Email Marketing Lessons from Trump & Clinton

With this year’s election, there sure is a lot to talk about.  It seems like every day we have some new gossip on Trump or Clinton.

But if you sift through all the noise, there’s actually a lot you can learn from this election - specifically with email marketing.  

In this article I’m going to dissect one email from each candidate so you can see what they’re doing right and where they could improve by incorporating email marketing best practices.

Neither candidate is perfect, but one is head and shoulders above the other from an email marketing perspective.  For both candidates, we’ll review a few of the most critical elements of email marketing:

• From name
• Subject line
• Personalization
• Call to action

Let’s start by reviewing an email from Clinton…

The Clinton Email Example

The From name for the Clinton emails is “Hillary Clinton” so the emails appear to be sent from Hillary herself.  This follows email marketing best practices because the email looks personal, which helps increase the open rate (number of people that open the email versus ignore it).

The Subject line for this particular email is “Let me know when your birthday is.”  This is a missed opportunity, which likely hurt the open rate for this email campaign.  There’s no benefit in the Subject line and no compelling reason to open the email.

A much more compelling Subject would have been “I want to send you a gift” since that’s ultimately what the email was about.  Who wouldn’t open an email from Hillary Clinton that said she wants to send you a gift?  Nobody is the answer.

Now on to personalization…  This is again where Clinton’s email falls short. The email is addressed to “Friend” so right away it smells like a generic, mass email (aka “junk mail”).  

Finally, the Call to Action is a button that says “Get a note.”  Since when is a “note” exciting?  It’s not and that’s why this is a weak Call to Action that likely did not get a high click-through rate.

Now let’s review the Trump email example...

The Trump Email Example

Again, the From name is the candidate’s name, in this case Donald J. Trump so it looks like a personal email from Mr. Trump himself.  

The Subject line in this example email is “Hilllary - I’m coming for you.”  In no way is this boring like the Hillary example above.  When you read this Subject you feel like you’re in the middle of a debate fight and you almost can’t resist the urge to open the email to read more.

In other words, Trump’s email creates curiosity which is one of the best ways to get more of your emails opened.

Once you open this email you’re instantly addressed by your first name, which makes it feel like Trump is speaking directly to you.  Plus, midway in the email Trump addresses you by name a second time.  Everyone loves to hear (or read) their name and repeating it throughout an email is a proven way to increase response rates.

Finally, Trump’s Call to Action is a button that says “Contribute $$$ to win.”  It doesn’t just say “Contribute $$$” which is the most obvious Call to Action. Instead, Trump added a benefit to the Call to Action to emphasize why it’s important to take action.  It’s not about contributing, which benefits Trump; it’s about being a part of the winning team.

What Did We Learn?

By reviewing each candidate's email we learned that Trump’s marketing team has done a better job with email marketing compared to Clinton’s marketing team.  

However, with just a few tweaks Clinton’s team can dramatically improve their email performance.  They need to use compelling Subject lines that encourage more opens, include personalization throughout the emails, and highlight the benefit in the Call to Action.  

Remember these examples when you’re drafting your next email campaign. Small edits to each of the key elements highlighted above can make a huge difference in the success of your email marketing.

Marketing 101: Why Conversion is Key to Your Success

Your conversion rate is hands-down the most important metric in digital marketing.

 

Everything you do in online marketing is designed to convert visitors to your website into paying customers for your business.  And conversion rates don't just include sales -- people who make appointments, fill out contact forms, call you, and request free quotes also count as conversions. A conversion can be any desired action that brings your business closer to making a sale.

 

It's easy to get overwhelmed by metrics when getting started in digital marketing. You must watch click-through rates (CTRs) and cost-per-click (CPC) while always considering your return on investment (ROI). But the whole point of digital marketing is to maximize conversions for the cheapest-possible price.

 

In this article, we'll help you understand why conversions are crucial to your success.

 

 

Why Conversions Matter

Increasing the conversion rates of your online marketing campaigns is usually the cheapest way to boost your profits.

 

Think of it this way -- would you rather get more customers from Google AdWords by doubling your ad budget or by optimizing your advertising approach? Optimizing for a higher conversion rate means more bang for the buck. That's a big reason why conversion rates are so important.

 

That's not all - here are three other reasons why conversion rates matter:

#1: Conversion rates can predict success or failure.

Want to know whether your business is on the right track? Conversion rates give a pretty honest assessment, especially once you've optimized your campaigns.

 

With help from analytics reports, you can see which parts of your business get the strongest conversions, and you can predict which audiences are likely to become your best customers. Likewise, weaker conversion rates indicate where your business strategy needs work.

#2: Better conversion rates can save you money.

Campaigns with better conversion rates are generally more efficient than campaigns with weaker conversion rates. A higher conversion rate lets you cover more ground without increasing your ad budget, or you can reduce your ad budget and have cash leftover for testing new marketing tactics.

#3: Focusing on conversion rates will improve your website.

Creating an air-tight sales funnel is the key to boosting conversion rates. Your campaigns, your website and your sales processes need to be as in-sync as possible. As you learn which factors are most important for driving conversions on your website, you'll eventually discover how to make your site more valuable for visitors and customers -- and the benefits of this extend far beyond short-term profits.

How to Boost Conversion Rates

Now that we've reviewed the importance of conversions, the next step is taking action to boost your rates. Here are six easy tips to take your conversion rates to new heights.

 

#1: Sharpen your ads. The first step toward increasing conversions is nailing your ad copy to stand out from the competition.

 

#2: Optimize your landing pages. Deliver on promises made in your ad copy, and use concise, catchy headlines that immediately engage visitors.

 

#3: Test new ad funnels. Create new ads and variations of your landing pages. See how conversion rates change with different advertising approaches.

 

#4: Pare down your audience. Sometimes casting a wider net is better, but tightening your focus to specific consumer groups is an easy way to boost conversion rates.

 

#5: Use FOMO to your advantage. That's the fear of missing out. If you're advertising a sale, say in your ads or on your landing pages that time is running out -- and you can even use countdown clocks for added urgency.

 

#6: Grow your social media. Urge visitors to follow you on Facebook, Twitter and other accounts. Install social media login buttons on your website if it requires a member sign-in; people are much more likely to register using social logins. And if you have a strong social following, display the number of followers or shares on your pages for increased social proof.

 

Conversion Rates Aren't Always Reliable

Conversion rates may be the most universally important metrics in digital marketing. However, any data viewed out of context can be incredibly deceiving. Never be blinded by a high or low conversion rate without carefully evaluating all the data at your disposal.

 

Here are a few ways in which conversion rates can be deceiving:

#1: Higher conversion rates may hide poor performance.

Strong conversion rates are generally positive -- that's what you want. However, you might have a high conversion rate paired with a low sales volume. Or, despite your favorable conversion rate, perhaps high advertising costs are wiping out your ROI. Never assume your campaigns are profitable based on conversion rates alone.

#2: Some of your visitors aren't there to buy.

If you focus too much on conversion rates, you may overlook the multitude of other reasons why people visit your website. Some people may be researching products, and perhaps they'll eventually return to become paying customers. Some may already be customers and they're seeking support or checking on their orders. Do you maintain a blog? You may be building an audience. Don't become so fixated on conversion rates that you forget all the other ways your website is valuable.

#3: Conversion rates can fluctuate with different audiences.

Is your online marketing causing a large influx of new visits? If so, your conversion rates may seem unusually low. That's because new visitors are less likely to buy goods and services than established customers. Also, visitors from different traffic sources tend to convert at different rates. Using Google Analytics reports can help you determine your true conversion rates among different types of visitors.

Conclusion

Conversion rates are immensely important when optimizing your campaigns. Not only do they indicate whether your marketing is profitable, but they also reveal how visitors engage with your website. Conversions aren't all that matter -- you still need to watch your click-through rates, overall spend and numerous other metrics -- but driving conversion rates is generally the key for successful campaigns.

 

 

How Much Does Local SEO Cost?

There’s a common misconception that search engine traffic (aka SEO traffic) is free.  That’s primarily due to the logical comparison against search engine advertising, which is obviously not free.  With search engine advertising, you’ll pay for every click on your ad.  With organic SEO traffic there is no cost for clicks to your website.  Hence the conclusion that SEO traffic is free.

 
But is it really free?  Is it possible to invest zero time and money and still generate traffic from SEO?
 
Of course not.  Just because you built a beautiful website does not mean you’re going to rank high enough in Google to drive any meaningful traffic.  As I explained in this article, to rank high in Google, you’ll need a relevant webpage and an authoritative domain.
 
You may be wondering, how relevant and how authoritative does your website really need to be?  That question leads us to the #1 factor that will determine how much local SEO will cost.
 

      

#1 Factor That Determines the Cost of SEO

Ever hear the joke about outrunning a bear?  I’m no comedian so I’m sure I’ll butcher this, but it’s an important lesson so here we go… If you’re in the woods with your friends and an adult black bear starts chasing you, then how fast do you need to run?
 
Do you know the answer?  If you’ve never heard this before then you’re probably trying to figure out how fast an adult black bear can run.  Hint: It doesn’t matter how fast the black bear can run.  What matters is how fast your slowest friend can run, and whether you can outrun him! :)
 
OK, I know that’s not a great joke, but it’ll get your brain warmed up and you may have already guessed the #1 factor that determines the cost of SEO.
 
The #1 factor is your competition.
 
If you’re in a more competitive industry, then unfortunately, you’ll have to invest more in your SEO.  You’ll have to work harder to create a more relevant webpage (e.g. create better content) and to build up your domain authority (e.g. build more links) than a business in a less competitive industry.
 
In other words, to rank high you just need to outrun your “friends.”  The first step is to review the websites that are ranking high in Google for your target keywords.  An easy and fast tool to complete this analysis is Moz’s Open Site Explorer.
 
Head over to Open Site Explorer and simply copy/paste your competitor domains into the tool.  You’ll instantly see their domain authority score and their total number of backlinks.  The higher the authority score and the more backlinks your competitors have, the more you’ll have to invest in SEO to outrank them.
 

Do You Have Multiple Office Locations?

With local SEO, the number of office locations will also play role in determining how much you need to invest.  This is pretty straight forward.  Ranking each location in Google requires more resources than ranking just one.
 
At a minimum, each additional location will require you to build additional citations.  Citations are mentions of your name, address, and phone number on another website.  Think of citations like reference checks for job candidates.  Search engines need to confirm your business information is accurate and up-to-date and they do this by reviewing all the citations on different websites. If all your information checks out, then you have a better shot at ranking on the first page.
 
Creating citations for one location can be tedious enough.  Each additional location multiplies the workload.
 

Do You Have Multiple Products or Services?

The third consideration is how many products or services you’re trying to promote via SEO.  Again, this is straight forward.  As you try to expand your reach by targeting more and more product or service keywords, then you’ll need to invest more in your SEO. At minimum, you’ll want to build separate webpages for each of the products or services you’re promoting.
 
Remember, each additional product or service comes with a new set a competitors already ranking high in Google.  So make sure you analyze the competition using Open Site Explorer before diving in too deep.
 

No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

I hope at this point it’s clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for SEO. That’s why if you’ve done your homework, then you’ve noticed the range in fees is quite wide.
 
For businesses in less competitive industries, with one location, targeting just one product or service, the investment could be $500 or $1,000 per month. For businesses in more competitive industries, targeting multiple locations and multiple products and services, the investment could be $2,000 or more per month.  It just depends on your unique situation.