The Email Marketing Strategy That Makes DigitalMarketer $39M+ Sales Year Over Year
![The Email Marketing Strategy That Makes DigitalMarketer $39M+ Sales Year Over Year](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/digitalmarketer-header.png?w=3840&q=75)
We send emails because that’s how we engage with our audience, that’s how we segment people by interest and figure out what our subscribers need the most in their business. If we don’t help businesses grow, then we fail,” – Richard LindnerIf you know a thing or two about email marketing, you know the above statement is the backbone of a successful email marketing strategy. So, it’s no wonder that DigitalMarketer nails email marketing. DigitalMarketer is one of the top-performing marketing education companies on the web. They have an exceptional view of email marketing, which is one of the main reasons they perform so well. But all this would be just empty statements. So let's take a look at some statistics that paint a clear picture of DigitalMarketer’s email marketing efforts. DigitalMarketer was created in 2011, and as of 2015, here’s how the company was doing:
- Billions of emails sent in multiple markets.
- Hundreds of (successful) strategies created and implemented.
- Tripled open rates and doubled click-through rates.
- Generated over $20M+ in revenue in that year from email marketing alone.
![Example of a blog headline from DigitalMarketer's](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/article-headline-2.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Bar graph showing traffic sources for DigitalMarketer's website](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/traffic-source-bar-graph.png?w=3840&q=75)
The Email Marketing Strategy That Makes DigitalMarketer $39M+ Sales Year Over Year via @CoSchedule
Click To TweetDownload Your Email Marketing Strategy Template
Want to document your own email marketing strategy like the one DigitalMarketer used to drive incredible growth? Download this actionable template now, then continue reading to get the knowledge you need to succeed:- The Lead Magnet-Type That Grows Your Email List Fast
- The 4-Step Welcome Sequence That Turns Subscribers Into Buyers
- The Types Of Subject Lines DigitalMarketer Uses to Make Over 39M In Sales
- The 2 Types Of Copywriting Formulas To Boost Your Clickthrough And Conversion Rates
- The Segmentation Tactic That Keep Campaigns Successful
The Lead Magnet-Type That Grows Your Email List Fast
Unarguably, there’s no email marketing without an email list. And as Noah Kagan likes to say, “The money is in the list.” DigitalMaketer understands this very well. And so, the first move on their marketing chessboard aims towards building an email list. They employ a lead magnet design tactic to collect email addresses from their visitors. The company was able to collect 35,859 leads in 60 days using one lead magnet. Here is how they’ve done it.![Example of the consumer flow chart for DM's emails](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/DMs-email-flow-map.jpg?w=3840&q=75)
![Example of a blog post about digital marketing](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/digital-marketing-blog-post.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Example of a related reading callout in a blog post](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/additiona-reading-callout.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Example of a great place to put a callout reading box in a blog post](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/example-of-clever-positioning.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Pop-up signup form](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/11/041900b0-3c80-4722-91c6-465e6a378d26_Lead20Magnet20GIF-downsized_large201.gif)
Bonus: The “Stay In The Know” Opt-in Form
Sometimes it doesn't require a smart hack to get people on your email list. Simplicity works well, too. There will be visitors who naturally like what you do and want to learn more and stay up to date with your business. So, in addition to their irresistible lead magnets, DigitalMarketer also uses a simple sign-up form on their blog to collect email addresses. Here is the “Stay in the know” opt-in form the company uses to collect visitors’ emails.![DigitalMarketer's newsletter sign-up page](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/DM-newsletter-signup.png?w=3840&q=75)
An Interesting Fact
DigitalMarketer doesn’t use any popup form to collect emails. Both their opt-in and lead magnet sign-up forms are put right on the page, and they rely on excellent copy and relevancy to lure visitors to their email list.The 4-Step Welcome Sequence That Turns Subscribers Into Buyers
I can’t stress enough the importance of welcome sequences. According to Campaign Monitor, it is one of the most effective triggered emails regardless of the industry. In 2014, the DigitalMarketer welcome sequence looked like this.- First email: "Welcome to DigitalMarketer! Here's where to start..."
- Second email: "You're part of our family. Now let's become friends."
- Third email: "I keep my promise... ".
- Fourth email: "Get my entire marketing library for $1?"
![The ultimate 4-step welcome sequence](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/digitalmarketer-4.png?w=3840&q=75)
1. Onboarding
The first email in the sequence is designed to explain the company's mission. It also prepares recipients for further emails and asks them to whitelist their email addresses not to be considered spam.![Example of an onboarding email from DigitalMarketer](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/onboarding-email.png?w=3840&q=75)
2. Building a Relationship
After introducing himself in the first email, Ryan Deiss is now back trying to create a relationship between himself and the subscribers.![Example of an email from DigitalMarketer meant to build relationships with customers](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/building-relationships-email.png?w=3840&q=75)
3. Consolidating the Relationship
Don't take my word for it. I'm not saying you can build a relationship by sending a single email. But there are psychological tricks you can use to build trust with your audience.![Example of an email consolidating the relationship established from previous email](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/consolidating-relationship-email.png?w=3840&q=75)
Keeping your promises
Ryan promised to send recipients the most popular DigitalMarketer blog post. So he kept his promise by sending the link. Why is this important? Well, keep in mind that the #1 surefire way to disengage your audience is to overpromise and underdeliver. If you promise Seth Godin, make sure you can deliver Seth. Otherwise, your relationship will get off on the wrong foot, and you'll have a hard time regaining your audience's trust.Demonstrating credibility
By introducing the DigitalMarketer team and showing a photo of the DigitalMarketer team, Ryan Deiss does a great job building credibility. The recipient who sees the picture now knows that DigitalMarketer is legit, and that picture increases the company’s perceived value. On the other hand, the image keeps the readers engaged. Research shows that visuals increase a person's willingness to read content by 80%.4. Turning Subscribers into buyers Using a Tripwire
In this 4th email, as you can see, Ryan offers subscribers to purchase a DigitalMarketer product for a flat fee of $10.![Example of an email from DigitalMarketer to turn subscribers into buyers](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/turning-subscriptions-to-buyers-example.png?w=3840&q=75)
68% of millennials declared that promotional emails have factored in on their purchase decisions. Via @CoSchedule
Click To TweetThe Types Of Subject Lines DigitalMarketer Uses to Make Over 39M In Sales
DigitalMarketer does not just teach email marketing. The company itself is living proof that email marketing works. Email is the Swiss Army Knife they use to sell their services and promote their different events. Case in point, using email marketing, they were able to promote their Traffic & Conversion event and gather up to 4,500 attendees in just eight years. That is because when it comes to crafting subject lines that get emails open, DigitalMarketer brings out the A-game. After analyzing a great deal of the emails the company sends, here are seven types of subject lines they use.1. Blind or Curiosity
![Example of a subject line using a blind or curiosity approach](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/blind-or-curisity-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
2. Direct or Benefit
![Example of a direct or benefit subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/diredct-or-benefit-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
3. Urgency or Scarcity
![Example of an urgency or scarcity subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/urgency-or-scarcity-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
4. Proof/Results or Credibility
![Example of a proof/results or credibility subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/proofcredibility-or-results-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
5. Self-Interest
![Example of a self-interest subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/self-interest-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
6. Question
![Example of a question subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/question-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
7. Authority
![Example of an authority subject line](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/authority-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
Bonus: Use Emojis In Your Subject Lines
Emojis are known for conveying fun in an email subject line. But that’s not all. Using emojis will help communicate essential emotion in your email subject line.![Example of a subject line using emojis](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/emoji-subject-line.jpeg?w=3840&q=75)
The 2 Types Of Copywriting Formulas To Boost Your Clickthrough And Conversion Rates
1. AIDA
Developed in 1898 by Elias St. Elmo Lewis, AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action, in that linear hierarchy. As seasoned marketers, DigitalMarketer copywriters use this formula to write email copy. Here is a sneak peek of how they use AIDA in each of their emails.![Example of AIDA formula](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/AIDA-example.png?w=3840&q=75)
- Attention: This step is all about getting the reader's attention and getting them to read on. In the above email, Ryan Deiss uses an open-ended question to grab the reader's attention. This question prompts you to learn more and read on to discover your "founder type.”
- Interest: At this stage, the focus is on the point of interest that keeps the reader reading. In the case of DigitalMarketer’s email, it is the diagram used to engage the reader. Not only does the diagram answer the question at the top, but it also provides very little information about the types of founders. As a result, the reader is prompted to read on before figuring it out.
- Desire: At this stage, an advantage or something is put forward that arouses desire and holds interest. As you can see, DigitalMarketer's email explains why it is essential (benefit) to know the "founder type" that you are.
- Action: Here, you encourage the reader to interact with the call to action and get closer to the desired prize or claim it. In our case, the reader is called to click on a link and participate in a faux survey.
2. PAS
PAS, which stands for Problem, Agitate, Solve, takes a similar approach to AIDA, only this approach is problem-driven. You identify the problem to hook the reader, agitate the problem and offer the solution. Here's how DigitalMarketer uses PAS to persuade readers to take action.![Example of PAS formula](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/PAS-formula-example.png?w=3840&q=75)
- Problem: At this point, you need to state the problem. In the email above, DigitalMarketer describes the problem of LinkedIn advertising. If you are part of their audience, reading it, you feel like they are listening to the conversation going on in your head. And that's a fast track to trusting them.
- Agitate: Here, it's all about stirring things up. In DigitalMarketer's email, as you can see, they make the conversation painful by making it more emotional. As you read it, you will feel the regret that you are not taking advantage of LinkedIn right now.
- Solve: At this point, you need to make it clear that it's not all black and white. And this is where you offer a solution. This is where Ryan Deiss pulls out the solution like a sleeve trick and paints it like the balm the reader has been looking for.
![2 powerful copywriting formulas](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/digitalmarketer-2.png?w=3840&q=75)
Bonus: Click triggers
AIDA and PAS are just two of the psychological tricks DigitalMarketer uses to make their email marketing successful. For example, they also use click triggers that do nothing but boost conversions. Here are some examples of click triggers that DigitalMarketer uses, and you can use them too.- Ask a benefit-centric question: How do we write high-converting follow-up emails?
- Link the evidence to the product: The machine increases conversion rates by 34%. See how here: [LINK]
- Show them their "new me": With The Machine, you'll know how to create an email marketing strategy that closes crazy deals.
- Storytelling: In our promotion of The Machine, Ryan Deiss tells the story of a time he made a huge mistake by failing to save money to pay a 6-figure tax bill.
The Segmentation Tactic That Keep Campaigns Successful
One of the elements that explain the success of DigitalMarketer's email marketing strategy is the way they segment their list. If you’ve been in marketing for at least 3 minutes, you know that not all subscribers are the same. And that, DigitalMarketer knows very well. That's why they are earnest about segmentation. Remember the email where Ryan Deiss asks readers to click on a link to find out what kind of founder they are?![Example of segmentation tactics](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/segmentation-tactics-1.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Segmentation survey DigitalMarketer](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/11/0df44395-ff6d-403c-846c-a5088d11df03_screely-1626777491737.png?w=3840&q=75)
![Example of a target email](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2021/09/target-emails-example.png?w=3840&q=75)
Recap
DigitalMarketer has used the above email marketing tactics to grow over the years and become one of the most successful companies that others can learn from. If you’ve ever wanted to make the most of email marketing, here are some things to remember:- Build an email list (and keep growing it).
- Make your subscribers love you right off the bat with a powerful onboarding sequence.
- Sort them into different segments based on their unique needs and specificity.
- Connect and build a relationship with them at a deeper level (like no other company does).
- Design excellent email copy they will love.
- Keep feeding them with valuable information and resources they enjoy.
- Whether they buy from you or not, make sure you keep the relationship alive.