The Email Marketing Snowball Effect
How to Build Deep Connection with Your Audience
When people start their journey in email marketing, the most common mistake they make is expecting instant results. They send out a few emails, don’t see much traction, and begin to doubt the process. But email marketing is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Or more precisely - it’s a snowball.
You see, when you start rolling a snowball down a hill, it’s tiny and slow. It doesn’t look like much. But as it rolls, it picks up more snow, gains more volume, and starts moving faster. That’s exactly how email marketing works when done right.
But here’s the catch: for the snowball to gain volume and momentum, your message has to resonate deeply with your audience. And resonance only happens when you know exactly who you're writing for.
If you try to write for everyone, you’re essentially writing for no one. Generic messages that try to appeal to every possible reader get ignored. But when you understand your target customer avatar - their dreams, frustrations, fears, and aspirations - your words strike a chord. That’s when your emails stop being just messages in an inbox and start becoming part of your reader’s life.
Know Your Audience Like You Know a Friend
Let me give you an analogy.
Imagine you’re catching up with a close college friend. You’ve hung out with them for years, you’ve had late-night chats, and you know what makes them tick. If he’s a sports fan, you naturally talk about cricket or football. If he’s into F1, you’ll ask him about the latest race. The conversation flows effortlessly because you know them well.
Now imagine meeting someone for the first time at a conference. You don’t know what they like, what they care about, or what they’re struggling with. The conversation is a bit awkward, maybe even forced.
That’s the difference between writing emails to a known avatar versus writing to a vague crowd. The better you know your reader, the more natural and engaging your writing becomes.
How Do You Get to Know Your Audience?
This is where most digital marketers struggle.
Everyone talks about understanding your audience, but very few are willing to get out of their comfort zone to actually do it. It’s easy to sit behind a screen, design funnels, set up automations, and analyze open rates. It’s harder to meet people. To pick up the phone. To talk to strangers. But that’s exactly what you need to do if you want to write emails that connect.
When I was building the Digital Deepak brand, I made it a point to host meetups across multiple cities. I charged a small fee just to cover the venue cost. And I met my subscribers face-to-face.
Was it exhausting? Yes. Taking selfies, shaking hands, answering questions - it takes energy.
But was it worth it? Absolutely.
Because every time I met someone who had been reading my emails, I learned something valuable. I understood how they perceived my content. I discovered what kind of language they resonated with. I even understood their facial expressions when they spoke about their problems or shared their excitement.
These insights cannot be captured through Google Analytics or email open rates. Real connection happens offline.
You Don’t Need a Big Brand to Start
Now you might be thinking: “Sure, Deepak, you have a big brand. You can pull off a 50-person meetup. But what about me?”
Let me tell you this - you don’t need a big list or a fancy event to start connecting.
If you have 300 email subscribers, just try to get 3 to 5 of them to show up at a nearby café or hotel restaurant. Buy them a cup of coffee. Ask them about their life, their work, and their challenges. Take notes.
When you come back home, don’t just see it as a nice interaction. Reflect on it. Think deeply about what these people are going through. Then start writing emails as if you’re writing to that person. One person, not a crowd.
That’s how resonance begins.
Iterate Based on Feedback
Some emails will work. Some won’t.
Sometimes, you’ll write something from the heart, and it will barely get a few replies. Other times, a simple observation or story might hit a nerve and go viral.
That’s okay.
Because every time you hit “Send,” you’re getting feedback. The traction - or lack of it - is telling you something. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns. You’ll know which types of stories resonate. Which subject lines get opens. Which tone builds connection.
The secret is consistency + listening.
The more you write, and the more you listen to your audience (via replies, meetups, DMs), the better your email marketing gets. And slowly, your snowball grows.
Why Email Has the Highest ROI in the Long Run
Here’s another reason I love email marketing: email IDs are sticky.
Most people don’t change their email address for 5, 10, or even 15 years. Unlike social media platforms where your audience might disappear because of algorithm changes, email gives you a direct, long-term relationship with your readers.
If you keep providing value, your audience won’t unsubscribe—even if you send emails every single day. In fact, daily emails can work brilliantly if your content is helpful, engaging, and aligned with what your audience wants.
Think about it - reading an email is a more intimate act than watching a reel or a YouTube video. When people read, their imagination kicks in. They create a personal connection with your words. They hear your voice in their mind. That’s powerful.
Books create that effect. So do great emails.
Final Thoughts
Email marketing is one of the most underrated but powerful tools to build a loyal, engaged community around your brand. But it only works when you stop broadcasting and start connecting. And real connection comes from knowing your audience deeply—not through guesswork, but through actual conversations.
So if you’re starting your email journey, don’t just focus on tools and templates. Go meet people. Talk to your readers. Take notes. Then write to them like you’d write to a friend.
That’s how you build a tribe. That’s how the snowball begins to roll.
– Digital Deepak