Episode 137

Stuck on What to Send Your List? Here Are 6 Ideas That Never Run Dry

If you’ve ever stared at a blank email trying to figure out what on earth to say to your list this week, you are nowhere near alone.

On this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast, Lisa Duck and Susan Larimer dig into the number one reason people stop doing email marketing altogether: they get stuck trying to figure out what to share. The good news? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every single week. You just need a handful of go-to content types you can rotate through.

First, Let Go of the “Every Week” Pressure

There’s no rule that says you have to email weekly. Monthly works. Bi-monthly works. What actually matters is consistency — picking a cadence and sticking to it so your subscribers know what to expect. Tell them upfront in your welcome sequence how often they’ll hear from you, and they’ll start looking for you in their inbox instead of wondering why you showed up.

And here’s a relief: your email doesn’t need to be a big production. A short, simple, text-based update often performs just as well — sometimes better — than a heavily designed, image-packed newsletter.

With that pressure off, here are six kinds of emails you can always fall back on.

1. Tips and Education

Pick one ingredient, one feature, one small piece of know-how, and go deep on just that. Explain why it matters, what it does, and maybe mention it shows up in a few other things you offer — without turning it into a sales pitch. This is one of the easiest ways to provide value without selling.

2. Personal Stories

This is the one people remember. A short, honest paragraph about what’s actually going on in your life — a move that didn’t go as planned, a chaotic week, a funny mishap — tends to get more replies than any polished announcement ever will. People aren’t following a brand. They’re following you, and they want the real version, not the highlight reel.

3. Customer Success Stories

Testimonials carry a kind of weight your own words can’t. When a customer says something worked for them, it lands differently than when you say it — because everyone knows they’re not getting a commission for saying it. Start collecting these on purpose: screenshots, texts, quick permission requests for a before-and-after. Keep them somewhere organized, because you’ll use the same testimonial again and again — on your website, in social posts, and in future emails. Just make sure you use their exact words rather than paraphrasing.

4. Product Highlights

There’s a real difference between “this is on sale, buy it” and “here’s why I actually use this and love it.” Share your own experience — how it saved you time, solved a problem, made your life a little easier. If it happens to be on sale, mention it. But lead with the story, not the discount.

5. Seasonal Reminders

A gentle nudge tied to the time of year — sunscreen season, back-to-school, Black Friday, an annual fundraiser — gives people a reason to check their inbox. If you run something at the same time every year, snap photos and collect testimonials while you’re in it, so next year’s version practically writes itself.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

If one customer asked you something, more people are wondering the exact same thing — they just haven’t asked yet. Keep a running bank of the questions you get most, whether it’s about product use or a business opportunity, and turn each one into its own email. You could easily build months of content this way.

A Few Extra Tips

If you’re using a platform like Oh My Hi, smart links and tags let you get strategic without extra work — a hyperlinked phrase can quietly tag someone as “curious about the business opportunity,” so future emails can speak more directly to what they’re interested in, without anyone feeling singled out.

And if your content isn’t tied to a specific date or sale, you can batch it. Sit down once, write out a whole month (or more) of evergreen emails, and schedule them to go out on their own. It’s one of the simplest ways to stay consistent without living in your inbox every week.

Want This Done for You?

If email marketing still feels like a lot, Email Marketing Made Simple walks you through the whole thing — right now it’s available at an introductory price, and you’ll get every future upgrade free once you’re enrolled. Or start with the free guide, No One Wants Your Newsletter, which also unlocks a discount on everything else I offer.

Ready to go deeper? Tune in to this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast wherever you listen, and hear Lisa Duck and Susan Larimer share even more real examples of what’s worked for their own lists.

📌 Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links. I only recommend tools and resources I personally use and trust.