Be a good human (effective email marketing, pt. 1)
Welcome to the first of a three-part series on email marketing! If you’re looking to grow your list with lead magnets or build a new prospect funnel, that’s a different conversation. This series is all about long-term email list management. In Part 2, we’ll cover how to structure emails that consistently deliver value to your readers. In the final installment, we’ll dive into strategies to boost open rates.
Let’s begin with what truly matters…
The single most important indicator of open rate is the “FROM” FIELD.
You will always open an email from your mom; but an email from a company you don’t recognize? It’s likely headed straight for the trash. Every individual on your email list has a relationship with your brand. If you consistently deliver value, they’ll keep opening your emails—and even look forward to them. Fail to provide value, and this relationship will be damaged. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Building and maintaining trust is crucial.
Always Provide Value
Every time! Your emails are a place to GIVE to your audience. When a reader opens up your email they are giving you their time and attention. You need to give them something valuable in return. Value doesn’t have to be financial. It can be information, entertainment, discounts, or validation. (Your content will be most powerful if it alternates between VALIDATION, EDUCATION, and ENTERTAINMENT, but that is a different article.) The key is to ensure that your content is worth their time, every single time.
Focus on Serving Your Existing Audience, NOT EXPANDING YOUR AUDIENCE
It might seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: your emails should serve your current audience, not aim to expand it. Your subscribers are made up of past customers, current customers, and potential customers who have shown interest in your brand. They’re not strangers, but individuals who have already placed some level of trust in you. Treat them with care and respect—they’re the lifeblood of your business.
MAKE YOUR READERS LIKE YOU
In the “Know-Like-Trust” model of marketing, email sits squarely in the “Like” bucket. Your emails are a place where you strengthen your brand voice, build loyalty, and keep your most dedicated customers engaged.
“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
Both VOICE and CONTENT play significant roles here.
The way you speak to your readers matters tremendously. Do you talk to them like they are family? Like co-workers? Like a knowledgeable professor? Are you funny, serious, conspiratorial, or warm? (This is something that should be codified in your brand standards manual, btw.)
Content type is equally important. What you share in your emails sends a hidden message about your brand. If every email shouts “30% off!!!” you come off as a street-corner huckster shouting at random strangers and the message you are really sending is “I don’t care about you, I just want your money.” You need to fill your emails with a mix of content types that bring value to your readers in different ways.
Keep them informed: Share updates about your brand.
Announce new products: Let them know what’s coming.
Highlight benefits: Explain how your products make a difference.
Share events and partnerships: Keep your community engaged.
Celebrate milestones: Reinforce your brand values.
Include sales carefully: They’re valuable, but don’t overdo them.
In Part 2, we’ll explore how to deliver value to a diverse audience—every single time.
