Matt Ragland is a 10-year electronic mail marketer, first at ConvertKit and now at Good Individuals Digital, the Nashville-based company he launched in early 2023. His method to superior electronic mail efficiency is storytelling.
He instructed me, “Manufacturers that excel at electronic mail advertising steadily inform a narrative to their preferrred viewers.”
In our current dialog, he and I addressed storytelling ways, electronic mail design, automation methods, and extra. Our whole audio is embedded beneath. The transcript is condensed and edited for readability.
Eric Bandholz: Who the heck are you?
Matt Ragland: I run an electronic mail advertising and course-launch company referred to as Good Individuals Digital. We work with creators and ecommerce suppliers. We construct electronic mail and launch newsletters, normally for programs and knowledge merchandise. I’ve been within the electronic mail recreation for nearly 10 years.
I do a number of issues within the creator financial system. I’ve a YouTube channel that’s slightly below 100,000 subscribers.
Bandholz: What’s your method to electronic mail advertising?
Ragland: I give attention to a narrative or narrative. For ecommerce, manufacturers that excel at electronic mail advertising steadily inform a narrative to their preferrred viewers and embrace their merchandise. I want to see extra ecommerce manufacturers convey their prospects into that story in a pure means.
Creators do job with tales, however many are horrible at promoting and selling. After which many ecommerce retailers are good at promoting, promotion, packaging, and positioning however not storytelling. Either side have a lot to study from one another.
Bandholz: Electronic mail e-newsletter manufacturers corresponding to The Hustle and Morning Brew have grown to eight-figure valuations. Stroll us via that enterprise mannequin.
Ragland: Their income mannequin focuses virtually completely on promoting and sponsorships.
It prices little or no to start out an electronic mail e-newsletter. The Hustle and Morning Brew each went to a every day e-newsletter fairly early. I keep in mind listening to the Morning Brew founders. They launched the e-newsletter whereas college students on the College of Michigan. They requested individuals of their enterprise courses to subscribe on paper.
It began to develop naturally from there via referrals. That they had a sturdy referral program. Say I’m studying the Morning Brew, signal as much as be a referral associate, and ship it to you and 10 different individuals who join. I then get a sticker and a shirt. The Hustle did one thing related.
The opposite factor Morning Brew and The Hustle did properly was paid acquisition of e-newsletter subscribers. Ecommerce has been nice at this for years. However extra conventional newsletters didn’t perceive the identical means as ecommerce sellers when Fb advertisements have been low cost, round 2015. It felt like free cash.
Bandholz: Is there any new tactic in electronic mail advertising to take inspiration from?
Ragland: Lots of people really feel electronic mail advertising is previous and out of vogue. But it surely stays amongst the most effective types of direct advertising. By way of new ways, emphasize the story side and ease — making the newsletters so simple as doable and chopping again on graphics.
Attempt making a e-newsletter look extra like a private electronic mail message. A good friend of mine runs a design studio referred to as Late Checkout. He publishes a design e-newsletter and stripped away the entire visuals final 12 months.
He now sends one thing that appears extra like a letter to shareholders, which he calls “Greg’s Letter.”
Bandholz: The most important innovation to me is marketing campaign flows and automation. That’s how Klaviyo obtained traction over Mailchimp.
Ragland: Sure. Additionally, what Klaviyo did so properly and nonetheless does is combine SMS.
The automation piece is large, as is the flexibility to have one entry level as the beginning for a whole stream that may upsell, down-sell, and cross-sell. We applied it for an ecommerce shopper. As a substitute of the preliminary entry level of signing up for the e-newsletter or buying a product, we used a mid-life cycle automation primarily based on curiosity or intent.
For instance, a subscriber who clicks on a specific product or hyperlink in an electronic mail launches an automation much like cart abandonment, with cross-sells and storytelling round that sort of merchandise.
Bandholz: Your spouse is anticipating your fourth youngster. What’s your philosophy on learn how to be dad?
Ragland: I wish to be instance for my children. I wish to present them what I imagine in and what being man is. I’ve been lucky to have a number of nice examples in my life. I’m shut with my dad, and he’s superb. He’s all the time been an enormous supporter and fan of mine. My uncles have been wonderful mentors, and I’ve had lots of people in my life who’ve proven me that that is what it’s to be man and dad.
Bandholz: The place can listeners observe you and study extra about your electronic mail companies?
Ragland: Our company website is MyGoodPeople.com — AutomaticEvergreen.com is our electronic mail advertising service. They’ll observe my YouTube channel or contact me on LinkedIn or X — @mattragland.
