Connect in a Meaningful Way Through Email
Often times we can feel like we're in competition with others online, whether we admit it or not... in some way we are feeling that pressure from others around us! Christy Cegelski joins us today to share different tactics that she has used to create a connection with your audience, because at the end of the day—that's what matters, and makes us feel like we're doing a great job!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
"When I sit down to write an email, I think about what's come up recently that I want to share because I think it'll resonate with my readers? People feel connected to you when your thoughts, beliefs, and experiences are similar to theirs in some way. And I think sharing those things is what makes you relatable, and likable. And it builds trust."
Discussed in this episode...
Why Choose to Connect with your Audience Through Email?
There really are so many reasons that Christy could give to connect with your audience using email! As a copywriter, she because focusing on email sequences for her clients because she saw just how much activity and engagement each email was getting. It was super exciting and satisfying to see her clients' open rate double or triple when she began working with them and to see them even getting replies and booking discovery calls from their emails for the first time. It really made sense then to focus a good portion of marketing efforts on email then, as the thing that was consistently working.
If email marketing is done well, and consistently, Christy has found that it's a much more personal and intimate way to connect with your people. Each person on your email list has chosen to be there! They've signed up to hear from you, so you can feel confident sharing more. Christy has seen it be so beneficial to focus on connecting with those people rather than working so hard to stand out in the crowd of social media. In terms of return on investment, the current stats say that for every dollar that you invest in email marketing, the average ROI is $42. It is too good not to explore!
Christy's Framework for a Connection-Based Email Marketing Strategy
This is what Christy calls her Connect, Captivate, and Convert Framework!
Step 1. The Sexy Subject Line
Your subject line is what gets people to open your emails, so it's got to be good! You definitely don't want to have a subject line that's clickbait! But with integrity, you want to think about how you can pique your reader's interest, or create a sense of urgency.
Step 2. The Captivating Hook
The hook is the first sentence of your email. Its job is to pull your subject line and your email content together, and also make your readers want to know more.
Step 3. An Engaging Story
This does not need to be overwhelming! An engaging story is just something that is interesting and relatable! It might only a paragraph or two!
Step 4. The Smooth Segue
This is the part where you transition from your story to the "real" topic of your email. This is just what you're educating your readers about. Think about how your story can illustrate the message you want to convey, and tie it all together at that point.
Step 5. The Compelling Call to Action (CTA)
This is really where most people drop the ball. It's SO important to tell your readers what to do next! And contrary to popular belief, the CTA isn't always about asking for a sale. It may be that you just want them to hit reply to your email. Maybe you want them to listen to the latest episode of your podcast. Whatever it is that you'd like them to do, this is when you ask them to do it. Just tell them.
Additional Topics Discussed:
- What is story mining?
- Practical ways to apply some of these same techniques through social media.
- How do we find connections with our ideal audience through email marketing?
- Ideas for repurposing email content on social media
Resources Mentioned
More about Christy:
Christy Cegelski is a copywriter, email marketing strategist, and podcaster committed to connection-driven marketing for coaches and course creators. From her show Captive + Convert to her client accounts, Christy works to pack personality and true-to-customer voice in client email sequences and sales copy.
After spending 20 years as a stay-at-home mom and committing to finishing her B.A. in English, Christy began using blogging as a place of reflection. Feeling a little late to the online game, Christy used writing as a way to grow her e-commerce site for her own brand of all-natural margarita mixes and unknowingly build up her self-confidence in the process. Christy raised her hand to several copywriting opportunities, and her online business and title as a copywriter was born.
Since 2018, Christy has successfully worked with 1:1 clients, created and sold hundreds of her signature products like the Hot Copy Intensive, along with having recorded nearly 70 podcast episodes. She has bylines in notable publications like Thrive Global and Go Write!, and has guested on popular podcasts like The Copywriter Club. When Christy is offline, she’s probably snuggling up to her two French bulldogs, listening to some Duran Duran, or maybe shopping for her next sassy coffee cup. Spoiler: it likely features Ferris Bueller.
- Follow Christy on Instagram
