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Developing a strong unique selling proposition (USP) is one of the best ways to elevate your marketing efforts. Not only does it help define your overall strategy, but it also makes all your marketing endeavors more effective.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition?

A USP answers two critical questions:

1. What makes you better or different than your competition?
2. Why should people buy from you?

Your USP should be a concise sentence or phrase that clearly explains why your business stands out. It’s the essence of what makes your business unique.

Characteristics of a strong USP

1. Authentic to your business

Your USP must be rooted in what your business genuinely excels at. It’s not enough to simply claim superiority; your USP should reflect a true strength or focus of your business. 

For instance, if you run a pizza place, claiming “We’re the best” isn’t enough. However, if your pizza place is renowned for using organic, locally sourced ingredients, your USP could be “Farm-fresh ingredients in every slice.”

This authenticity builds trust with your customers. They need to know that what you promise in your USP is what they will experience. A genuine USP is more sustainable because it aligns with your company’s mission and values.

2. Customer-focused promise

A USP should address your customers’ needs and highlight a key benefit. Whether it’s your exceptional product quality or world-class customer service, your USP should communicate what sets you apart in a way that resonates with your ideal customers. 

For example, if your business prides itself on fast delivery, your USP could be “Hot pizza at your door in 30 minutes or less.”

It’s important to understand your customers’ pain points and how your business addresses them. A good USP is less about the product and more about the solution it provides. If your unique offering is an exceptional customer experience, make sure that’s evident in your USP.

3. Distinct from competitors

A good USP leverages the principle of positioning, clearly articulating how your business is different from competitors. It highlights your competitive advantage and helps position your company in the minds of potential customers. 

For example, if you own a coffee shop in a crowded market, your USP might be “The original craft coffee experience since 1966.”

This distinctiveness is crucial because it helps your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. Your USP should succinctly convey why a customer should choose you over your competitors, emphasizing your unique value proposition.

4. Memorable and concise

Your USP should be short and memorable. It should be a statement that encapsulates your company’s identity and can be reflected in all your marketing and communications. A concise USP is easier for customers to remember and recall, which is essential for brand recognition. 

For instance, Apple’s “Think different” is a succinct and memorable USP that encapsulates the brand’s innovative spirit.

Finding your USP

To uncover an effective USP, consider the following questions:

What product or service are you selling? 

Clearly define what you offer. If you’re an affiliate, what businesses or products are you promoting? Knowing exactly what you are selling helps in identifying your unique angle.

What unique features and benefits does it offer? 

List out the features and benefits that set your product or service apart. This could include quality, speed, customer service, or unique ingredients.

Who is your target audience? 

Define your ideal customer. Who are they? What are their demographics and psychographics? Knowing your audience helps tailor your USP to their specific needs and desires.

What are their key pain points? 

Identify the main problems your target customers face. Understanding these pain points is crucial as your USP should address how your product or service solves these issues.

How does your product or service address these pain points? 

Explain how your offering specifically alleviates the pain points of your customers. This is where the core of your USP will come from.

Who are your competitors and what are their USPs? 

Research your competitors. What are they claiming as their unique selling points? This knowledge helps you position yourself distinctively.

What do you do better than your competitors? 

Highlight what you excel at compared to others in your industry. This could be better quality, faster service, more personalized attention, etc.

How do you run your business differently? 

Describe any unique processes or methodologies your business employs. This could include sustainable practices, unique supply chains, or innovative technologies.

How do you treat your customers differently? 

Emphasize your customer service approach. Do you offer 24/7 support, personalized follow-ups, or a satisfaction guarantee?

How would you answer a customer who asks, “Why should I buy from you?” 

Craft a direct response to this question. This will help you distill your thoughts into a clear and compelling USP.

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Crafting and using your USP

Once you have your answers, distill them into a brief statement that captures what makes you different. This is your USP. Here’s how to implement it effectively:

Make It visible

Don’t just leave your USP in your notebook. Put it everywhere so it stays top of mind. Make it your computer and cellphone background. Frame it on your desk. Sign it at the bottom of your emails. Ensure it’s visible on your website, marketing materials, and even your office space. This constant visibility reinforces your brand’s unique position in the minds of your team and customers.

Live it daily

Even more importantly, live it. Breathe it. Make everything you do and how you do everything embody that USP. Make it as much a focus of your daily work as your mission statement or your business’s financial goals. Your actions should consistently reflect the promises made in your USP, creating a cohesive and authentic brand experience.

Examples of effective USPs

1. Canva: Online Design Made Easy

Canva simplifies design, making it accessible to everyone. Their USP is evident in their user-friendly interface and comprehensive design tools. Canva’s promise of ease is reflected in every aspect of their service, from their intuitive drag-and-drop features to their extensive library of templates.

2. Buffer: All-You-Need Social Media Toolkit for Small Businesses

Buffer addresses the pain point of tool overload by providing an all-in-one solution for small businesses. By consolidating multiple functions into one platform, Buffer simplifies social media management, making it more efficient for small business owners. 

Their USP clearly targets a specific audience, ensuring they attract the right customers.

3. Product Hunt: The Best New Products in Tech

Product Hunt’s platform surfaces the best new tools through community voting. Their USP is rooted in their mission to highlight innovation in tech. By allowing users to vote on new products, Product Hunt leverages social proof to validate their selections, making their USP both unique and credible.

4. Nike: Just Do It

Nike’s USP centers on the themes of motivation, inspiration, and empowerment. The brand’s marketing and product design emphasize the idea that with the right gear, anyone can surpass their goals and unlock their full potential. 

This approach not only highlights the functional benefits of Nike’s offerings but also connects with customers on an emotional level, making them feel empowered and inspired to strive for excellence in their athletic endeavors.

5. REI: A Life Outdoors is a Life Well Lived

REI’s USP encapsulates its commitment to the outdoor lifestyle, beyond just selling products. They offer trips, classes, and a vast library of articles about outdoor life. REI’s USP resonates with their audience’s passion for the outdoors, positioning them as more than just a retailer but as a lifestyle brand.

6. Peet’s Coffee: The Original Craft Coffee

Peet’s emphasizes its long history and authenticity in the craft coffee movement. Their USP, “The Original Craft Coffee,” speaks to their pioneering role in the industry. This not only differentiates them from newer competitors but also appeals to customers who value tradition and quality.

Your turn

A well-defined USP can set your business apart and attract your ideal customers. By answering the right questions and staying true to what makes your business unique, you can craft a USP that not only differentiates you from competitors but also resonates deeply with your target audience. Once crafted, make your USP a central part of your business strategy and daily operations to maximize its impact.

By understanding your strengths, focusing on your customers’ needs, and clearly differentiating yourself from competitors, you can create a USP that drives your marketing success and solidifies your brand’s position in the market. Embrace your uniqueness, communicate it effectively, and let your USP guide your path to business growth and customer loyalty.

The post 6 Examples of a unique selling proposition and how to write your own appeared first on AWeber.

The creator economy is a growing sector where individuals use digital platforms to create and share content, build communities, and, ultimately, make money. In 2024, the creator economy is valued at a whopping $250 BILLION and is expected to nearly double by 2027. 

This booming sector offers unprecedented opportunities for creators who know how to navigate this dynamic and evolving market.

But how do you know you’re doing it right? Things change fast, and staying informed of the industry’s latest best practices can be a full-time job. 

To help you navigate your way to the top of the creator economy, we reached out to eight experts. Each one of them knows the ins and outs of the creator economy, so we asked what they think the best moves are for content creators in the next 6 – 12 months. Specifically, we asked them four major questions:

1. How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6 – 12 months, especially for creators?
2. Could you rate that concern on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest?
3. What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?
4. What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

How worried are they?

Surprisingly, the experts we talked to aren’t losing any sleep over fears of the creator economy tanking any time soon. 

• Five of our eight experts weren’t concerned at all (1-2 rating)
• Three of our experts feel things could go either way (5-6 rating)

The average score of everyone’s rating for how concerned they are? Just 2.9 out of 10. Just check out this word cloud of their answers:

What stands out? Creators, sure. Content, yep. What else?

Community. Help. Support. Audience. People. 

Across the board, every one of our experts gave pretty much the same advice: build a community.

Find a group of people who genuinely appreciate and value your work. Get to know that community really, really well. 

Solve their problems.

Connect to them.Then – and only then – offer them paid solutions and support for those problems.

Why “focus on building a community” is great advice 

People who are well-connected, visible, and contribute to communities tend to have more opportunities. The people they are connected to “know, like, and trust” them, so they’re aligned with that golden rule of sales and marketing. They get more work, even in downturns. And they’re well-enough connected to know when and how to pivot if that becomes necessary.

Those are the key takeaways from the answers we got: Most of these creators/advisors aren’t very worried about how creators will fare in 2022, and they recommend every creator focus on building a specific audience/community.

But a lot of other issues came up. For that, it’s best to let these eight experts speak for themselves.

1. Juan Galán Politi

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest?

I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about. The creator economy is a thriving economy. More and more people are finding they can turn their passion or hobby into a full-time career and build successful online businesses with little or even 0 investment. People are consuming more content than ever, whether it is through social media, blogs, etc. Content creators that are smart about it can easily start monetizing their online audiences and their content. I’d rate my concern for this question as 1.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

It’s been a crazy year for business growth and it’s grown to levels I would have never imagined. What did I do? I built an online community around a specific topic, addressed my community problems with my content, and offered solutions. I’m more adjusting myself to this rapid business growth, rather than adjusting my business to a new environment. Very excited to continue seeing it grow.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Honestly, the best thing any creator looking to succeed can do is to build a strong online community. Choose one platform (ideally one in social media) and start creating consistent content and building relationships. Once you have a decent community (not saying you need thousands and thousands of people) but a decent, engaged community, they can start thinking about how to offer “paid solutions” to the main problems anyone in their community has.

2. Shawn Fink

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

I am holding steady around a 6 right now. In many of my circles, the pinch is definitely already under way and it’s hard to say which way it will go at this point. I would like to have trust that we’ll be able to steer clear of it but it’s definitely a worry.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

I have been reducing my expenses for a few months now and trying to run a lean business machine. I am also planning to talk to my bank about a line of credit to use if things take a downturn. I am also adding in a few other revenue streams that might be more recession proof. 

The biggest thing I did when the pandemic seemed to slow things down was take on a more consistent client that I know will be good for a while. I call it my side hustle but it’s a higher paying and more consistent remote client for me to work for around the edges of my coaching business. 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

First, you always have to do what you need to do to feel safe and secure. So if that means look for a part-time job, so be it. Family comes first in my world. As does the mortgage. The great thing about being a creator is that it can always happen in the margins of our lives — get up early, stay up later. Being a creator doesn’t stop in a recession. But paying your bills should always be a primary focus. There’s no shame if you have to work at Starbucks to make ends meet. Your financial wellbeing is such a huge piece of your overall well being. So tend to it like it’s a priority not an afterthought. 

Second, start creating safety nets — like a line of credit from your bank or through another lender — and perhaps a bit of a cash infusion right now before the bottom drops out. If it doesn’t, you’ll be in good shape. If it does, it will buy you a few months. 

Diversify. What else can you do in the meantime to ensure you have some income coming in? Can you target a different but stable industry right now to get you shored up for upcoming months? 

Finally, ask for help. You’d be so surprised who is willing to help you when times are hard. We forget that resilience evaporates in solitude. We need to help each other. We’re meant to help each other. So reach out and share your story and what you need. 

3. Paula Rizzo

How concerned are you about the economy for the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

It’s always important to keep your eye open for what’s happening in the world and how it might affect your business. I’m about a 5 on a scale of one to 10. It’s definitely concerning and something to keep an eye on but I won’t be doing anything drastic. 

What are you doing to adjust your business, your marketing, or your content to adapt to this new environment?

I was a network television news producer during the 2008 recession. We found creative and authentic ways to tell stories that would really resonate with our audience. I’m always thinking of the audience first. What are they going through and how can my expertise best serve them? 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to adapt and maybe even thrive through the next year or so?

Slow and steady wins the race. Stay true to that. Stick with the good stuff that you know works and don’t try to reinvent the wheel now.

4. Andrea Fox (Dre Fox)

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

As a creator since 2018, I’ve seen many changes over the past 4 years – some exciting, some troubling. But right now? Creators now have a unique opportunity to feast or famine inside of this ever-changing industry. Between new platforms, the recession and the move to video content, it’s time to realize actions that worked in 2020 aren’t going to work in the future and pivots need to be made. 

For those that step up to the plate to learn new skill sets, to tap into the true “business” of content creation I think there is more than enough space for people to get ahead in this industry. I am 5/10 nervous for creators.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

Personally I’m refining my skills and becoming much more proficient in editing, video content and creating my own trends for others to follow. But behind the scenes I am networking like my business depends on it, because it does. This looks like taking a proactive role in the opportunities I’m given and the rooms my name will be brought up in. All it takes is you to ask to be part of a collaboration, to get a shout out or to partner with a brand to change the entire future of your creator business.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Externally, it’s time to become innovative and take bigger risks with your content and the online space that you’re taking up. Make noise, make waves and stop clinging to the past. Those that will win aren’t worrying about “what used to work,” they’re onto the next thing. Let that be you! Improve your skills especially if it’s holding you back from video – Youtube, masterclasses and more can help you get the basics down so you can add more services to  your roster. 

Move into burgeoning markets like UGC content creation – this is my client’s main focus because it’s not saturated right now and allows you to get paid without the rat race of likes and comments. 

Internally, if you want social to be your job, treat it like a business with the same dedication, business acumen and seriousness that you’d expect. Shake hands, get networking and ask for the things that you want – you never know when someone might just say yes.

5. Pranav Mutatkar

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

My concern depends on the creator. Since”creator” is a broad word. If you are a creator who has lasered in and is solving real problems for your perfect customers. You’ll be okay. I’d rate that as a 2. 

But the average creator was already living an unsustainable life before the downturn. Many creators are slaves to content creation, are facing burnout, and are barely making ends meet. For these creators, I’d rate it at an 8. 

This may not be a horrible thing for most of these creators. It’ll help them understand who they should serve and how they can serve them with their personal gifts. 

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?

Identifying what my rare and valuable skill is. Finding customers who love what I do. Talking to real customers to figure out how to grow my business instead of making an “educated” guess.  

Prioritizing ruthlessly by choosing only a couple things to pursue. Deciding to eliminate everything that isn’t good for my business, healthy for me, or play. Creating anti-fragile support systems so I can survive even if things don’t work out. 

Surrounding myself with smart mentors who can point me in the right direction. Make sure my network knows my calling card. Trying to help and be useful to whoever comes my way irrespective of if I’ll get something in return. 

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

Talk to the people who love your content. Talk to people who you solve real problems for. Who does (or would be willing to) pay a bunch of money for your work?

Understand these people at a deep level. Figure out where they hang out, what messaging appeals to them, and what real problems you solve for them.

Then use what you learned. Go to the places they hang out and become useful. Help your dream customers solve their most difficult problems. Solve problems for others that are difficult for them and easy for you.

And most important of all… still do what’s best for your mental & physical health. Stay connected with friends. Go for walks in the park. If you put too much pressure on yourself, it’ll be harder to succeed and it’ll be less fun. 

When you get lost, ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Keep asking why until you get to the real deep reason. 

Focus on that deep why. Not on the vanity metrics. Don’t worry, you’ll make it through.

6. Paul Thomson

How concerned are you about the economy in the next 6-12 months, especially for creators? Could you rate that concern for me on a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest?

I’m not at all concerned about the economy over the next 6-12 months as it relates to creators. I’m pretty confident in rating my concern a 2/10. I believe the economy for creators has never been stronger. Just look at the number of people leaving traditional 9-5s either by choice or by force, it’s a really telling sign that the market for creators is thriving.

What are you doing to adjust your business to adapt to this new environment?
We’ve worked hard over the years to build robust systems to support our clients. I hear from creators all the time how overwhelming it can feel especially if you’re being told how unstable and volatile your market is. In turbulent times, creators need someone to lean on, so being able to have the right support, community, and mentorship is critical to stability and growth.

What do you recommend other creators do right now to survive and even thrive through the next year or so?

In my experience, the creators who are thriving are the ones focusing on a specific audience – they’re not trying to go broad with their content, products or services. Find the people that you enjoy connecting with, who you can impact the most, in the shortest amount of time. They will become your super fans if you stay consistent with your content.

7. Faiz Imran   

On a scale 1 – 10 , a 1. I think the current state of the economy presents a massive opportunity for creators and freelancers that are able to provide value online to their audiences and customers. 

We are removing the barrier for creators to set up online communities so they are able to take control of their income and audience, we’re doing this by allowing creators to manage the whole community building, monetizing, and the process for running that community all within the backspace platform for free.

We recommend all creators keep their focus on creating amazing content that adds value to their audiences. During hard times people often come to their communities for support, so be sure to start building out and engaging more with your communities. 

Overall I really think many creators are going to be able to build extremely tight-knit communities of people experiencing the same things.

Having a sense of community is going to be crucial,  creators that are able to curate these groups and communities will have lifelong support from their audiences.

8.  Gary Henderson

As far as the economy goes I’m not concerned at all as a creator. I’d give it a 1 or a 2. For me, people always want to grow and make money. I help creators make money and as long as we have people in the world that want to make money I’ll survive.  

I’m all in on web3. I help creators from all over the globe and decided to lean into the crypto space heavily. I’ve created my own currency, $GARY coin, and helped 30+ other creators do the same. This has allowed me to build a strong community of loyal supporters that continually show up. I have a group of 70+ creators that meet daily at 5:00 AM EST in discord to mastermind and collaborate.  

Decentralize and build your community. The world is changing fast and focusing on your personal brand and growing your community of super fans is the best advice I can give anyone.  When I did that last year. It changed my life!  

So, where is the creator economy going next?

The future of the creator economy is bright. In fact, economists are projecting that this market could be worth half a trillion dollars in just the next 3 years. 

This growth is being fueled by new technologies that are making it easier to create content. New platforms like TikTok alongside established platforms like YouTube and Facebook, are also driving increased digital media consumption.

For creators, that means that the path forward involves leveraging these platforms and tools to continuously engage with their communities. Creators who build and nurture strong connections with their communities will be best positioned to succeed. Stay engaged, be proactive, and keep creating!

The post The creator economy in 2025: 8 experts on how to survive and thrive appeared first on AWeber.

There are over 1 billion websites on the world wide web. 

Did your jaw just hit the floor?

That’s a staggering amount of competition for web traffic. 

Driving web traffic is hard enough. But when you consider returning website visitors converted more than 73% more than first time visitors, it can feel even more overwhelming. 

How on earth can you convince people to visit your website twice? 

The secret is with web push notifications.

Want to make web push notifications a part of your marketing strategy? Read on to learn how to create push notifications that make it easy to drive traffic back to your website and make more sales.

Moreover, combining email marketing with web push notifications creates a powerful, multi-channel campaign that boosts engagement and revenue. 

What are web push notifications?

Imagine having a tool that sends friendly nudges directly to your visitors’ desktops or laptops. These are web push notifications—short, clickable messages that pop up when your visitors have their browser open, even if they’re not currently on your website.

Once someone opts in, they don’t need to be on your site to get these notifications. You’ve probably seen these notifications yourself; they’re those small notices asking if you want to stay updated with new content or offers from a site you visited.

They typically show up in the corner of the screen and act as alerts for exclusive deals, offers, promotions, or freebies. The goal is simple: to bring your audience back to your website or landing page and encourage them to take action.

Here’s an example of an opt-in message:

Once they opt-in, they’ll begin receiving web push notifications. Here’s what they’ll look like when someone is online.

Benefits of web push notifications

1. Easy to opt-in

Opting in is super simple—just the click of a button. When visitors click “allow,” they’ll start getting your notifications right away. 

2. Instant communication

We all know promoting content can be tough with so many platforms and competitors out there. Web push notifications cut through the noise, instantly showing up directly on your subscribers’ browsers. 

3. Owned communication channel

Unlike social media, where algorithms decide who sees your posts, you own your web push notifications audience. You reach 100% of your opted-in subscribers directly. It’s your audience, your rules.

4. Drive traffic without advertising costs

Want to drive traffic back to your site without spending money on ads? Web push notifications are the answer. You can let your subscribers know about limited-time sales or exclusive offers for much less than paid ads.

5. Build deeper connections

Web push notifications empower you to treat your subscribers like VIPs by sending them exclusive content and updates. Building these deeper connections can turn casual website visitors into loyal brand advocates. 

6. Grow your email list

You can use your existing email subscribers to grow your web push notification list and vice versa. By driving traffic to your sign-up pages, you can increase both your email and notification subscribers, creating a multi-channel communication network.

7. Complement your email marketing

Web push notifications are a great complement to any email marketing campaign. They don’t replace emails but, instead, complement them. With this multi-channel approach, you get more touchpoints to connect with your audience, making your strategy even stronger.

8. Save time

Creating web push notifications is quick and easy. These tight little messages take less time to make than other marketing techniques, which allows you to effectively communicate more quickly.

9. Communicate limited-time offers instantly

Keep your subscribers in the loop about limited-time offers as soon as they launch. This instant communication ensures they don’t miss out on great opportunities, keeping them engaged and, moreover, happy and appreciative of the deal you gave them.

Real-world examples of web push notifications

Motivate customers with daily tips

Donna Partow, a content creator and motivational speaker, uses web push notifications to deliver daily reminders and content for her challenges. 

“I’m really excited about using web push notifications for limited-time challenges. Each day, I send a reminder with a link to keep them moving forward on their goal. My audience appreciates receiving these notifications because they are beneficial.”

– Donna Partow

Notify followers instantly when you create new content

Jennifer Reinhard, a cloth diaper educator, uses web push notifications to share new and evergreen content with her audience. This method ensures her educational material reaches readers exactly when they need it.

“Web push notifications are another method to reach my readers. They may not read the email or see Facebook posts, but they will see the web push notification because it pops up on their desktop when they’re online — exactly when they need it.”

– Jennifer Reinhard

Drive traffic to specific articles

Jamila Bannister, a personal branding strategist, uses web push notifications to drive traffic to her online magazine and specific articles. This helps maintain a steady flow of readers to her content.

“I use web push notifications to drive traffic back to my online magazine and specific articles. This keeps my audience engaged with my most up-to-date content.”

– Jamila Bannister

Increase sales with limited-time offers

John Grubb, owner of Keystone Computer Concepts, uses web push notifications to send time-sensitive security alerts and special offers. This strategy helps him maintain customer engagement without overwhelming them with emails.

“Web push notifications are really important because I can send out time-sensitive offers without additional emails. This keeps my customers informed and engaged.”

– John Grubb

Components of a web push notification

A: Logo

Including a brand logo or image on a web push notification provides instant recognition from a user. It’s a highly visual way for a subscriber to recognize that the message is coming from your brand and can drive them to read the notification and take action. 

B: Title

The title of the web push notification is also called the header text. This is the piece of text that will catch the attention of a subscriber and encourage them to read on.

C: Message

This vital section is where you can elaborate on your message. This is your opportunity to concisely explain the value a subscriber receives from clicking on your push notification and visiting your site. Answer questions like: what will your subscribers receive by visiting your site? How long will the offer last? 

Keep in mind, however, that web push notifications are meant to be short and sweet. Avoid jargon and use simple and direct language.

D: Domain

This is the URL that the user subscribed to. Including the source link in your message can’t be changed. It not only serves to remind the subscriber of your website, but aids in recognition and awareness of your online presence. 

Best practices for web push notifications

Follow the best practices below to create web push notifications your audience will no doubt appreciate.

1 – Copy is king

The content of your web push notifications should be compelling and concise. Every word counts when you’re dealing with restrictive character limits, so make sure your message is clear and impactful.

2 – One topic per push

It’s best to stick to just one message per notification. Clear and focused messages end up with higher click-through rates, so don’t dilute your messages by pushing two things at once.

3 – Create urgency

Being specific about time sensitivity and urgency is a great way to drive action. Instead of saying “Flash Sale Today,” try “Only a few hours left to save 25%.” This very specific urgency encourages clicks right now.

4 – Include social proof

You should include testimonials, reviews, and social proof to gain the trust of your audience. Pointing things out like “500 people have already registered today” or “This post has over 10,000 shares” reassures subscribers of your legitimacy and encourages them to act.

5 – Value first

Always provide value before asking for anything in return. Wouldn’t you want that when you’re buying from a brand? By offering value first, your audience is more likely to engage with and trust you.

6 – Use power words

Power words like “now,” “you,” “new,” and “free” can evoke emotion and drive action. These types of words make your notifications more compelling, urgent, and clickable. We put together 8 power words for you to use in your emails, but they also have an impact on any marketing copy you write.

7 – Create a sense of FOMO

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a powerful motivator. Use it to create urgency and drive clicks. Limited-time offers or exclusive deals make subscribers more likely to act quickly.

8 – Exclusivity

Make your subscribers feel special with exclusive deals and promotions. Try highlighting the benefits of being part of a members-only program to boost their sense of belonging and value.

9 – Keep it short & sweet

Web push notifications have strict character limits. Aim for around 120 characters for the message, 50 for the title, 15 for the call to action, and one image. Communicate your message effectively within these constraints.

10 – Use emotion

Incorporate emotion into your notifications through humor, empathy, and references to trends or pop culture. Ensure your references are understandable and align with your brand voice. Genuine emotion resonates best when it serves your audience.

Get web push notifications

If you’re finding it challenging to reach more people and keep them engaged, web push notifications might be the solution you’ve been looking for. This powerful tool allows you to send direct messages straight to your visitors’ browsers, helping you expand your online reach and connect with your audience in real-time. 

With just a simple click, your visitors can opt-in to receive notifications, ensuring they stay updated with your latest content, offers, and announcements.

And the best part? AWeber’s web push notifications are included at no additional cost with AWeber Free, AWeber Lite, and Plus plans. This means you can start with this powerful tool without any extra cost, making it easier than ever to boost your marketing strategy and achieve your business goals.Start using web push notifications today and experience the difference they can make.

Sign up for AWeber and explore how web push notifications can transform your approach to connecting with your audience.

The post Web push notifications: The key to boosting engagement appeared first on AWeber.

Gain a competitive advantage and kick-start your affiliate marketing strategy with the latest, most advanced tools to improve your efficiency and save you (loads of) time.

If you sell affiliate products or services, you probably know the “overwhelm” feeling that happens when you realize there’s a lot of work (and sometimes money) involved in marketing.

The right affiliate tools can save time and money by helping you manage campaigns, write content, track ads, and find the perfect brand partners.

No more overwhelm.

In this guide, we review 17 of the best high-performing tools for affiliate marketers.

We’ve also included 3 bonus sections:

1. A list of the best affiliate marketing tools for beginners
2. A list of free affiliate marketing tools
3. A list of the best courses for affiliate marketers

Affiliate marketing tools for all experience levels and budgets

• What is Affiliate marketing and how does it work?
• 17 Affiliate marketing tools for all levels of experience 
• 6 Best affiliate marketing tools for beginners
• 6 Best free affiliate marketing tools
• Best affiliate marketing courses for beginners

What is affiliate marketing?

As an affiliate marketer, you earn passive income by promoting the products and services of companies you partner with.

Imagine you own a lemonade stand. 

It’s a hot summer day and you spend half of it flagging down cars in hopes they’ll buy a $1 cup of your special recipe.

Just as a line begins to form, you run out of lemonade.

You hang a “Back soon” sign on your stand and rush to the grocery store for more ingredients. 

Then back home to mix up a giant batch of the messy liquid, only to realize your hard-won line of thirsty customers has vanished.

There’s got to be a better way.

Monday comes and you try to negotiate a deal with your next-door neighbor. 

She’ll make lemonade – as much as you need – and you’ll sell her drinks instead of making your own from scratch. 

It was a good deal, but…

Setting up the stand, pouring the drinks, providing paper cups, and cleaning up afterward would still be a lot of work.

Why should you be doing all those other things when your superpower is getting customers?

Eventually, you both agree that she will also  sell the drinks from her own lemonade stand, without your help.

All you have to do is bring her customers, and you will earn 40 cents for every $1 in business you send her way.

This is affiliate marketing.

You form partnerships with online companies and agree to promote their products or services. 

They take on the hard work of creating the product and conducting sales transactions. 

All you need to do is go sell that lemonade.

How much commission do affiliate marketers earn?

Commission payments differ (a lot) from one partner to the next.

• Most pay a percent-based commission. This may be as low as 1% or as high as 50% of the sale price.
• Some pay a flat rate (fixed) commission.
• Others pay a combination of percent and fixed commissions.

The size of your commissions depends on factors like: 

• Your arrangement with the merchant
• The type of affiliate program you join
• The brand and product
• The volume of business you send their way

How much money do affiliate marketers earn?

Here’s how much marketers earn from affiliate sales, according to a survey survey by Influencer Marketing Hub:

• 3.78% earn more than $150k per year.
• 7.94% earn $100k – $150K per year.
• 5.15% earn $50k – $100k per year.
• The majority (57.55%) earn less than $10k per  year.

How much should you expect to earn from affiliate marketing? 

The same survey indicates that experienced marketers earn more:

• Beginner marketers: $0 – $1,000 per month
• Intermediate marketers: $1000 to $10,000 per month
• Advanced marketers: $10k – $100K per month
• Elite affiliates: $100k and up per month

At first, you may earn very little with affiliate marketing. But as you learn more about digital marketing (and your audience), your income begins to rise.

How does affiliate marketing work?

Earning income through affiliate sales is a 5-step process.

1. Choose your affiliate program(s) and products from networks or direct partnerships.

2. Receive your coded affiliate product links, which track your referrals and sales.

3. Promote your affiliate products or services on one or more of the following: website, blogs, social media, email marketing, and paid ads.

4. Visitors click on your links and are directed to the merchant’s website. Every time one of your visitors makes a purchase (within the defined cookie 🍪 period), you earn a commission.

5. You get paid. Merchants or affiliate networks handle all the calculations and pay you according to the terms of your agreement.

   Sometimes there is a minimum account balance or waiting period required before your payment is issued.

In time, commissions can turn into lucrative income streams that require very little effort to maintain.

What are affiliate marketing tools?

Affiliate marketing tools are apps, software programs, and platforms that help you become more successful, more quickly, with affiliate marketing.

17 best affiliate marketing tools for all levels of experience

Affiliate marketing networks
Keyword research tools
Content creation tools
Landing page builder tools
Social media management tools
Email marketing & automation tools
Campaign builder tools
Ad tracking tools

Affiliate marketing networks

#1 – Shareasale: Affiliate marketing platform

ShareASale affiliate marketing platform connects you with more than 30,000 brands across all sectors and countless niches. 

It’s a marketplace where affiliates go to find products and services to sell. The network also tracks sales and helps you manage commissions. 

ShareASale supports large and small publishers, including:

• Content creators
• Influencers
• Loyalty and incentive sites
• Media Partners
• Technology solutions

The service has a good reputation and offers excellent support resources that make it easy for you to partner with established brands. 

Its user-friendly interface and reliable payment tracking make it a good choice for beginner and advanced marketers.

ShareASale Pricing: Free to join as an affiliate

#2 – Amazon Associates: Affiliate marketing program

Amazon Associates is Amazon’s affiliate marketing program. It gives you access to millions of products with recognizable brand names and is an easy, accessible program, even for beginners. 

The affiliate program provides unique links, banners, and widgets that make it simple to promote Amazon products. 

Amazon associates also gain access to basic reporting tools that track clicks and commissions.

Affiliates can earn up to 10% commission and in some cases, also collect earnings from customer actions such as free trials. 

The Amazon Associates affiliate program is open to bloggers, content creators, and publishers who have a qualifying website. 

Amazon Associates pricing: Free to join as an affiliate

Keyword research tools for affiliate marketers

Keyword research tools help you create blog and social media content that drives more traffic from search engine results pages (SERPS).

#3 – Google Keyword Planner: Keyword research tool

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool aimed at people who run paid search campaigns.  

However, it’s also a valuable resource for affiliate marketers looking for basic insights on keyword search volume, trends, and related keywords. 

The tool’s easy accessibility and direct connection to Google search data make it attractive to people wanting to do keyword research without paying large fees.

Some of Google Keyword Planner’s best features include:

• Keyword discovery
• Search volume data and trends
• Historical data and forecasting

Google Keyword Planner is a good option if you’re searching for a free keyword research tool that provides basic insights for choosing the best keywords for your content and audience.

Google Keyword Planner Pricing: Free

#4 – Semrush: Keyword research tool

Semrush is an all-in-one digital marketing tool that helps you optimize your online presence for search engines, social media platforms, and paid advertising channels.

The comprehensive (and sometimes complex) program includes a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, keyword research tool. 

Semrush provides all the information you need for successful SEO keyword research, including: 

• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty by score
• Search intent match
• Competitive research
• Keyword gaps
• Keyword ideas

Beyond keyword research, Semrush offers a wide selection of optimization tools, including competitive analysis, local SEO, and rank tracking.

If you’re looking for a powerful tool that supports both content creation and paid search campaigns, SEMrush may be a good choice.

Semrush pricing: Free one-month trial; paid plans from $129/month

#5 Backlinko keyword tool: Keyword research tool

Backlinko Keyword Research Tool is designed with a refreshing focus on simplicity and actionable keyword data.

It’s a perfect keyword research tool for affiliate marketers wanting a streamlined experience that doesn’t overwhelm you with complex metrics or complicated navigation.

Backlinko’s keyword research tool includes metrics such as:

• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty
• Cost per click
• Number of results
• Search trend graph

If you visit Backlinko, don’t miss the chance to browse its blog. It’s packed with well-written, easy-to-understand optimization tips from SEO powerhouse Brian Dean. 

While it might lack some advanced features, Backlinko’s streamlined approach is ideal for beginners or those who value speed and actionable insights.

Backlinko keyword research tool pricing: Free

Content creation tools for affiliate marketers

Content creation tools help you create and publish blog, social media, and email marketing content.

#6 – Grammarly: Content creation tool

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing tool that helps improve the quality of your writing.

The free version of Grammarly is a popular grammar-checker tool that catches spelling and grammar mistakes. It highlights any errors in your content and suggests how to fix them.

If you write a lot of blog and email content, the paid version of Grammarly is gold. 

Grammarly’s paid version includes an in-depth plagiarism checker, which is far more thorough than similar tools such as Copyscape.

The premium version also provides feedback and recommendations on:

• Clarity
• Engagement
• Delivery
• Style
• Tone detection

You can use Grammarly on the web, within its app, or by integrating it into your web browsers and writing programs.

Grammarly pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12/month

#7 – Hemingway: Content Creation Tool

Hemingway helps make your content more “readable” for online publishing.

College textbooks are written with perfect spelling and grammar. But your online audience doesn’t want to read college textbooks. They’re drawn to writing that’s clear, skimmable, and easy to read. 

That’s where Hemingways readability tool comes in.

Hemingway guides you toward more effective writing without replacing your creative voice. 

Affiliate marketers can use Hemingway to ensure that their content is reader-friendly in ways that both audiences and Google search engines appreciate. 

Hemingway pricing: Free

Landing page builder tool for affiliate marketers

A landing page builder tool helps affiliate marketers create high-converting campaigns and lead generation content.

# 8 – AWeber: Landing page builder tool 

AWeber is a great tool for busy affiliate marketers because it provides a simple, user-friendly way to create professional landing pages in minutes. Its drag-and-drop interface and wide selection of prebuilt landing page templates ensure that even beginners can market their affiliate products with style.

AWeber landing pages integrate seamlessly with your email marketing campaigns.

AWeber’s landing page features include:

• Over 100 landing page templates
• Drag-and-drop interface
• Already integrated with AWeber’s email marketing tool
• Advanced marketing automation features
• Built-in Canva designer (lets you create eye-catching designs!).
• Landing page and email analytics

AWeber landing page builder is a great choice for affiliate marketers seeking a simple path to professional results. 

AWeber pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12.50/month

Social media management tools for affiliate marketers

Social media management tools help you create, preview, publish, and track the performance of your social media content.

#9 – Buffer: social media management platform

Buffer is a user-friendly social media management platform that helps affiliate marketers streamline social media content scheduling across multiple platforms. 

It’s a great option if you’re wanting to maintain a consistent social media presence without spending hours of every day on social media.

Here’s how Buffer can simplify your social media efforts:

• Customize posts for different social platforms.
• Automatically publish pre-scheduled posts.
• Track engagement metrics and identify top-performing content.

Buffer also includes a visual content calendar tool to help keep your content organized and on schedule.

Buffer pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $6/month

Email marketing and automation tools for affiliate marketers

Email marketing and automation tools let you build and execute personalized email marketing campaigns.

#10 – AWeber: Email marketing & automation platform

AWeber is a great tool for affiliate marketers who want a user-friendly email marketing platform that:

• Allows you to include affiliate links in your marketing emails.
• Easily highlight the product you’re recommending by simply pasting a link in your email.
• Includes a built-in AI writing assistant.
• Lets you easily create personalized campaigns with behavioral segmentation.
• Allows you to create custom signup forms.
• Provides advanced automation features (put it all on autopilot!).
• Offers pre-written email campaign templates.

AWeber’s automated behavioral segmentation makes personalization simple. It can automatically track clicks and engagement in your emails, on your landing pages, and on your website — then use that data to send personalized messages and campaigns to your subscribers.

If you’re looking for an email marketing platform that provides you with the latest automation features, AI writing tools, and marketing personalization features, AWeber is a great choice.

AWeber pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $12.50/month

Campaign builder tools for affiliate marketers

Campaign builder tools for affiliate marketers help you design, execute, and track the performance of your promotional campaigns across various channels.

#11 – ClickFunnels: Campaign Builder Tool (Advanced)

ClickFunnels is a sales funnel platform that focuses on high-converting landing pages. 

While a powerful tool for creating sales funnels, it’s geared toward advanced marketers who don’t mind the higher pricing and semi-steep learning curve.

ClickFunnels makes a good option for marketers looking for a high degree of control over the entire customer journey and are comfortable with its comprehensive feature set.

Here’s what ClickFunnels offers:

• Funnel builder: Allows you to design multi-step funnels.
• Pre-designed templates: Includes landing pages, sales pages, and webinar funnels.
• A/B testing: Allows you to compare page variations and optimize conversions.
• Email marketing integrations: Lets you easily connect with email providers for lead nurturing.
• Membership sites: Provides the option to create restricted content areas.

Its wide range of features makes the learning curve steeper. But if you’re looking for a program that can help you build membership areas and complex affiliate campaigns, it’s a great option.

ClickFunnels pricing: From $127/month. 14-day free trial available.

#12- AdRoll: Campaign builder tool

AdRoll is an advertising platform that provides affiliate marketers with helpful tools to manage their ad campaigns.

It’s a good fit for experienced affiliate marketers looking for advanced audience segmentation, cross-platform retargeting, and in-depth reporting.

AdRoll’s affiliate marketing features include:

• Cross-platform campaigns
• Dynamic ads
• A/B testing

The ad campaign tool integrates with major e-commerce platforms and other marketing tools. If you have an established affiliate website or online store, the integrations are an important feature.

If you’re wanting to take your affiliate campaigns to the next level, AdRoll is worth considering.  However, while it’s a powerful campaign management tool, AdRoll also has a steeper learning curve than many of its competitors.

AdRoll pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing for ads. More plans available.

If you’re looking for a more streamlined and beginner-friendly approach to campaign building, AWeber email marketing and landing page tools make an excellent all-in-one campaign management tool.

Ad tracking tools for affiliate marketers

Ad tracking tools provide in-depth monitoring of your ad performance across many different channels

#13 – Google Analytics: Ad tracking tool

Google Analytics is a comprehensive website analytics platform that provides in-depth metrics and insights for affiliate marketers. 

If you’re an affiliate marketer looking for a tool that provides an in-depth understanding of your traffic sources and campaign performances, check out Google Analytics. It’s a great tool for helping you make more data-driven optimization decisions.

Google Analytics pricing: Free version available. Contact for paid pricing plans.

#14 – Voluum Affiliate Tracker: Ad tracking tool

Voluum affiliate ad tracker is a comprehensive ad tracking platform for experienced affiliate marketers and people who manage large-scale paid campaigns. 

It offers in-depth analytics, granular tracking across various platforms, and advanced features for optimizing ad performance.

Voluum ad tracking features include:

• Detailed reporting: Provides extensive data on clicks, conversions, costs, and ROI.
• Traffic distribution: Allows you to split-test landing pages and direct traffic for optimization.
• Anti-fraud tools: Helps identify and block bot traffic.
• Integrations: Connects with major ad networks and traffic sources.
• API access: Offers flexibility for custom integrations.

If you’re looking for a tool that provides sophisticated tracking, robust reporting, and a high degree of control over your campaigns, Voluum is an excellent option.

Voluum pricing: From $199/month

Bitly: Ad Tracking Tool 

Bitly offers a beginner-level ad tracking tool for people who aren’t ready to take on comprehensive analytics tracking.

The company is mostly known for its link-shortening tool, but it also provides simple ad tracking features. 

Bitly is a great beginner alternative to comprehensive ad-tracking tools that come with a steep learning curve. 

Its simple approach doesn’t provide in-depth analytics. But the tool is very user-friendly and easy to learn.  

Here’s what Bitly offers:

• Link shortening: Creates short, branded links for easy sharing.
• Click tracking: Provides basic data on clicks and traffic sources.
• Simple dashboard: Includes an easy-to-understand overview of link performance.
• Integrations: Connects with some popular social media platforms.

Bitly pricing: Free

6 Best affiliate marketing tools for beginners

Looking for affiliate marketing tools that allow you to learn as you go? 

Here’s a list of beginner-friendly affiliate marketing tools that don’t have a steep learning curve. 

1. Best affiliate network for beginners: Amazon Associates

2. Best keyword research tool for beginners: Backlinko keyword research tool

3. Best content creation tool for beginners: Grammarly

4. Best email marketing and landing page tool for beginners: AWeber

5. Best social media management tool for beginners: Buffer

6. Best ad tracking tool for beginners: Bitly

Scroll up to the review section of this guide for more information on any of the beginner-friendly affiliate marketing tools above. 

6 Best free affiliate marketing tools

Not up for shelling out $$$ on yet another paid subscription service? We’ve got you covered. 

Below is a list of FREE affiliate marketing tools to help you get started building a successful affiliate business. 

Best FREE affiliate marketing tools for beginners

1. Free ad tracking tool: Bitly 

2. Free affiliate network: ShareASale

3. Free landing page tool: AWeber

4. Free content creation tool: Grammarly free version

5. Free email marketing tools: AWeber free version

6. Free keyword research tool: Backlinko keyword research tool

7. Free social media management tools: Buffer free version

Scroll up to the review section of this guide for more information on any of the free affiliate marketing tools above. 

7 marketing courses & classes for affiliate marketers

Want to make more informed decisions, develop stronger campaigns, and grow your affiliate business more quickly?

Fill in your knowledge gaps with one or more of the following courses related to affiliate marketing.  

You don’t need to drop hundreds or thousands of dollars to get high-quality training. Some of the best courses are free or very affordable.

1. Free Affiliate Marketing Course for Beginners: by ahrefs on YouTube YouTube series.

2. Free PPC (pay-per-click) certification course: by Semrush on Semrush Academy. 100% free training, testing, and certification. 

3. Beginner Affiliate Marketing to Start in 1 Day by Alex Genadinik on Udemy (usually less than $20 – watch for sales and promo codes).

4. Free Google Marketing Platform course: by Google on Google Skillshop. 100% free. Skillshop also offers a variety of training modules on Google ads, analytics, marketing, and more.

5. Free Meta Blueprint: Beginner-level training to help you improve your marketing campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

6. Meta Social Media Marketing certificate course: by Meta through Coursera Plus (from $59/month after a 7-day free trial).

7. Concepts, Strategies, and Analytics in Performance Marketing and Digital Advertising Specialization: By the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera (from $59/month after a 7-day free trial).

Everything you need for affiliate marketing success

We’ve covered quite a bit of ground in this guide, including the best tools, free tools, beginner tools, and reputable courses for affiliate marketers.

When you’re ready to start selling affiliate products drop by AWeber. We’ll  help you get up and running in minutes, not days, 

You’ll love our seamless integrations, advanced automations, AI assistance, and  library of prebuilt templates.

Ready to begin earning money with affiliate marketing? Sign up for AWeber and start selling today!

The post 17 Best affiliate marketing tools to earn more commissions appeared first on AWeber.

Have you noticed a significant number of your email list subscribers are no longer interacting with your content or following your calls to action? Then it may be time to start a re-engagement email campaign!

This can be a super effective email marketing strategy for winning back inactive subscribers. 

After all, one study indicates that the average email list decay rate, which is the percentage of subscribers who become inactive, is between 22% and 30% per year.

This means that, unless you’re cleaning your email list regularly, you’re likely sending a lot of messages into the void, never to be seen again.

However, with re-engagement emails, you can start winning back some of those inactive subscribers. To be successful, though, you’ll need to keep some best practices in mind.

So, in this article, we’ll explore how to write win-back emails. We’ll also provide examples of some effective re-engagement email campaign strategies, from one-off surveys and free resources to entire email sequences.

What is a re-engagement email?

A re-engagement email, also called a “win-back email”, is a message you send to subscribers who have become inactive. 

These emails aim to rekindle the interest of people who have not made a purchase or interacted with your brand for a while.

Re-engagement email campaigns are a great strategy for sparking the interest of inactive subscribers before removing them from your mailing list. After all, emailing unresponsive subscribers with messages isn’t helping them or your business.

Before saying goodbye, however, a win-back email offers one final opportunity to reconnect and rebuild your customer relationship.

Ultimately, your goal is to re-establish a connection with those who seem to have lost interest in your products, services, or content.

Here is an example re-engagement email from the newsletter pros at Marketing Brew. While the three-week inactivity timeline is pretty tight by most industry standards, they do a great job of ensuring their list is truly engaged with their content.

This way, they keep their email list clean, and ensure most of their messages aren’t getting lost in recipients’ spam folders.

How effective are re-engagement emails?

While re-engagement email campaigns are a great way to win back subscribers, you can’t expect every inactive subscriber to become active again.

Most email win-back campaigns have a success rate of 14% up to 29% in the best-case scenario. 

Several email marketing studies have found that sending a series of emails may be more effective than sending just a single email. A re-engagement sequence of three emails appears to be the sweet spot. 

One recent study found that several different tactics will work, but no one tactic significantly outperformed the others.

Later on, we’ll discuss how each of the methods below work, as well as provide a few additional examples. We’ll also tell you how to set up an effective re-engagement email sequence.

Remember though, the method that works best for your business depends on the needs and interests of your unique audience.

How create a re-engagement email

The goal of your re-engagement email campaign is to get people interested in your emails again. 

So, every element of your email – the subject line, the content, and the call-to-action – needs to support that goal.

Re-Engagement email subject lines

For re-engagement email subject lines, the best ones specifically reference your goal: to win back your subscribers!

Here is an example of an email from Tomasz Borys at Kissmetrics:

You can also take a more personal approach, like this email from Threadless:

Both subject lines work well. However, they each grab the reader’s attention in different ways.

A simple “We miss you!” lets the subscriber know that you appreciate their readership. It also feels more conversational. 

On the flip side, “Do you still want updates from us?” is direct and inquisitive. It tells the subscriber that you care about their time and want to make sure they get something out of the relationship.

For more inspiration, consider reviewing your past emails to see what’s working for your specific audience. Look for common themes like subject line length and tone to see what tends to work best for your target audience.

You can also try using personalization, like including your subscribers’ first names in the subject line. It’s no secret that personalization helps you connect with your subscribers and stand out a little more in the inbox. 

For example, the email from Threadless could have gone one step further by saying, “We miss you, Sam!”

Since these details depend on what your audience responds to, try testing different variations and find that sweet spot.

Re-engagement email content

Most re-engagement emails’ content is short – generally just two or three paragraphs. All you need to do is to make the purpose of your email clear: “Do you still want to get emails from us?”

Then, you might consider explaining the value your emails provide. 

Remember_, these are people who signed up to receive messages from you but at some point stopped reading. 

They wanted to hear from you before, so how can you get them re-interested in what you have to say? 

Ask yourself a few questions:

• What did my subscribers sign up to receive originally?
• Am I continuing to send them content based on their original expectations?
• Did I change anything in my email strategy that might have caused them to stop engaging with my content?
• What can I offer to pique their interest again?

Once you have those answers in mind, it’s time to start writing your email.

Here’s an example of a re-engagement email we sent to our inactive blog newsletter subscribers:

The format is simple, and it makes a good template for any re-engagement email:

• You haven’t opened any emails from us in a while
• We want to make sure you’re still interested
• Click this button to stay on the list
• Here’s what you can expect if you remain on the list

That’s all you have to say in a re-engagement email–just one sentence and a few bullet points. After all, the shorter your email is, the more likely people are to read it and click the button.

Getting inactive subscribers up to speed might also help get them re-interested in your content. So, consider adding a short bulleted list of your recent “greatest hits,” such as:

• Products
• Content
• Promotions

Re-engagement email incentives

Speaking of promotions, offering an incentive, like a white paper or coupon code, might also help you re-engage subscribers. 

If you hooked them onto your list with a piece of content in the past, consider how you might be able to repeat that success during your re-engagement email campaign.

Check out this example from Paperworks, a stationary and premium paper provider:

Offering a special discount is a great way to get subscribers interested in your emails again. 

Not only are you giving your subscribers something in exchange for their time and attention, but you might even get another sale out of it as well.

Re-engagement email feedback

To help you learn more about why subscribers grew disinterested in your content, asking them for specific feedback could help fill in the gaps. For example:

• Was there something you could have done better for these subscribers? 
• What made them stop engaging in the first place?

Asking these questions directly can help you figure out exactly where you can improve your email marketing strategy.

Additionally, if you make a subscriber feel like their opinion is truly valued, they may want to stick around. Plus, this will give you valuable insight into their needs that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

As you get feedback and notice common themes, you can implement their suggestions in the future.

Re-engagement email call to action

The whole point of your email is to prompt subscribers to take an action, so make sure your emails have a call to action that is bold and clear.

Generally, you’ll want to limit yourself to one call to action in order to increase your click-through rate. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Ultimately, your CTA should make it easy for recipients to:

• Stay on or opt out of your list
• Learn more about a product or service
• Download an incentive

For example, check out this email and CTA from Grammarly:

While having one call to action is the classic approach, some re-engagement emails examples also include an unsubscribe link. 

For instance, take a look at this email from a PEW, a non-profit organization:

Finally, some re-engagement emails even let subscribers choose to get emails less often, like the example below.

7 Re-engagement email examples

Now that you’ve got a good idea of what goes into an effective win-back email, let’s look at some re-engagement email examples.

The following ideas are great ways to get customers interested in your brand again.

1. Surveys

If your subscribers aren’t responding to what you’ve been sending, try asking them what they would like to get from you. After all, this can help you better understand your audience’s interests and preferences. 

For example, you might send a re-engagement email with the subject line “We miss you! Tell us how we can improve.” Then, for your call to action, include a link to a brief survey. Consider asking questions about:

• Their favorite types of content
• Products they’re interested in
• How often they’d like to hear from you

Ultimately, this feedback can help guide your future email marketing campaigns, as well as show subscribers you value their opinions.

2. Coupons and discounts

If you’re in ecommerce, the classic way to win back inactive customers is to send them a juicy discount coupon. 

Consider making this a dollar off discount rather than a percent off discount. One study of win-back campaigns found that dollar off discounts activated more subscribers.

For instance, you could send an email with the subject line “We miss you! Here’s $10 off your next purchase.” 

Then, in the content of your email, be sure to include your discount code and a call to action directing subscribers to your store.

You might also think about highlighting new or popular products to entice them even more.

3. New products and services announcements

Announcements are ideal emails to send out if you haven’t mailed to your list in a few months. They’re a great opportunity to let recipients know about new products or services you’re offering.

For example, consider sending a re-engagement email with the subject line “Check out our new arrivals!” 

Then, in your email content, be sure to showcase your latest and greatest products with high-quality images, and include a CTA to your online store.

By showing off your most recent arrivals, you can recapture the interest of customers who’ve grown tired of your old line of products.

4. Free resources

Free resources are also excellent to send if you haven’t emailed your list in awhile. 

A high-value digital resource, like an ebook or a course, can be a great way to demonstrate that it’s worth their time to be on your list. 

For instance, consider using the re-engagement email subject line “Exclusive free ebook just for you!” and provide a link to the download.

You should also be sure to highlight the value recipients will gain from the resource, reinforcing the value they’ll get if they remain active subscribers.

5. Customer testimonials

You can use customer testimonials with other types of content mentioned above. For instance, share a few testimonials about a new service you have.

Think about using a subject line like “See what others are saying about our new service!” and include direct quotes from customers.

This strategy can be especially effective in combination with some of the others listed above. 

For example, including testimonials with a new service announcement or special discount can build trust and credibility while encouraging inactive subscribers to re-engage.

6. Limited time offers

Another great way to win back subscribers is by inducing a sense of urgency in your emails. 

For instance, you might offer a limited-time discount or promotion to encourage recipients to take action quickly.

Consider using a subject line like “Limited time offer! $10 off just for you,” and include a countdown timer or specific end-date.

By inducing a sense of urgency, you can get customers to take action quickly.

7. Resubscription Offers

 Re-subscription offers can be a great incentive to get subscribers interested in your product or service again.

For instance, you might use the re-engagement email subject line, “We want you back! Enjoy 30 days of free premium access.” 

Then, include a CTA to your sign-up page where customers can try out your platform again for a limited time for free.

If your product or service is delivering the value the customer desires, there’s a good chance they’ll stick around after the free trial is over.

Re-engagement email campaign sequences

All email lists are different, so what works best in one situation may not work so well in another. One message might do the trick, but you could be more effective by sending two or three emails to warm people up and get them re-activated.

Since these subscribers are already less engaged, aim to keep your campaign short. Send an email, wait a few days, and see who’s interacted with your content.

If they’ve clicked through to your content or stated they want to remain on your email list, then great! They can stay on your list and continue to get your awesome emails.

Here are two re-engagement email examples that were sent a few days apart.

This is the first one. Notice how short it is?

 And here’s the next one, sent two days later:

The sequence of emails above is concise, and also respectful. Ultimately, even if subscribers opt not to re-engage, it’s important to consider what they want.

This way, if they develop interest in your products or services at a later date, you haven’t burned any bridges.

Start winning back subscribers with a re-engagement email campaign

If you take the time to craft a re-engagement email campaign, there’s a good chance you can win back some subscribers.

However, if some recipients haven’t responded, it may be time to say goodbye. And that’s perfectly ok!

You’ve done what you can to win them back, but if they don’t want to receive your emails, it’s better to let them go. Not only will they appreciate a cleaner inbox, but it’ll also help boost your email deliverability. 

Ultimately, this will improve your email marketing in the long run.

Now, we know that sometimes it can be really hard to write your emails. That’s why we created our What to Write in Your Emails guide and course, complete with 45+ email templates. It will save you hours of work every month.

How do you plan on running a re-engagement campaign of your own? Leave a comment below to share your ideas. 

Or, if you already have an AWeber account, watch this video to see exactly how to create and send your own re-engagement emails!

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Re-engagement email FAQs

When should you send a re-engagement email?

Many marketing experts recommend that you wait at least three to six months after a subscriber becomes inactive to send a re-engagement email.

However, the proper amount of time can depend on your specific audience.

For example, if your content is time-sensitive or encourages frequent interaction, one to two months may be a better timeline.

You may even consider starting a win-back email campaign during other times. 

For example, if you’re planning a major list cleanup, updating your product or service offerings, or notice declining engagement rates, you might want to consider sending re-engagement emails.

Ultimately, it’s key to think about the behavior and preferences of your unique subscribers, and align them with your business goals.

How many emails should you send in a re-engagement campaign?

As we mentioned earlier, there’s no perfect number of messages to send in a re-engagement email campaign. 

What works best for your business depends on the preferences of your specific audience.

While sending just one email may be best for some brands, other brands may want to design a sequence of two, three, or even four emails.

So, be sure to test out some different strategies with different segments of your audience. This will help you understand how you can best win back your subscribers.

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Re-engagement email campaigns are a great strategy for sparking the interest of inactive subscribers before removing them from your mailing list. After all, emailing unresponsive subscribers with messages isn’t helping them or your business.

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The post Re-engagement email examples: How to win back subscribers appeared first on AWeber.

Advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, “Five times as many people read the headline as the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”

Like a headline for a blog post or news article, the subject line for your email needs to capture people’s attention and convince them to open your message. A subject line can make or break the performance of your email, so it’s important to spend extra time crafting one that’s memorable and effective.

Good subject lines get to the point, create a sense of urgency, and are relevant to the subscriber, but it’s easy to make mistakes when writing them. 

Committing these subject line sins can drastically reduce your open rates, but avoiding them is easy if you know what to look for.

Here are 11 of the most common mistakes people make when writing email subject lines and tips to improve them and improve your open rates.

Why are email subject lines so important?

When you send an email, you only get one chance for the intended recipient to open it. And most of that is tied to a great subject line. A well-crafted subject line grabs attention and sets the tone for the rest of the email. It can make the difference between your email being opened or ignored, influencing engagement and conversion rates.

11 Subject line mistakes to avoid

Understanding the common pitfalls can help you avoid mistakes and create compelling subject lines that drive results. Here are 11 subject line mistakes that could hurt your open rates and how to avoid them.

1. Using ALL CAPS 

Imagine receiving an email with a subject line in your inbox: GET 40% OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE RIGHT NOW.

You would likely take one of three actions: ignore it, delete it, or mark it as spam. And that doesn’t even account for the annoyance you might have felt receiving such an email.

Before pressing send, keep in mind that USING EXCESSIVE CAPITALIZATION CAN SCARE AWAY SUBSCRIBERS AND KILL YOUR OPEN RATES. 

It can appear like you are yelling and hurting your email performance. So, you should use caps in subject lines very carefully.

Do this instead:

Using caps in an email can be effective on a single word in a subject line. But it also needs to be the right word.

Dick’s Sporting Goods does a good job subtly calling out “MORE”, “BIG” and “NOW” in the subject line examples below.

2. Using too much punctuation!!!!

Taking the example we used earlier, imagine we added punctuation—a lot of it: GET 40% OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have limited real estate for your subject line, and multiple exclamation marks can come across as spammy. Special characters, such as * % & # and ^,  have been known to trigger spam filters, so be sure to use them sparingly. 

Do this instead:

Now that we’ve discussed the punctuation mistakes to avoid in your subject line, you may be wondering which characters lead to higher open rates.

The answer? Question marks, exclamation points, and periods. We recommend no more than three punctuation marks per email subject line. When you use too much punctuation, your email looks spammy.

Of course, while this can vary depending on your industry, your audience, and the content of your messages, test multiple subject lines (more on this later) to see which punctuation your subscribers respond to.

Here’s an example of a subject line from Enchanting Marketing:

Using simple language, asking a question, and proper punctuation in her subject line, founder Henneke Duistermaat piques the reader’s interest and entices them to read the message.

Exclamation points, periods, and question marks are all part of a healthy email marketing strategy, so don’t be afraid to mix up the punctuation you use in your subject lines.

3. Using emojis

Okay, we know you might not agree with this one—but we implore you to use emojis sparingly in your subject lines. Yes, emojis can indeed increase open rates. But not always.

The key is to protect your brand image and avoid coming across as cartoony or unprofessional. Emojis work well for some businesses, but they may not be suitable for everyone. 

For example, law firms, financial services, and healthcare providers might want to avoid using emojis altogether to maintain a serious and trustworthy image.

Do this instead:

Match the emoji to your business and use them thoughtfully. If you decide to use emojis, ensure they align with your brand and message. 

It’s also a good idea to test different subject lines with and without emojis to see what resonates best with your audience. For instance, try “🌟 Special Offer Inside!” versus “Special Offer Inside!” and compare the results to find what works for you.

4. Using Spammy Words

Adding certain trigger words to your subject line can activate a recipient’s spam filter, even if your message is legitimate.

To prevent this from happening, avoid certain words, phrases, and symbols like “$$$,” “100% free,” “cash off,” “cheap,” “weight loss,” and “serious cash.” Even if your email makes it into the inbox, it can come across as spammy to your subscribers.

Do this instead:

To ensure your readers take your emails seriously, carefully choose the language in your subject line by avoiding some of the trigger words and symbols listed above.

Finding the right verbiage for your subject line can be tough, especially with the sophisticated spam filters out today. What works for one industry may not work for another. Be sure to try different variations of words to see what resonates best.

I also recommend focusing on specific words that tie back to the content in your email. Check out this example from our friends at Social Media Examiner:

The subject line tells you exactly what you’ll get by opening up the email. And by focusing on that, it eliminates the risk of including words that might appear spammy.

Bonus Tips: Occasionally adding phrases like “Free” or “Act Now” have been shown to improve open rates, but I recommend using them sparingly to avoid diluting their impact.

5. Making It Too Long

Have you ever read an email communication with run-on sentences after run-on sentences? It’s annoying, right? And it might even turn you off so much that you stop reading altogether. It’s not all that different with subject lines.

People receive many emails daily and don’t have time to read a novel when skimming their inbox. The average person receives 121 emails per day, so yours needs to stand out in a good way. Long, rambling subject lines can get lost in the clutter, causing your message to be overlooked or ignored. 

Do this instead:

Aim to get your message across as quickly as possible and cut any unnecessary terms or phrases. Our AWeber team of email experts analyzed the top marketers’ emails and found their email subject lines averaged slightly under 44 characters.

As important as it is to get your message across quickly and clearly, make sure it expresses a complete thought and offers value to the reader – you don’t want to write a subject line that’s too short, either. Avoid one-word subject lines and strive to be helpful and relevant to your subscribers.

Professional photography blogger Courtney Slazinik conveys her message concisely with the following subject line:

By building a message around a numbered list and including the word “secrets,” Courtney offers value and creates a sense of mystery around her content. As a result, this subject line is easily skimmable and irresistibly clickable.

6. Being too generic

Being too generic with your subject lines can be a big mistake. Think about it like this: if you were offering vanilla ice cream, it might not catch anyone’s attention. But if you mentioned a unique flavor like “Salted Caramel Swirl with Chocolate Chips,” people would be more likely to notice and get excited.

Generic subject lines often get overlooked because they don’t stand out in a crowded inbox. They fail to give readers a reason to open your email, resulting in lower open rates and engagement.

Do this instead:

Add some flavor to your subject lines. Make them specific and enticing. For example, instead of “Weekly Newsletter,” try “Discover 5 Secret Tips to Boost Your Productivity This Week.” This captures attention and gives readers a clear idea of what they will gain by opening your email.

7. Writing misleading content

Let’s say you send an email with the following subject: Get an exclusive 50% discount on our entire inventory! But when the reader opens the email, it’s a pitch to sign up for a webinar or free online class.

Not only is this tactic dishonest, but it also tends to backfire. No one likes to be deceived, especially when they receive an email that promises one thing and delivers another. 

You might get people to open your email initially, but this alienates subscribers and can hurt your open and spam rates in the long run. If your subscribers lose trust in your emails, they will ignore future emails and mark you as spam.

Align the content of your email and your subject line to build and maintain trust between you and your subscribers. This is especially important considering Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) philosophy. Even though email is email and Google is Google, misleading subject lines undermine your credibility and can negatively impact your reputation and deliverability.

8. Avoid using RE or FW in Your Subject Lines

Avoid using RE: or FW in your headers. These tend to trick the reader into thinking the email was part of another conversation, which doesn’t leave a positive impression with subscribers. In fact, it can cause confusion, leaving consumers to wonder if the email was sent by mistake.

Not including this text also gives you more room to work within your subject line, which can be used to convey helpful and relevant information instead. Adhering to EEAT principles and being transparent with your subject lines can foster a trustworthy relationship with your audience and improve your email performance.

9. Lacking urgency

Do you want your readers to open your email now? Or, do you want them to wait for weeks, or months, possibly forgetting they received your email altogether? Subject lines that lack urgency often fall flat because they don’t give your readers a reason to act immediately. Without a sense of urgency, your email can get lost in the shuffle of a busy inbox, reducing your open rates and overall engagement.

Do this instead:

Create a sense of urgency in your subject lines to prompt immediate action. Use phrases like “Limited Time Offer,” “Act Now,” or “Only a Few Spots Left.” 

For example, instead of “New Product Available,” try “Exclusive Offer: 20% Off New Product – Today Only!” This encourages readers to open your email immediately, improving your chances of growing engagement.

10. Including spelling or grammar errors

Subject lines (or any other content in your email) with typos, misspelled words, and misplaced punctuation look unprofessional and can hurt your open rates.

Emails are an opportunity to establish your brand as a helpful source of information. Subject lines with spelling or syntax errors make a bad first impression, and undermine your ability to establish trust with your subscribers.

Do this instead:

To optimize your email open rates, be sure to review your emails for grammar and spelling prior to hitting send. No one will take the time to read your email if the subject line is loaded with grammar mistakes, but basic copy editing can prevent these errors from slipping through the cracks.

Related: How to test emails before you send them

11. Skipping out on A/B testing

You’ve probably noticed that we have mentioned subject line testing a time or two—or five—throughout this post. And there is a good reason for that—because subject line testing is EASY and COSTS YOU NOTHING. Sorry for the all-caps there, but we want to make sure we hit home on this point.

By skipping out on A/B testing, you miss the opportunity to discover what resonates with your audience. Every email list is different, and what works for one might not work for another. A/B testing allows you to compare different subject lines and determine which one performs better, helping you refine your strategy and improve open rates.

Do this instead:

Make A/B testing a regular part of your email marketing routine. Test variations of your subject lines to see which ones get the most opens and clicks. 

For example, you might test “Don’t Miss Our Exclusive Sale!” against “Exclusive Sale – Today Only!” Over time, these insights will help you craft subject lines that are more effective and tailored to your audience’s preferences.

Crafting subject lines that sweep subscribers off their feet

The subject line is one of email’s most important components, so getting it right before you send your emails is a must. And by avoiding the mistakes above, you’ll be well on your way toward improving your email engagement.

Ready to use these tips to write better subject lines? Sign up for AWeber Free today to start writing amazing subject lines.

The post 11 Subject line mistakes that could hurt your open rates appeared first on AWeber.

Looking to boost your email open, click, and conversion rates? How about giving your ROI a killer boost? 

Behavioral segmentation lets you personalize email content according to consumers’ interests and behavior. 

It’s the most effective type of content personalization and has a dramatic effect on your bottom line — sales.

👉 76% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that personalize their communications. 

In this guide, we demystify the term “behavioral segmentation” and show you how it works.

Find out exactly what the term means and how you can (easily) use it to personalize your email messages.

Discover everything you need to know about behavior-based marketing, including:

• What is behavioral segmentation?
• Why behavioral segmentation matters to marketers
• Types of marketing segmentation
• Types of behavioral segmentation in email marketing
• How behavioral segmentation is used in email marketing
• How to get started with behavioral segmentation for email marketing
• Behavioral segmentation examples

What is behavioral segmentation?

Behavioral segmentation is an automated, data-based marketing strategy. 

It tracks reader interactions in your emails, landing page, and website. Then it uses that data to group your audience into smaller segments based on their interests and actions.

As a result, you can deliver highly effective, personalized email content to the right people at the right time.

For example, food delivery service GrubHub noticed I hadn’t used its service lately. So it sent me an email with the header “It’s been too long: let us treat you to a 20% off offer.”

After ignoring Grubhub emails for weeks, it only took one personalized message to reel me right back in. Smart move, Grubhub!

As you’ll see in the next section, I’m not the only consumer who’s a fan of personalized content. 🤭

Why behavioral segmentation matters in marketing

Behavioral segmentation is the best and most advanced method of providing personalized content to your audience. 

Marketers and consumers alike love personalization. 

Personalized marketing campaigns:

• Reduce customer acquisition costs by up to 50%.
• Increase ROI by 10-30%.
• Boost your revenue by 10 – 15%.
• Increase brand loyalty, referrals, and repeat purchases.

For example, to increase engagement and fundraising, The Fisher Center needed a way to personalize communication based on donors’ history and interests.

The non-profit turned to email marketing tools to tag and segment their audience based on behavior such as donation dates.

This personalized approach led to a 500% increase in its email subscriber list. 

According to a McKinsey report on personalization, most consumers (72%) expect businesses to cater to their individual needs and interests.

In its report, McKinsey shows that most consumers prefer personalized content. 

Here’s what the average consumer thinks about personalized marketing:

• 76% are more likely to consider purchasing from brands that personalize their marketing.

• 78% are more likely to recommend brands that personalize.

• 78% are more likely to repurchase from companies that personalize.

TIP: Increase your ROI even more by pairing segmentation with other highly effective marketing strategies such as appreciative email sign offs and brand awareness campaigns.

Types of marketing segmentation

There are many ways to segment your audience for personalization, but none is as effective as behavioral segmentation. 

At the heart of behavioral segmentation lies email marketing. 

A good email marketing platform allows you to automate the entire process — from collecting behavioral data to sending personalized email campaigns based on that data. 

Websites also use behavioral segmentation to fuel their email marketing message and to build dynamic website content. 

4 Core types of marketing segmentation

#1 – Behavioral segmentation

Behavioral segmentation groups people according to their interactions with your email messages, landing pages, and website.

It is used to send personalized email content and provide dynamic website content that aligns with consumers’ interests, habits, and place in the buyer’s journey.

#2 – Demographic segmentation

Demographic segmentation groups people by variables such as gender, income, level of education, age, and ethnicity. 

It can be helpful when developing original buyer personas. However,  it relies on assumptions that can lead to  poorly-matched content.

For example, IT Cosmetics sent an email with the header “Transform your confidence with a radiant complexion.” The message assumes that all women seek confidence. 

While this may be true for many of its female customers, it’s not true for all women — and could turn some people away.

Demographic assumptions are not always a reliable way to personalize marketing content.

#3 – Geographic segmentation 

Geographic segmentation groups people by location and sub-categories like culture, language, and timezone. 

Geographic segmentation can be helpful in determining basics such as what language to use, what time to send emails, and what holiday schedules to lean into.

However, geographic data points are vague and don’t provide enough information to create a truly personalized email or website experience.

For example, a meal service using geographic segmentation might promote fried foods to people living in the Midwest and healthy foods to people on the West Coast. 

This approach would be based on geographic cliches that cause some readers to quickly lose interest. 

#4 – Firmographic segmentation

Firmographic segmentation is used by business-to-business (B2B) companies. It segments people by the characteristics of their company, such as industry, company size, growth rate, and technology used.

If you only sell to other businesses, firmographic data can be very helpful.  However, firmographic segmentation doesn’t help companies that sell directly to consumers. 

Types of behavioral segmentation in email marketing

Behavioral segmentation in email marketing involves grouping subscribers based on their actions and behaviors. 

5 Core types of behavioral segmentation for email marketing

1 – Engagement level: Segmenting subscribers based on their interaction with previous emails, such as:

• Email opens
• Clicks within emails 
• Polls and surveys completed

2 – Website activity: Segmenting subscribers based on their interactions with your website, such as:

• Pages visited 
• Products viewed
• Actions taken
• Forms filled out
• Abandoned carts

3 – Landing pages: Segmenting subscribers based on the landing pages they respond to, such as:

• Joining your email list
• Scheduling a free consultation
• Downloading lead generation content
• Signing up for a webinar

4 – Purchase behavior: Segmenting subscribers based on their purchasing history, which provides information such as:

• New versus repeat customers
• Purchase frequency
• Average order spend
• Favorite product categories 

5 – Buyer’s journey: Segmenting subscribers based on their stage in the buyer’s journey, such as:

• Awareness
• Consideration
• Decision
• Advocacy

How to use behavioral segmentation in email marketing

Behavioral segmentation in email marketing is an automated process. 

Once it’s set up, your email marketing program segments your list into smaller groups based on their interactions with your emails, website, and landing pages. 

Then it sends personalized email messages and campaigns to various segments of your list.

For example, imagine you run an online pet supply store. Here’s an example of how email segmentation might help you.

Data:

• You notice that a group of subscribers consistently opens and clicks on emails about dog training products.
• Another group frequently engages with emails about cat-related products.

Segmentation:

• Create a segment called “Dog Training Enthusiasts” for the first group.
• Create a segment called “Cat Lovers” for the second group.

Application:

• Send targeted emails about dog training tips, classes, and discounts to the Dog Training Enthusiasts segment.
• Send targeted emails about toys, treats, and food to the Cat Lovers segment.

Results:

By segmenting your email list, you increase the relevance of your messages. This leads to increased engagement, conversions, and sales.

Behavioral segmentation works because the emails you send become more interesting to your readers. So they’re more likely to open and read your messages instead of ignoring them.

While this all might sound like a lot of work, it’s a fairly simple and quick process that can be fully automated. 

Once you create campaigns and set triggers, automation does the rest of the work for you.

Behavioral segmentation in action

In the email below, Petco shares a 20% discount with dog owners who have purchased training classes in the past. 

This is a great example of purchase-based behavioral segmentation.

Coursera sends personalized recommendations on courses related to classes I’ve taken in the past.

It’s an excellent example of interest-based behavioral segmentation.

Behavioral segmentation is also used on websites, separate from your email marketing platform. 

Sites collect behavioral data and use it to build dynamic website content. This gives visitors a personalized experience.

For example, when I visit AWeber.com, I’m not greeted with a sales page because the site “knows” I’m already a customer. 

Instead, I’m welcomed with a login page and special event invitation. 

How to get started with behavioral segmentation for email marketing

To get started with segmented campaigns, ensure that your email marketing platform provides the following key features:

• Automated trigger campaigns that allow you to send automated email series based on behavioral triggers.

• Prebuilt campaign templates that allow you to quickly create popular email campaigns like welcome and abandoned cart series.

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• Landing page integration that lets you send automated email series in response to interaction with landing pages.

• Website integration capabilities that allow you to send automated email campaigns based on website activity.

If you don’t have these features or if you haven’t chosen an email marketing platform yet, check out AWeber’s Plus Plan. We provide all the tools and features you need to get started with behavioral segmentation.

Depending on which email marketing platform you use, the process of getting started with segmentation may vary. 

For example, AWeber’s simple system of creating tags and triggers lets you quickly create segmented campaigns based on user behavior.

In the YouTube video below, Kim Mathiot steps you through using tags to unlock the power of segmentation.

Behavioral segmentation examples

Below are examples of personalized email marketing messages using behavioral segmentation. 

Abandoned cart email example

Abandoned cart emails integrate data from your website into personalized emails. 

Behavioral trigger: Dropping items into an online shopping cart but leaving the site without making the purchase.

Response: Abandoned cart email encouraging purchase.

For example, have you ever received an email related to items you dropped into an online shopping cart (but never purchased)?

Purchase follow-up email example

Purchase follow-up emails confirm recent purchases and often prompt readers to buy additional items.

Behavioral trigger: Making a purchase.

Response: Follow-up email to encourage add-on sales.

For example, Instacart grocery delivery service sends a confirmation email shortly after you tap “Place your order.” 

The follow-up email shows an image of the items you purchased, then encourages add-on sales with a  “Add Items To Order” CTA.

Welcome email example

Welcome email messages (or series) are sent when someone subscribes to your email list. 

Behavioral trigger: Joins email list.

Response: Welcome email.

In the email below, Pottery Barn welcomes me as an email subscriber by encouraging me to “Start Shopping.”

Reminder email example

Reminder emails help people avoid falling through the cracks by encouraging them to take a specific action. 

Behavioral trigger: Subscriber inaction related to a specific event.

Response: Reminder email.

For example, I began to sign up for a SimilarWeb free trial because it offered a free report I wanted to view. 

But when the signup requested my phone number, I decided the report wasn’t worth the follow-up calls I’d probably receive. So I left the site without completing the form. 

In response, I received a personalized email encouraging me to return.

Application confirmation example

When someone submits a form or application on your website or in an email, a receipt confirmation is usually sent.

Behavioral trigger: Submitting an application.

Response: Thanks for your application.

For example, content marketing community SuperPath requires users to fill out an application when joining its community. 

After the user submits their application, the brand responds with a “Thanks for your application” email.

Below is a sample from Superpath’s application and its automated email response.

Personalizing marketing content with behavioral segmentation 

Behavioral segmentation is the key to unlocking truly personalized marketing experiences for consumers and clients. 

By segmenting your list based on personal information such as purchase history, interests, and engagement, you can deliver tailored content that improves relationships with your customers and increases your ROI.

AWeber’s Plus Plan provides simple but powerful tools that make it easy to use behavior-based marketing automation. Segment subscribers according to their behavior and send multiple personalized email campaigns — on autopilot. 
Ready to enjoy the benefits of behavioral segmentation and personalized marketing? Sign up for AWeber today!

The post Behavioral segmentation 101: A guide for email marketers appeared first on AWeber.

Are you looking to accomplish more with your marketing budget? It may be time to throw an email marketing campaign into the mix. Email marketing has many benefits and offers an impressive return on investment (ROI) while being quick and easy to deploy—even if you don’t have much experience.

Still not convinced? Explore some key benefits of email marketing and consider how these could take your next marketing campaign up a notch—or twenty!

The foundation of a successful email marketing strategy

We know you’re asking the age-old question—is email marketing dead? And we’re here to tell you that not only is it not dead, but it is quite alive and well. It’s estimated that email generates an impressive $42 for every $1 spent, and 59% of people make decisions based on marketing emails that they have received—those aren’t numbers to bat an eye at. 

So, if email isn’t part of your business’s marketing strategy, you could be missing out. And thankfully, building the foundation for a successful email marketing strategy isn’t that difficult. 

Quite simply, all you need is a great landing page to attract and retain visitors, clear goals to guide your campaigns, and compelling content to engage your audience. 

A well-designed landing page is the hub for email sign-ups and provides valuable content that interests your audience. Setting clear goals helps you measure the success of your campaigns and stay focused on what matters most. 

Meanwhile, great content ensures that your emails are open and lead to meaningful interactions and conversions.

And with that, let’s get into our list of the 15 benefits you can expect from your email marketing efforts—when you do it right, of course.

1 – Build relationships with customers

Your existing email list presents a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with people already interested in your business. After all, these subscribers signed up for your email list because they are either customers or clients. Or, they may be prospective customers intrigued by the products and services you have to offer. 

A great email marketing campaign allows you to take full advantage of that by communicating with members of your email list and building relationships with them.

And the more your audience sees that you are making an effort to reach out, provide you value 

and deliver on your promises, the more likely they will be to stay loyal.

2 – Grow loyalty 

We know what you’re thinking—isn’t building relationships with your customers the same as growing loyalty? Not exactly. The truth is that you can build a relationship with anybody. And you need to build relationships with your customers. Doing so helps keep you top of mind when they need the product or service you sell.

But loyalty goes far deeper. Loyalty occurs when those customers that you have worked so hard to build relationships would actually put their neck on the line for you—offering reviews, testimonials, and recommending you to a family member or friend.

3 – Boost customer engagement 

Sticking with our theme here of customer relationships, another benefit of your email strategy is that it will grow engagement. 

Customers may share your emails with others, something we’ll talk about a bit later, and they may even talk about you on social channels—and that’s some of the best advertising you can get. After all, 93% of customers trust recommendations from people that they know. 

4 – Improve customer retention 

And here is yet another benefit of your email marketing campaigns. You grow customer retention, too! And yes, this is different than loyalty and building relationships. A loyal customer will refer you to others, and that is something you totally want to grow your business. But you also want those customers to stick around for the long haul.

The longer a customer stays with you, the more they’ll spend and the more they’ll tell others about you. It’s totally a win-win!

5 – Stretch your marketing dollars 

From a cost standpoint, email marketing is one of the most affordable means of digital marketing—making it an excellent option for smaller and growing businesses that may not have large marketing budgets. Email marketing offers excellent value for your dollar compared to print marketing (with its own design, printing, and postage costs).

And unlike other digital marketing forms (such as paid ads), very few costs are involved.

6 – Increase sales and profits 

Another key benefit of email marketing is the return on investment your business can see. And like we said earlier, it is not uncommon for businesses of all sizes to see a return of about $42 for every dollar spent on a marketing campaign. 

Whether you use an email marketing campaign to introduce a new product or service or to alert your audience to a special promotion, like the email below, your emails can drive sales and improve your company’s revenue.

7 – Personalize with segmentation

If you’re looking for a marketing strategy that allows you to really hone in on a specific audience, email marketing has you covered. Specifically, email list segmentation allows you to “filter” your email list based on several factors and then send out custom-tailored messages to each segment of your list. 

Segmentation can be used, for example, to reach potential customers in a specific geographical area or to market to people who have shown interest in a specific product or service via email.

The possibilities here are endless—and when your audience receives messages that are tailored to them, they’ll be more likely to make a purchase.

8 – Own your list

Many business owners fail to realize an important benefit of email marketing: you own your company’s email list.

It’s something you’ve grown organically over time and does not rely on computer algorithms. The same cannot be said with other forms of marketing—such as social media marketing and paid ads, where people will only see your message based on the platform’s algorithm (which is out of your control).

With an email marketing list, you ultimately control what your subscribers see. And because there are 4.48 billion email users across the globe, email marketing lets you reach a global audience; perhaps no other form of marketing has a greater reach than email. That’s an important distinction that sets email marketing apart.

9 – Gather valuable insights

An email list is also valuable for gathering insights and feedback from your audience. You can use your email list to send out surveys—like the one below—about your products and services.

You can also use your email service provider to generate reports and analyses on the success of each marketing campaign. Check out what kind of click-through and conversion rates each campaign has reached—as well as your return on investment for each campaign.

Many marketers even use split testing, which involves sending two different emails and evaluating how each email performs. This lets you gather valuable insights on which message is most effective for a particular audience, which can then inform future marketing decisions.

10 – Drive website traffic 

Another one of the top benefits of email marketing is driving more traffic to your website.

Include a strong call to action at the end of each email and a direct link to your website. Linking to blog posts or other relevant content can also effectively bring people to your website.

Driving traffic directly to your site from an email can increase your sales and conversions. An added bonus? You may get some more love from your search engine rankings. It’s a win-win.

11 – Automate tasks and save time 

You’ve likely got enough on your plate as it is. Writing and sending one-off emails can be time-consuming.

That’s why automation is one of the top benefits of email marketing. And it’s where an email service provider can be worth the investment.

Specifically, an email marketing platform can automate some of your marketing tasks. Write your emails beforehand and then schedule the best day and time to send them—this can vary from business to business but is typically Thursday, followed by Tuesday, Wednesday, and around 10 a.m. 

You can also use automation to set up a welcome email (or welcome email campaign) that people receive when they sign up to receive more communications from you.

For instance, this is the automated email I received seconds after signing up to win a month of free cereal from Magic Spoon:

The testimonials in the welcome email served as social proof that people love this cereal. They calmed my worries about spending a bit more on healthier cereal.

So, yeah, I bought the cereal.

12 – Encourage spreading the word

Email marketing is also unique in that your message can be easily shared with others, quickly and effortlessly expanding your brand’s potential reach.

Consider, for example, sending an email highlighting a special promotion or limited time sale. Several members of your email list forward the email to friends or family to take advantage of the sale. From there, you gain a few new customers (and possibly new email subscribers, too!).

There’s no harm in asking people to share the email with others who could benefit from it. We encourage sharing in every single blog newsletter we send out.

This is just one more example of the importance of email marketing in spreading the word and growing awareness of your brand.

13 – Grow brand awareness

Brand awareness refers to the extent to which customers are able to recognize and recall your brand. It’s about making your brand a familiar name in your target market. 

Email marketing plays a big role in increasing brand awareness by regularly putting your brand in front of your audience—remember what we said earlier about customer retention and loyalty? It’s all coming together now, right?

While this might seem similar to driving customer engagement and loyalty, awareness focuses more on the long-term recognition and recall of your brand. Each time a subscriber sees your brand name in their inbox, it reinforces your brand image, making it more likely that your brand will come to mind when they need your products or services. This consistent exposure helps solidify your brand’s presence in a crowded market—and there is a lot of competition out there!

14 – Gain a competitive edge 

Speaking of competition, your marketing campaigns can help you stay competitive. While you might think you are unique, there’s a good chance that someone else out there is selling something similar to or identical to what you have to offer. That’s just the way it is these days. So, you need to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd.

Your email marketing campaigns provide you with a great way to keep customers and prospective customers interested, educated, and even entertained. So stay in front of them.

15 – See instant results 

Is there anything better than getting instant gratification?

Email marketing is one of the few channels where you can see results immediately.

As soon as you send out a marketing email, you can have subscribers making purchases. The same cannot always be said with other forms of marketing (such as print marketing), where you may have to wait days or even weeks to gauge the campaign’s success.

Why email marketing? The bottom line

These are just some of the countless benefits of email marketing for businesses of all sizes. Plus, you can take advantage of all these benefits without having extensive marketing knowledge or experience.

The key is finding the right email marketing platform to make your life easier and automate many tasks. From there, you can spend more time growing and managing your business while knowing your email marketing is handled.

Ready to get started? Start growing your list with AWeber for free today.

The post 15 Benefits of email marketing for a rock solid strategy appeared first on AWeber.