Dude, the 1980s were totally wicked. We cried with John Hughes. We danced with Michael Jackson. And everything we did was stellar.
Break out the leg warmers, shoulder pads, slap bracelets, shredded t-shirts, neon and dive right into why your email marketing campaign needs to think a little more like an 80s pop song. We're taking advice from the best of the 80s: "Purple Rain" and "Sledgehammer" are tubular and "99 Red Balloons" are so, like, yesterday.
Your email marketing campaign will be hella rad.
Word.
1. Become a trend
School kids walked like Egyptians. Hordes of people donned makeup and tattered clothing, dancing to "Thriller." Everyone wanted 867-5309 as their phone number and Jenny as their girlfriend.
What 80s pop songs did better than any other decade was create a phenomenon. If you think about it, the 80s were one giant trending topic.
Use your email marketing campaign to start a sensation. Email is where you lay your groundwork, beginning a buzz.
Perhaps you have a new product on the horizon, why don't you produce a series of videos that are only available through your subscription?
2. Bring out a smile
Considered the greatest one-hit wonder, "Come on Eileen" never fails to make people happy.
The 80s predated the angst of the 90s. It was a time of excess, indulgence, freedom, and silliness. Virtually every pop song produced had that certain something that made people smile and giggle.
Don't take yourself so seriously. Don't take your email marketing campaign so seriously, either.
Chances are, your emails go out sometime in the middle of the workweek, too haggard, stressed and totally buggin' subscribers. In the sea of junk they have to wade through in their inboxes, your light little email will stand out, be remembered and acted upon.
3. We all need a little help from our friends
Run-DMC and Aerosmith.
Prince and Sheena Easton.
David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and every other huge pop star for "We Are The World."
Some of the most popular and successful songs out of the 80s were products of powerhouse duets, where major singers came together and created magic. Not only did they recognize what the power of coming together had, they also realized how much a duet would bring success to their own individual projects.
How does this translate into email marketing?
One word: Affiliates. Create partnerships that are beneficial across the board. By establishing affiliate relationships, you're driving new customers to your email sign up form and getting an added boost from your partner's reputation.
So, what happened to the 80s duets? Fans of Sheena Easton bought Prince tapes because of the duet.
Now go dig out your old records and mixed tapes and take a break from working on those email marketing campaigns. They will be there waiting for you after the music ends.
