Do you feel like your email marketing has gone stale? Are you sick of the same tired old content? Are you unsure if your seemingly tried-and-true tactics are getting the attention of your consumers?
It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance, and to fall into routines that are easy and cost effective. But in order to grow your business and continue to connect with new customers, you have to move the needle forward in every area of your work. From your products and customer service to your advertising and marketing efforts, your drive to continuously improve will be the thing that sets you apart from your competition.
Moving the needle forward often involves investing on every level, whether it’s money, people, time and effort or software (which is all ultimately money, anyways). It requires you to take chances and be open to new approaches and possibilities. In some cases, you have to let go of old ideas and redefine your brand, your products and your voice. You must also be willing to experience risk and disappointment, as there’s little guarantee of success.
The good news is that email marketing offers numerous customizable and achievable ways to shake things up and get the attention of your current and future customers. If you use the right combination of data, expertise, creative vision, resources and plain old risk taking, you could experience a new level of greatness you never thought possible. “Challenge yourself” could be a helpful mantra. Here are a handful of email marketing challenges to consider. Use them as inspiration to take things up a notch, and then some.
Design Challenge
As much as high-quality and relevant messaging is at the heart of email marketing success, humans are highly visual beings. A fresh look is an instant way to grab attention. Consider rehabbing your email templates with bold new colors and images. This may involve a complete rebranding, which seems daunting but is often a cost-effective and impactful way to say “Hey, how you like us now?”.
If rebranding is beyond your scope, consider adding more images or investing in a couple of fresh new templates – one for your newsletter and one for promotions, for example. Once this is done, launch your new aesthetic with a fun subject line like “We’ve remodeled!” or “Extreme email makeover” or simply, “Check out our new look.” Filament can help you concept and execute new email designs and deliver results, regardless of your scope or budget.
Style and Voice Challenge
Try a new way of speaking and see how your audience responds. If your current copy style is traditional, long-form copy (which tends to be more words than your audience cares to read), have your copywriter try a new, more concise style. Besides switching things up, this exercise can help get at the heart of your company’s value, revealing what’s most important to your customers – and most marketable to your prospects.
If your current style is very formal, try loosening things up a bit. Many of today’s most successful marketing voices continue to be warm and conversational – even edgy, sarcastic and slangy. From car insurance to health care, many companies are throwing formality to the wind. There are few more powerful connections with a consumer than the one that makes them smile. Perhaps the more bold and brash approaches aren’t a good fit for your company, but a little bit of wit and a subtle splash of familiarity can go a long way to creating recognition. For example, if a common subject line is “Our potted plants are in. Save 25% this week.” try “Riddle: what’s potted, pretty & on sale right now?” This subtle adjustment could reflect significantly in your open rates.
Another valuable voice challenge is to simply change up the vehicle you use to speak to your customers. Start with a low-budget marketing video or how-to video with a fun and simple script. Then use simple coding to embed it in your emails. The home-grown approach (think YouTube) to the video product demonstration or testimonial is a top marketing trend that’s not going away any time soon. Or consider a simple yet vibrant social media campaign on one or two of the top sites. These relatively inexpensive measures can make a big difference if created and executed thoughtfully, and they can all be delivered by and integrated into your email marketing activities.
Storytelling
Perhaps your email marketing approach is largely promotional, and you’re either not getting the same engagement as in the past or you need to generate new business to stay competitive. One great way to not only create a fresh approach to content but also get closer to the needs and experiences of the consumer is to get out there and talk to your happy customers. Hire a writer to interview one or two (or more!) of your most thrilled customers and turn that experience into an email or blog post. You might not be aware of it, but there is almost always an emotional angle to your product or service, whether it’s harrowing or hilarious. If you are taking pride in your business, you’re improving your customer’s lives. So, don’t let those stories go untold. Leverage them to win confidence, going beyond the basic testimonial. A professional writer can paint a picture and really connect with the special and meaningful experiences of your satisfied customers. For the same reason customer reviews now hold the power to make or break any business, happy customers are the most powerful and credible voices with which to speak to your prospects. So, next time you hit a customer service home run, follow up with that person, offer a discount or gift card for their participation, and have one of Filament’s professional writers make storytelling magic.
Promotional Challenge
Perhaps you’re in the rut of offering the same discounts on the same stuff at roughly the same times every year. It shouldn’t be surprising then, that you’re getting the same or sagging results. Data is certainly key when brainstorming a promotion, since you don’t want to overextend yourself – or worse, go the way of group discount disasters in which the demand far exceeds the supply or the business model isn’t robust enough to deliver on the promise. However, it could be valuable to take more calculated risks when it comes to promotions.
If it doesn’t make sense to offer a greater discount, think about extras or “hurdles” that might be achievable. For instance, get a free “insert low-cost-but-high-consumer-value item here” with every “XX” purchase. Or stock up on a certain popular item and then offer a buy one, get one 50% off or free offer. Get creative and be playful with promotions. Many consumers simply appreciate the fun of the freebie. Others just love achieving the hurdle you’ve established for the thrill of success. The old “free toaster” idea still has clout. People love to participate, to play along and get something in return – a trophy, of sorts. So take a chance and have a little fun, always keeping your inventory, staffing resources and bottom line in mind.
From design templates to social media campaigns to professional writing and more, Filament can help you move the needle forward. Let’s take things up a notch, together.
