#BuildNotBlast

[laurafaritos]

HDMS052. Stop Sending Boring Emails — Here’s What to Do Instead

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten a marketing email that felt like it was yelling “BUY THIS” and nothing else 🙋‍♀️

Yeah... Same.

For a long time, I thought email marketing was just that: loud, repetitive, and low-key annoying.

But this week’s module flipped that.

Turns out, email works best when it stops acting like a megaphone and starts acting like a story.

In this post, I’m breaking down what I learned about evolving email marketing — from product blasts to personal connections — and how I’m using that to make my own emails feel more like love letters and less like corporate spam.

If you’ve been relying on “new episode now streaming” or “tickets available” as your only email content… we need to talk.

This one’s for the creators who want to build trust, not just a list.

This module zoomed in on how email marketing can evolve past just product launches and become a way to tell stories, build trust, and nurture long-term relationships. Kate from OOFOS basically said what we’ve all been thinking: too many brand emails just say the same thing over and over — “new drop, new color, new sale.” But that’s not what gets people to care.

What’s working for OOFOS now? Sharing real-life stories. They’re featuring athletes and everyday people who actually use their products, weaving in testimonials, and creating content that ties into people’s goals, like New Year’s resolutions. That kind of mid-funnel content (for folks who are aware but not yet ready to buy) builds trust — and trust converts.

Another big theme was balance. You still need those broad emails that go to 500,000 people and bring in fast revenue. But layer in personalization — emails based on abandoned carts, product views, or behaviors on your site. They might have lower send numbers, but the return is way higher. Basically: email blasts bring visibility, but personalized follow-ups bring conversion.

The core idea? Stop sending content at people. Start sending content for them.

Okay, so here’s where I had an “oh no… they’re talking about me” moment. Because my emails? Up until now? Mostly just said: “Hey, I made a thing. Here’s the link. Hope you click, love ya, bye.”

But what I took away from this module is that email isn’t just a notification system — it’s a relationship tool. And if I’m only showing up in people’s inboxes when I want something, that’s not a relationship. That’s a one-sided situationship.

So here’s what I’m changing: I’m planning to build emails that add value, even if there’s nothing to promote. Things like:

Behind-the-scenes of my shows or podcast process

Reflections on building a creative business as a neurodivergent person

Quick lessons from my Harvard modules (like this one)

Stories from the audience or community

Encouraging reminders for creators who feel behind

I’m also starting to map out behavior-based emails. Like:

Someone viewed my podcast page but didn’t subscribe? I can follow up with “Want to know where to start?”

Someone downloaded a freebie but hasn’t bought the product? I can check in, not pressure.

Someone came to a show but hasn’t been back in months? I can send a “Here’s what you missed” recap and invite.

This kind of email strategy feels aligned. Less “I need to hit a sales quota,” more “Hey, I remembered you liked this and thought of you.”

If you're a comedian or creator who never touched a Mailchimp dashboard in your life — don’t worry, you’re not behind. You’re just about to do email better than half the brands out there.

Here’s the deal: Most creatives think of email as a place to announce something. But the real magic happens when you use email to connect between announcements. That’s what builds trust. That’s what makes people show up, share your work, and buy the thing without you hard-selling.

Here are 5 non-cringe emails you can send instead:

“Here’s what I’m working on (and why it’s messy AF right now)” Let people into the chaos. Behind-the-scenes is content.

“What I learned this week (so you don’t have to)” If you bombed, booked a gig, or survived a tech fail — share the takeaway.

“This made me laugh / cry / scream, so I’m sending it to you” Not everything has to be your content. Curation = connection.

“Story time: The weirdest thing that happened at last week’s show…” Real stories build emotional memory with your audience. And trust.

“I thought of you when I wrote this” Segment your list. If they clicked on a romance post before, send them the love-themed stuff. If they went for ghost stories? Hit them with the haunted content.

Treat email like a setlist!!!!

Mix your punchlines (fun stuff), your callbacks (references to older content), and your closer (aka CTA). Don’t do a full hour of “come see me live.” You wouldn’t do that on stage — don’t do it in someone’s inbox.

If your emails are just shouting “NEW SHOW! BUY TICKETS!” — no shade, but you’re missing the real opportunity.

This module made it clear: email isn’t just about selling — it’s about storytelling, trust, and showing up for your audience between launches.

Start small. Keep it human. And remember: your inbox game doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to feel real.

The boring blast era is over. Let your emails breathe a little. You might be surprised who clicks “reply.”

I hope this post was as helpful to you as it wad to me!!!

Tchau tchau <33