I don’t know what emails to send to my subscribers.
I think the fear of building a list starts with that statement. You worry that you’ll build a list and then commit the deadly sin of never emailing them.
Today we will look at some emails you could and should send to your subscribers.
There’s also an interview with Eleanor Goold who shares one of her favourite online marketing campaigns from Hellmann’s. A campaign that delighted, surprised and started conversations about their brand online and off.
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Superhero Tips – What emails should you send your subscribers?
A few weeks ago on the show, I talked about how some businesses get email marketing the wrong way around. They build a list but rarely get around to emailing them.
So you know sending emails is important but what should you send? How can you keep a consistent schedule of emails going out all year round?
I’ve compiled a short list of emails you can and should send that will hopefully inspire you to build an email strategy.
1. Welcome emails
A welcome email is an automated email you send as soon as someone subscribes to your list. It’s an important one. It sets expectations for the emails that will follow and welcomes the subscriber.
It’s the email that your subscribers are most likely to open, so what should you put in it?
This is an email you have time to prepare so think about the first impression you want to make. Do you want to reward them for subscribing by offering a discount or a voucher?
Do you want to introduce yourself fully and let your subscriber know what you do? Just because they subscribed it doesn’t mean they know all about your business already.
Can you use it as an opportunity to get to know your reader better?
One thing you can do is ask a question. If you are B2B ask them about their business. For both B2B or B2C say you’d like to follow them on social and ask for their Insta, LinkedIn or Twitter ID.
Connecting with your prospects on social gives you the chance to learn more about them and as a bonus, you can stay in touch more regularly than you can by email alone.
2. Email sequences
Why stop at one welcome email? To nurture your new subscriber, you can set up a sequence of emails which they will receive over time after they subscribe.
I send out a series of tips and links related to the lead magnet incentives that people download. So if you download my blog post checklist I’ll send a series of helpful articles on starting a blog, download my Instagram stories prompt sheet and you’ll get a series on using Instagram stories.
Darren Rowse from Problogger takes email sequences one step further. It could be worth investing in doing something more complex like this.
3. Sales Emails
Don’t be afraid to sell.
You’ll always get a few unsubscribes when you send sales emails but as long as you balance it with a bundle of helpful emails you’ll keep these to a minimum. If people don’t want to stay subscribed because you send sales emails occasionally that’s fine, your list isn’t the right place for them.
One way to decrease unsubscribes is to send more targeted offers. For example, if I’m marketing a workshop in Dublin I send that email just to my Irish subscribers, the same for the UK. If I’m sending info about a strategy related product I send just to the people who have shown interest in one of my strategy lead magnets or courses in the past.
Think about how you could segment your audience this way for better results.
4. Re-engagement emails
Over time, you’ll see your email open rate and click rate take a dive. People who were once interested start scrolling by your email in their Inbox.
You need to send emails that will re-engage these people. There are lots of different re-engagement mails but I want to focus on just one.
The ‘Do you still want our emails’.
This is an email you send to the people on your list who haven’t opened or clicked an email in quite some time (your email service provider will work this out for you).
In the email, you ask if they want to stay subscribed. Include a link for ‘Yes’ and unsubscribe anyone who doesn’t click it.
Why would you want to do this? I mean didn’t you spend ages building your list in the first place? Here’s two reasons.
1. Save money – Most email marketing software companies charge by volume of subscribers. Why pay for someone who isn’t interested in your emails?
2. Get them back – Those people who stay on your list have suddenly engaged for the first time in ages. Now they’ve made a positive connection to your business, they are more likely to stay engaged.
5. Letters to your readers
Ok, so I’m totally avoiding the word newsletter here. But that’s essentially what I’m talking about. I attended an excellent session from Ann Handley at Social Media Marketing World where she talked about being more personal with your emails by making them more like a letter.
I’ve been trying to replicate her style, I’m not sure if I’m winning but I’m getting there.
These should be your value-packed emails, aim to send something people will want to open and read every time. I have a format for my emails that isn’t so rigid they become boring but keeps me on track. If you’re not a subscriber, go sign up at spiderworking.com/newsletter
6. Information emails – what’s happening with your purchase?
Unlike the other email types, we’ve talked about these are an essential part of your business process. They aren’t sent out to everyone. Instead, you are creating a pre-designed sequence to send out to customers or clients.
Design these emails to keep your customer up to date with a purchase or to keep clients informed about the service you are providing.
Most e-commerce systems will have this built in but customise them to match your brand and your ideal customer.
The more informational emails you share here the fewer phone calls you’ll have to field.
That’s just 6 ideas for emails for you. If you are looking to put together an email marketing strategy get in touch with me.
Superpower of the week – Natural Readers
Does the text you write make sense? Sometimes even if you read it out loud you just can’t work out if it’s brilliance or nonsense. In fact, I’ve been having that problem with this week’s show notes.
Natural Readers is a website that will read your text aloud to you. There’s something about listening to that automated, but nuanced voice read that will tell you if it makes sense.
Natural Readers is free to use. Try it out with your website homepage text. You might be surprised by what you find out. I was.
Superhero Interview – Eleanor Goold
Eleanor Goold is the founder of Kreativ Copywriting, a successful copywriting, coaching and consulting business.
She is the co-host of two podcasts (The Anti-Social Chat Show, and Kreativ Conversations) and also runs the successful Facebook Group; The Copywriter. Eleanor is also the creator of The Utterly Compelling Online Academy which hosts free and paid online courses for freelancers, small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Amanda Webb:
Today’s superhero is Eleanor Goold, who’s been on the podcast before, but today we’re going to be talking about one of her favourite digital marketing campaigns. Welcome to the show, Eleanor
Eleanor Goold:
Thank you for having me, Amanda, it’s great to be here.
Amanda Webb:
And you’re going to share a campaign from a brand I think a lot of people will be familiar about. Tell me about Hellmann’s.
Eleanor Goold:
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, yeah, exactly. “Don’t save it for the salad” was the original tagline a long time ago. I think that if you can remember, the advert with Bob Carolgees when he used today “Don’t save it for the salad”, and it’s something I always remembered.
And it wasn’t until recently I’d come across their latest campaign that it really joined up for me, and I thought “This is a brilliant campaign”. And for me, right now, it works. So, when you ask me what my favourite digital market campaign for this… so many, but I’ll go with this one because I think it’s a good one for… that other people can learn from as well, although it’s a big budget brand with a huge brand equity, it is applicable to small businesses as well.
Amanda Webb:
I hadn’t heard of this campaign, so they’re obviously not targeting me. So tell us what it is.
Eleanor Goold:
You probably wouldn’t have heard of it because it was Hellmann’s Brazil, but you can find it. It’s not in Brazilian… you can find it on the internet. It’s called “The Restaurant With No food”, so if you put in “The Restaurant With No Food, Hellmann’s”, it’ll come up the video. And it’s about food waste, actually. Hellmann’s have been very successful with their purpose-led marketing, very in step with the times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJZyIfcsNeE
Eleanor Goold:
In this campaign, you see an advert, this guy goes to his fridge, there’s just leftovers in his fridge and his larder, you know. That set up a campaign… it’s set up against a pop-up restaurant and people could bring their food waste in.
They got high-class chefs to make nice little meals with it, with a dollop of Hellmann’s of course, and then you ate at the restaurant and ate your leftovers all done up all fancy, you know, fine dining. But on top of that, instead of getting the bill for your leftovers… because I guess it’s your leftovers… instead you got given a video of the recipe.
So you got a recipe, a video recipe as well, which then inspired other celeb-chefs to start posting about it on social media in Brazil, and it even sparked a national debate, got all sorts of famous people talking about it. So it’s a real success, but what was great about it, is it had an important message about food waste. Also, it’s actually using the product. I just thought it was really clever.
Amanda Webb:
It is clever, and it’s a good way to get user-generated content, really, isn’t it? We were speaking to Mark (Schafer) a few weeks ago now, and he was talking about… probably, I’d say a much bigger budget campaign… that they put out to influencers for West World. But this is almost like a smaller version of that, aimed at… and I think micro-influencers is the thing, isn’t it? Because everyone has their own network of connections. So, I’d be delighted if I…
Eleanor Goold:
Bring your reader into your story and make them think and feel your product in some way.Click To TweetI mean I’ve been doing a lot of that thing before… A year ago, I think last year, they did a great big campaign in Canada in a food stadium and served everybody leftovers. They didn’t know until the advert came on. That was another effective one. They’ve been going down that line.
But what I liked about it is that it really top and tailed it for me from when I first saw a Hellmann’s video, which is “Don’t save it for the salad” to going to food waste, and again, it’s the same message I’m getting, “Don’t save it for the salad”.
So, I guess what I thought that small business takeaways from it is to bring your reader into your story and make them think and feel your product in some way. So, that’s the kind of… I love the purpose-driven marketing behind it. I love the brand story-telling, and I love how it captures the public imagination.
Amanda Webb:
So when you say they’re bringing the audience into the story, is that because they’re participating by going there? Or is it a case of people like you and me who couldn’t go to… I’d like to go to Brazil, to go to a pop-up restaurant. But for those of us that can’t, how are they involving us then, do you think?
Eleanor Goold:
Because it made me think to be quite honest, it made me think straight away “What’s in the fridge, let’s put a dollop of Hellmann’s on there!” It was that direct, you know?
Amanda Webb:
It was that effective. And from a copy… Just to mention that you’re a copywriter, that’s how we kind of know each other. So from a copywriting perspective… I suppose it was all in… You said it wasn’t in Portuguese? That’s what they’re speaking.
Eleanor Goold:
No, no, it has good copy as well, it had really good music… inspirational music behind it. It really told the brand’s story, it had a bit of copy here and there just telling you what was going on. It was really well done, I thought.
Amanda Webb:
If we were trying to replicate that as a business, what would you do? What would you suggest to people?
Eleanor Goold:
It's the Halo effect, because now I guess the idea behind this is we think 'Hellmann’s, they're purpose-driven, they're of the times, they're thinking about food waste', we think they're great.Click To TweetThink of the ways how you could bring your reader, or your ideal client, into your story so that they… even if they’re not using your product, how they can imagine using your product or your service, what their life’s going to be like with your product or service in it.
That’s the really simple take-away from that at the end of the day. Also, I guess the other thing is the Halo effect, because now I guess the idea behind this is we think “Hellmann’s, they’re purpose-driven, they’re of the times, they’re thinking about food waste”, we think they’re great.
And so, we’re thinking positive thoughts about this. So if you are a small business who is purpose-driven… there’s plenty of them out there now… then, as long as you’re being authentic, it’s something that could really work for you.
Amanda Webb:
And that’s the big question, isn’t it? The cynic in me is going “Ah, Hellmann’s, do they really care?” But, you know, maybe…
Eleanor Goold:
I know, are they green-washing and how healthy is it, I don’t know.
Amanda Webb:
Yes, maybe… we won’t delve too far. But as small businesses, there’s probably things we do every day. I think small businesses are more efficient anyway because we care about our electricity bill, we care about, you know…
So as a small business, there’s probably things you’re already doing every day that are tapping into the purpose like you say. There is probably… maybe you’ve got a progressive employment plan. Maybe you’ve got positive discrimination, maybe that’s not a conversation you want to have online. Or maybe it is. And I think maybe it is time to stop shying away from those sort of things if they are for the universal good.
So, obviously the environment is… in Ireland, in the UK, and I’m not sure where else in the world we declared a climate emergency, so obviously, this is something businesses need to take seriously. And the more that we can show we can, we are… and encourage our customers to see that as well, maybe that’s a good thing.
I think purpose-led marketing we're going to see more of, it certainly seems to be in step with the times at the moment. But I would share a word of caution on that because think 'Gillette'Click To TweetEleanor Goold:
I think purpose-led marketing we’re going to see more of, it certainly seems to be in step with the times at the moment. But I would share a word of caution on that because think “Gillette”. So be careful where you go with that, and only do it if you’re really authentic and you’ve got a solid message that’s not going to upset people.
Amanda Webb:
I suppose with a big brand, you can get away with upsetting people, but as a small brand, it’s really probably something. So choosing an issue like climate change, of course, there are a few people in the world that don’t think it’s a big deal, but most people would accept that we should be doing something. So I think it’s a safe… but that’s a good point, isn’t it? If you want to go all in on “Me Too” you want to make sure that you’re a “Me Too” friendly company really.
Eleanor Goold:
Yeah, exactly, exactly. So it has its problems, but if Hellmann’s can bring out the lead with food waste… and they’ve even got a vegan mayonnaise, so, they can do it. Just take a few lessons from the big guys, and see how you can apply it your marketing, and that’s what I’d say. You don’t need a big budget, sometimes it better if you don’t have it, it seems more authentic and genuine.
Amanda Webb:
Doesn’t it? And I think that’s where small businesses will rule.
Eleanor Goold:
Yay!
Amanda Webb:
Okay, that’s a really interesting campaign, I’m going to dig out the video and add it to the show notes so that people can see.
I did actually watch the Canada one, I didn’t realise about the Brazil one, so the Canada one, for another day, I maybe post that in the group as well. So let us know, Eleanor, where we can find you online.
Eleanor Goold:
You can find me, Eleanor Goold, on LinkedIn. I’m also at Kreativ Copywriting, with a K and without an E, I know.
But the most and best place you can find me is in The Copywriter Facebook group, if you’re a copywriter come and join. But yeah, Eleanor Goold, LinkedIn, KreativCopywriting.com, and yeah… I’m creative copywriting everywhere, really.
Amanda Webb:
Thanks for joining us today, Eleanor. You really are a super-hero! Welcome to the club!
Eleanor Goold:
Thank you!
Find Eleanor Online
Creative Copywriter Facebook Group