The document discusses the difference between marketing gimmicks and strategies. Gimmicks are novel tactics designed to attract attention in the short term but lose their effectiveness over time. A strategy is a systematic plan involving multiple coordinated tactics to achieve long-term objectives. The document provides an example of a marketing agency that used a strategic multi-step email campaign, involving personalization, timing optimization and other tactics, to achieve a 15% response rate on a cold list.

1. IS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY
JUST A BAG OF GIMMICKS?

2. AboutAboutAbout
Beachhead
Contact us
www.beachhead.io
email: steven@beachhead.io
• A marketing agency founded to help B2B marketers adapt to
the changing world of marketing technology.
• Learn more at www.beachhead.io

3. Are subject lines the key to boost
email campaigns?

5. Our email campaign accomplished
a 15% reply rate on a cold list
with Strategy

6. Let’s look at the differences
Gimmicks - Tactics - Strategies

7. Tactics
Actions you
take to
achieve an
end

8. Gimmicks
Novel
tactics
designed to
attract
attention

9. • No one uses this subject line
• It promises a slim chance that Obama is
personally emailing you
“Hey” subject line is a gimmick

10. Gimmicks are limited
“Eventually the
novelty wore
off, and we had
to go back and
retest”,
(Showalter, Obama’s
director of digital
analytics)

11. Gimmicks are limited
A generic content eliminates the
temporary goodwill of gimmicks

12. Strategy: a system of tactics
Tactic Objective
Design campaign for short term objective Optimize for fundraising
Email frequently (endlessly) Maintain awareness
Test 18 variations of each email Find the most efficient version
Send winning email version to entire list Maximize results
Segment content for mobile devices Improve responses
Adopt familiar tone in emails Look like Obama’s actually writing
Write gimmicky subject lines Utilize the novelty effect
Obama’s campaign strategy was a combination of
all these tactics:

13. Simple version:
Two tactics + synergistic manner = Strategy update
Examples:
A strategy need not be complex
Tactic Strategy Update
Send a regular newsletter email to
database
Send a newsletter email to database
every full moon to build expectation
and habit
Send a webinar offer email to all new
prospects
Designing a four-step drip email
program to educate prospects based
on their needs

14. Our strategy
to achieve a 15% reply rate
on a cold list

15. Our strategy
1. Analyze competitors’
emails
2. Profile accounts for deep
personalization
3. Subject line nearly
requiring an open

16. 4. “From” line indicating a
peer level relationship
5. Short, text-only email
6. Copy borrowed from
prospect’s words
Our strategy

17. 8. One specific request in
email requiring a reply
9. Email opens tracked using
Yesware
Our strategy
7. Dynamic content in subject
line and email copy

18. 10. Emails sent one at a time
11. Emails sent at an
optimized time
12. Follow up bounces with
emails to other accounts
Our strategy

19. Focus on Strategy, not Gimmicks

20. Contact us
www.beachhead.io
email: steven@beachhead.io
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21. THANK YOU
If you have any
question
THANK YOU
If you have any questions
Contact Us
www.beachhead.io
email: steven@beachhead.io