The Hack - Email List Pre-Targeting

AARRR stage - Acquisition

Growth Problem - How to 'Warm Up' Your Email List

Haxplanation:

You have that nice long list of emails opt-in emails that you want to utilize for your growth hacking purposes. The email list may not even be an opt-in one and but we're certainly not here to judge… The point is that you want the emails sent to that list to have as high an engagement rate as possible. Easier said than done, especially if the list wasn't organically grown in the first place.

But there is a way to get yourself in the good books - or, in this case, inboxes - of your future email recipients. It involves what is known as email 'pre-targeting'. If you know what retargeting is then this is essentially the opposite of that. Read this comprehensive post on Moz.com if you need a refesher or introduction.

But retargeting is retroactive whereas growth hacking is all about embracing the future. So is pretargeting, which works by allowing you to get your branded ads in front of the email list before they receive the first piece of communication from you. This makes the ensuing email a lot less 'cold' and should increase your open rates.

Just Hack It:

1. There are a number of online ad platforms available for you to carry out your pretargeting campaigns on: Facebook, Twitter, Gmail Adwords and others.
2. They all have their own name for their retargeting service but the logic is similar - you upload a list of emails and ads are then served targeting those specific individuals:
   1. Facebook calls it 'Custom Audiences"
   2. Twitter calls it "Tailored Audiences"
3. Upload your email list following the instructions on Facebook or Twitter
4. Don't worry about having a CTA as the goal is to create familiarity with your brand. You're 'warming up' the list, remember?
5. Once you've successfully finished your campaign, then your subsequent email blast will be less likely to fall on deaf ears.
6. Sit back and enjoy the higher open and click-through rates. You've deserved them!

Source or Inspiration:

http://sixteenventures.com/saas-growth-hacking-email