you’re searching for, refer to this video!
How to Make Your Email Newsletters Stand Out
Name it and market it just like you would a product or service
When I think about my favorite newsletters that I’m subscribed to, they all have one main thing in common: they’ve made it a “thing.”
I never have to wonder what I’m getting when these people show up in my inbox.
I know that on Tuesday mornings, I’m getting a new marketing tip in the Table of Contents from Sara at BTL Copy.
I know that when I wake up on Friday mornings, the next Anxious Achievers Club Meeting from Dr. Nicole will be in my inbox and will give me a new life tool or reminder that I desperately need. (bonus points to Dr. Nicole for calling out an identity to attract her ideal subscriber)
I know on Sundays when I get out of church, a new system from Ben Meer will be waiting for me - he calls it System Sunday.
All of these people talk about their newsletters often just like they would a product or service and they’ve become known for it. Their energy and excitement around it makes you want in on it!
Format it so that people know what to expect
When you format your emails a certain way and stick to the same format each week, you’ll be able to talk about joining your list in an easy way and it gives you the ability to easily communicate exactly what people will receive.
It’s more than just “join my list for updates” - because let’s be honest, WHO wants that?! Yes, you might give updates in your emails, but that’s not the reason people want to join.
People want to join because of what you specifically give them every single week.
For example, when you subscribe to Notes From Natty, you can expect an email every Friday morning that includes: a main message, a weekly writing tip and a round up of the latest at Natty Writes.
This is another reason that makes me so excited for the emails above - they are the same structure every single week and I never have to wonder what will be inside. Sure, the actual content changes from week to week, but the foundation behind it all stays the same.
Make it feel insider
People love to feel like they’re a part of something special. Even though your email list might have thousands of people on it, there is a way to make each individual subscriber feel like an insider.
To make your email list feel like a true insider situation here’s a few do’s and don'ts:
❌ DON’T
Treat it as something that you just have to check off your list each week
Give the scraps of your other content (if you do this, people will be able to tell)
This isn’t to say you can’t repurpose content and use it in your emails - you absolutely can and should do that - but you don’t want people to think that it’s just something you threw together because it needed to get done. More on repurposing in just a minute!
✅ DO
Give your subscribers the good stuff FIRST and make it a “first to know” vibe
Give them first dibs to anything new you launch (this gives people who aren’t yet subscribed another reason to do so)
Deliver content that you’ll never post or talk about anywhere else
That last one might be an unpopular opinion because everyone preaches repurposing - and let me be clear: yes, I think there’s a time and place for repurposing your content - but this is how you really can make your emails feel insider.
There are messages I send in Notes From Natty that were created for that and that alone and I don’t plan on turning those into blogs or social media posts! All of your emails don’t have to be like that, but it does add an extra insider feel that people are drawn to when you do.
Make it more than an announcement
How many times have you subscribed to a supposedly awesome newsletter just to find out that the weekly emails are really just announcements?! 🙋🏻♀️
I firmly believe that your emails should be more than just “here’s a new blog post!” or “listen to this week’s podcast episode.”
Should you link to those things and drive people there? Absolutely! But give them a strong message and key takeaway in the email too, so that it feels more than just an announcement.
When you do this, people will be more inclined to actually click through to whatever you link because you’re guiding them there instead of just saying, “hey, read this!”
There’s a huge difference and I promise people can tell.
The best part about all of this? YOU will be excited about writing the emails too!
That excitement will come off and people will be equally excited to hear from you.
If you’re in need of more hands-on email marketing help, I’d love to connect - CLICK HERE to get in touch and get started writing emails that YOU love to write and your audience loves to read.