Our Boring & Imperfect Email Marketing Strategy (That Outperforms the ‘Fancy’ Ones)

by | Nov 27, 2023 | Email Marketing | 0 comments

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You’ve probably seen those super fancy email strategies, right?

The ones that promise the moon and stars with all their flashy tactics, automations and complex jargon.

But here’s the thing – they’re often just a smokescreen.

A cover-up for what’s really going on. Which is, well… not much.

These ‘fancy’ strategies?

They’re often about tricking people or pushing for a sale. That’s not cool.

These tactics might grab attention but don’t build real trust or value.

Moreover, jumping from one shiny new strategy to another is a trap.

It’s like chasing a mirage.

You think it’s going to boost your sales, but in reality? It’s doing the opposite.

These strategies distract you from what really matters.

→ Connecting with your customers.

So, what’s the deal with my approach? It’s simple.

Let me show you how:

👉 Understanding the Business From the Client’s Perspective

This is the first big step: getting into the shoes of your business.

But, no surface-level stuff. I’m talking about truly understanding what makes your business tick.

What’s your business all about?

What do you sell?

How do you sell it?

What’s the secret sauce that makes your customers choose you over someone else?

What’s the big idea behind your business?

I want to know your business philosophy.

It’s easy to say, “We sell stuff, and we want to make money.” But that’s not enough.

What’s your long-term vision?

How do you want your customers to feel when they use your products or services?

How do I collect all this information?

  1. Strategy call: I’ll chat with you, ask a bunch of questions, and really listen. Basically, a deep dive into the essence of your business.
  2. Observation: I’ll take a good look at how you operate. This could mean checking out your website, visiting your store, or even talking to your team.
  3. Feedback loop: We’ll keep the conversation going. I’ll share my insights, and you’ll tell me if I’m on the right track. Together, we’ll make sure I’ve got the full picture.

So, that’s the deal.

Understanding your business from your perspective is the first crucial step.

It’s about getting the full, unfiltered story of what you’re all about.

👉 Extensive Customer Research

Now is figuring out who your customers really are.

And “Who buys your stuff?” isn’t going to cut it. That’s too easy.

Sure, knowing their age or where they live is important. But that’s just the start.

I want to know:

  • What gets them out of bed in the morning?
  • What problems they’re trying to solve?
  • What dreams they’re chasing?
  • What’s bugging your customers?
  • What do they wish for when they blow out their birthday candles?
  • What do they talk to their partner about after having s*x?

Understanding this means we can talk to them in a way that really hits home.

And most importantly?

Their beliefs.

What do they need to believe to hit that ‘buy’ button?

Maybe they need to believe your product will make their life easier, or that they’re getting the best deal in town.

We’ll figure that out.

(This is the information that’s going to shape your entire strategy)

All the information about your customer goes into the ‘Customer Clarity Sheet’.

It’s a deep dive into your customer’s world. Basically a map that shows you exactly what your customers think, feel, and believe.

How do I collect all this information?

Multiple research methods like customer interviews, surveys, social listening, forums and AI.

I cover all of this in my Customer Clarity Kit that also comes with a customer persona workbook and template.

🎁 If you’re struggling to define your perfect customer… Check out our FREE Customer Clarity Kit. It’ll help you discover everything about your perfect customer, so you can target the right people with the right message.

The goal of your customer research is to build a complete picture. This way you can talk to them in a way that’s real and hits the heart.

Only then you can proceed with the next steps.

👉 Sorting Out the Buyer’s Journey

This is the path your customers take from “Who are you?” to “Take my money!”

This will depend on your customer research.

Every journey has key moments.

For your buyer’s journey, the beliefs we discovered in the research are going to be those key moments.

Each belief when implanted individually or together can lead to the sale.

So the journey you’re mapping out just gives you a direction.

It’s not set in stone. It’s not the exact path that your customers are going to take.

It’s your best calculated guess.

The buyer journey

Your goal is to make each step smooth and enticing.

How?

👉 Lead Magnets

Lead magnets get an unreasonable amount of hate.

Yet they generated 140K+ quality email subscribers for our clients.

First of all, these aren’t just random freebies.

Each lead magnet is carefully designed.

It matches a specific step in your buyer’s journey.

It’s about giving them the exact tool they need at just the right moment.

Here’s how we do it in 4 steps:

1/ Identify the journey stage + belief

Which part of the buyer journey are you targeting?

Which belief do you want to instil in their mind?

2/ The why

Why do they need to believe it?

Why is your lead magnet important?

3/ The what

What information do they need to believe it?

This is the meat.

4/ The how

How are you going to deliver all that information?

This is the medium.

Webinar? Free course? eBook?

Depends on what your audience prefers.

And there you have your lead magnet.

Keep two things in mind:

→ Make something that’s not just good, but great.

→ Make it super easy for them to get (No complicated forms or hoops to jump through).

This way your lead magnet will be irresistible, useful, and perfectly timed!

It’ll not only bring quality subscribers but also the ones that are nurtured and ready to move to the next stage of your buyers’s journey.

Don’t hate on lead magnets. Hate the bad, spammy ones.

👉 Belief Sequences

Your lead magnet alone isn’t going to cut it.

It’s there to hook people in, but not always enough to convert those people.

This is where you need an email sequence. But not any email sequence.

The ones we create are called “belief sequences”.

This is where we get into the heads of your customers and gently guide them to believe in your offer.

It’s like planting seeds that grow into trust and, eventually, a purchase.

Note: We’re not talking about brainwashing here. It’s about understanding what beliefs your customers need to have to feel confident in buying from you. Do not be confused. It’s like giving them the right pair of glasses to see your product in the best light.

Building the Belief Sequences:

  1. Identify key beliefs: First up, figure out what beliefs are crucial for your customers. Usually these are from 5-8 beliefs. You’ll identify these in your research that we discussed earlier.
  2. Create relationship-building sequence: This is sent to every new subscriber to bring them into your world through narrative building and belief shifting.
  3. Create evergreen promo sequences: These get triggered when the subscribers show intent by clicking a link the relationship-building sequence or newsletters.

One thing to keep in mind:

People love stories.

They stick in our minds way longer than facts.

So, weave these beliefs into stories. Maybe it’s a day in the life of a customer who uses your offer, or the journey of how your solution came to be.

Again, the belief sequencing isn’t about tricking people.

It’s about showing them the real value of what you offer, in a way that resonates with their world.

But what happens when they don’t make a purchase even after going through your belief sequence?

👉 Newsletter Strategy

But wait, we’re not doing the boring, same-old newsletters that clog up your inbox.

We’re making newsletters that people actually want to read.

Newsletters that feel like getting a letter from a friend, not a sales pitch.

Your newsletter isn’t just about throwing information at people.

It’s a tool, a way to keep talking to your customers, especially those who aren’t ready to buy yet.

Here’s How to do it:

  1. Reinforce beliefs: Each newsletter should back up those key beliefs we talked about.
  2. Different angles: Don’t repeat the same thing over and over. Mix it up! One week, talk about the behind-the-scenes process, another week, share customer stories, and maybe throw in some valuable tips and advice now and then.
  3. Engagement is key: Ask questions, run polls, or have a ‘reply to us’ section. Make your readers feel like they’re part of a conversation, not just on the receiving end of an email blast.

Make your newsletter feel personal. It’s like writing to a good friend.

Share a bit about what’s happening behind the scenes at your business. People love to feel connected to where their products come from.

Your newsletter is not about sending out a list of products or bragging about how great you are.

It’s about building a relationship, keeping the conversation going, and slowly but surely guiding your readers towards a purchase.

The last step?

👉 Testing and Optimisation

If you’re thinking that you’ll just set things up and it’s over, nah.

It’s about tweaking, adjusting, and making things better, bit by bit.

You’re not going to get it perfect from the start. It’s about getting better every day.

Simple Steps for Big Wins:

  1. Try different things: Mix up your email subject lines, try different images, play with the email layout.
  2. Keep an eye on the numbers: How many people open your emails? How many click on links? These numbers will tell you what works and what doesn’t.
  3. Ask for feedback: Sometimes the best way to learn is to just ask. Send a quick survey or ask for replies. What do your customers like? What do they skip over?

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big difference.

Maybe changing the colour of your call-to-action button or the wording of your subject line can skyrocket your open rates.

👉 Final Thoughts

We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?

Let’s wrap this up with some straight talk.

This email strategy I’ve shared? It’s not flashy. It’s not about using big words or complicated tactics.

It’s about getting real results.

It’s the same strategy that has helped our clients get 230K+ subscribers and made an impact of $3M+. (at the time of writing this article)

So, it’s about what works, what brings in real customers, and what makes a real difference to your bottom line.

Always stay true to your business and your customers.

The best strategy is the one that’s authentic to who you are and what you offer.


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Rahul Choudhary

Rahul Choudhary

Founder, Beef Up Media

With almost 6 whole years of experience in the online marketing world & specialising in email marketing + funnels, I’ve seen most – the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

My goal?

Try to share as much of my knowledge & experience as possible.

Don’t forget to connect with me on social media. ↓

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