In this episode of Deliverability Defined, Alyssa talks with email marketing expert Tarzan Kay. They discuss the value of building an engaged email list and prioritizing real connections over high numbers. Tarzan shares her strategies to boost email engagement and deliverability while avoiding gimmicks. They also discuss the role of storytelling in emails, improving subscriber relationships, and the importance of self-editing for clarity.

In this episode:

• [02:59 ] - Tarzan's background - from copywriting to email marketing
• [08:47 ] - The power of engagement over list size
• [18:43 ] - Crafting emails that engage and convert
• [25:30 ] - Unlocking the power of storytelling
• [27:31 ] - Common email marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
• [27:48 ] - The importance of list nurturing and engagement
• [30:28 ] - Navigating unsubscribes and feedback
• [39:17 ] - Maximizing engagement - the shift to a more interactive newsletter
• [41:52 ] - Automation and personalization

Key Takeaways

• Creating great content that engages your subscribers improves your relationship with them. It also boosts your overall deliverability.
• Regularly maintain your email list. This includes removing inactive subscribers. It's critical for keeping your engagement rates up. It also ensures your content reaches those who value it most.
• Balance the mix of text and images in your emails. Do this with a focus on user experience and content clarity. This balance fosters higher engagement rates.
• Storytelling isn’t just for novels. Adding it to your emails can captivate your audience. It will make your messages resonate more and linger in their minds.
• Sometimes less is more. Being brief and valuing clear, direct communication can strengthen your message. It can also improve subscriber engagement.

Quotes

“What I love about email as a medium, and why I've chosen to make it the center of my business, is because it's relationship building.” ~ Tarzan Kay

“Anytime someone hits reply on an email, that's an opportunity for me to get content ideas. So I'm always looking for the things that they care about and writing emails about those topics.” ~ Tarzan Kay

“Engagement matters so much more than the size of your email list.” ~ Tarzan Kay

“When people see the same thing week after week, they glaze over, they scroll past it. So sometimes I move things around; maybe I'll put the interesting links at the top, maybe I'll put them at the bottom.” ~ Tarzan Kay

Links

• TarzanKay.com
• Tarzan’s Newsletter
• Tarzan on LinkedIn
• One6Creative
• Hemingway
• Craft + Commerce
• ConvertKit Creator Network
• Subscribe to the weekly Deliverability Dispatch Newsletter!
• Subscribe to the monthly Deliverability Defined newsletter!

Connect with our hosts

• Alyssa Dulin
• Melissa Lambert

Stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Deliverability Defined Website

Try ConvertKit's deliverability in action

It's now free to use ConvertKit with an audience of 1,000 subscribers or less! Start building your audience and reaching their inboxes: convertkit.com/pricing.