Boss Talk: How Do You Think Email Marketing is Changing Due to New Regulations? (+The Future of Email)
Episode 243: Show Notes
Today’s Boss Talk question is: How do you think email marketing is changing due to new regulations? We all know the importance of email marketing, but the truth is that the state of email has changed a lot over the past few years and with the new data protection regulations, it is changing even more. Where is it headed and how are we going to have to adapt? Tackling this question here with us today, is our favorite regular, Steph Crowder of Courage & Clarity.
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In this episode, we discuss the trending question, “Is email marketing dead?” and how you can make your emails stand out in a way that doesn’t make people kick you to their spam folder. We also discuss the power of in-person marketing, why talking to people like they’re human is the best tactic and how Abbie has been able to have a successful side business with no email marketing at all.
Is Email Marketing Dead?
Everyone keeps asking, “Is email marketing dead?” But all of us here agree that the answer is no. Yes, it’s a huge part of our strategy and it’s the only thing we really own. Even though it’s been a bit of headache lately and the game is changing and everyone has opted into everything – email is still a conversation we need to be having. We don’t get to check out of email marketing, we really have to figure out how to make email marketing work because it’s not going anywhere! We are in an interesting space where there is a chance that there will be a rise in shorter, more instant messaging via text and Facebook Messenger. Emylee knows when a sale is happening way more often from a text message than from an email, for example. So how do we treat newsletters today? For us, we have kind of burned them to the ground. For Steph, the word “Newsletter” is outdated and should just not enter the equation. But again, it really all depends on how it is done…
Why You Need To Make Your Emails Personal and Engaging
If you’re going to be on someone’s mailing list, you want it to be personal and you want it to be providing value. Steph tries to make her broadcasts engaging, conversational and personal. She might share something interesting that has been on her mind relating to business or perhaps a short lesson in something. So that when people look at it, they are learning something. If you are going to do broadcast type emails aka Newsletters, then make them worthwhile and make them a little more personal. Rather than just, “Hey sign up for this thang!” For Steph, email marketing is a good way to orient a new-comer to your community aka the nurture sequence – to help them have a custom experience about what your business is all about. It would be difficult to make someone do that anywhere else. But is that where email marketing is changing? Are customers trying to get away from the bombardment of How To’s and the Tips and Tricks, to find deeper, more personal connections and conversations? To try and bridge this gap we have just started something called a Soap Opera series, rather than sending newsletters. If you’re interested in trying this method out, find the link at the end of the show notes. You need to set an intention with your emails (just like you do in yoga). Asking this question will help you map out the funnel opportunities in your business: What is the one action that you want people to take? Answering this comes with time, this comes with understanding your audience and this comes with testing. What action do you want people to first and what actions does that lead to?
The New GDPR Regulations and What We Think About Them
No one can fully explain what these GDPR regulations even mean yet because no one has enough information. We just don’t know how this is going to unfold. Everyone has a different opinion of what these regulations mean, but Steph believes that these regulations came along as a fear-mongering tactic and hype. Sometimes, these things can seem so scary that people just avoid the risk of doing it all together, rather than really investigating it. So for Steph, when the new regulations came along, she made sure that her terms were updated and made sure that her opt-in section was clearer and more detailed. That’s it. (I’m sure we’ll hear if the government comes after her...) We spoke about the decisions that we made with regard to GDPR is a previous episode. But what we can tell you about that process here, in a nutshell, is that if you do not have your email list subscribers tagged and categorized then your email list is just another vanity metric. If you don’t know why those people are there, who they are and what they need, then they are worth nothing to you. We discovered this when we made our GDPR changes – that you need to be super intentional with your people and nurture them.
Remember That You Can Talk To Your People Like A Human
Face-to-face marketing is so overlooked in our industry because so often, we get enamored by the shiny-object syndrome. Our world is getting more and more impersonal with mass emailing and imaging, but we can’t underestimate the power of personal messaging. Abbie is a great example of this. Abbie started a second business one year ago and she wanted to see if she could achieve the same success without all of the online marketing. Abbie doesn’t have a blog, an email and barely any social media for this business. So how does she talk to people? That’s just it. She talks to them. This is the thing that people forget exists, especially when you start a business, that your business is going to be built on real relationships. This in-person approach is going to make you and your business stand out so much more, when it is done well. If you’re just yourself and act like a human instead of a robot – shocking things will happen to you. Email marketing is still here. It is still effective. It is still a viable way to market. But at the end of the day we can all use email differently and the results will be vastly different for each of you. But whatever strategy you choose, don’t lose those fundamentals of marketing, business and being a human get sidelined. Be the person who fosters real connection – it stands out more than ever in today’s world.
Quote This
Be the person who fosters real connection – it stands out more than ever in today’s world.
—Steph Crowder
Highlights
Is Email Marketing Dead? [0:03:05.1]
Why You Need To Make Your Emails Personal and Engaging. [0:05:50.1]
The New GDPR Regulations and What We Think About Them. [0:20:00.1]
Remember That You Can Talk To Your People Like A Human. [0:31:32.1]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Online marketing, Email marketing, Funnels, GDPR regulations, Data protection
