Email can create communities, not just customers

I want to talk about something that doesn't get enough airtime in our industry.

Email is often treated like a till. Open, click, buy. KPIs that focus on 'engagement' but what hides behind that term is most commonly: how many people opened, how many clicked a product to buy, how many people bought from the email.

But what if it could actually create a community? Turning your subscribers into people who actually care and are advocates for the brand.

The truth is that people are tired of being sold to. We have a consumerism problem and the amount of people I speak to that say "Ash, I am tired of being sold to" goes up by the day. I'm exhausted by the endless loops of "LAST CHANCE!!!" and "We Miss You" campaigns that don't actually care about me.

What people crave is connection, relevance, and something that makes them feel part of a shared experience.

Email can deliver that. And it's magical when it does.

Communities are built, not bought.

If you want loyal customers, start thinking about people not transactions.

Communities don't happen by accident. They happen when you give people a reason to care, a reason to show up, and a reason to feel like they belong.

Brands like Patagonia, Glossier, and BrewDog don't just sell products. They sell values, experiences, and identity. Think back to what Brewdog used to be here. They have a challenge that every challenger brand has when they become the head of the table. Their emails reflected this community spirit: they invited participation, highlighted stories from real people, made subscribers feel like insiders.

That's what builds community: inclusion, relevance, and authenticity.

Use email to start conversations, not just send campaigns

Here's a radical thought: treat your email like a conversation starter.

Ask questions. Poll opinions. Feature subscriber stories. Play games. Let people respond to you directly. Try an email that isn't giving people a product page landing experience.

Not everything has to lead to a sale. Sometimes, the most powerful emails are the ones that give people space to exist and breathe in your brand's world.

Take this example: a small eco-friendly brand asked their subscribers to vote on the next product colour. Hundreds of replies came in, and the chosen colour flew off the shelves when it landed, because it was a crowd-sourced idea and they felt seen and connected.

Email can be the handshake, the invitation to sit at the table, the way people enter your world authentically and naturally.

Show people they are part of a bigger story.

I understand this is harder for bigger brands than start-ups, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Hear me out.

Humans crave meaning. We want to be part of stories, movements, and communities that reflect our values and our identity. Email can do that. It's time to start thinking about it in this way.

Share behind-the-scenes content: Let people see the humans behind the brand. Who is packing the orders? Who is designing the products? Who is growing the produce? What's the story of your day-to-day mission?

Celebrate shared milestones: Not just your brand anniversaries, but impact metrics, community wins. "Together, we've planted 50,000 trees this year" feels bigger, better and nicer than "50% off all boots" three times a week.

Less selling, more belonging.

Every email doesn't need to sell. Some emails just need to invite, share, engage, or thank.

Think of your inbox as sacred scroll space. Like a follower on social media. Your subscriber is letting you into their screen. If all you do is push a product, you've wasted a privilege.

Just look at Instagram as one example. The best performing brands there are not using it as a sales channel, they use it as a community channel. A place to educate, entertain and engage. Selling is a by-product.

The same should be true for email.

So, how do you get started?

Ask yourself what your brand stands for beyond selling. Then show it.

When you start thinking of email as a way to invite people in instead of push them to buy, everything changes. Your campaigns become stories, your email lists become communities, and your brand becomes something people actually care about.

And honestly, isn't that the future we all want for email?

If you're ready to move beyond the till and start building real communities through email, we can help. At ActionRocket, we work with brands to create email experiences that foster loyalty, not just transactions. Get in touch and let's build something meaningful together. Get in touch and let's build something meaningful together.