When was the last time you thought outside the email? Or the newsletter? When was the last time you planned beyond the status update or the quick tweet?
It’s easy to push out the same marketing tricks day in and day out. But we’re fans of raising the marketing game, not just keeping the same-ole status quo. Try some of these tactics to grab more eyeballs—and hopefully, more customers.
Video from the Company Founder
The welcome email is usually the most opened message you will ever send. You have a motivated and interested recipient. Don’t just toss off a boring welcome blah-blah-blah. Include a link to a video from your company’s founder or president, welcoming the new subscriber. Bonus points if the video is engaging, fun and gives reasons for the subscriber to keep in touch.
Welcome Email from the President
Maybe your founder or president is video shy. But if they enjoy communicating through email, then send a note with this simple welcoming subject line: “Do you need any help?” Inside, welcome the new customer and ask if they need any assistance using the new product or service. Short and sweet, this type of email conveys a transparent, open-door organization which is miles removed from most corporate zombie messaging.
One word of caution: this marketing maneuver only works if the founder is on board with answering emails from newbies (or allowing a trusted manager to help). Don’t forward these emails to customer service for help. That’s tacky, tacky, tacky.
Make Them Laugh
Sometimes, it’s just fun to be silly. Land of Nod offers a knock-knock joke of the day while customers browse for puppets and other products. Call in to Zappos and one of the menu choices leads to a joke of the day. Even fairly staid ADT livened up security systems with their “Sometimes a Guard Dog Just Doesn’t Cut It” campaign .
Blog Schwag
There is no better marketing play than owning your own audience (as opposed to sharing them with Facebook or Amazon). Increase your blog audience with special giveaways, prizes and branded schwag that your fans can find only if they sign up to receive blog posts by email. UK ceramics designer Camila Prada adds free custom cards to her orders, but you only know about it if you are on the list. YNAB’s (You Need a Budget) welcome email points to the budgeting software’s online forums so new users can jump right in.
Kick It Old School
Have a message to convey but don’t want it to be lost in the crowd? Send your list an occasional text email, rather than gussied-up HTML. Text-only conveys a quiet quirkiness.
We’re curious: what marketing moxie has worked for your brand? Tell us in the comments!
Alex is VP of Marketing for Connectivity.
