When I was younger, I often thought about becoming a dating advice columnist. The idea of helping the lonely and socially inept find love and build fulfilling relationships made me feel like less of a grinch.
As it turns out, now that the golden age of Ann Landers and Dear Abby has fizzled out, advice columns are no longer a guaranteed path to fame, fortune, and fawning fans. So it goes.
Instead, I got into marketing.
Luckily for me, giving marketing advice and giving dating advice are more similar than they are different. Much like sliding into your crush’s DMs, conducting a successful email marketing campaign requires a certain level of finesse, style, and restraint.
As it happens, my hottest tips for both activities are basically interchangeable!
1. Make a great first impression.
Always assume that your messages are not the only ones that your prospect is receiving. Don’t worry: a little competition is a good thing. It gives you powerful incentive to master the art of attention-grabbing subject lines. Keep them short but impactful. Tease the contents of your email, but don’t oversell. You want to build trust and excitement in equal measure!
2. Get Visual
Just as a well-delivered thirst trap can help you seal the deal in your romantic dealings, so can attractive imagery help you close the sale in your professional endeavours. Don’t be afraid to include pictures in your marketing emails! A stylishly laid-out graphic email with relevant images and a prominent Call-to-Action is far more interesting than a block of text.
3. Give them what they want
If you want to attract your prospect, then make sure you deliver the goods. When people opt into a mailing list, they have the expectation that the content they receive will be relevant to them. Keep things sizzling by sending content that piques their interest and leaves them wanting more.
4. Get personal
Your prospect, romantic or otherwise, wants a certain level personalization. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ style of wooing is going to be far less impactful than a more customized approach. Most email marketing platforms provide a number of fabulous personalization options, including welcome emails, birthday emails, localized promotions, and automated behavioural trigger emails. Show them that you’re attentive and pay heed to their needs!
