We’ve already discussed why email marketing is my favorite way to connect with my peeps and how to get started. So what about after you start? What happens when you have your list set up, people are starting to join, and… you have know idea wtf to write about?!
I know you’re building it up to be this big, scary thing. Like you have to find the perfect words, have a super slick design, balance being not-too-salesy while still actually marketing… it’s a lot of pressure! And I feel this pressure, too. In fact, after I sent out my email last month about how to get started with email marketing… I froze and didn’t email my list for five weeks. (And I try to send emails weekly!) I got all in my head and started thinking that I had nothing valuable to share. And maybe you’re feeling that way too.
And I’m here to tell you, that’s bullshit. You do have something valuable to share. The world wants to hear from you! (That’s why they signed up to be on your list!) Here are a few ideas if you’re feeling stuck about what to send them.
1. A digest of your recent or most popular blog posts
If you’re blogging, you should be spreading that great content everywhere, including to your newsletter list! You can send an email every time you publish a new post, or you can send a monthly digest with a few of your best new posts. Don’t limit yourself to just the new stuff, either. Every once in a while, do a throwback and send out a collection of your most popular posts of all time. The new people on your list probably haven’t read those yet, and the people who have been around for a while will love the reminders.
Not a blogger? No biggie! You can send a digest of your best youtube videos, popular facebook posts, any kind of content you’re creating!
2. A free download
Even if you already have a great freebie that gets people on your list, you don’t have to stop there! Sending out a little free something to your list every once in a while is a delightful treat that keeps people engaged and encourages them to stay subscribed.
Stationery designer (and my good friend) Meredith Collie sends out a cute, free printable each month. She’s sent out helpful to-do lists, inspiring art prints, and adorable recipe cards, each in her sweet, preppy, illustrative style.
Photographers who sell stock photos often send out one free stock photo a month to their lists. This is a great way to give subscribers a taste of what’s new and encourage them to check out the shop!
But don’t think monthly freebies are limited to just designers and photographers! Marketing expert (and another BFF of mine), Gwen Montoya sends out super valuable free downloads every month that relate to business and marketing. Her holiday promotions guide, SEO checklist, and fillable content calendar are a few of my favorites!
3. Tips, tricks, and tutorials
This is my favorite kind of email to write and to receive! When you can educate your list, you’re providing super duper valuable information, and they’ll keep coming back for more! If your business is mostly education-based, this probably seems obvious, but service providers and product creators can send out educational emails, too! Think about what your customers and clients come to you for and what tips can help them in their lives.
If you sell all-natural makeup, send out a smokey eye tutorial or a quick email about how changing your lip color can take your look from day to night. If you make handcrafted jewelry, send out a list of tips for jewelry storage and care. Or if you make high-end doorknobs, you can send out a guide for proper installation.
Massage therapist? Send out a list of 1-minute relaxation techniques. Family photographer? Write tips for getting the whole family to look good in a photo. Plumber? Send a list of tricks for preventing clogged pipes! (And then send it to me… we have 4 girls in this house and the shower drain is allllllways clogged!)
4. A personal story
Marketing is not just about selling, it’s also about connecting. So be brave, be vulnerable, and send a personal story out to your list. Even just once. It can be something big, like a life-changing epiphany that motivated you to start your business in the first place, or something small like what you learned from watching a bird try to fly into a window for days and days. (My friend Jana at 360 Yardware wrote a brilliant email about a little birdy trying to fly into her window and how she can relate. It was such a clever way for her to connect with her audience in a way that goes beyond just the products she has to offer.)
In this noisy internet world, we’re craving real life connections more than we ever have. So even if you don’t think people want to hear from the real you–they do. Let your readers get to know the person behind the business and share a story with them!
5. An invitation to buy
Sending out valuable, free content is sooooo important! But don’t forget to also make the ask sometimes! Your email list is a group of people who know, like, and trust you enough to hand over their email address because they’re interested in what you offer. They are primed and ready to buy from you! They want what you’re sellin’ so give them the chance to buy!
And while it’s pretty obvious that you should be announcing new products, services, and programs to your list, don’t stop there! Just because you know all the brilliant things you do, doesn’t mean everyone else has poked around your website obsessively. So send out an email highlighting something you’ve been offering for a while! It might be just what someone needs at the perfect time for them to buy.
This list is just the beginning! There are countless ideas of what you could send to your list. I’d love to hear about your favorite emails in the comments!
And if you’d like more help with your email marketing, come on over to my membership community and course library, the Biz BFF Hive! We’re focusing on email marketing all quarter, and you can learn how to set up your email marketing program, how to create freebies people can’t wait to sign up for, how to write emails people want to read, and more! Join the Hive today!
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