89: What are segues and how to write them in storytelling emails
In this episode of ill communication, we are doing a follow-up on the episode last week all about the anatomy of a great storytelling email.
So if you haven’t listened to that episode, pause and go check it out now because you really do need to hear that one first.
In that episode, I shared the essential components of a storytelling email: the hook, story, segue, and so-what.
Today, I’m diving deeper into what a segue is and how to write one for your storytelling emails.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
What a segue is and why it’s essential
Why stories make such an impact
Examples of segues to show you how simple it actually is
How to write the perfect segue for your story
Segues and storytelling don’t have to be complicated. In fact, they are quite simple. I hope you enjoyed hearing these tips for how to write the perfect segue for your storytelling email.
If you need me, I'm here to help! There are a few ways I can support you to improve your storytelling and selling an email, so just shoot me an email at hello@kimkiel.com and we can chat.
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[00:00:03] Speaker1: Welcome to ill communication, copywriting tips and sales strategies for small business. I'm your host, Kim Keel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist, and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and change makers amplify their voices through copy. It's why I'm dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts, and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat. Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soulmate clients. Let's get started. Hello, hello and welcome back to the Ill Communication Podcast. This is episode 89, and today's episode is a follow up to last week's episode, The Anatomy of a Great Storytelling Email. So if you haven't listened to that one yet, pause. Now go back and listen to that one before you get into this one. It's only about seven minutes, but you really do need to listen to that one first. In episode 88, I shared the anatomy of a great storytelling email, which is hook, story segue, and so what? And today I'm delving deeper into what a segue is and how to write one. Now a segue is like a bridge or a transition between two things or two concepts. In copywriting, a segue typically transitions from a story to the moral of the story, and connects the story back to the reader. Stories and segues are important in sales copywriting because humans are wired for story. We love a good story.
[00:01:56] Speaker1: We like to be entertained, and we're kind of nosy creatures. So we follow along and we remember stories better than facts. Stories also give your reader a window into you and your world and your life. They help us know, like, trust and connect with you, which are the foundations for a long lasting relationship. And Segways help your reader understand what's in it for them. It's the moral of the story, or that delivers the value of the lesson, or how you make the offer to work with you. These are all examples of bringing from the story to the so what now? A lot of business owners get tripped up about how to transition from the story into the lesson, but it really is simpler than you think. Now, as long as the story you're telling can connect pretty easily to a lesson, it shouldn't be too hard to write the segue now. Pro tip here read the emails in your inbox. Pay attention to how the writers transition from the story into the lesson. Two marketers who write amazing story segue emails are Laura Bell Gray and Kim Walsh Phillips. I recommend you subscribe to their lists and learn from the best. Now, I've kept a list of some of the Segways I've seen in the wild, aka my inbox and the Segways that I've written for clients. So I'm actually just going to go and read a list of these Segways to you, and you'll see how simple it actually is. Now just imagine you've just finished reading a little story and then you read one of these lines.
[00:03:42] Speaker1: And it's like that in business, too. Which brings me to you, Kim. And it reminded me of what we experience as business owners, as women. Which brings me to the real reason I'm sending you this message today. So the question for you is. The lesson. Here it is. I know you're wondering how I was going to bring this back to business. Kim. This is exactly how we need to face any challenge or unexpected shifts in our business or in our life. Now, how can you use this strategy for you and your business? And isn't that the way with all of the new things we try? And that brings me to. Why am I telling you this? Because what's this got to do with anything? I'll tell ya. This is exactly how we need to face any challenges or unexpected shifts in. But it reminded me of how often we do this in our businesses. And why do I tell you this story that makes me look less than badass? The point. Here it is. And that reminded me of an important lesson. And that segues me nicely into. You can even say, and here I'm going to segue into it like you can actually call it out as a segue, but do you see how simple it is? Now, if I was you, I would bookmark this episode, and I would go to the transcript on my website and copy and paste all of these segue transitions into a Google doc, so you have them handy the next time you sit down and write from that segue.
[00:05:19] Speaker1: You then spell out the lesson or the tip you describe the so-what or the moral of the story. You wrap it all up and bring it on home and leave your reader with a final call to action. Now I'm going to read you an example of an email, which was actually started out as a podcast episode that you might have heard, but I wrote it using the hook story segue formula. So the hook is the subject line, and the subject line is the Chewbacca principle of copywriting. And here's the email. Several years ago when my kids were littler, they really got into Star Wars. My husband was a Star Wars fan growing up, not wacko level, but I was quite unfamiliar with it. I knew the main characters from the original series, but not much else. There were so many characters with crazy names and backstories I couldn't keep straight. When I attempted to watch the movies, I was confused and I couldn't follow along. I felt stupid, and then there's a GIF of Chewbacca making Wookie noises. There was a whole language I didn't speak or understand. I felt like I couldn't fit into my whole family, and that's when I discovered Wikipedia. It's like Wikipedia, but specific to Star Wars. If I didn't understand what was going on in the movie, I opened Wikipedia to search the characters or storyline. Wikipedia translated what was going on, filled in the blanks, and helped me understand. And then I didn't feel alienated or like an outsider.
[00:06:44] Speaker1: Why am I talking about Wookiees? That's the segue, because our audience will feel like outsiders if we don't speak the same language as them. When you use industry jargon and buzzwords in your messaging, you risk alienating your audience, making them feel stupid or left out. People often ask me how to eliminate jargon from their copy. So today I'm sharing a couple of quick, easy strategies, and then the email goes on to deliver those strategies and tips. And then it closes like this. Here's why ditching jargon is more important than ever. Consumers are hit with 4000 marketing messages and ads per day. You have less than four seconds to grab attention and hook your reader. Too much jargon and complexity alienates your readers. You risk making them feel like an outsider. Just like I felt like an outsider because I didn't understand the language of Star Wars. Your audience doesn't have time to Google or visit Wikipedia to translate your message. You have to do that for them. When you cut down on the jargon and write in plain language, you help your reader connect and converse with you. As the adage goes, a confused mind never buys. Or as Yoda would say, lose. You will if confuse you, do. May the force be with you. Kim aka Princess Leia, the word Slayer. Do you see how easy and simple it can be? Your story doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be life changing. You don't have to write a novel. You just simply have to share a little bit about you, yourself, your personal experiences, and then relate it back to your reader.
[00:08:29] Speaker1: So pay attention to the emails you receive. Watch how writers you follow present a story and then connect the dots. Create swipe files in your inbox so any time you're stumped, you can open the folder for inspiration or go grab that Google doc where you copied and pasted all of those Segways I just read out to you, and if you need me, I'm here to help. There are a few ways I can support you to improve your storytelling and selling an email, so just shoot me an email at helloaction wkyc.com and we can chat. I will drop a link to the original episode all about Chewbacca and Wikipedia if you want to listen to that as well. But thank you so much for joining me today for episode 89 of the Ill Communication Podcast. I'll be right back here next week and I'll see you then. And that's a wrap on today's episode of Ill Communication. Hey, if you're picking up what I'm putting down, I would love if you would leave a rating and a review to let me know. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss out on the tips, prompts, and strategies I share in every episode. They're designed to make you an ill communicator too. As always, you can check out all the links and resources from this episode on the web page. Just head over to Khimky compered cast. I'll chat with you again next week.
Resources Mentioned
Let’s chat: hello@kimkiel.com
Listen to Episode 88: The anatomy of a great storytelling email
Listen to Episode 80 for a live example of story - segue - so what: Episode 80: How to remove jargon from your marketing and copywriting (and why it’s a must)
Additional Resources
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