The rough rules of plant care:
Water the plant at the right time
Position in the right place
Provide additional nutrients occasionally
Repot it when it’s grown too big for it’s pot
If faced with bugs, tackle them strategically
Control the environment to suit the plant
It’s all about putting the plant in the right environment. Watering it more or less depending on the seasons and their individual needs, and never ever blame the plant for not thriving in conditions that go against its nature.
If you overwater a cactus, it will die.
If you forget to water a peace lily, it will die.
I view email marketing very similarly:
Send emails at the right time
Send the right content to the right people
Delight your audience with exclusive access/content
Differentiate based on their customer journey
Remove inactive subscribers and manage your domain reputation
Adapt, adjust, test, and always learn from your subscribers
But in the case of marketing, not just email marketing, when something doesn’t work, we often blame the audience and not the environment we’ve created.
But deep down, we know that it's not the audience’s fault they’re not buying your products and services, it’s largely because of your marketing.
So here’s how you can nurture your email audience like you would a plant:
Not all plants are the same, and neither are your subscribers. Find out what they want and need.
Identify different types within your audience with similar characteristics and put them into separate segments/groups.
Create a care plan for each segment that is (1) valuable for them and (2) works for you and your business.
Make a plan for when you’ll check on them, water them, etc., and stick to it.
Do it. Water them, provide additional nutrients, repot, adjust humidity levels, propagate, and invest in your at-home garden.
What do you think of this plant email analogy?
If you like it, share it with your online friends for more email analogies and rants.
See you next week!
Maria Malaniia
email marketing freelancer