Email marketing — gah! Does the phrase itself just make you cringe? If I’m honest — for so long the thought of regularly emailing my email list was more intimidating then the idea of asking for a raise. I desperately needed some email marketing tips.

SERIOUSLY.

For whatever reason, in all my years of working with Fortune 500 companies and small business creatives alike – this is what they all struggle with the most. Email list building and email marketing.

If you’re in this boat, have no fear. This list of 5 absolutely crucial things to remember when emailing your list will give you the foundation you need to chase those scaries away.

1. Write each email like a love letter to your ideal client.

This is one of my favorite email marketing tips. Hang with me here, okay? I’m not talking ooey gooey love letter romantic stuff. (I mean, I love that too — but that’s not what we’re after here.) What I mean by this is simple: Address the pain points, goals, hurts, fears, and NEEDS of your ideal client. Avoid generalizations or just creating content just for the sake of emailing it out.

Get specific. Like oddly, insanely, intensely specific. And make everything you write to them relevant and useful to them.

Spoiler Alert: This is why I harp so much on the importance of knowing your ideal client. Because of that, no matter what service a client books me for, we walk through The Mini — a mini-brand workshop where we get oddly specific about who they’re trying to reach, what they care about, and how they can add value to their life. Whether you’re selling a product or a service — we dive into the underbelly of your brand and define your who, what, why, and how. Honestly — it’s one of my favorite things to do with clients! Click HERE for more information on The Mini.

2. Make serving your primary objective.

This is where I sometimes get a good bit a pushback. Why? Because I coach my clients to give value away for free in their emails. It sounds so counterintuitive — but my goal here is simple: Give away so much value in your emails that your ideal client thinks, “I can’t afford not to work with her.”

Some quick ideas for ways to serve your email list?

• Share insider tips that you actually use. Connect your audience to your success and entice them with the truth that they can emulate your success by implementing these tips.
• Offer freemium content (AKA free, but premium because it’s exclusive to your list!). Make them feel special by sharing secrets, offers, and deals with them and only them for being on your list. Take care of your early adapters — they’re often the most loyal.
• Share testimonials, results, and client feedback. Show them that what you’re offering actually works. Legitimize yourself by sharing your brand’s story by virtue of other peoples’ words.
• Focus on benefits vs. features.

3. Don’t gloss over your subject line.

Have you ever deleted an email without reading it? Of course you have — you’d be lying if you denied it 😉

But here’s the thing: Chances are, you at least read the subject line to that email. And… chances are that the subject line influenced your decision to quick delete in some way.

Email subject lines are so often thrown together at the last minute and not thought through — and it’s mind boggling to me because of how much stock we know users put into them.

So — what makes for a solid, can’t help but open your email subject line?

Effective email subject lines focus on evoking the following emotions (just to name a few):

• The Fear of Missing Out — Only 3 days left to snag our early bird pricing!
• Curiosity — Ever wondered how some small businesses stay afloat?
• Humor — If 2020 were an email subject line… this would be it.
• Greed — New Must-Haves for Your Instagram Feed
• Vanity — 3 Wrinkle Defying Skin Care Tricks
• Pain Points — Stop wasting time writing your social captions…
• Spoon Feeding — 5 Email Templates You Need to Steal RIGHT NOW
• Personalization — Diana, we noticed your subscription is expiring…

4. Include a value-based call-to-action (CTA).

The best emails give you a next step that matters to you (the reader). They entice you to keep engaging — be it by booking a consultation, clicking to read more, or actually making a purchase.

And the truth? Even emails that aren’t specifically designed to sell are selling something. They are opportunities to:

• Establish yourself (the sender) as a trusted resource.
• To give value away for free.
• To create a meaningful and personal connection with your readers.

Some ideas for value-based CTAs in these sort of nurturing emails?

• Click for a sneak peek at the system that works for me!
• Download my free website audit checklist.
• Click to get 3 hours a week back!

5. Don’t be afraid to sell.

The fact of the matter is this: At the end of the day no brand or business is emailing their email list just for the heck of it. They’re doing it to increase sales and revenues — and they’re doing it because they know it works.

That said — don’t shy away from selling in your emails. Don’t back down from the direct asks that can advance your business and truly serve your audience. When you have value to offer — you offer it. When you have wisdom to share — you share it.

Email is just another avenue to reach your ideal clients and turn them into just that — clients. Don’t miss the opportunity to convert because you’re afraid to come off pushy or salesy. When you consistently nurture an email list and provide them value — they’ll be primed for the ask and likely to say yes.

Looking for more email marketing tips and tricks?

My course Email Gold: Starting, Growing + Serving an Email List that Buys launches in early 2021. Hop on the waiting list today to secure early bird pricing ($39 instead of $79). Click here to get on the waiting list today