Email Marketing: How To Tell Stories that Get People To Buy

One of my favorite spots on the internet is a website where simple stories are told. These stories in less than 500 words tell beautiful tales of landmarks around the world. They transport the reader to places they've never been to and form a knot of desire in their heart. 

And that's why marketers love stories - because they create desire and inspire action. 

Humans have a long history with stories. Our ancestors told tales of creations and gods and conquests. We watch movies and read books because of the stories in them. Religious icons communicated their ideals with stories.

And stories that resonate with customers and prospects might be what your company needs to grow its bottom line. 

I believe in email marketing. And while there is the juicy benefit of gaining an average of $36 for every $1 spent. I'm invested in the human aspect and the promise of a genuine connection. When you connect with people, it's easy to sell to them. And a tried and true method to connect with others is by telling stories. 

Spam and storytelling as a rescue

Spam is at an all-time high accounting for 45.4% of all emails received in 2021. Nothing repels people faster than spammy emails. And it's an easy way to fail when it comes to marketing with emails. 

This is where storytelling comes in. And if it's going to make any difference, telling stories through emails has to be done right. 

3 ways to tell stories using email campaigns

Here are 3 ways to leverage stories for your email marketing campaigns so that you can sell your products, rally fans, and drive your bottom line like never before:

1. Tell stories with your welcome email sequence

The welcome sequence is the first series of emails your subscriber receives from you. Tell your story (the founder's story), your brand story, the story of the people who use your products, and the contact's story. The number of stories you fit into your welcome sequence depends on the number of emails in a sequence. But make sure that each email in that sequence tells a good story. Stories resonate with contacts and show them why your product will be the best thing that happened to them. 

Who did this? A skincare company. 

The company’s welcome email sequence told three stories. The first was why the company and its line of products were created. The second was how it helped prospective customers. And the third was stories (call them testimonials) of customers who have trusted them in the past. This did not come in a particular order so yours don’t have to. 

2. Interview your happy customers and use their stories as email copy

You have probably used case studies at one time in your business. Well, your case studies don't have to sit pretty on your website. Take them to those who read your emails. Retell the story in such a way that it grabs their attention and reassures them that yours is the best bet to make. 

You could also ask your customers how they feel about your products and how they have used them. Their answers will then be turned into standalone promotional email campaigns that build trust and drive sales. 

Who did this? A pet food company. 

For a standalone email campaign, this company’s email marketing team interviewed a customer and her pet. The customer told them a story of how much the pet's life has improved while using the company's products.

The email came with a 'Shop Now' button to encourage the person at the other end to take action that will lead to sales. This is a very effective style because it places a happy customer ahead which solidifies trust in the prospect and then inserts an effective call to action.

3. Encourage them to be major actors in sharing their stories

Email marketing is Batman and social media marketing is Robin. User-generated content on social media is a big deal and you can use emails to publicize challenges and encourage people to share their stories on social media. All the better if they get to win something at the end of the challenge. 

Who did this? A physical fitness company. 

It's easy to come across branded hashtags on social media. But this company also informed users of social media challenges with emails. By joining their emails and social efforts, they fostered a sense of connectedness and thoughtfulness, building community, brand awareness, and inspiring desire for their products. 

The short of it

For the promotional content for a movie, some extras were interviewed and asked what it meant to be an extra starring next to a big actor. One extra replied that while the main character was who everyone recognized, he (that’s the extra) was the main character in his own life and even in the movie. 

This stuck with me. In relating this to email marketing, you realize that people view your products as appendixes. Your prospects are the stars of their shows. And your product's job is to make their lives easier and better. When you tell stories of how this can happen, it becomes easy for them to choose you and your product. It is a win for them and a huge win for you.

Happy marketing!