How to Write Emails That Sell More Stuff

What are you doing to sell your services or products?

You have a shiny, modern website, right?

It has an up-to-date shop with a great user experience?

And you have regular blogs going up that are engaging and filled with SEO?

That’s great. What about emails?

I saw you pause there. Yes, emails; good ol’ emails.

It’s amazing the number of companies with dedicated marketing strategies that are forgetting this incredible marketing tool. If you are one of them, read on to find out how to use emails to help you sell more stuff.

The Power of Email Marketing

Emails are powerful. They are a proactive tool with targets that are within your control – unlike less predictable web traffic.

They are crafted to share exactly what you want to say and – importantly – when you want to say it.

And the people who get your emails have asked to get them; they’re a listening audience.

Email marketing is personal. It allows you to build relationships, develop your brand persona and create a tailored environment for you to sell yourself.

Oh, and let’s not forget, emails are seriously cheap!

So… Why Aren’t Your Emails Selling More?

Let’s be honest, though, email marketing is good, but it’s not magic. There’s a good chance you’ve tried it; maybe you still are trying it, and it’s not doing much for you. In fact, your sales are flatter than your nan’s freshly ironed tea towels.

(Seriously, who even irons any more, let alone tea towels?! Do it once, though, and you’ll be hooked. So much crisp drying power…)

Where was I? Oh yes – flat sales!

There may be several reasons why your email marketing isn’t performing:

Your list isn’t up to date

List laziness is effective email marketing killer #1. Sending your message out into the void to hit email addresses that are no longer in use or are dropping into the inboxes of people who just aren’t interested any more does nothing for anyone. An email that isn’t read is no use whatsoever.

You need to trim off those irrelevant leads that don’t open or read the email; they’re not doing anything for you.

Your timing is off

When you send an email is as important as what you are sending, and a lot here can depend on your business and your audience. For many companies, 10 am on a Tuesday serves well and can maximise the number that get opened, others swear by the afternoon, and if you are trying to target people relaxed at home, sometimes even Sunday is the right answer.

Do some research and adapt your email send times based on the results.

You are sending out too much

Yes, this happens, too. The volume of your emails is important; too infrequent and people forget who you are, but don’t become one of those people who bombard prospective customers with emails multiple times a week until they reach for that ‘unsubscribe’ button in desperation. Temper yourself!

Your writing sucks

Are you using ChatGPT unedited? Yeah, we caught ya!

Seriously, its important that you craft your email and don’t just type whatever pops into your head and send it out filled with typos (although for the right audience, that can be a marketing trick in of itself!).

Maybe the content needs improvement. Read on, dear friend…

Once Upon a Time…

What do fairy tales and email marketing have in common?

A princess!

No, it’s not that. Nor is it ogres or trolls, though there are plenty of marketing emails I’ve read with their fair share of the latter.

Emails and fairy tales both have a message – it’s at the core of both.

When you’re not warning about the dangers of eating gingerbread houses in the woods, you’re trying to impart advice or offerings that will lead people to buy from you.

And why have fairy tales done so well with this through generation after generation? Because humans love a story.

Stories are everywhere, forming cultures throughout history. This is why using stories within your emails is the number one way to create a more engaging and successful email strategy.

Help! What if I’m not a Storyteller?

No one expects you to be the next JK Rowling. When we say stories in email marketing, we’re not talking about character development or following a three-act structure. No, these are real life experiences that connect to the lives and pain points of your clients, and speak to the relevance of your wares.

It can require a little creative thinking, but really, anything can become a story.

Stories that are real are gold – and it can be worth saving them up for those really important marketing pushes – but you can use your creative licence and invent a ‘friend’ that can help you convey a message.

Story-based emails help build up a picture of who you are and what your company is about. You become a real person to your readers, and they will grow to feel they know you personally. 

Ultimately, people trust the people they know, and they buy from the people they trust. 

With stories, you make a connection that carries through to sales.

Want to see how we use stories in our email marketing? Sign up to my mailing list on the form below. 

Are Stories All I Need to Sell More Stuff?

Of course they are! It’s a one-stop magic shop for selling!

Erm… no.

Stories are the start, but there’s a lot more than goes into a perfect marketing email:

• Learn to finesse the link to your product or services. You can’t just tell a cool story and then drop a link to your online store.
• Work out timing, tone, and personalisation.
• Manage your email lists.

Email marketing takes time to cultivate, but it’s well worth the effort, and, like many things, once you get going with it, it becomes easier and the results just keep getting better.

Episode X: Harry Potter and the Ancient Art of Storytelling

From Ancient Greek myths and Bible parables, through Star Wars and Harry Potter, to the daily binge-watching of Netflix’s latest, storytelling runs through the fabric of every society, so why not use it to create emails that really impact your sales? And, if you feel you might struggle, well, we’re here to help.

I actually had this friend who wanted to make more of her email marketing. She was skipping through the wood, avoiding big bad wolves and eating bits of gingerbread house, when she decided to contact me… You can do the same here.

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