I was at a bar last night when this drunk guy stumbled up next to me.
He looked at me with bloodshot eyes and slurred, “You know what sucks about business? Everyone’s doing the same damn thing.”
I nearly spit out my drink. The drunk dude was right.
Most people do email marketing like a desperate Tinder date. Same boring “just checking in” messages. Same “limited time offers.” Same corporate-speak that makes everyone’s eyes glaze over.
It’s why nobody responds to their emails. They’re swimming in what business nerds call the “Red Ocean” – bloody waters where everyone competes for the same customers.
But there’s a better way.
I call it Blue Ocean Email Strategy. It’s where you do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. If they’re formal, you’re casual. If they’re boring, you’re entertaining.
Here’s a story…
Last year I had this client who sold fitness programs. His emails looked exactly like his competitors – professional, sterile, and forgettable.
I told him to scrap everything and write about the time he farted loudly during a yoga class. He thought I was insane.
That email got 3x his normal opens and made $7,400 in a single day.
Why? Because nobody else was telling fart stories in their marketing. He created his own category.
The trick is simple: Tell stories that hook people’s attention. Position your offers differently than everyone else. Write like you’re talking to a friend.
People will remember you when your emails feel different. And when they remember you, they buy from you.
That drunk guy at the bar? Turns out he was a marketing professor. Sometimes wisdom comes from unexpected places.
Talk soon,
Daniel “blue ocean not red ocean” Matievich