This is the spice of life

👉 and of interesting emails

Back in the late 00s Kathy and I were huge fans of the TV show Fringe.

We’d tune in avidly every week to find out what was going on with all the weird science, multiple universes and complicated plots.

It was all very serious.

But every now and then they’d do something completely different. I remember a musical episode. And one done as a cartoon.

All very strange. And I have no idea why they did it.

But it worked.

It was a break from the heavier stuff. A chance to catch your breath. And to see familiar characters in a different setting.

Somehow the lighter episodes made the darker, deeper ones more impactful. I guess you need light to have shadow.

I say this not to convince you to watch the back catalogue of Fringe, though it is a brilliant series (apart from season 5 when it well and truly jumped the shark).

My point is simply to say that it’s OK to do something different every now and then.

Consistency is important, but it absolutely doesn’t harm you to throw in a curve ball once in a while, In fact it adds interest and broadens people’s perception of you.

My emails tend to be short, with a little tip or insight wrapped in a story.

But every now and then I’ll do a longer, more analytical piece like this or this.

And I’ve never had anyone say “hey Ian, you’re the story + tip guy - what are you doing sending out this kind of stuff?”.

Variety is good.

And it allows you to experiment. To try new things that might bring you even better results.

As long as you’re sending something useful and interesting you’re on safe ground.

So today, I’d like to encourage you to try something a little different.

If - like me - you mostly send little emails with stories, try something a bit longer and more analytical. Or a roundup of news in your field. Or a really short 3-line email.

Or if you do plainer emails, try using a little story. You can get inspiration from my email templates or just come up with one yourself and see what happens.

You might well be surprised at how effective it is.

And if nothing else, variety is fun!

Seeya soon.

- Ian