Imagine how much more money Willy Wonka could have made if he had an email list.

He probably would have retired 20 years earlier. Instead, he had to wait until the right lad came along and took over everything.

You don’t have to make the same mistake as Willy Wonka. You can build an email list and start firing off emails. And yet the same question is asked by brands everywhere — “Why do our emails suck?”

That is indeed the question.

Without pondering any further, let’s look at the not-so-obvious tips that can improve your brands emails.

1. Listen to the Voice of Your Customer

The voice of your customer is how your customer talks about the problem you’re solving. You’re listening to how they talk about your solution.

This could be either in your demo calls, surveys, or even talking to your customers at conferences. You can also figure out where your audience hangs out if it’s Reddit or other forums. You understand their lingo.

Here’s a Reddit user describing how they use PandaDoc (granted, it was eight years ago). You still get a sense of how they talk about the product.

2. Know Where Your Audience Opted In

Every time I work with a brand on their email campaigns, I ask them if they know where the audience is coming from.

It could be from:

• Social ads
• Whitepaper
• Website form
• Lead magnet
• Blog article

It’s important because where they came from will tell you what content they are interested in. Don’t ignore their behavior, and just send them the content you want to send them.

Make your emails more relevant based on what they’ve done before.

3. Segment Your Audience Based on Action Taken

If your audience is clicking on your emails, then segment them.

You’re segmenting them based on their interest. Don’t ignore that goldmine of information. Every action your audience takes gives you clues about what they want.

You should also segment based on when they arrived on your list and the size of their company.

4. Stop Trying to Oversell

Not every email should be selling to your audience. Sure, there are some hard-sell emails. And there are soft-sell emails.

The ultimate goal is to get your subscribers from unaware to most aware. You’re making them realize how precious your product is and how it can transform their life.

If you are doing a straight-up sales sequence for B2B SaaS or healthcare, you must consider the different tactics and strategies you’re using to show your audience you’re perfect for them.

5. Take Readers from Unaware to Most Aware

This is my favorite tip because it caters to your audience. You’re treating them differently based on where they are at.

Take this email: Miro is educating their audience on Miro AI— a unique feature. It’s making an unaware audience aware of a solution they have.

It’s not a hard sell on anything. It’s simply educating and earning the trust of the audience.

6. Create a Flowchart That Systemizes Customer Journey

Flowcharts force you to think about the customer journey.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. But it gives you and your team an idea of where the customer / prospect is coming from and where you want to take them.

Instead of just randomly throwing email sequences into your CRM because your competitors are doing it.

7. Reaffirm Your Audience’s Identity When They Opt-In

Your confirmation emails and even your welcome emails should reaffirm your audience’s identity.

Why? Because this is the early part of their journey. They are putting their trust in you. Your job is to show them what kind of person they are by doing action.

Show them that they are a step closer to the transformation your product offers them.

8. Messaging Is More Important Than Pretty Design

I totally get that design is essential to branding.

You just don’t want the message to get in the the distraction of the design. For example, if your audience doesn’t know anything about your brand, focus less on design and more on the message.

You can focus more on design the more your audience gets familiar with your brand.

9. Connect Emotionally, Not Functionally

Who cares if you work in B2B SaaS or healthcare. Who cares if you think your product is beyond boring.

Everyone has a story worth telling. Your message needs to connect emotionally to resonate with your audience.

You could say the same functional, boring message every brand writes, or you could give your message a bit of boldness.

Your Audience Should Want to Read Your Emails

So many companies are only a few tips away from making their emails more powerful.

You’re not making these changes for yourself. You’re doing it to make it easier for your audience.

Decision-making becomes easier for your audience when your email messaging is improved.