Why Email Marketing is Speed Dating in Disguise

In today’s business climate, where efficiency is marked by speed of service, no business can afford to be lax in their marketing campaign. This is especially true when it comes to that initial pitch. From business deals, to dating culture, society has a high-turnover rate. Welcome to speed dating. In a typical session, you’ll have no more than 5 minutes to meet your prospective partner, make an initial pitch (you, being the product), and determine whether there is a potential for a future relationship. Should the first encounter be successful, you have a exponentially greater chance of forming a lasting relationship. Let the clock begin, your time starts now.


Think of your buyer persona as your ideal date partner. If your initial contact is positive for both you and your ideal persona, congrats, you’ve hooked them. This stage is arguably the most important — the initial impression your audience garners from your campaign will determine whether or not they will choose to take the next step in investing in your partnership, via the call to action. But before we divulge what makes a good email marketing campaign, let’s consider the bad. This entails mail that we all know as “spam,” where the sender sends a tackless barrage of “deals,” jumping headfirst into the offer. A common trend among the tactless email marketers. Like dating, not everyone wants to know all all about their partner’s “package,” upon first meeting. The product’s remarkability means nothing if the seller presenting it does so without tact. Bribes or enticements are rarely effective. This is not because the deal isn’t enticing; your sales pitch may in fact be a valuable investment. However, you would be lacking the key component that makes all relationships or partnerships lasting: personalisation. 

The Pitch 

In just a few moments after meeting someone, firms impressions are formed. This is why speed dating is rather ruthless, but effective: within those first few moments a partner decides whether or not their date is worth their time. If they’re not, they have an easy out. No contract, or obligation to invest their time past these select few minutes is required. Once this initial impression is formed, it’s nearly impossible to change the individuals mind. This is why in dating, and in business culture, your pitch must be solid.

 No business can offer a one-size-fits-all solution to meet a customer’s need. Prompting individual clients with a deals on a specific service for that client’s birthday, for example, is an ideal case where email marketing is utilised effectively. Partnerships are formed by reciprocating desires of the individual in question. Take time to determine who your buyer persona is, and sculpt your email marketing pitch to reflect this. When done correctly, email marketing should aim to keep clients informed. The ease of becoming informed is a major deal breaker for your audience. If an individual is prompted with an interesting campaign that leads them down an endless series of pages before prompting them with a sales page, that individual will most likely choose to curtail their time with you. To avoid such blunders, your campaign should take on a simpler approach: directly stating what it can offer, and how this offer benefits the individual in question. No one likes to waste their time.

 This is why greatest draw of email marketing is the ease of sale — for you, and for your target buyer. Let’s jump back to the speed dating table: why are all these eager individuals here? Could it perhaps be that they like cheap wine and a dab of single desperation accompanied with their main course? No.  They’re here because they value their TIME. Speed dating, like email marketing, is an easy and effective way to make connections, and eliminate the unpromising ones. Similarly, email marketing is so attractive to companies because they can take advantage of the low cost and easiness of setting up an email campaign. On the buyer’s end, email marketing remains one of the most favorable marketing approaches. Why? Because all of the leg work is fully taken on buy the seller contacting them; all they have to do is choose to follow through after the initial pitch. More than half of emails are opened on mobile devices, creating an outlet for instant accessibility, or sales on-the-go. This is why, despite social media storming the internet, email marketing remains the most advantageous form of marketing.

The Follow Up 

So you’ve managed to entice your partner enough to consider a second date. Congrats, the hard part is over. Well, more or less so. Every weathered speed dater will know that the exit strategy is a close second in importance to the initial impact. This is especially true when closing your email campaign. Let’s say that you were able to generate an email that caters to your ideal buyer persona, and offers the solution or item of intrigue to fulfill their needs. Evidently, you’ve done so well, because that individual has chosen to invest in your idea or product via a subscription, or actual purchase. Your follow up email should be equally enticing in order to form a lasting, and, of course, lucrative relationship. Remember, simplicity is key. Begin the email thanking the buyer for their purchase, leveraging the quality of the product that was purchased. This assures the buyer that they have indeed made the right decision.

Yet, such a simple thank you may come across as generic, or rather impersonal. In speed dating complimenting your date is the final stamp that seals the deal and ensures that the relationship will continue, at least for a second date. People like to feel good about themselves, as if they’ve made a contribution to the world. This is why many successful email marketing campaigns specifically note how that buyer has succeeded. Take the campaign for Charity: Water. After investing in their item, the buyer is provided a follow up email that relays how that buyer has helped a specific individual suffering from Water Scarcity. The copy of the email provides the buyer with a “Progress Update” with actual statistics that have proven that there investment has made a difference. This email was so successful because it was able to tell the organization’s story while promoting the vision of the company. Talk to anyone; the highest level of gratification comes from purchases that boost the ego. This is the outlet through which charities derive their marketing success. So, be sure to commend the buyers character by showing them actual proof of how their purchase has made a difference. 

Remember, no matter how tempting your offer is, no one is willing to invest on a mediocre pitch. With these simple rules, you’ll be more than prepared to form engaging and effective email campaigns. And, admittedly, you’ll also be far more likely to be the shining candidate in a speed dating session. Just an added bonus for the savvy email marketer.