The best examples of using storytelling in email marketing (that actually work)

Real examples of using storytelling in email marketing

Let’s start where your subscribers start: their inbox. The best examples of using storytelling in email marketing don’t feel like “marketing” at all. They feel like someone is telling you a story you actually want to hear.

Think about the last time you binged a show. There was a hook, a character, a problem, rising tension, and a payoff. The strongest examples of examples of using storytelling in email marketing borrow that same structure, just compressed into a few hundred words.

Below are real examples (some from well-known brands, some composite but based on current 2024–2025 trends) that show how storytelling can work in different types of campaigns.

Welcome series that reads like a mini origin story

A classic example of using storytelling in email marketing is the welcome sequence that feels more like a short documentary than a brochure.

Imagine a direct-to-consumer coffee brand. Their first email doesn’t open with a discount code. It opens with a scene:

“It was 4:12 a.m. in a tiny roasting room in Portland. The fire alarm had just gone off… again. Our founder, Maya, was standing there in socked feet, wondering if she’d just ruined her last bag of beans — and her shot at opening this business.”

From there, the email walks through the mistakes, the late nights, the first customer who walked in, the first five-star review. The discount code shows up only at the end, almost as a side note.

Why this works:

• It humanizes the brand instead of sounding like a pitch.
• It creates emotional investment before asking for a sale.
• It gives subscribers a story they can retell: “This coffee shop started with a fire alarm at 4 a.m.”

This is a strong example of how a welcome email can feel like the first chapter of a story, setting up future emails as the next episodes.

Product launch emails that follow a hero’s journey

Some of the best examples of using storytelling in email marketing show the customer as the hero, not the brand.

Consider a fitness app launching a new “12-week reset” program. Instead of listing features, the launch email opens with a character named Jordan:

“When Jordan opened the app on January 2nd, the ‘before’ photo almost made them cry. Sleep was a mess, stress was off the charts, and steps per day? Barely 2,000.”

The email traces Jordan’s journey through setbacks, small wins, and finally the moment they hit their first 10,000-step streak. Screenshots and data are sprinkled in as proof, but the story carries the message.

This is an example of turning a product launch into a narrative arc:

• Hero: Jordan (a stand-in for your reader)
• Villain: Exhaustion, low energy, inconsistent habits
• Guide: The fitness app and its new program
• Transformation: Better sleep, more energy, improved mood

It’s not just “we added new features.” It’s “here’s what your life could look like in 12 weeks.”

Abandoned cart emails that feel like second-chance stories

Abandoned cart emails are often painfully robotic: “You left something behind.” The best examples include a story that reframes the moment.

Picture a sustainable fashion brand. Instead of a generic reminder, their abandoned cart email opens with:

“Your jacket almost met its forever closet.”

Then it tells a tiny story from the jacket’s point of view:

“I was this close to meeting you. I’d already imagined the coffee runs, the chilly flights, the late-night walks home. Then… poof. I was back on the digital rack.”

It’s playful, but it does something important: it turns a half-finished transaction into an interrupted story, inviting the reader to complete it.

This example of storytelling in email marketing works because it:

• Creates a character (the jacket) in a few lines.
• Uses humor to soften the sales pitch.
• Makes the call-to-action feel like finishing a story, not just spending money.

Educational emails told as “day in the life” stories

Storytelling isn’t just for selling. It also makes educational content stick.

Say you’re a B2B SaaS company helping small clinics manage patient scheduling. You could send a feature list. Or you could send an email titled, “A Tuesday without 27 phone calls.”

The email walks through a fictional receptionist, Ana, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

• 8:03 a.m.: Two patients reschedule through the portal.
• 11:17 a.m.: A no-show triggers an automatic waitlist fill.
• 3:45 p.m.: Daily summary shows tomorrow’s risk of no-shows.

By the end, readers have felt the difference between their current chaos and the promised calm.

This kind of narrative pairs well with data. For example, you might reference research from the National Institutes of Health on appointment adherence or patient engagement to back up your claims about reduced no-shows (see NIH for current health services research).

This is one of the best examples of examples of using storytelling in email marketing for complex products: you turn abstract benefits into a concrete, lived day.

Customer testimonial emails as serialized stories

Instead of a wall of quotes, some brands treat testimonials like episodes in a series.

A mental health app, for instance, might send a three-email sequence:

• Email 1: “Meet Alisha, who thought therapy apps were a joke.”
• Email 2: “The panic attack that changed everything.”
• Email 3: “Six months later: what ‘better’ actually looks like.”

Each email includes a short, narrative-style testimonial, paired with a clear disclaimer and links to mental health resources like Mayo Clinic or NIH to avoid overpromising.

These real examples of storytelling show how you can:

• Build anticipation from one email to the next.
• Let customers carry the story instead of your brand voice doing all the work.
• Address objections through lived experience, not bullet points.

This example of serialized storytelling also works beautifully in 2024–2025, when attention is fragmented and people are used to consuming stories in episodes.

Mission-driven stories that connect to bigger issues

Not every email has to be about a product. Some of the strongest examples of using storytelling in email marketing in recent years connect brand actions to broader social or health topics.

Imagine a meal-kit company that partners with food banks. Instead of saying, “We donate a meal for every box,” they tell the story of one family’s Thursday night.

“On Thursdays, the Lopez family used to skip dinner or stretch a single frozen pizza. Now, they open a weekly box at the community center. Last week, it was chicken fajitas. The week before, veggie chili their 8-year-old actually liked.”

The email links to a partner nonprofit’s impact report and educational resources on nutrition from sites like Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health so readers can go deeper.

This is an example of how storytelling can:

• Make abstract “impact metrics” feel real.
• Build trust by showing, not just telling, what your brand stands for.
• Encourage readers to share the story, extending your reach beyond the inbox.

Seasonal campaigns told as traditions, not promotions

Holiday and seasonal campaigns are often just discount blasts. The best examples include a seasonal story.

Take a home goods brand running a winter campaign. Instead of “20% off blankets,” the email opens with:

“Every winter, my dad would pretend he hated the cold. But he was always the first one to grab the big blue blanket and fall asleep on the couch before the movie ended.”

The rest of the email connects that memory to the brand’s new line of throws, but the emotional anchor is the familiar scene: a family, a couch, a half-watched movie.

Examples of using storytelling in email marketing like this tap into nostalgia, which research in psychology and behavioral science has shown can influence decision-making and emotional connection. You can even reference public resources like NIH for general findings on memory and emotion to inspire how you frame these stories.

Here, the blanket isn’t just a product; it’s a prop in a recurring family story.

Onboarding emails as guided journeys

A powerful example of using storytelling in email marketing appears in onboarding flows, especially for apps and membership platforms.

Instead of a dry checklist, imagine an email sequence that frames onboarding as a short guided journey:

• The first email introduces the reader as the protagonist: “You’re here because something wasn’t working.”
• The second email introduces the “map”: a three-step plan to get to their goal.
• The third email shares a “travel diary” from someone who followed that map.

Each message uses narrative beats: starting point, obstacles, guide, transformation. This transforms what could be boring setup tasks into progress in a story they’re now part of.

In 2024–2025, as more products compete on experience, these examples of examples of using storytelling in email marketing during onboarding can keep users engaged long enough to see real value.

How to build your own storytelling emails (without sounding fake)

After seeing these real examples, the natural question is: how do you apply this without turning into a cheesy copy machine?

Here’s the pattern behind the best examples of using storytelling in email marketing:

Start with a moment, not a message.

Instead of, “We launched a new feature,” think, “What’s a moment in a customer’s day when this feature changes something?” Build the email around that scene.

Use specific details.

“4:12 a.m. in a tiny roasting room” is more vivid than “early morning at our facility.” Details make even short stories stick.

Give your reader a role.

In every example of effective storytelling, the reader can see themselves in the story: as the hero, the guide’s ally, or the person about to make a small but meaningful change.

Back emotion with evidence.

Especially in health, finance, and wellness, pair stories with credible information. If you’re talking about sleep, for instance, you might link to CDC guidelines on healthy sleep habits. Story draws people in; data builds trust.

End with a next step in the story, not just a button.

“Finish your jacket’s story” or “Start your 12-week chapter” feels more engaging than “Buy now.” The call-to-action should feel like turning the page.

When you look at the strongest examples of examples of using storytelling in email marketing, they all share one thing: they respect the reader’s attention by offering a story worth reading, even if the reader never clicks.

FAQ: examples of storytelling in email marketing

Q: Can you give a quick example of a storytelling subject line for email?

A: Instead of “New running shoes now available,” you might use, “The mile that almost made Sam quit — and the shoes that saved it.” It hints at a story and invites curiosity.

Q: Are there examples of storytelling working in B2B email, or is it just for B2C?

A: Storytelling works in B2B too. For instance, a cybersecurity firm might open a campaign with, “The night the servers went dark,” and walk through how a client avoided a breach. Same storytelling structure, just different stakes and context.

Q: What’s an example of a short story that fits in a promotional email?

A: A three-sentence micro-story can work: setup, conflict, resolution. For example: “By Wednesday, Taylor’s inbox was a disaster. One missed invoice had already cost $300 in late fees. That’s when they turned on auto-reminders — and stopped paying for forgetfulness.”

Q: Do all emails need stories, or just some?

A: Not every email needs a narrative arc. Transactional messages (like receipts) can stay straightforward, though even there, a single line of story-driven copy (“Here’s the start of something good”) can add warmth. Save your deeper stories for welcome flows, launches, education, and re-engagement.

Q: How long should storytelling emails be?

A: There’s no magic word count. Some of the best examples include just a 50-word anecdote at the top, while others read like a short blog post. The test is simple: does every line move the story or the reader forward? If not, cut.

If you treat your email program like a series of short stories instead of a stream of announcements, your subscribers will start reading you the way they read their favorite writers: with curiosity, not obligation. That’s where the real power of these examples of using storytelling in email marketing shows up — not just in open rates, but in the way people actually remember you.