8 Things to send in your emails when you’re not actively selling anything
As an entrepreneur, having an email list is absolutely ESSENTIAL to your biz growth and success. But the idea of starting that list in the first place can be overwhelming for some. For others? Getting started isn’t the problem - it’s the issue of how the hell to maintain momentum by emailing those people week after week after week…
Because here’s the deal, once people have gone through your welcome sequence (and yes, you MUST have that - perhaps a topic for another post? 🤔), you’ve got to keep them “nurtured” with consistent, value-packed emails. Yes, even when you’re not actively selling anything.
Consistency will look different for everyone. Maybe you send 2 emails a week, every Monday and Thursday. Maybe you send 1 email a week (that’s what I do with my list!)... or every other week may be more your thing.
There’s really no right or wrong here. Whatever you choose, and whatever your readers prefer, just make sure you stick with it.
But that leads to the next problem. During those times you’re not promoting anything, selling a course, opening slots for 1:1 services, etc., what do you even email them about?
What do you talk about when you have “nothing” to talk about?
Trick question, there’s ALWAYS something to talk about 😉
And the list I put together for this post will help you brainstorm what you can send them during those chunks of time when you’re not actively selling.
The ideas on this list will keep your readers interested in you because you’ll be providing them with value, insights, education, etc. on a consistent basis.
But, YOU also get to benefit. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more important info about your audience, which will be SO helpful, and necessary, when it comes time to start promoting your badass self!
And alsooo, they’ll be more pumped to buy from you because they already freakin’ love you (you know, since you send them all those amazing emails). That’s a pretty great benefit too 😉
So let’s dig in, shall we?
One. Collect specific info
Think about some questions you might have about your target audience. Maybe there are some gaps in your understanding about what current needs or issues they have. Instead of guessing or throwing spaghetti at the wall, put together some sort of way to collect info to help you fill those knowledge gaps with answers straight from your readers themselves.
You could create a survey or a poll, or just ask a few specific questions in your email and tell them to reply. To sweeten the deal, and encourage more responses, you might even consider a fun little giveaway. This could be something like, 3 people will be chosen for a coffee on you or a gift card… or it could be something a little more personalized like 1 person will get a free consultation or mini workshop with you. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
Two. Ask open-ended questions
Another way to get some juicy insights about your readers is by asking more open-ended questions. Depending on the relationship you have with your email list, these kinds of questions might be a little more difficult to get answers for because it requires people to actually reply and type out their thoughts (see giveaway idea above 😅).
When going this route, you can straight up ask what they want to learn about. Tell them you want to know what they’re excited for, what’s rocking their world, or what they need help with.
And if you have a future offer in mind as you’re asking these questions, you’ll start collecting some great thoughts and ideas from your readers which you can then use for marketing down the line.
Three. Strategically share about you
This is a great approach to use when you know you’ve got something special coming down the line. Think about different insights, lessons, or experiences that you can talk about now that relate to the offer/service/promotion you’ll be talking about in the future. Start addressing objections, digging into benefits, telling stories about you (or others) that dealt with some sort of hardship or problem. Talk about the realizations you had that led you to do what you do now.
When you start sharing these things waaaay ahead of selling time, you’re popping your ideas in their heads and helping them feel excited about these breakthroughs you experienced. And when it comes time to promote your offer, they’ll already know that YOU are a trusted guide that can help them too.
Four. Genuinely check in
This one may seem a little counterintuitive to some, or maybe even pointless to others. But I promise, none of these efforts are pointless! Some people will say you ALWAYS need to have some sort of CTA in your email. A link, a button, a question to reply to, etc. But… have you ever gotten an email from someone who takes a moment to ask how you are and wants nothing in return? It seems a bit weird at first, because it’s not normal! (But it should be.)
But you know what else it does? It helps build stronger relationships, it shows you genuinely care, and it strengthens the trust people have for you. You could share a vulnerable moment you experience and ask if they’ve experienced it too. You can give them some positive thoughts or words or encouragement, as if you’re their personal cheerleader, and then wish them a great week. You never want to send an email just for the sake of sending something, but when you send a genuine check in like this, it could be really powerful for building connection!
Five. Give sneak peeks
If you’ve been working on something for a while, chipping away slooowly behind the scenes, you could offer a little peek to your loyal email subscribers. Especially if you’ve been busy and it seems impossible to take time to email, this can help them feel like they’re an important part of your biz.
A short email telling a snippet of a story, sharing some emotions or feelings about something you’ve been experiencing as you work on your next big thing, and including a photo or short video can help your readers feel like the VIPs they really are. Plus, it’ll help build up anticipation and excitement about what it is you’re doing! You could keep it a secret… but why not let them know there’s something amazing coming soon!
Six. Share new original content
Many people in the online biz world swear by the idea of creating weekly original content. This helps your target audience get a feel for you and your style, while also helping establish you as an expert in the space. This blog you’re reading? Yup, that’s weekly original content 😉 That favorite podcast you’re always dying to tune into? Yup, you guessed it!
Emailing your list and giving them a link that directs them straight to your new content helps keep them in the loop with zero effort on their part. The bonus of sharing it through your email is you also get to give a little backstory on the content. You can share some of the juiciness that went into the idea or what sparked you to share the topic you decided to dig into. It’s one thing to read a blog or listen to a podcast, it’s another thing entirely when you’re one of the few that get the inside scoop on the why behind it!
Seven. Do a content roundup
Creating something new every single week can be exhausting and luckily, it’s not always necessary. After you’ve been chugging along for a while, you’ll have a shit ton of original content that touches on a handful of different themes and topics that are useful for your readers. So when there’s no time, energy, or brain power to create something new, do a round up!
Gather up a handful of past posts or podcast episodes (or whatever content you create) that all share a similar theme. Start your email off with a story or an insight relating to that theme and then list out the titles of what you’ve already created, each one linked directly to that piece of content. It’s kind of a choose your own adventure email, where your reader can check in to something they may have missed in the past.
Eight. Promote a freebie or low-ticket offer
If you’ve created more than one lead magnet (freebie) and have people joining your list from multiple sign ups, it could be useful to “promote” one of your freebies. For those who already have it, it serves as a reminder that it exists and can spark interest in that topic again. Something like, “oh yea, that was SO helpful! I’m going to take a peek at that again!”
For those who haven’t seen it yet, it gives them the chance to get something new they don’t have yet. It also gives YOU the chance to see if people who signed up for your list from one freebie are also interested in the topic you covered in your other ones. This will be helpful for segmenting your list, making sure people are getting relevant messages, and of course, writing better emails when it comes time to sell.
If you have a low-ticket offer, you could also send a one-off email (or a couple) to promote a flash sale or limited time offer. It could be related to something like your birthday, your fave time of year, or whatever other notable day/time you choose. Or it could be a random time, just for the hell of it! Again, any interest here will also help you see what kinds of things the people in your community are interested in.
I mentioned it briefly at the beginning of this post, but remember, your emails should always be adding value to your readers’ lives. I go into this in a LOT of detail in this past post - what value even is and some fresh ideas on how you can add it to your emails.
But no matter what you’re sending, embedding the message, the core idea, and the goal of your email in a story is always going to be the most effective way to share your thoughts. It helps people experience powerful feelings and emotions instead of just being told about something. It helps them feel like they’re part of your world instead of being talked at by someone who just sees them as warm leads for their next sale.
If the idea of storytelling in your emails is still a little scary to you, it doesn’t have to be hard - promise. A little guidance can go a long way to getting those ideas down on paper (or, um, on screen?) and into your readers’ inboxes in no time!
That’s exactly why I created this free guide - it’s filled with actionable steps you can start doing right now 😊
And if you’re thinking it’s time to have someone else do the writing for you, I’d love to be that someone!
Let’s have a chat and see how I can support your biz with all things email copywriting and marketing strategy. 👉🏻 Start a convo!
When it comes to sending emails to nurture your community between selling your offers, which of these seems most exciting to you? Is there an approach you’re using that I didn’t touch on here? I’d love to know!
