If you’re a professional email marketer, it’s easy to slip into the same pattern and see your open and click rates begin to dip. In such situations, it’s good to look to the past for inspiration and direction. In this article, we will take a look at five “dead” marketers whose tactics and strategies still exist in email marketing today. By learning from them, you can inject new life into your email marketing campaigns and get better results.
David Ogilvy: The Godfather of Advertising.
One of the biggest names in advertising is David Ogilvy. He is also one of the most charismatic and clear-cut writers. His simple ideas will add a lot of value to your email marketing campaigns.
Know Your Customer
‘She is not a moron,’ Ogilvy wrote, ‘she is your wife. That’s another lesson to get to know your target. If you want to send good emails, you find out about the demographics, passions and challenges of your target market. So employ it in writing the kinds of messages that would strike close to the heart of the person.
Create Appealing Headlines
“Headlines are read five times as often as body copy,” Ogilvy wrote. For that reason, he’d recommended spending your writing dollars on headlines like that. That means crafting unique, brief and informative subject lines in your emails that get people to click on your emails. A great subject line can make the difference between a message that is read and one that gets deleted within three seconds.
Tell a Story
The best form of viral advertising is storytelling, and Ogilvy figured it out. Emails that can make a difference engage readers emotionally, build relationships and trust. Use storytelling as much as you can to make your brand more personable and memorable.
Be Authentic
True authenticity thrives in the mostly digital age. But Ogilvy’s emphasis was on the honest and unflinching aspects of a message, one that also just so happened to be fairly conventional counsel. That creates trust with a very authentic and transparent message to your readers for subscriber loyalty.
Claude Hopkins: The Father of Scientific Advertising.
The founding father of direct response advertising, Claude Hopkins, championed systematic marketing measurement, exemplified in his book Scientific Advertising. Here are some of the most important lessons you can learn to be successful with email marketing.
Test and Measure
Hopkins emphasized testing and assessing the outcome of your marketing campaign. In the email marketing industry, this would be the open rate, click through rate, and conversion. Often, you can test multiple elements of your emails-the subject line, text, images, call to action-for better insights that can help you shape your strategy.
Gary Halbert: The King of Print.
Gary Halbert is one of the most influencing copywriters in marketing history; what he writes can get people to act. And his tips will get your email campaigns off the ground.
Create a Compelling Offer
Halbert was adamant that “the offer is the number one factor in your sales pitch.” Your email marketing campaigns should be focused on offering genuine value- whether that is a discount, early access to new products or valuable content. Demonstrate why this offer is so appealing that it will generate better conversions.
Write in a Conversational Tone
Halbert believed in the ability of a conversational voice to command attention. When composing those emails, create an engaging, personable voice. This draws readers into your story and leads them to stay with you.
Use Emotional Triggers
Halbert was a master at activating emotional hot buttons. Know your audience, understand their motivations – urgency, excitement, or scarcity. Put those buttons in your email newsletters. Your readers will be impressed if you send them a compelling message that gets them to do something.
Test and Measure (Again)
Following Hopkins’ suggestion, Halbert emphasises the importance of constant measurement and testing. That is, you A/B test some different methods and try to interpret what you’ve found so you can tweak your email campaigns over time.
Dan Kennedy: No-Nonsense Sage
Dan Kennedy is known as one of the direct response gurus and his straightforward blueprints have changed countless campaigns. Focus your attention on his obsession with feeling connected to your customers, and watch your email marketing campaign go from snoring to roaring.
Tell a Story
Kennedy believes in narrative – the most effective way to engage your audience. By using narrative forms, write letters that are relevant and personal. Speak the language of storytelling to get your readers emotional. Opens will increase, and more importantly response/engagement, because people would already have taken the time to open your email and read your story (conversion rates).
John Caples: The Headline Guru
John Caples famously wrote a popular book titled “Tested Advertising Methods” where he insisted on the importance of headlines in grabbing your viewers’ attention. And, in an age of over-filled inboxes, his advice holds more meaning than ever.
Headline: Craft Compelling Headlines
The subject line- the very first thing people see in email marketing- should be what Caples suggested: grab attention, make a promise. You have to take a while to consider what headlines can grab the eye and encourage recipients to open your email. A great subject line will definitely drive your opens forward.
Conclusion:
These marketers may not be “dead” in the classical sense of the word, but their tactics and methods remain relevant and useful when it comes to email marketing. With their strategies, and following their rules for your campaigns, you can bring new life to your email marketing and achieve better results. Whether you are trying to improve open rates, engagement, or conversions, these five “dead” marketers have your back. So don’t be afraid to look to the history for a lesson and inspiration – it might be just what your email marketing is lacking.
