Walking Through History, Powered by Email Marketing

In London, history is all around, but not all of it is equally visible. While statues, plaques, and tours are plentiful, many overlook the contributions and stories of African and Caribbean communities woven into the city’s fabric.

That’s where Black History Walks comes in. Founded by Tony Warner, the organization offers walking tours, films, talks, and experiences that shine a light on centuries of Black history often left untold.

“I started Black History Walks because I wanted people to understand and know about the African Caribbean history in the city of London,” Tony explained. “I started off with just a couple of friends, and now it’s much, much bigger. We have 25 different walking tours, and we do it to make sure that this history is shared on a regular, regional basis.”

From humble beginnings, Black History Walks has grown into a cultural touchstone. Today, the group runs walking tours, river cruises, bus tours, film festivals, and even helicopter tours.

Growth fueled by word-of-mouth and community

The early days were modest. A single walk might attract just two or three participants. But over time, demand swelled. The quality of events, combined with the power of word-of-mouth, fueled growth. “Now we can have up to 200 people at a time on the river cruise,” Tony said. “It’s gone from a couple of people to hundreds.”

The email list has followed the same trajectory. From a three-figure start, Black History Walks now maintains a list in the five figures – built organically through sign-ups at events, social media, and their website. “Every time you do something, you ask people to sign up. That’s how we’ve grown, face to face, one-on-one, word-of-mouth,” Tony shared.

Why marketing matters

For Tony, marketing isn’t just about filling tours. It’s about education. “I’d say it’s number two in terms of priorities,” he said. “If people don’t know about what you do, then they can’t come to a walk. And if they don’t come to a walk, then they can’t learn the history. The newsletter is a way of giving people education as well.”

That’s why Black History Walks has relied on Constant Contact for more than 16 years. What started as a way to simplify cumbersome email blasts has become a core part of the organization’s outreach strategy.

“Back in the old days, I had to collect every single email and then email people in a big block. It was complicated, cumbersome, and took a lot of time. With Constant Contact, you can send out something attractive and professional without having to do all that,” Tony said.

Bringing history to inboxes and beyond

Each month, Tony spends a few hours crafting a newsletter that blends event promotion with education. He includes historical insights, photos, and even video to make the content engaging. “The emails will have a list of company events with pictures, and you can even put videos into it. It makes it very accessible, and it’s a really good way to advertise,” he explained.

What happens after the send is just as important. Using Constant Contact’s reporting tools, Tony monitors open and click rates, but his favorite feature is the heat map. “You can just look and see which section got the most interest. That helps calibrate the next email to get more clicks,” he said.

Saving time with social and AI tools

Beyond email, Tony leans on Constant Contact’s social features and AI-powered tools to save time. With one click, his newsletter can be repurposed into ready-to-share content for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

“If there’s a thousand-word newsletter with 10 pictures, AI will summarize it into two pictures and 50 words. It saves me hours of time,” Tony said. “Rather than me having to write out all these different social posts, I just press a button. That’s 10 or 15 minutes, instead of hours.”

With one click, Tony’s newsletter can be repurposed into ready-to-share content for social media. This efficiency allows him to focus more on what matters: creating experiences that bring people closer to history.

Integrations that work

Ticketing is another key piece of the puzzle. Using Constant Contact’s integration with Eventbrite, Black History Walks connects email promotions directly to ticket sales.

“People can go to Eventbrite and log on, but there’s also a connection between the newsletter and Eventbrite,” Tony explained. “So they can look at Constant Contact and then book an Eventbrite slot. It’s really helpful to have that integration.”

What success looks like

For Tony, success is measured not only in numbers but in impact. “Winning looks like more subscribers on the email list, more opens, more clicks, and more people coming on the various walks, talks, and films we do,” he said. 

The results for Black History Walks speak for themselves, with an impressive open rate of 47% – 3% higher than the previous 90 days and 9% above the industry average – and a click rate of 4%, outperforming industry benchmarks by 3%.

Looking ahead

From two-person tours to five-figure audiences, Black History Walks has become a vibrant force for cultural education in London. With the help of Constant Contact, Tony continues to grow his reach, save time, and deliver professional communications that match the richness of the history he teaches.

“The thing I like most is that you can create something beautiful that doesn’t take you all day long,” Tony said. “It helps us bring untold stories to life.”