Why You Should Be Using Persuasive Storytelling To Build Your Email List

You need a list!

I bet you’ve heard that more than once. 

When I first started in business I certainly did.

For the first few months though I was oblivious to how important having a list really was and I had just put it to the side as something to get to one day.

But I began to realise that there must be some significance to this whole list thing.

Any time I engaged with a mentor or peer who had been in business for a while, I was being asked the same question…” How big is your list?”.

So I began to look into what all the fuss was about having a list.

And I realised that a targeted list of ideal clients is pivotal to business growth.

Building a robust, targeted, engaged, and productive list is a foundation and essential step for business…online or brick and mortar.

But I also know that it’s often easier said than done.

What can you do to get this list thing happening and growing your business and your profits?

There are many different strategies you can use, in terms of building a viable email list.

Ask the experts, and they will give you several tips. At the same time, any half-decent expert is likely going to remind you of one key fact: The value of good storytelling should never be underestimated.

When you tell a story to your audience you’re building a connection. And we crave connection.

People love to see, hear and read stories because it helps us feel closer to the person, more connected and it is key to building a relationship based on empathy and understanding.

But, unfortunately, many businesses lack any sort of storytelling in their marketing endeavors and their list-building technique. And they are missing some amazing opportunities in doing that.

So today I want to give you a bit of an overview of what storytelling is, why it’s important and why you should be using it to build your email list.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is a way of weaving words and imagery into a narrative that is going to communicate your message or idea to your audience.

You as the storyteller want to convey a message to your audience that is going to connect with them. It will share a central theme with a protagonist and other characters at play, some kind of obstacle or struggle, and then a resolution to that struggle and a lesson that was learned from it.

Think back to the fairy tales you heard as a child. They covered the same premise…a protagonist, a theme, a struggle or challenge and a resolution or moral lesson (and the happy ending).  

When we listen to stories we are endeared, inspired, and educated in some way. We feel connected to the person telling the story or relate to the characters in the story. We see aspects of ourselves, our lives, and journeys in the experiences of others and we feel closer to them as a result.

Why is storytelling a ‘must have’ part of your list building, and marketing efforts?

There are so many reasons why including storytelling in your list building exercises is an extremely savvy move but here are my top ones:

1. It builds a deeper, stronger connection with your audience
2. It adds the human element and you become more relatable and trusted
3. It adds a unique quality to your marketing efforts because your story is unique to you, and your business.
4. Stories help bind all your content together and give context to it all

Storytelling is such a powerful tool to use in your list building, but it needs to be thoughtful, considered, and persuasive.

Your story should compel your audience to sign up for your list…

But how do you persuade through storytelling?

There are 4 essential elements to persuasive storytelling:

You want to inspire them: Your story should leave them with the feeling that extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people.

You want to challenge them: You generally don’t want to yank them out of their comfort zone, but you also want to give them an idea that will change their perceptions.

You want to educate them: You want to back up everything in your story with tangible facts and reliable, credible information.

You want to leave them with a stirring call to action: At the end of your story, the reader should see signing up for your email list as the only choice that makes sense.

I can say with certainty that storytelling is the future of marketing and it is one of the most, if not the most, powerful mediums to share your message with your audience. Authentic, genuine, emotive stories will bring your audience closer to you and will endear them to you and build that all-important know, like and trust factor.

Now is the time to create your narrative and share it with your audience.

Tell me…what’s your story?