Why Is Storytelling Essential in Email Marketing?
This ONE email made me $123,898.
And it wasn’t even a promotional email. It was a regular content email I sent to my list that utilized the #1 email marketing secret weapon there is STORYTELLING.
In this post, I’m going to show you exactly why this email worked, line by line.
If you want to get better at writing storytelling emails so you can SELL without trying.
Make sure to check out my upcoming FREE WORKSHOP where I’ll reveal my exact Email Story Formula with you.
Now, this particular email was sent to my list back on November 3, 2024, so almost exactly 11 months ago to the publication of this post.
And it WASN’T directly “selling” anything at all. In other words, the email wasn’t part of a launch or promotional campaign or written as a “sales email”.
I send 3 content emails to my list every single week – where the GOAL is to simply connect with my audience, build trust and deliver value.
As any good marketer will tell you, TRUST is an essential prerequisite to making a sale. And one of the best ways to build trust in your emails?
You guessed it, storytelling!
Stories are memorable, they’re relatable, they make what you’re saying more believable and persuasive. AND I MEAN, WHO DOESN’T LOVE A GOOD STORY?
Even if a reader doesn’t buy something from you immediately after reading THAT email you.
If you can engage them with a great story, they’ll keep coming back to read more of your emails AND are, therefore, WAY more likely to become a customer later when you ARE running a promotion or sending sales emails.
And that – btw – is exactly how this email helped generate so much revenue.
The people who engaged with this email – aka clicked a link in this email – have gone on to spend a total of $123,898.
Now only 402 people clicked a link in this email.
That means my value per engaged lead for this email is $548.22.
WHICH IS INSANE when you consider what the average lead value is in email.
Whether they purchased something immediately upon clicking, the next day, 2 weeks later, 2 months later or last week (up until the publication date of this post.
THIS email was a significant touchpoint in their customer journey, which just goes to show you the importance of sending these seemingly “unimportant” storytelling content emails.
SOOOOO many business owners and marketers underestimate the power of staying connected with their list in between promotions.
But, as my friend Amy Porterfield says the success of any launch or promotion is directly tied to what you send them in between.
So, with that outta the way, let’s look at the email in question, shall we, starting with the subject line. “Posse Fest is coming BACK 🤘”
The email then begins:
Okay, so right off the bat, you can see that I’m starting this email with a bit of curiosity, right? I already said in the subject line that Posse Fest IS coming back, but now I’ve started with “but I wasn’t really sure it was going to”.
This implies that I’m about to spill the tea. And who doesn’t love a good cup of piping hot tea?
Alright so this section here is really doing two things:
- I’m recapping how awesome the event was and making people who missed out feel some FOMO, and..
- I’m doing it in a way that is RELATABLE and doesn’t feel like I’m just trying to brag – right? Like, yes, the event was incredible, but I was also SO STRESSED and had a ton of imposter syndrome – which is super, super relatable to my audience.
Here I’m sort of indirectly calling out the reader – like hey, you missed it – too bad, so sad! But again, I’m doing it in a way that is sort of discreet. I’m not guilting them or shaming them in any way. Just being 100% honest.
And here I added a big collection of comments, DMs and messages I had received from the people who attended Posse Fest LIVE. This is a great way to showcase social proof, boost your credibility, AND even dish out a little extra FOMO.
Okay, so now I’m sort of changing the pace of this email.
The email started off very vulnerable, relatable, and real – I’m giving them a glimpse into my own inner doubts and struggles as a business owner.
But now we’ve sort of turned a corner and you can feel excitement and momentum starting to build up.
HAVE YOU NOTICED ANYTHING WEIRD?
There has not been a single CTA in this entire email yet.
Hmmm, I bet you’re starting to wonder how this email made me any money, right? Ha! Let’s keep reading.
BOOM – there it is. The first of two CTAs in this email. And it’s not even going to make me any money right now because it’s a link to a WAITLIST.
But I’m not done just yet.
Ah-ah! There it is.
This is where the real magic happens. THIS is actually the point of the entire email.
I want them to sign up for my VIRTUAL event, which was happening 2 weeks later.
So this entire email was really just one giant set up for THIS call-to-action.
Which is so subtle.
So chill.
Almost missable.
NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING.
“But Alex, you waited until the very end of your super-long email to share the offer? Aren’t you leaving a lot of money on the table? Shouldn’t your CTA be higher up in the email so more people see it? Wouldn’t you have made more money?”
Well, my friend. I hear you, I understand you. And the answer is not always.
Look – the data doesn’t lie. This email WORKED. ANDDDD it’s probably pretty obvious that this was NOT the only email I sent to my list about this virtual event.
Of course, I sent others. In fact, I ran a whole campaign to specifically promote THIS virtual event.
Some were short, some were long, some told a story, others were straight to the point.
Yet THIS email still had the most impact and contributed the most to sales over time. Why?
Because storytelling WORKS. Sure, not every single person on my list would have read this email.
But the people who DID read it? The people who were committed to reading this entire email right til the very last word.
They were highly, highly engaged – and thus, more likely to buy from me later.
So by taking the time to write this quote/unquote “long, pointless email” that told them a story, helped them relate to me, AND played up some serious FOMO without being douchey about it.
I was actually doing something so, so, soooo important.
I was building that “know, like and trust” factor.
I was helping them move one step closer to making a purchase with me.
I was GUIDING them.
Making them feel safe, making them seen, and making them feel like they are MORE than “just another number” to me.
And THAT’S why storytelling emails are so key.
It’s not because those are the best and easiest and fastest ways to promote an offer to your list.
It’s because what you do IN BETWEEN those promotions really freaking matters.
So if you’re not sending HUMAN storytelling and trust-building emails to your list OUTSIDE OF PROMOTIONS, launches and sales campaigns.
Then let me make it super easy for you to get started.
In my upcoming FREE workshop, I’ll share with you my exact storytelling formula.
You’ll walk away with endless story ideas, prompts and questions to help you EXTRACT great stories to tell your list.
And then I’ll help you with that hardest part of all.
Which is, of course, CONNECTING that story to the point of your email in a way that flows, feels natural and MAKES SENSE.
Click the link to save your free seat and I’ll see you there!
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
