Growth Newsletter #107

The vast majority of cold emails are ignored.

In the worst case, people flag your emails as spam (causing future emails to end up in spam), and have a negative impression of both you and your brand.

That's why Lemlist, a tool for automating email outreach, warns against doing "cold emails." Instead, they should be warm 🔥

What does that mean?‍

That means only reaching out to people who already have some idea of who you are, and have a positive association with you and your brand already.

For example, if you got a personalized message from your favorite influencer or celebrity, you'd welcome it, and not just flag it as spam. You'd happily respond.

To do that, sadly it's not a quick fix. Which is why most people don't do it. 

You have to:

1. Produce a lot of free content, say on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, podcast, etc.
2. Then engage with people who engage with you. And engage with others writing and commenting on relevant posts in your niche.
3. And then eventually DMing them a personalized message either to get to know each other, give them a free resource, or pitch an offer.

If you do this, your response rates will go from single digit to double digits.

Lemlist believes this so strongly that they encourage their entire team to be active on social media and build their own personal brands.

On Sunday, thousands of people scrambled for their remotes.

During the final quarter of the Superbowl match, Tubi, the streaming service, created an ad that looked like someone was changing the channel to watch Mr and Mrs Smith.

It was an incredibly clever way to get people's attention—and perfectly demonstrate exactly what Tubi is. It shows rather than tells.

It reminded me a lot of a classic prank:

Change a coworker's desktop background to be a screenshot of their desktop or currently open windows. Then close everything and hide the files on the desktop.

When they return to their computer, they'll desperately click around trying to get their computer to respond. Office pranking at its finest. 

A similar thing could be done in a YouTube video if coordinated with the creator. Or in an Instagram story/reel or TikTok video.

What motivates people to buy? Look to the psychology of spy recruitment for answers. 

Intelligence officers use an acronym to size up potential recruits’ motives:

• M = money
• I = ideology
• C = coercion
• E = ego

These also align pretty directly with the emotional triggers behind purchasing decisions.

Money

Emotional triggers this motive aligns with: greed and lust

Sadly, greed drives human behavior. Wealth, power, and social currency—all things people instinctively want.

Appeal to prospects' aspirations. Like this copy from Horst Studios: “Where the women you hate have their hair done.”

Ideology

Aligned with hope and a sense of belonging

Two thirds of Gen Zers will stop using—or even boycott—brands that clash with their values.

Speak to the values that matter to your audience.

Talk about values a lot. Two brands that do an A+ job with this: Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia.

Coercion

Aligned with guilt and fear

We don't actually recommend this one. Don't guilt people into buying your products. 

A better approach: Reveal how your product is the guilt-free alternative to the others that are out there. Especially if that benefit ties into your value props.

Ego

Aligned with vanity

A little flattery goes a long way.