Re-Strategizing Email Marketing in Strange Times
By Naté Patrice, The Patrice Effect
Edited for Femme Fatale DC
by Briget Heidmous
Let’s Get Started
Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “Nobody needs another sales email in their inbox.”
And you’re right. We’ve all probably had our inboxes flooded by Southwest’s “$49 sale fares” and Fashion Nova’s “COVID-19 Relief Fund” emails. Outside is still mostly closed and we have few opportunities to get all dressed up and fly away, but they haven’t missed a single opportunity to slide in our inbox with a sale. If you haven’t sent your email subscribers a COVID (‘Rona) related email: good for you and don’t start now. That ship has sailed into the middle of the ocean... and it sank. Instead, use this as an opportunity to evaluate your email marketing strategy so that you can position your brand to weather this global crisis.
Dig deep and find the value
If you haven't taken the time to define the value propositions for your brand, now is the perfect time to do so.
Steps to do this:
Think of your target audience and the pieces of your business that bring the most value to them.
Reach out directly to a handful (maybe two) of your favorite customers and ask them for their honest feedback. Remember, most of us are at home looking for a little human connection. We’d all love to be checked in on.
Don’t be shy. Invite your followers to tell you about their experiences.
Being genuine goes a long way. The same way you'd like for friends and family to reach out and check on you, so would your customers. Check on them to see how they're doing and invite them to tell you about their experiences during quarantine; the challenges they’re facing and what they currently value. If you’re feeling more introverted, you can also use social media listening tools to gather general research on your own.
Evaluate to identify trends.Look for underlying trends. Dig deeper to uncover shared behaviors, experiences, and other meaningful insights. Then, evaluate how the information you’ve gathered informs and fortifies your brand values, and initiatives. You might be surprised to see that they don’t, and that’s okay! We’re all figuring out our new normal. Rona’ has caused our customers to reevaluate the way they spend their money.
Now that you’ve established what’s most important to your community of consumers you can start to create meaningful email campaigns that are centered around the wants and needs of your target audience.
Naté Patrice, The Patrice Effect
Helping small businesses helps me live in my purpose. Work will drain you when you don't do what you love, so I’ve learned to embrace my need for organization, effectiveness, and simplicity; and bring that same presence to my love for marketing. I work with clients to develop customized strategies that meet their needs, while identifying opportunities to better serve their customers, add more value to the relationships, and produce memorable events that exceeded the best of their expectations.
To-do lists are my jam! I know you’ve been told that gravity keeps the Earth spinning, but it’s actually to-do lists written in fine point purple Sharpies, oxford commas, and a kick-ass marketing campaign. www.thepatriceeffect.com
© Femme Fatale DC 2020, The Patrice Effect 2020
