Good conversational emails aren’t very common.
The emails you typically see in the online space (& business in general) are mostly “buy my stuff” without really connecting and building a relationship.
I realized that I was doing email a little bit differently when I saw people complaining about their open rates. They were getting 10-15% open rates on their emails to hundreds if not thousands of people. I was quite surprised.
Why? Because I had open rates in the 40% range often. My people were coming to expect my emails and they were opening them and replying to them. I greatly enjoy having an engaged email list. I’ll be honest in that last year I’ve pivoted and purged my list numerous times but even after that some of the same people find themselves back on my list… it’s kinda like I am a magnet! You can do this with your list as well!
But how?
By implementing these email tips you’ll STAND out for being the woman who builds relationships. You’ll become magnetic. Guess what? Magnetized relationships lead to sales.
As much as you might like to think people want to buy from businesses right away (and don’t get me wrong it happens for both small and large purchases on and offline), it really can take up to 60-90 days or more. That’s assuming you’re building that know, like, and trust in a meaningful way. You can do that with email!
Here are 9 unconventional email tips I’ve uncovered for writing better more conversational emails:
9 Unconventional Email Tips for Better Emails
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Write the way you talk… if they meet you in person they should feel like they know you.
This means that if you’re one to use colloquial language in real life then use it in your emails as well! This also means that if you don’t curse in real life then don’t do it in your emails.
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Personalize it by using the first name feature in your email provider
Personalizing it this way might seem cheesy but the most powerful word in the world is a person’s name. They hear/see it and you will immediately have their attention. Of course on the other hand you don’t want to overdo it or it’ll lose it’s effect. When I write my emails I think of it as a conversation between 2 people and I put their name in when I’d naturally say it if they were face to face. That’s usually about 1-2x per email. This feature is available in my favorite email service provider: ActiveCampaign (aff)
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Share personal stories that connect (either your own or your customers’ with permission)
This connects with your people and shows you are a real person who has overcome specific challenges that you help them with. It also shows them that the skills you’ve learned are transferrable to others and that there is a chance for them. Stories sell (it even works on me a more analytical person)
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Be consistent… same time and same day. It helps with open rates.
Not only does sending your email at the same time on the same day help with open rates. It also creates a habit for your people and your people will begin to EXPECT an email from you at a certain time on a certain day and may even have something feel OFF for them that day as if something isn’t right. It’ll be your email missing. This is how you build relationships. By showing up consistently and not just when you want something.
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Be a little edgy and controversial. Take a stand… it’s scary and vulnerable but so worth it!
Let people see something that TIFFED you off or upset you or triggers you to get on your soap box.
“Love me or hate me, there’s no money in the middle!”
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Increase frequency: 1x a week is better than 1x/month but 2-3x/week is better than 1x/week.
I think we need to be sending more emails. Once a month doesn’t cut it. You’ll have more opens but it’ll be because people are wondering “who the heck is this?” and then they’ll unsubscribe or possibly mark you as spam. With reduced attention spans our memory is jacked up. So we forget more these days. Stay top of mind by emailing at least 1x per week.
If you have a course or digital product there are OTHER emails you need to be sending as well and that can increase your perceived frequency because those are automated & behavior-triggered emails.
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Be transparent. Tell the REAL behind-the-scenes story… there’s a reason hot messes are attractive lol
I don’t mean get on the gossip reel or tell the low down dirty laundry on your marriage. I mean talk about your own entrepreneurial challenges and how you are making it through. I mean tell something vulnerable like how someone you looked up to passed away and how it’s affecting you on a personal level. Talk about overcoming burnout or a new routine you’re implementing in your own life that may not be business related at all. Basically, I’m saying be a real person with real challenges.
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Be courteous. Only curse if it’s real for you and even if you curse like a sailor be a sailor in recovery.
This is all about considering your people but this can also be a point of differentiation with you. So if you do curse and your ideal client is ok with that this can help you remove “tight wads” from your list. Just be cognizant of it.
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Be yourself… the version of yourself who hangs with your friends. Not your work self 😀
You know what I mean. That person your friends love. The quirky random version. Not the stifled work version that over thinks if she’s coming off weird or whatever. You. The true you. When people connect and feel like they know you they will trust you if you are a trustworthy person. So be a trustworthy person by being the true you.
2 Bonus Email Tips!
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Bonus Tip: Calls to Action… USE Them!
If you want people to take some sort of action from your emails, TELL THEM. Click here!, Download This!, Visit us here!, Watch this video! People like being told what to do. They like having a POINT to something. The thought is “what’s the point of this? What do they want me to do?” Answer that question with a call to action.
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Bonus Bonus Tip: ASK questions! And tell them to reply!
This is a ninja trick to getting out of the promotions folder in Gmail. The more they reply to an email the more likely it is your email land in the primary folder. This also means you’ll be making REAL connections with people and building that KLT factor. I’ve had so many replies to my emails and I remember specific facts about each person who has replied. Because when they reply they get my undivided attention in that moment. If you do that for your people you will make deeper connections and build that LOYAL Customer status.
These are just a few tips that you can implement over time to improve the relationships, trust, and increase sales with your email list.
There are a few more technical things you can do with copywriting but if you are trying to grow engagement these are the way you can do it right now.
Approaching your email list as a person versus an email address makes all the difference. These are real people with real needs, hopes, and desires. Become the person they can rely on to meet some of those. Become their trusted advisor!
Here’s a testimonial from a woman on my email list:
I loved your feedback, honesty, direct approach. You listened well and gave clear cut suggestions on how I could use my gifts & knowledge to move forward.
Stephanie Morris – Travel Strategist
She’s I spoke to via zoom after she was on my email list for a few weeks!
During the call she also said she felt like she knew me already and was comfortable talking to me. This is because I’m a real person writing to other real people and that can be you as well!
So, to recap, I shared with you 9 unconventional email tips for better emails and I also threw in 2 bonus email tips that came up when I was brainstorming.
Those 11 email tips were:
- Write the way you talk… if they meet you in person they should feel like they know you.
- Personalize it by using the name feature in your email provider
- Share personal stories that connect (either your own or your clients’ with permission)
- Be consistent… same time and same day. It helps with open rates.
- Be a little edgy and controversial. Take a stand… it’s scary and vulnerable but so worth it!
- Increase frequency: 1x a week is better than 1x/month but 2-3x/week is better than 1x/week.
- Be transparent. Tell the REAL behind-the-scenes story… there’s a reason hot messes are attractive lol
- Be courteous. Only curse if it’s real for you and even if you curse like a sailor be a sailor in recovery.
- Be yourself… the version of yourself who hangs with your friends. Not your work self 😀
- Bonus Tip: Calls to Action… USE Them!
- Bonus Bonus Tip: ASK questions! And tell them to reply!
While there are 11 email tips here overall, don’t get overwhelmed thinking you need to implement these right away. You can start with 1-2 and see how those email tips work. A lot of these tips will happen automagically if you change the way you approach your email list. If you start thinking of them as people instead of email addresses you shift your behavior.
Have any questions? Leave a comment below!
Also, let me know which of these tips will you be implementing your NEXT email? Share that in the comments as well!
Until next time!
Brittany
