After social media, the next question usually sounds like this:
“Okay, but how do I get my content in front of people who already know us?”
This is where email quietly outperforms almost everything else.
Not because it’s flashy.
Not because it’s new.
But because email is the only distribution channel you truly own.
Today’s memo is about how to use email to distribute content - not spam it, not blast it, not automate it into irrelevance.
But to use it as a trust-preserving, intent-aware distribution system across your entire audience:
- subscribers
- active users or customers
- past customers
- and even cold prospects (when done right)
Why email still outperforms most distribution channels
Social media helps ideas travel.
Email helps ideas land.
Email works because:
- the audience already opted in
- attention is more focused
- context is richer
- repetition is expected
- and trust is higher
If social is where people discover your thinking,
email is where they decide whether it’s worth following.
That’s why email distribution shouldn’t be treated as a broadcast, but as relationship maintenance at scale.
Distributing content to subscribers (without becoming background noise)
Your subscriber list is not a traffic source.
It’s a learning cohort.
When you send content to subscribers, the goal isn’t clicks.
It’s continuity.
What works best:
- one core idea per email
- clear framing: why this matters now
- a personal point of view
- a reason to read, not just a link
Think:
“Here’s how to think about this problem.”
Not:
“Here’s our latest blog.”
Subscribers stay subscribed when your emails help them make sense of things.
Using content in emails to active users and customers
This is where many companies hesitate and shouldn’t.
Content sent to customers is not upsell content.
It’s confidence content.
Use content to:
- reinforce why they chose you
- help them get more value
- reduce buyer’s remorse
- shape how they talk about you internally
Examples:
- “How teams like yours think about X”
- “Common mistakes we see after implementation”
- “What strong teams do differently at this stage”
This kind of content:
- reduces churn
- improves adoption
- increases expansion readiness
If customers only hear from you when something breaks or renews, you’re missing the opportunity to deepen trust.
Reaching past customers and dormant users
Past customers are not “closed chapters.”
They’re:
- future buyers
- referral sources
- credibility anchors
- people who already understand your value
Content works exceptionally well here because:
- there’s no need to reintroduce yourself
- trust already exists
- curiosity is easier to reawaken
What works:
- updates in thinking (“Here’s how our perspective has evolved”)
- lessons learned since they last used you
- industry shifts that affect their role
- new use cases they may not have seen
You’re not selling.
You’re reopening a conversation.
Using content in cold emails (without sounding like a marketer)
This is where most teams get it wrong.
Cold emails fail when content is used as:
❌ a link drop
❌ a credibility flex
❌ a disguised pitch
Content works in cold outreach when it:
- is highly relevant to the recipient’s role
- addresses a specific problem
- is framed as help, not proof
Good framing sounds like:
“Sharing this because we’re seeing this pattern across teams like yours.”
“This came up in a few conversations with RevOps leaders recently.”
“Thought this might be useful given what’s changing in your space.”
The goal of content in cold email is not clicks.
It’s starting an intelligent conversation.
If they don’t click but reply, it worked.
Matching email distribution to funnel stage
Email distribution becomes far more effective when aligned to intent.
- TOFU via email - Use sparingly. Focus on perspective-shaping pieces and big ideas.
- MOFU via email - This is the sweet spot. Frameworks, guides, and deep dives perform best here.
- BOFU via email - Keep it contextual and targeted. Case studies, proof, and enablement assets - sent when relevant, not batched.
Email gives you something social doesn’t: timing control.
Use it.
Email cadence: consistency beats creativity
The fastest way to kill email distribution is inconsistency.
You don’t need:
- weekly newsletters
- complex automation
- perfect copy
You need:
- a predictable rhythm
- a clear reason to send
- and restraint
One thoughtful email that respects attention will outperform five noisy ones.
How to know if email distribution is working
Again, clicks alone don’t tell the story.
Better signals:
- replies
- forwards
- saves
- long scrolls
- “this was helpful” messages
- content referenced later in conversations
Email distribution works when people feel like:
“This was written for me.”
Common mistakes that quietly erode trust
Watch out for:
- blasting the same email to everyone
- using email only for announcements
- turning every email into a CTA
- hiding behind automation
- over-optimising subject lines while under-thinking content
Email is a long game.
Respect attention and it will compound.
Where this fits in the distribution system
Email is the bridge between:
- social discovery
- and conversion readiness
It’s where:
- thinking deepens
- confidence grows
- and relationships mature
Used well, email turns content into ongoing dialogue.
TL;DR
- Email is your strongest owned distribution channel
- Use it to distribute thinking, not just links
- Tailor content for subscribers, customers, past users, and prospects
- Content in cold emails should start conversations, not push clicks
- Measure replies and relevance, not just opens
- Consistency and restraint win
Next up: I’m going to tell you about one of the most overused yet misused content distribution channels - Medium.
But before you go…
Which audience do you struggle with most when sending content via email - subscribers, customers, or cold prospects?
Hit reply and tell me.
PS. If you know someone who has been struggling with content distribution, share this newsletter with them. Let them join in on this limited series!
See you in the next memo,
