Email Marketing | Storytelling
How to Write Emails to Your List When You Really Don’t Feel Like Doing It
What to do on a lazy day?
Do You Argue With Your Dog? I Do
My dog, Nefnef, is very talkative. She uses sounds and syllables that emulates the words I’m using.
I hate it, though, when she refuses certain things.
Like walking nicely on a leash.
I will go: Nefnef, heel! Walk nicely.
She will reply: Nefnef walk nicely.
Me: No, you don’t.
She, with more insisting sounds this time: Nefnef walk nicely.
Can’t Really Blame Her
When she’s outside, she’s more interested in exploring the world around her than walking like a robot next to me.
And honestly, I’m the same at times.
Some days there are just so many other things I would love to do than to write an email to my list.
This typically happens when I’ve bought a new and exciting writing course. (Yes, you keep learning about these skills all your life.)
Or if I’m writing a new course or book…
Have You Ever Done This?
So there I am, sitting in front of my computer, staring out of the window, dreaming about all the other things I would rather do than write that email.
I will even tell myself that yes, I’m writing the email. Because I have the program started, right? So “Britt write email.”
But unless there’s a really good reason, then I do manage to pull myself together and write it.
Here’s How I Do It
First, I tell myself that I promised myself to write an email every day (except Saturday). This will often be the only push I need. But if I still come up with excus… reasons not to write and “just skip today,” then I go on to the next point on my list.
Which is… telling myself that I only need to write a short email. Just a few words, 100 or 200, and spending no more than five minutes doing so.
Again, usually, this is enough to get me started, and very often I find myself writing more and for a longer period. I do try to keep my emails relatively short, though, depending on the content.
Still Need More Pushes?
If I need more pushes still, then my third tip is to say: Just write a story.
I love writing stories in emails, and luckily for me, my subscribers love reading my stories.
What I Mean by “Stories”
By stories, I mean everyday events. Or sometimes things I read about in the news that will make for a great story.
No doubt, most of my subscribers know my dog, Nefnef, and her crazy capers. They also know I have kids and is married. They know where I live and that I take daily walks to the park with Nefnef.
Even small events can make awesome stories and writing them makes the whole email marketing business fun.
What Happens Next
So once I’ve reached this point, I’m already in my mind wading through possible events I can talk about in my email. What happened today? What happened yesterday? How was my latest meal?
All those thoughts run through my head… Then as soon as I hit the right memory, I know it’s the one. That’s the one I will write about. I formulate the beginning of the story in my head, and without really thinking, I start writing.
I have tricked myself into action.
Here’s What You Should Do
Whenever you don’t feel like writing your daily email to your list, try the same steps that work for me.
Start by reminding yourself of your promise to yourself. If that doesn’t kick you into gear, then tell yourself that you only need to write 100–200 words and no longer than five minutes. And if you still need more motivation, then say you just need to write a story.
Could it get any easier?
