You may have heard people say that email marketing is dead.
But in my world, a HUGE part of my business relies on email communication.
For me, and most of the entrepreneurs I know, email marketing is very much alive.
While Facebook ads and other formats now play a bigger role…
Email is STILL a high-leverage activity, and something that’s worth focusing on in your business.
But the challenge is, if you email a lot, is coming up with ideas day in and day out, week in and week out, to keep your list engaged, reading, and clicking on your emails.
So what’s the secret to getting emails opened consistently?
And even more importantly, what’s the secret to getting people to CLICK and eventually BUY?
The secret is to combine curiosity and benefits in just the right way, while staying true to your unique voice.
In other words, first you have to get their attention…and then you have to create desire.
Often, just getting the initial inspiration will spark a flow of ideas. That’s the point where the email basically writes itself.
Once you have the idea, you’ll then tell a short story about that idea, that builds curiosity.
That’s when you make the shift to talking about how the story relates to the benefits of what you do or sell.
Talking about these benefits creates desire in your readers, and that’s when you ask them to click or take action.
This is a variation on that well-known copywriting formula: AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action).
So where do you go to get inspiration?
Here are 5 great places to look…
5 Great Places To Get Inspiration
#1: Alltop.com
Check out alltop.com and look at the top headlines.
Then, pick one and challenge yourself to incorporate that headline into your email.
That’s your starting point.
#2: Newsjacking
Current events are great email “conversation starters”.
The election, an upcoming holiday, a special event like the Olympics, are all attention-getters when you put them in a subject line or an email intro.
You can get ideas by checking out what’s currently “Trending” on Facebook.
Once you can nail how to connect current events to your own message, you’re golden.
Check out this example below:
#3: Wacky History Lessons
People love interesting stories…even ones that happened decades or centuries ago.
And when those stories take on the category of “legend” or “weird history facts” they have an even wider appeal.
Google urban legends or weird history facts and see what you come up with.
Make sure you fact check your sources as much as possible, and then figure out how you tie those events into what you do.
I once sent out an email sequence about the Boston Molasses Flood in the early 20th Century.
A true but-little known story, it got the interest of the audience and had a great business “lesson” at the end.
#4: Embarrassing or Unusual Real-Life Stories
You can do this with personal stories as well.
Funny, interesting, or crazy things that happen to you are all great fodder for content.
If you can find inspiration in the everyday, you’ll never lack for ideas.
So always be on the lookout for ideas and how you can connect them back.
The one that people like to remind me of is the “Critter in the Attic” story.
Two people who are experts at doing this are my buddies Andre Chaperon and Ben Settle.
If you’re not already doing it, sign up for their email lists and study how they do this.
If you’re really serious, you can purchase their courses and follow them.
#5: Raid Your Inbox
This is a great example of the Ask Method in action.
You can take emails and feedback from your audience on your product and address them in an email.
This is great for answering objections about the product, it gives a sense of authenticity…
And it has the added bonus of saving you from having to come up with a creative idea.
All you have to do is copy, paste, and answer.
Smart marketers have been doing this for a while.
Check out this email from 2009:
This email is from “David DeAngelo” a character created by Eben Pagan.
When it comes to creating a product that people salivate over, and marketing it with an irresistible offer, there’s no one like Eben.
Eben has a great free video series that he’s sharing RIGHT NOW about how to do just that.
It’s only up for a short time, so I recommend checking it out now:
And now, I’m curious…
What’s YOUR best source of inspiration for email ideas?
Leave a comment below and share your wisdom!