2 Email Marketing Tips From An Unlikely Source: DJs
Before I made the leap to email marketing I worked for five years as a live sound engineer in NYC.
I ran sound for thousands of bands, and picked up some pretty wild stories along the way.
I didn’t realize it until later but I learned some valuable lessons about email marketing from an unlikely source: DJs.
My humble office for almost five years…
At the end of my shift my last task was to set up the DJs and make sure their equipment was working before I went home.
At first, I would set them up and just leave. But gradually I would stick around a little longer to watch over the DJ’s shoulder and ask them questions.
I was fascinated with their job. Getting paid to make people dance for hours.
When I made the switch to email marketing, I discovered that two lessons I learned DJing were incredibly valuable in creating impactful emails.
Test and read the room.
DJs are always watching the room to see how people react. If they play a new song and suddenly people start leaving the floor, they know it’s time to cut to a song.
The same applies to writing great emails. We need to test out different angles and hooks then see how the audience reacts. Clicks and conversions are solid indicators, but one area that people overlook are email replies.
As marketers it’s easy to forget email is a two-way communication channel. Don’t forget to check your inbox after you send out a campaign to see what people are saying.
Do they have questions about your products? Are they commenting on your stories? Are they sharing their own experiences? These replies can be a gold mine of valuable information for future emails and marketing hooks.
90% of this gig is just playing the next song.
One night after asking the DJ a barrage of technical questions, they cracked a smile and casually replied, “Honestly dude, 90% of this gig is just playing the next song”.
Dang. That was deep.
What I took that to mean was:
Don't worry about flashy techniques. Don’t worry about playing a song that temporarily kills the party.
Just focus on what you can control - which is playing the next song and keeping the party going.
I’ve found the same to be true with email marketing. 90% of this gig is just sending the next email.
Sometimes we get too caught up in making sure the design or copy is perfect. Sometimes we send out an email that bombs. Or worse, send out an email with a typo or a missing coupon.
Sorry Kendall… not every email will be a banger
It happens.
But in my experience if you can learn from those mistakes and get the next email sent, the party will keep on going.