A good marketing strategy is based on a good story. Nike’s not the only company making shoes and Apple’s not the only org crafting epic tech. True, they’re both good at what they do, but it’s their storytelling and marketing campaigns that’s helped them soar above the rest.
This insider article explains how to incorporate storytelling in your email marketing campaigns to build your brand, get more click-throughs, and inspire action like the best of them.
As pros in the content marketing industry, we at dslx have learned a thing or two about what works—and what doesn’t. Through helpful steps and leading examples, discover how to use storytelling in your email marketing campaigns right here, right now. 💥(Yeah, pow!)
7 Steps to incorporate storytelling in your email marketing campaigns
Despite the number of emails out there, most of them fail to leverage the art of storytelling for sweet, sweet engagement. Follow these steps to use storytelling in your email marketing campaigns and get your readers’ attention—past the subject line.
1. Create a consistent brand narrative
Your brand’s story needs to follow the 3 Cs: using convincing, correct, and concise language across all emails. This creates a cohesive and recognizable message that customers can understand and remember. Establish a core message that reflects your values, mission, and unique selling points, ensuring that your email marketing campaign builds on this foundation to strengthen audience trust and engagement.
To do this, try:
- Developing brand voice guidelines to ensure consistency in tone, style, and messaging across all emails
- Reinforcing key brand themes by weaving phrases, mission statements, or taglines into your email content
- Aligning storytelling across channels so your emails, website, and social media share a unified narrative that strengthens brand recognition
2. Start with an engaging hook
Any quality copywriting guru will tell you—it’s all about the hook! The truth is, it’s not all about the hook, but it’s a very important start. The first few lines of your email should instantly grab the reader's attention. Use a thought-provoking question, an intriguing statistic, or a relatable anecdote geared towards your target audience to draw readers in and make them want to keep reading.
To do this, try:
- Asking a bold or unexpected question that sparks curiosity—e.g., "What if I told you your email open rates could double with one simple change?"
- Starting with a powerful stat or fact that highlights a key pain point or opportunity—e.g., "Did you know 72% of consumers prefer brands that tell a compelling story?"
- Using a short, relatable anecdote to create an emotional connection—e.g., "Last year, we struggled with low engagement—until we changed one thing in our emails…"
What’s that sound you’re hearing?
Ah, click-through rates, there you go again.
3. Use relatable characters or personas
People connect with stories that feel personal. Introduce a relatable character who mirrors your target audience’s challenges and aspirations. This builds an emotional connection along with your marketing story.
To do this, try:
- Sharing a founder’s or brand origin story that highlights the passion, challenges, and mission behind your business
- Featuring behind-the-scenes employee stories to humanize your brand and build authenticity
- Creating a fictional persona that embodies your audience’s struggles and dreams, making your message more engaging and relatable
4. Incorporate customer success stories
Show how your product or service has made a tangible difference in your email campaigns by incorporating customer success stories. Real-life examples, lived success, and testimonials are how stories build brands.
To do this, try:
- Sharing personal stories from clients and customers that highlight their challenges, how they found your brand, and the transformation they experienced
- Using interactive elements like video testimonials to create an engaging and authentic way for potential customers to hear directly from satisfied clients
- Presenting case studies from successful past projects with data-driven insights, before-and-after comparisons, and compelling storytelling to demonstrate real impact
5. Personalize the story to the reader
Personalization is a powerful tool for forging a deeper connection with your audience. By tailoring your story to your audience’s interests, pain points, or past interactions with your product or service, you make your email marketing campaign more relatable and impactful—ultimately driving conversions.
To do this, try:
- Customizing elements like names, product recommendations, or location-based details within your emails to personalize your storytelling efforts
- Segmenting your audience based on behaviors, preferences, or past purchases to deliver relevant stories that resonate
- Using dynamic content that adapts to different subscriber segments, ensuring each reader gets a message that feels tailored to their needs and journey
6. Focus on emotional triggers
Root for the underdog, stand for a cause, or be the best e-commerce brand of them all. Whatever your message, use emotional storytelling to strengthen your connection with your readers. By addressing pain points and showcasing key elements that speak your values, you create an emotional response that builds trust and drives action.
To do this, try:
- Creating empathy-driven narratives by addressing specific customer struggles, showcasing how your brand understands and helps solve those issues
- Using vivid language and complementary images that tap into emotions, such as overcoming fear, embracing hope, or achieving dreams
- Celebrating milestones and victories in your brand’s journey—whether it’s a charity initiative, product improvement, or customer achievement—to highlight the positive impact your brand is making
7. End with a solid call to action
A great story should lead to a clear next step. Close your email with a compelling call to action (CTA) that guides the reader toward a decision—whether it’s signing up for more nonprofit storytelling, scheduling a demo, or making a purchase—while reinforcing the benefits gained.
To do this, try:
- Creating urgency with time-sensitive language like "Limited spots available" or "Offer ends soon" to encourage immediate action
- Making the CTA value-driven by emphasizing what the reader gains—e.g., "Get your free guide now" instead of just "Download"
- Using a story-driven CTA by tying it back to the narrative—e.g., "Join us in making a difference" for a nonprofit or "Start your journey today" for a brand with a transformation-focused message
Examples of storytelling in email marketing
To successfully incorporate storytelling into your email marketing campaigns, it helps to see how it’s done. Here are a few great examples of storytelling in email marketing from our archives.
Welcome emails
Welcome emails are the first messages sent to new subscribers after they sign up for a newsletter, product trial, or account. These emails set the tone and introduce recipients to the brand (no pressure).
The welcome email above from Miro, featured by Email Love, is a great example of successful email marketing. Why it works:
✔️Grabs the audience's attention
✔️Incorporates attractive visual elements
✔️Creates an easy-to-follow and compelling narrative to encourage engagement
Together, all of these elements create a memorable experience and will ultimately drive conversions.
Promotional emails
Promotional emails showcase special offers, new products, or exclusive deals to encourage recipients to get in on the action. These emails and marketing stories are typically used to drive sales, boost engagement, and nurture leads.
Gotta mention Nike if we’re talking email marketing. The example above, also shared via Email Love, is one of Nike’s many marketing campaigns. This particular promotional email creates a compelling narrative, encouraging their loyal following to sign up for a membership to access discounts.
Why it works:
✔️It creates FOMO with an exclusive offer
✔️It’s visually appealing, keeping the audience engaged
✔️It speaks to the target audience and conveys the brand’s values
Lead nurturing emails
Lead nurturing emails are targeted messages designed to build brand awareness, guiding the reader through the buyer’s journey and providing relevant content, solutions, and value. It’s a great place to position your brand within a specific market, share your brand's values, and show your (potential) customer you care.
Who better to get a great content writing example from than a content organization? The lead nurturing email featured above from dslx (👋) shares relevant insights—like book recommendations and updates on what’s happening in the dslx Academy—to keep in touch with clients, readers, and fellow writers.
Why it works:
✔️Uses real and relatable characters
✔️Shares personal anecdotes, bridging an emotional connection
✔️Serves up the inside scoop—making readers feel informed and included
Milestone emails
Milestone emails mark progress in a customer's journey, celebrating key events like anniversaries, achievements, or loyalty milestones.
These marketing emails strengthen relationships by recognizing and rewarding customer engagement within the brand’s history.
The email marketing example above from Loom uses a personalized marketing strategy to make a reason for a milestone email. Here, they take their client’s stats and make a story of it—celebrating a month in review with Loom.
Why it works:
✔️Employs personalization
✔️Makes the customers’ personal stories part of their brand story
✔️Incorporates the organization’s solution into their storytelling efforts
Why does storytelling work in email marketing? A quick recap
Storytelling transforms boring, forced, or, worse—ignored—email marketing campaigns into compelling stories that resonate with readers and encourage engagement. By weaving emotional connection, personalization, and brand values into your messaging, you create a memorable experience that the audience connects with—bring on the forwards and sign-ups.
Storytelling in email marketing:
- Builds emotional connections: Engage readers by tapping into their emotions, making your brand more relatable and memorable
- Enhances brand identity: Reinforce your brand’s voice, mission, and values through consistent and authentic storytelling
- Increases brand recall: Memorable email marketing that incorporates storytelling sticks with your audience, keeping your brand top-of-mind when they need your product or service
- Boosts engagement: Well-crafted narratives keep readers interested, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and conversions
It’s go time: Use storytelling to improve your email marketing campaigns
Did we make it look easy? Great, that’s our job.
Intimidated by the process? It’s also our job to help.
Reach out to create a content plan that works for your company’s goals. We work with different storytelling formats, organizations, and brand voices all over the world and love crafting content that drives impact.
Let's work together to use storytelling in your email marketing campaign today.
