🧐Competitor analysis— learn from other brands’ emails

This is Inbox Hacking, a Free Newsletter for email marketers aiming to level up. Email marketing insights, tools, & tactics sent twice per week. Someone forwarded you our Newsletter? Sign up for your Free subscription. Today we talk about how to use competitor content to your advantage, + preview text that gets emails opened.

Don’t worry Inbox Hackers. Despite being a nervous wreck about my daughter’s wedding this weekend, I am feeling it today.

I’m gonna lay out how you can shove your competition into Chapter 11 bankruptcy by scoping out their content. Ok, let’s not be harsh, but you can gain the upper hand when your brand puts other brands’ emails under a microscope… so let’s see how to do it.

Competitor Analysis via 25+ Newsletters

No sane person would sign up for 25+ newsletters.

Not that I’m super-sane. But I do it to be sure I don’t miss anything. And so I can dissect the content.

Some newsletters…

I only read the subject lines
Others, I scan
A few, I read word for word

Some, I break down like Bill Belichick on an Adderall-fueled playoff run breaking down film. (Adderall’s meth-light kids, so I’d avoid it)

Point is… if you write emails, then read way more emails than you write. Not just those in your niche or industry either.

Why?

Newsletter Opportunities and Blind Spots

Mainly because the smart folks at MarketingProfs say so.

“…Krispy Kreme donuts stock took a tumble due to an indirect competitor. The culprit was the Atkins diet, which was encouraging people to avoid carbs.”

The Donut Kingpin launched in 1937. Atkins in the 1970s but only became popular in the 2000s.

Krispy Kreme could’ve used some competitor analysis on the upstart diet program that demonized donuts. But nope… big ole blind spot.

Be sure you sift through your inbox for newsletters that alert you to blind spots that can hurt your brand. A bonus to reading newsletters off your normal radar? The creativity generated by new-to-you ideas.

What about those Opportunities?

Scanning through countless newsletters is work.

…Work that can be done on mobile by the pool 💦 and it’ll help you:

Spot newsletter trends
Analyze competitors’ calls-to-action
Notice subject line tactics
Be emboldened to add more flair to your writing
Understand psychological nudges in the copy

BTW, you can spot all those things in promotional emails as well. Just don’t max out your credit card while analyzing emails.

Another big marketing opportunity no one talks about is writing content for another organization’s newsletter. Guest blogging and appearing on other podcasts have been a thing for years.

So shouldn’t pitching your content ideas to another newsletter be a no-brainer?

“Indirect competitors could become valuable partners and cross-promoters.” ~MarketingProfs

(((I know one best-selling author who still writes FREE guest content)))

Wait, you look like you need more incentive?

7 More Reasons to use Competitor Analysis on Emails

Level up branding in your emails
Compare user experience after clicking over to landing pages
A/B test sign-up forms your competitors use
Add products / services other brands don’t / can’t offer
To notice if and how you’re being segmented on email lists
Provides customer / client insights as a subscriber versus a mailer
Alerts you to niche audiences you’re ignoring

Case closed👩‍⚖️. Breaking down other brands’ newsletters, promotional emails, and any of their content you can learn from enhances your email marketing.

If you need help spotting patterns or dissecting content – use this video from a university reading lab.

BTW, Best Preview Text in My Inbox (+why it worked)

Hi, Shane M. your Versa battery level… (personal, sorta urgent)
ChatGPT can now call other tools… (fresh news, related to my work)
Google behavioral science NEWS (only preview that used all caps at all)

Read below for solid retention tips, automation examples, & delusional seniors.

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Improve sender score & deliverability

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Knowledge Base

Knowledge below, but first, 100% effort can equal failure – cool.

📩Learn from this extensive email onboarding teardown.

Got these 8 items on your marketing agenda?

💸Best recurring affiliate programs (% payouts & cookie duration).

The best 10 sentences you’ll find on conversion copywriting & retention.

🗻Gobs of great email automation examples.

Please follow Inbox Mailers…

Self Help

Good news! Older folks are just as delusional as the youngsters who are certain they can become an influencer.

Recent survey showed 1 outta 4 seniors think their life advice would make them a social media superstar. 🤣😂😁😀.

Despite their own kids never listening to them!

So let’s help each other out, young and old. Let’s gently bring each other back down to reality.

And erase dreams of fame that ironically only go down in flames when fame is achieved. Too many examples to list.

*Shout-out to Inbox Hackers:

📢Chelsie at Text Help (understanding)

📣Chris at Clear the Shelf (arbitrage)

Facts and Stats

Email versus SMS marketing messages— Email preferred by consumers 52% to 19% (Validity)

71% of companies that exceed lead gen and revenue goals have documented buyer personas (Digital Scholar)

EmailAnalytics report→ The average person received 80.1 emails per day.

Bonus: The famous email @ symbol’s first recorded use came in what year? Answer 1345 (video details it)

Interested in how triggered emails can…

⭐Produce open rates of 50% – 70%?

⭐Increase/Fix your reputation, deliverability, & inboxing rates?

⭐Increase/Fix Sender scores & IP Health?

⭐Re-engage your Dead/Unengaged list?

⭐Warm up IPs in about half the time?

Learn how Inbox Mailers leverages email triggers. Schedule a free demo.

Get Hacking

Today’s the day to finally get fresh SEO keywords.

Pause those SEO tools every marketer is using.

Brainstorm outside the box first. In other words, climb off the web.

Here are 15 ways to seed SEO ideas— I like #8 best.

*Please forward this email to email marketing elites like yourself 😉. Thanks for reading.

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