Email Marketing: Stop the Weekly Newsletters with Emil Kristensen (episode 144)
by April Buencamino-dyToday we are joined by Emil Kristensen, who is CMO at eCommerce CRM system Drip. Before that he was CMO and co-founder at Sleeknote – so he’s been helping us all improve our email marketing for a decade! He talks about the current problem with email newsletters and an alternative plan that you can try today.
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The Problem with Newsletters
Emil says the problem with newsletters today is that they’re being sent to just everyone on the email list. Practically no thought is given to how they should be relevant to where the subscribers are on their customer journey.
This is primarily the reason why Emil suggests re-thinking how you approach newsletters and email marketing in general.
An Alternative Email Newsletter Plan
Emil suggests an alternative way of doing your newsletters.
- Build segments. Start out simple and have two basic groups: those who have bought from you and those who haven’t. Be specific with your message, depending on who you’re talking to.
- Do customer research. Find out what your customers’ pain points are, depending on their segment. Have a dialogue with your customers and get feedback from them.
- Deal with the pain points in your email marketing. When you know what your customers’ pain points are, address them in the emails you send. Communicate with your audience in a way that will not only get them to buy from you but also keep them happy with your brand and make them purchase again.
- Recycle your emails! Reuse what you already have and tweak them to fit the segment you’re addressing.
More Email Tips
Once you have your segments and begin to get some data, you’ll see that some emails are performing better than others. This is when you start getting into automation such as welcome flow, cart abandonment, and others to address pain points.
Emil’s final tip is not to spend too much time on design and fancy analytics. Focus on what really matters, which is your message.
Insider Tips
If we’ve inspired someone to take their first step with email marketing – what do they need to know to give themselves the best chance of success?
To get yourself started, use the voice recorder on your mobile phone and record what you want to say to your customer. Transcribe that, and that’s your first draft for your email.
Then find a copywriting framework you can use. Emil uses the BAB copywriting formula: Before, After, and Bridge.
Once you’ve started of course you’ve got to ‘keep optimising’! So what’s your favourite way to improve email marketing performance?
Look at the replies you get in terms of engagement.
Again, remember that you’re encouraging dialogue. Those who have a lot of success with email are the ones who invite people to reply to the email.
If someone listening wants to learn more about email marketing is there one cheap/free resource you’d recommend?
Check out the Drip blog for more on email marketing.
Emil adds that you can email him and request a copy of the books Built to Scale and Subscribe! The New Way to Use Popups.
Crystal ball time – what’s coming up in the next 6-12 months that we should be getting ready for in email marketing?
Right now, Emil sees that most businesses have become more channel-centric. But what you need to do is start looking from your customer’s perspective.
Marketers should become more customer-centric. Think about what your customers want and not your own perspective first. Learn from your customers through dialogue. Use surveys to get more feedback.
Interview Links
- Check out Drip
- Email Emil at ek@drip.com
Emil on Social media:
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