What Is Email Segmentation? The Secret to Successful Email Marketing

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Here’s today’s question for the copy bitch: What is email segmentation?

Ready for the big reveal? Let’s get to it!

Or, if you’d rather watch a video, here’s the one I did on this topic. Otherwise, scroll past and keep reading.

The Power of Email Segmentation

OK, so what is email segmentation, and why does it matter? Simply put, email segmentation empowers you to send the right message to the right person at the right time.

Why One Size Does Not Fit All in Email Marketing

The people in your email distribution lists have different needs, which is why email marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor.

Think about it. Let’s say you’ve got an email list of 10,000 people. Sending the same message to everyone would be a recipe for disaster. And by disaster, I mean lackluster results. Here’s why: Those 10,000 people are not the same. They have different needs and pain points and are at various stages in the buying cycle. One might be ready to buy, while another is just getting to know your brand. A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t cut it.

Why Tailored Messaging Works in Email Marketing: A Real-Life Example

One of my clients is a senior living marketing agency. Their audience is senior living communities. The communities are trying to attract people into independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Many of the communities offer all levels of care within the same campus.

So, consider the various audiences that the communities need to reach. We’ve got married couples, widows, active 60-somethings, and those needing assisted living and dementia care. And don’t forget the adult children looking for senior living options on behalf of their parents, like a daughter seeking a memory care facility for her mother.

What would you write about if you lumped all prospects into the same email list? The newly retired couple in their 60s have entirely different needs from the 84-year-old woman seeking assisted living.

By segmenting these groups—and writing custom messages to each—you ensure that your message hits home every time. One general message to the entire group would have much less impact.

The Stats Don’t Lie about Email Segmentation’s Effectiveness

Still skeptical about email segmentation? Let the numbers do the talking. Consider the following . . .

  • Segmented email campaigns boast over 100% higher click rates than non-segmented ones. (Source: Moosesend)
  • And the kicker? They can spike your revenue by up to a whopping 760%. (Source: WebFX)

Segmentation Made Simple through Marketing Automation

The beauty of modern technology is that it has made email segmentation a breeze. Tools like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or more advanced marketing platforms like HubSpot enable easy backend segmentation and marketing automation. This ensures that your perfectly crafted message lands in the right inbox at the right time.

Writing for Segmented Lists: The Copywriter’s Role

As a marketer or a copywriter, you must understand the people on your various email lists: who they are, their pain points, and what they want. Going back to the senior living example . . . the way I talk to an adult child who’s urgently in need of memory care for her mom would be different from the way I talk to a couple in their 60s excited about making a move to senior living.

If the message I wrote for the 60-somethings ended up in the inbox of the stressed-out adult daughter, there’d be a major disconnect. Not to mention possibly a lost prospect if she decided to cross off my client’s community from her shortlist.

Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?

Get in touch or visit my YouTube channel and leave a question in the comments on one of my videos.

More helpful articles about email marketing:

What’s a Welcome Email Series? [Includes Welcome Email Examples]

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Let’s talk about welcome email series. I love writing welcome emails. They’re fun, warm, and—as the name suggests—welcoming. You’re essentially telling a person, “YAY! Thanks for signing up. We’re so glad you’re part of our community. Here’s a cookie!”

Now you might be thinking, WAIT. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT COOKIES.

Maybe I should back up a little first . . .

Below, I’ll discuss the following:

  • What is a welcome email?
  • How do welcome emails work?
  • Why do businesses send welcome emails?
  • What should be in a welcome email?
  • What’s the difference between a welcome email and a welcome email series or sequence?
  • What do copywriters need to write for welcome email sequences?
  • What are some examples of welcome email campaigns?
  • What are three big mistakes businesses make when setting up welcome email series (and how to avoid them)?

What is a welcome email?

Businesses or individuals send welcome emails after someone subscribes to their email list. (This action is called a “trigger” in marketing parlance.)

In other words, someone ASKS to be added to the email list—and they do so by entering their email address into a sign-up box and hitting “submit” (or something along the lines of “YES! I want to be added to the list”).

Does the business manually send the emails?

Nope, the business doesn’t manually send the welcome emails. Businesses use marketing automation to send the emails—and to add the person’s email address to an actual list. Most businesses send the initial welcome email ASAP (right after someone signs up).

Marketing automation is software that allows you to send the right message to the right person at the right time. It’s baked into products like HubSpot. But you can also use email marketing automation products focusing only on email marketing (like Mailchimp or Constant Contact).

Email is an effective way to communicate with customers, clients, and prospects, mainly because everyone carries around their phones, so emails are only a click or two away.

Email marketing offers incredible return on investment (ROI) as well.

How does a welcome email series work?

As for how the process works . . .

  • Usually, there’s a sign-up box on the business website—often in the footer.
  • Someone enters their email address (and possibly their first name) and hits “submit” or its equivalence.
  • One of two things happens from there: The person is automatically added to the list. OR the person needs to take another action and confirm their subscription request. This is known as a double opt-in campaign. You’re double-checking with the person that they want to join your list.
  • Once the person has been added to the list, the welcome email goes out (timing is up to the business, but I find most send it ASAP, which is also what I recommend)

Why do businesses send welcome emails in the first place?

First off, it’s just the polite thing to do. When someone tells you they’re interested enough in your products or services to surrender their email address, it’s only polite to say thanks.

But there’s another reason businesses send welcome emails: These emails have an EXCELLENT open rate (as high as 68%, according to a study that Mailmodo cites from Oberlo). By comparison, most emails are doing well if they have an open rate of 20% to 25%.

It makes sense that welcome emails have such a high open rate. The person just said that they WANT to hear from you. They’re essentially a captive audience. So when you send that first email, there’s a GREAT chance they’ll open it. When they see your name in their inbox within an hour, they will recognize it—and likely open the email!

And that brings me to the next point.

When should you send your welcome email?

If you’re using a double opt-in, the welcome email should automatically be sent after someone confirms their email address.

Again, it’s all about being top of mind. Your brand—or your client’s brand—is on the person’s mind. They just took the action of signing up. And if you have double opt-in enabled, they are in their inbox right now and paying attention. You have the best chance of them opening if you send it ASAP.

And that brings me to this: What do I mean by “you” send it?

Obviously, you’re not manually sending welcome emails the moment someone signs up. That would be ridiculous and hard to manage. There’s sleep to be had, sloths to be played with, and chocolate to be eaten!

That’s where marketing automation comes into play. As I mentioned earlier, marketing automation sends the right message to the right person at the right time—and as its name suggests, everything happens automatically in the background. So the software you’re using—whether it’s a product like MailChimp or Constant Contact or the marketing automation is baked into a bigger product like HubSpot—the automation would handle the sending of the welcome email.

But for best results, you’ll want to send the initial welcome email ASAP.

What should be in the welcome email?

Ah, that depends. This is why writing welcome emails can be so much fun for copywriters since it isn’t one size fits all. What you write will depend on the brand. You’ll want to always include some basic housekeeping info, like how the person can manage their preferences or unsubscribe. But from there, the sky’s the limit.

Here are some popular things to include in welcome emails:

  • Give a special welcome “deal” like a coupon code or limited-time offer to encourage them back to your site and/or to complete the purchase
  • Remind them about your brand values
  • Highlight 5-star reviews
  • Highlight the brand’s aspirational side (like its charitable arm or nonprofits it supports)
  • Encourage people to follow the brand’s most active social channels
  • Include a video—people LOVE videos
  • Offer downloadable content – a checklist, a guide, a white paper (this is great for b2b)

What’s the difference between a welcome email—and a welcome email series or sequence?

The welcome email is exactly as it sounds—it’s the first email someone receives after they opt-in, welcoming them to your newsletter list or community.

Depending on the business, you might send subsequent emails as part of a more robust welcome email series or sequence.

Retailers tend to send lots of emails after an initial sign-up—and they tend to send more emails in general, often multiple times a week and possibly even daily in stretches (e.g., during holidays).

A b2b welcome email series might have a different cadence—maybe it’s just one initial welcome email and then a monthly or every-other-week cadence.

If someone has signed up for a free trial of a product or service, it’s typical for the welcome email series to be several emails over that free trial period of 14 days or 30 days or whatever it is.

Your initial welcome email should set the expectations—hey, you’ll be hearing from us every week, or hey, you’ll be hearing from us once a month.

Because you have that captive audience—someone has expressed interest in your brand—it does make sense to consider a welcome email series, even if it’s just an additional email or two on top of the original welcome email. And then, from there, you can get into the regular cadence (e.g., weekly, monthly).

As the writer, you must put the same effort into the last email as you do the first. I’d argue you have to put in even more effort. We already know the initial welcome email enjoys a high open rate. But the further along you go in a welcome email series, the lower the open rate. This is natural. But you can boost the chances of someone opening it by writing strong subject lines—and encouraging your client to run A/B tests of the subject lines to see which ones perform best.

What copy do copywriters produce for welcome email sequences?

Remember that you need to write the copy for each email in the welcome email series. This includes body copy, subject lines, and preview lines.

In addition, you’ll be writing the copy for the following:

  • The text accompanying the sign-up box.
  • The text for the “submit” button (ideally, make it more fun than “submit”)
  • The thank-you text on the page after someone submits their email address. This thank-you text lets people know they’ve successfully signed up OR they need to confirm their subscription by clicking on a button in a confirmation email. Again, the latter is a “double opt-in” campaign. You’re double-checking that the person wants to be on your email list.
  • If you’re running a double opt-in campaign, you’ll write the copy for the subscription confirmation email AND the message that appears after someone successfully confirms their opt-in.
  • If you’re not running a double opt-in campaign, you’ll still need to write the message that appears after someone successfully signs up, even if it’s just to let them know exactly that: You’re all set! We’ve added you to our list. Be on the lookout for our first email, which should arrive shortly. Check your spam/junk folders if you don’t see it.

What are some welcome email examples?

In the video below, I walk you through email sign-ups for two businesses (including an example of a double opt-in campaign) and then show you the welcome emails I received.

Fast forward to 12:05 to watch.

What are the big mistakes businesses make when setting up welcome email series (and how to avoid them)?

Mistake #1: Not using welcome emails in the first place.

The biggest mistake is NOT sending a welcome email. If someone takes the time to sign up, thank them. It’s only polite!

Mistake #2: Not customizing the copy and design at every step in the welcome email sequence.

From the color of your sign-up box to the copy you use above the box to every other step, you can and should customize the copy and design to reflect your brand. Automation products often have canned copy—for example, “thanks for signing up.” It’s not awful, but it doesn’t have your brand personality. Your job as the copywriter is to infuse the brand’s voice throughout all the copy.

Mistake #3: Not revisiting and refreshing your welcome email copy.

Welcome emails are easy to “set and forget.” Don’t do that. You should revisit the copy and freshen it, as needed. Swap in new reviews, new case studies, and new images. Make sure everything is still on brand. Even something as simple as making sure your social media icons are current can go a long way to avoid looking crusty and stale. (A great example as I write this article in November 2023: Too many brands still haven’t swapped their Twitter bird icons for X. Not doing so signals an old/crusty email. It’s a subtle signal, but it’s still a signal.)

Got a question for the Copy Bitch?

Get in touch or visit my YouTube channel and leave a question in the comments on one of my videos.

Is Email Marketing the Same As Email Copywriting?

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So, is email marketing the same as email copywriting? The short answer is no. Email marketing and email copywriting are not the same thing. People sometimes use these phrases interchangeably. (Heck, I’ve likely been guilty of this myself.) But they’re not the same thing.

Here’s a quick video on the subject. Or jump past it to read the article.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is exactly as the name suggests. You send messages via email to your target audience. The goal of the email might be to promote a product, a service, or a cause. Or you might be sharing messages about your organization.

Email marketing is the umbrella category. Under email marketing, you have all the tasks needed to produce and send an email. This can involve things like choosing the right email software (like Mailchimp or Constant Contact). You also have to think about the design of the email. Will it have visuals? Will it be text-based? Will it have a combination of design elements and text? What’s the call to action (CTA)?

Another aspect of email marketing is list management. You need a list of contacts to send your email to. But you also need to manage this list carefully. You should monitor things like spam reports, unsubscribes, and undeliverable emails. You need to understand “graymail.”

And yes, you also need words in your emails. That’s the whole point, right? To convey a message. And that’s where email copywriting comes into play.

What is email copywriting?

Someone needs to write the words in the emails (and in the subject and preview lines). And that person is often a copywriter. Or a marketing writer. Or someone from the marketing team. Or the business owner (especially if we’re talking about a small business of one or two people). AI tools might be able to produce an initial draft, but you still need a human to review and revise before hitting send.

As a freelance copywriter, one of the many services I offer clients is email copywriting. When I deliver email copy to my clients, I deliver it in a Word doc or a Google doc. (I only provide the words.) I usually give a bunch of options for subject lines and a couple of options for the body copy, which includes a combination of the following, depending on the layout and design: the salutation, the main content, a call to action (CTA), and a closing. Often, I’ll add a “PS” as well.

Bottom line: Email marketing encompasses email copywriting.

Email marketing is not the same as email copywriting.

Got a question for the Copy Bitch?

Get in touch or visit my YouTube channel and leave a question in the comments on one of my videos.

Mother’s Day Email Subject Line Examples [Tips for Copywriters]

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For the last few weeks, I’ve been corralling all the Mother’s Day email subject lines that have entered my inbox. Even though the holiday is over as I write this blog post in late May 2023, I’m publishing this blog for two reasons. First, you can apply the tips to other holiday-related email campaigns. Second, it’ll be next Mother’s Day before you know it, which means someone will be searching for ideas. Make sure you scroll down to the video below because I share my screen, show you my collection of Mother’s Day email subject line examples, and discuss what works.

1. You must tread carefully around Mother’s Day marketing.

Thirty years ago, you might have gotten occasional reminders via TV ads or radio spots. But now we’re bombarded with Mom’s Day messaging for weeks leading up to the event thanks to social media.

And here’s the thing: It’s a tough day for many people, for many different reasons.

It’s tough for folks who are . . .

  • Grieving over the recent (or even no-so-recent) death of their mom
  • Dealing with a sick mother
  • Dealing with estrangement
  • Coming to terms with childhood trauma
  • Dealing with a contentious mother-child relationship
  • Struggling with fertility issues
  • Mourning the loss of a child
  • Worrying over a sick child

And that’s an incomplete list.

Companies have taken note. It’s becoming more common for brands to allow people to opt out of Mother’s Day marketing emails. This means the person remains in the main email distribution list, but they won’t get any Mother’s Day-related marketing.

I think this is smart. It shows empathetic marketing.

If you’re doing a lot of email marketing for brands, especially b2c brands, you’ll want to make sure you bring up this point with clients.

2. Mother’s Day isn’t the only holiday that can strike a nerve.

People are sensitive around other holidays, like Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, and even Christmas.

You obviously can’t please everyone. Nor should you have to pause your email marketing because it might upset some folks. But you need to be mindful (as always) about who you’re marketing to. If you’re a brand that sells primarily to women between 25 and 54, for example, you’ll want to carefully think through your Mother’s Day marketing.

3. Even with opt-out options, you might want to soften your messaging.

I’ve been seeing this more in general and from some clients specifically. They’ll cast a much wider net regarding who their message is aimed at.

You’ve likely encountered examples of this as well, where the messaging talks about “all those who’ve mothered—or who have loved like a mother.” That strikes a nice balance. You’re acknowledging moms, but also acknowledging those with mom-like qualities.

Bottom line: Always be mindful of your marketing messages.

4. Now, let’s look at some Mother’s Day email subject line examples.

In this video, I share my screen—and my inbox.

Also, check out my other blog post on time-sensitive email subject lines.

My two go-to tools:

Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?

That’s me! I’m the Copy Bitch. Contact me or visit my YouTube channel and leave a comment on one of my videos. I might make a blog post or video with the answer.

5 Examples of Time-Sensitive Email Subject Lines

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We can’t discuss email marketing without discussing email subject lines. They are a critical component of a campaign’s success or failure. (And some would argue they’re the most critical component.) Below, I’ll be getting into examples of time-sensitive email subject lines.

But first, here’s some helpful info: One of the best people you can follow when it comes to email subject lines (and email marketing in general) is Jay Schwedelson. Here’s a link to his famous “Scoop” newsletter. (You can access back copies as well.) And you can try his free subject line rating tool.

I highly recommend the tool since it will give you a score, show you where you get dinged, and offer other variations to consider.

When it comes to email subject line best practices, the big ones you have to keep in mind are length and tone.

For length, the rule of thumb as I’m writing this now in 2023 is to aim for fewer than 60 characters and no more than eight or nine words.

For tone . . . I wish I could tell you there’s one winning formula. There isn’t. Action-oriented words and verbs tend to work. Clever copy can work, even with businesses you might not expect. But straightforward can work as well. Both b2b and b2c audiences have gotten used to emojis. (Remember, in both cases, a human is receiving your emails, so this isn’t a surprise.) But where you place the emoji can matter. Putting them at the beginning of your subject line rather than the end can have a positive impact.

For now, though, let’s discuss time-sensitive email subject lines.

If something is truly time-sensitive, you’ll want to make sure you’re being super clear. Experiment with words like . . .

  • Hurry
  • Time’s running out
  • Last chance
  • Don’t miss out
  • Final call

Emojis to experiment with include:

  • Hourglass emoji
  • Clock emoji
  • Wide eyes
  • Worried face/surprised face

You get the idea. And I’m riffing here. When you sit down to write email subject lines, you begin like you would any other piece of content. Who’s the audience? What do you want them to do (besides open the email)? Why should they open this email? What’s in it for them? Why should they care? Why does this matter? WHAT’S THE MEANING OF LIFE?

And then encapsulate all of that in fewer than 60 characters.

Fun challenge, right?

Let’s turn it over to me on Zoom below, where I’ll share my screen so I can .  . . 

  • Review five time-sensitive email subject lines plucked straight from my inbox
  • Show you how to use SubjectLine.com
  • Use SubjectLine.com to audit a couple of my subject email lines for a client

Make sure you check out my other blog post on five examples of “We miss you” email subject lines.

Got a question for the Copy Bitch?

That’s me—I’m the Copy Bitch. I have over 20 years of experience as a freelance copywriter and love sharing what I’ve learned. Reach out with a question or leave a question in the comments on one of my YouTube videos.

 

‘We Miss You’ Email Subject Lines: 5 Great Examples

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If you do a lot of email marketing for clients, one type of email that you’ll want to occasionally send is the “We miss you” email.

Below, I discuss . . .

  • Why do you need to send “we miss you” emails?
  • What is graymail?
  • How often should you send “we miss you emails”?
  • What to keep in mind when creating “we miss you” emails
  • Five examples of “we miss you” email subject lines

Let’s get to it.

Why do you need to send “we miss you” emails?

There’s no rule saying you must send these emails. But if you want to make sure you have an email distribution list filled with contacts who are genuinely engaged with your content, you need to occasionally nudge those who haven’t opened your emails to see if they still want in.

And if you get no response? You should remove them from the list.

I know, I know. That sounds super scary. Why remove someone who might engage with your content someday?

Here’s what I tell clients: I’d much rather have a smaller list of engaged fans than a bloated list with people who never open my emails but who I keep hoping will “someday.”

The number of people on your email list is a vanity metric. “I have 10,000 people on my list!”

The number of active people on your list is the metric that matters.

So again, I’d prefer a list of 1000 people who want to be there rather than 10,000 contacts who mostly have no interest in playing with me.

Of course, cleaning your list matters for another critical reason: Graymail.

What is Graymail?

HubSpot explains it best: “Graymail is email that contacts have opted in to receive, but never open or click. Spam filters can identify and filter out emails that your recipients aren’t opening or clicking. This increases the likelihood that future emails will end up in the junk folder or spam filter. By continuing to send emails to contacts who don’t open or click, you’re lowering your sender score overall.”

Basically, you want to keep a clean and tidy list so that the emails you send have a better chance of getting opened and read by the people who want them.

How often should you send “we miss you” emails?

That will depend on myriad factors, including how often you send emails and your industry. Online retailers (think boutique clothing shops) are famous for sending emails a few times a week—if not more. They might have a better tolerance for someone not opening their emails for months.

Remember that just because someone doesn’t open the email doesn’t mean they aren’t engaging with your business. They might read the subject lines. They might see your brand on social media and click over to the website, remembering that subject line about your new product, for example.

Some businesses are aggressive with their email list hygiene and won’t even bother sending the “we miss you” emails—they’ll simply remove you. (I find this annoying, to be honest. Especially when it’s only a handful of emails I haven’t opened.)

HubSpot has a good article on creating a “sunset policy” for removing unengaged people from your email list.

What should you keep in mind when creating “we miss you” emails?

The point of the “we miss you” email is to reengage folks who haven’t been opening your emails. If they see a subject line that indicates they’re about to get booted off the list (said more nicely than that!), they might be inclined to open the email and take action.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when creating these emails:

  • Make sure your subject line is clear. Using words like “We miss you” can be an excellent way to get someone to re-engage. But make it clear what happens if they don’t open the email.
  • Simplicity works best for the body copy. No need for fancy designs. Text-based emails work best. Don’t guilt people into staying. Acknowledge that everyone’s inboxes are overflowing, and you’ll understand if someone wants out. But if they want in . . . they need to take action (usually by clicking a link).
  • Honor the results. I won’t lie: You won’t have huge conversions when you send a re-engagement campaign. That’s OK. That’s the point. Honor the results, even if it means you’re removing a ton of contacts. (“A ton” is relative. But it will likely feel like a lot to you.)

Here are five examples of “we miss you” email subject lines.

In this video, I share my screen and show you five examples of “we miss you” emails. See what you think.

Got a Question for the Copy Bitch?

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Email Marketing Tip Quickie

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I’ve been writing email newsletters since I’ve been in business. But for some reason, I’ve overlooked this obvious and easy email marketing tip. So I thought I’d share.

Send your email newsletter TWICE in one month. The first time should be to your regular list during your regular ship date. But then schedule it to send on the last day of the month to only those who’ve subscribed since your last newsletter went out.

Constant Contact makes it super easy to do this (and I’m sure the other major vendors, like MailChimp, do as well). In Constant Contact, simply do the following:

  1. Select your email campaign.
  2. Click on “Resend Options.”
  3. Select “New contacts since email was last sent.”

Done!

Two things to keep in mind: to make it easier, do any data entry of email addresses to your “Contacts” list before you go through this process. And if your newsletter is dated in any way (e.g. you wish people a Happy Thanksgiving), you’ll need to copy your email campaign, remove dated references, and schedule a send to yourself only. Then, you should copy the list of new email addresses and then follow steps 1 and 2 above. For step #3, you’ll select “Enter email addresses Info” and paste the list of new email addresses.

8 Company Newsletter Ideas to Try Out

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Need some company newsletter ideas? Here are eight to consider.

1. Private Sale/Private Offering. Construct a newsletter around a special sale or offering that will be available to subscribers only. Promote this fact on Twitter and Facebook and grow your list while you’re at it. I recently worked on this concept for one of my retail clients, and we got a good number of sales out of it as a result.

2. Inside Views. I don’t know about you, but I love learning about the real people in companies, especially those I do business with. In a time when corporate “spin” is in our faces more than ever thanks to the Internet, it’s refreshing to hear real thoughts and real views from real people. Do a “Q&A” feature with some of the people in your company. Ask questions that invite real answers — in other words, answers that provide insight into who these people are as human beings (e.g. favorite movie, favorite book, three songs queued on their iPods).

3. Highlight Charitable Giving. I’m not suggesting that you toot your own horn, but what you can do is provide real exposure to some of the charities and nonprofit organizations that you and your employees support. (Always a crowd pleaser in November.)

4. Blog Roundup. Sure, we want to believe our clients and prospects are flocking to our blogs and hanging on every word we write, but the truth is, life happens. Even when you consistently post great articles, not everyone will see them the first time around. So do a newsletter article where you recap those key blog posts: ones that garnered the most comments, ones that provoked controversy, and ones you feel are important “can’t miss” articles. This strategy can work well when you’re tight on time and can’t bang out a complete article or when you’re coming off the holidays or summer, since people might have missed some key blog posts due to travels and general craziness. For many of my clients, we’ll do this at least once a quarter.

5. In their own words. Ever thought of giving one of your clients the pulpit? Somewhere between a customer story and a customer testimonial, a customer letter “in his or her own words” could be refreshing. DO NOT EDIT CONTENT. Simply fix glaring punctuation/spelling errors and anything that’s factually inaccurate.

6. How’d we do that? You take what you do for granted, but chances are you have some readers who might be really curious about a certain aspect of your business. For example, if you’re an online retailer, you could provide insight on how you choose the lines you carry. If you’re a custom cabinetmaker, you could do a before and after “refurbishing” series, complete with images or video. You get the idea.

7. Do the opposite of what you normally do. Do you usually focus on customer stories? Offer some how-to articles instead. Do you normally write long articles? Find one great image — like a cartoon — that gets your point across and then attach it to an offer. People find value in any number of things. Mixing it up is a great way to keep your audience engaged.

8. Did You Know? Chances are your customers — even your best customers — don’t know everything that you do or every product you offer. Take a hard look at service offerings or products that you think should be resulting in more business. Then highlight two or three in a “Did You Know We Offer This” sort of article.

Need help coming up with fun things to put in a newsletter? Hi. Contact me.

Outbound Marketing Fail: A Real Life Story

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I’m a huge advocate of a marketing philosophy called “inbound marketing.” This term was coined by a company in Cambridge, Mass., called HubSpot. Basically, the idea is to focus on getting your company found by people who are already interested in what you’re offering. In other words, it’s much easier to sell a rhinoplasty, for example, to someone who is already looking to reduce the size of her nose than it is to sell a rhinoplasty to someone who is perfectly happy with her nose.

Inbound marketing includes:

  • Optimizing your website for search engines so people looking for your products and services can find it
  • Writing content that attracts, engages, and converts visitors – this can be done through myriad ways, such as blogging, tweeting, interacting with a Facebook audience, providing free/useful content on your site
  • Nurturing leads every step of the way
  • Nurturing current customers and helping them to spread your message

Outbound marketing, such as unsolicited emails, direct mailers, radio spots, TV commercials, etc., casts a wide net that may or may not include people who are interested in your services. You end up spending more money, yet you usually end up with fewer conversions.

Okay…lesson over.

Here’s a real-life example that just happened to me. Tell me what’s wrong with this approach:

  • I received an email with a subject line: newsletter
  • The body said, “Do you have a newsletter?” and came complete with a signature. The guy’s signature included a title (account executive) but the company name could only be gleaned from the guy’s email address.
  • I responded (a bit skeptically, I’ll admit, since I have a newsletter sign-up on each page of my website and a clear “newsletter archive” in the navigation). I said that I did indeed have a monthly newsletter and I provided a link to the sign-up and my archive.
  • The guy responded right away with this:

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Sam (last name redacted) at <company name redacted> leading providers in email newsletter management solutions.

Several clients in your industry use our service. The reason I contacted your organization is because we provide a solution to help you better manage and broadcast your email campaigns (e-newsletters).

I would like to show all possibilities that our program can give you. Would you be available for a short conversation this week? That won’t take much time but will give you fresh ideas and show other opportunities.

Ugh. (Yes, that was my reaction, although I spouted it in a more earthy term.) I decided to respond, only because I was curious how far Sam would take me on this fishing expedition. Here was my response:

Thanks, but I’m really happy with my current vendor.

Never heard back. Sam didn’t engage me further (which, in this scenario, was a smart move). But what a waste of time–on his part and mine.

I realize the email software industry is crowded. But this isn’t the way to stand out. What should Sam be doing? Here are three ideas off the top of my head (and this goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway: as an email software vendor, Sam shouldn’t violate the #1 rule in email marketing by sending an unsolicited email. Duh!)

  1. Have his current customer base – his current tribe, as Saint Godin would say – refer him potential clients. Start a referral program or simply call up a very happy customer and ask the customer to introduce Sam to a few of his colleagues (there are ways to get more creative with this…again, I’m just thinking off the top of my head).
  2. Optimize the website for people who are actually looking for email software. They’re out there–including people who are looking for the first time and people looking to make a switch. Provide engaging content and figure out how you’re going to persuade me to use your software rather than some other software (yes, this might require you to take a step or two back and conduct some marketing and messaging research).
  3. Hold webinars on the product’s capabilities and on email marketing in general (it shouldn’t all be self promotional, but rather it should share tips, best practices, etc) – a great way to introduce people to your platform is by holding free webinars…people who sign up might be looking for the first time or they’re looking to make an immediate switch or they’re shopping around – all of these are good things and people you can continue to nurture and market to because they’ve shown an interest in what you have to offer.

I was going to “out” the company and website but have decided not to. (Trust me when I say that the website isn’t optimized.)

Email Marketing: Should You Send Weekly Messages?

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Dear Copy Bitch: We’ve been doing an every-other-month email newsletter campaign for over a year, but one of my competitors (I’m an executive coach) does a quick-hitting weekly email with a quote/source of inspiration. I’m thinking I should do something like that starting in January. Our list is around 150, and we have, on average, a 50 percent open rate. Your thoughts?

—BH, Rhode Island

Answer: Be very careful about going from an every-other-month email newsletter to a weekly email campaign. Remember, the people who are on your mailing list signed up for a bi-monthly newsletter. In fact, I’m hesitant about weekly email campaigns in general because they tend to cause list fatigue. The types of businesses that can “get away with it” are retailers, and even they have a high number of opt-outs and abuse complaints.

You have a small list, but it sounds like a loyal list (the fact that half the list regularly opens your email indicates that). I’ve seen weekly emails like the one you’re referencing. To me, most tend to be short on substance (inspirational quotes can be, well, inspiring, but is the point for me to remember the person who said the quote or the person/company–in this case, the exec coach–who sent me the quote? It’s a fine line).

If you’re concerned you’re not in front of your newsletter subscribers enough, consider going to a monthly schedule. Or better yet, ask your audience what it wants (i.e., survey the people on your mailing list). Your marketing should respond to your customers’ needs first, not in reaction to what your competitors are doing.