“I don’t know what to send my list.” That’s one of the most common things business owners tell me about email. Fixing it doesn’t take a professional writer. It just takes a few reliable buckets of content to pull from when you sit down to write.
Here are six kinds of emails that actually work, and how to use each one.
Real stories from real customers
A good testimonial does more work in an email than almost anything else you can write. Campaign Monitor points to Figleaves.com, an online retailer that added customer reviews to its marketing and saw a 37.5% jump in conversions. Wrap a testimonial into a short, specific story instead of a bare quote, and it lands even harder.
No full story on hand? A few strong quotes stitched together still work. Keep the wording close to what the customer actually said. The awkward, specific phrasing is usually the most convincing part.
What’s happening behind the scenes
People are curious how a business actually runs day to day. Sprout Social found that close to 40% of people want to see real customer stories and behind-the-scenes content from brands, not a polished performance. Write about a normal day, a project you’re in the middle of, or a decision you’re still working through. The rough edges are usually what people remember longest. This kind of email also does double duty as personalization, since it’s the version of your business only your list gets to see. I get into that more in Personalization: The Key to Unlocking Your Email Marketing Strategy.
Content you’ve already made
A social post or blog that did well the first time can work again as an email. Most of your list isn’t seeing every post you put up, so resending it reaches the people who missed it. One idea can stretch into a blog post and an email, with barely any extra work.
I go deeper on finding fresh ideas for this kind of content in 5 Tips to Spice Up Your Email Newsletter. Even a caption that got a handful of comments is worth a second life in someone’s inbox. You already did the hard part when you wrote it the first time.
Promotions and rewards
Keep a promotional email focused on one clear offer and one clear button. Underneath it, add something useful too, like a quick tip. That way, even someone who skips the offer still gets something out of opening the email.
Rewarding past purchases works well here too. A simple “spend this much, get this much off next time” gives your list something concrete to look forward to. It also costs you far less than chasing a brand new customer.
What’s new in your industry
Share something worth knowing from your field. No need for a deep dive here. A single stat, explained in plain language, is enough to make someone feel like they’re staying in the loop through you. This one’s also quick to write, since you’re reacting to something instead of creating it from scratch.
Keep an eye on trade publications or a competitor’s newsletter once a month. Being first to report something doesn’t matter much. Explaining it clearly to your own list is what actually counts.
One tip, well explained
The easiest email to write is a single tip. Pick one problem your audience has and answer it directly. When people keep asking you the same question in real life, that question is already written for you. All you have to do is answer it.
Business newer, without much customer interaction yet? Look at what people in your industry tend to ask in forums and reviews of similar businesses. That research covers you until your own inbox starts doing it instead.
Keep the email looking like an email
Don’t overthink the design side of any of this. Skip the fancy fonts and the wall of images. A plain, easy-to-read email usually performs better than one dressed up like a magazine spread. It’s simpler to read on a phone screen, which is where most people are opening it anyway.
None of these six types need to be complicated. Pick whichever one matches how you’re feeling that week, and send it.
Related reading: Once you know what kinds of emails to send, the next step is spacing them out. Read How to Create a Year’s Worth of Email Content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I send in my emails if I don’t have much to say?
Start with a single tip that answers a question your customers ask often. It’s the fastest of the six content types to write, since you’re responding to something real instead of starting from nothing.
How often should each type of email get sent?
There’s no fixed rule for it. Rotate between the six types based on what’s happening in your business that week, rather than forcing a rigid schedule.
Do testimonial emails actually work?
Real customer reviews and stories, added into marketing, have been shown to lift conversions significantly. One specific story usually outperforms a generic quote.
Should my emails look highly designed?
A plain, text-focused email is often easier to read on a phone than a heavily designed one, and it usually performs just as well, if not better.
Pick one of these six types and write it this week, even if it’s short. Your list will tell you fast which kind of email they actually want more of.