“You don’t need 50 million people to love you. You need 5 million people fucking pissed. Emotion sells. Anger sells. You have fans. I have soldiers.” — Stormfront, The Boys
There’s a mountain of marketing wisdom in that quote right there.
Especially when it comes to email.
It comes from a show called The Boys, and if you ain’t seen it…
It’s a bit like the Avengers, but if the superheroes were all corrupt, egotistical maniacs.
And Stormfront?
She’s one of the worst. She knows how to stir the pot and rally a crowd.
That gem of a quote above comes from her…
… Whilst she’s coaching Homelander – the show’s deranged Superman-type – on how to win over the public.
And it’s a masterclass in polarization marketing.
See, a lot of business owners are like Homelander.
They want everyone to love them.
So what do they do?
They write safe, beige emails. The kind of stuff that wouldn’t offend a fly. And wouldn’t excite anyone either.
The result?
Lukewarm customers.
A.K.A. the kind of folks who’ll jump ship in a heartbeat when a shinier deal from a competitor rolls by.
There’s no loyalty. No connection.
Reason being:
You can’t build a tribe without emotion.
If you want a list that sticks with you… buys from you… and sings your praises to everyone they know…
You need to make them feel something.
Like calling out the BS in your industry that many folks secretly (or not-so-secretly) hates…
Sharing laugh-out-loud moments that make your readers feel like they’re in on an inside joke…
And speaking to deeper values and aspirations that unite your ideal audience, inspiring them to join your mission.
Sure…
Not everyone is gonna dig what you have to say. Some folks will even be repulsed by it.
But a lot of folks will love it…
And they’re the type who’ll eagerly read your every email, buy your every offer, and stick with you through thick and thin.
It’s powerful stuff…
And if you want help writing these kinds of emails for your list…
You know where to find me:
https://kennethturnbull.com/work-with-me-emails/
Stay sharp,
Kenneth Turnbull