"Hey Jack, just to let you know the latest email did over $10,000. This is our best performing campaign outside of discount emails!"

This is a message I received from a client in October.

The client previously struggled to generate revenue with emails, and so continuously used discounts.

To help reduce their reliance on one method, I tried over 20 different campaign ideas.

And one worked better than all others:

Customer stories.

But not how you might think of them.

You see, most copywriters are far too shallow with their customer stories.

They'll usually copy and paste a few testimonials or, at best, briefly outline a story for an influencer they sponsor.

The reality is, customers usually can't relate to these influencers, particularly in the fitness space.

They're not running a marathon a week.

They're not deadlifting 3x their body weight.

They're not training all day every day for aesthetics.

Most work 9-5 jobs and maintain their fitness around this.

And the best stories you tell match the customer persona, not an influencer whose job it is to stay fit.

Here's how you can write customer stories that your audience relates to in 3 easy phases.

Phase 1: Research

Here you need to identify your ideal customer profile. (ICP)

Who is your product designed for?

What age group are they in?

What hobbies do they have?

What pain points does the product alleviate?

The key here is to be as detailed as possible.

You want to know your ICP better than they know themselves.

Once you've created an ICP, you want to find a story that matches the character.

Brands have 1000's of reviews and will often receive emails from happy customers telling their stories.

Ask the customer support team for the best reviews about the product you're trying to sell.

Find one that fits your ICP, and it's time to write.

Phase 2: Structure Your Email

Think of your favourite movie.

It likely has a main character who's down in life.

They start to make changes, hit setbacks, and eventually achieve their goal.

This is the structure you want to follow in your email.

Start by identifying the pain point your customer was going through.

Maybe they can't lose weight.

Maybe they keep getting sick.

Maybe they can't put on muscle.

Etc.

Now you need to elaborate on this.

Have they tried supplements in the past and failed?

Have they tried a particular strategy to achieve their goal and it didn't work?

Again, this story should match what your customer is currently going through.

After elaborating, go one step further.

Maybe their weight is impacting their confidence.

Maybe they're struggling to find a partner.

Maybe they're hating their sport.

The key here is to create an emotional reaction. After which...

You present your product as the solution.

This is the turning point where things finally started to go their way.

Here you want to outline a quick result.

People think short-term, so highlighting a solution that will work in 6 months might not be effective.

Once you've highlighted this result, outline how their life looks now.

"They've lost Xlbs, feel more confident and now plan to run a half-marathon this August."

Again, make sure this goal aligns with your ICP.

Read through the story and check everything makes sense (and contains content from the review you're using- NEVER make stuff up!)

Now you've done the hard work.

All you need to do is create a CTA that links to your product, and you're almost done.

Phase 3: Editing

Phase 3 is about cutting fluff.

You'll be surprised how much unnecessary copy you add to emails.

Read each line carefully and ask 3 questions:

1) Will my ICP relate to this?

2) Does this add to my overall message?

3) Can I make this shorter?

In most cases you'll find at least one word needs to be cut out.

After trimming everything down your email should be good to go.

Double-check for any final edits and send.

As well as increasing sales, these emails also get people more invested in your brand.

They see you as a company that actually helps people, and isn't just out there to make a profit.

This has a knock-on effect, increasing repeat customers and the overall lifetime value of individuals in your funnel.

Use this strategy in your next campaign.

I'm confident you won't regret it.

Have a great week,

Copy "send better emails: Mav