As a marketer, you know you need to keep an eye on the competition at all times. You can’t be the best at what you do if you can’t beat the other guys, and you can’t beat them if you don’t know what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. This is where competitor research comes into play. Before you post a blog or send out an email blast, you should know what your competitors are telling people so you can be one step ahead of them when you send out your content.
Specifically, when it comes to email, you can give yourself a competitive advantage if you’re sending information that’s more valuable than they are. But, how do you know what you’re up against if you’re not on the inside of your competitors’ marketing meetings? Let’s explore.
What You’ll Learn from an Email Competitor Analysis
When you know what your competitors’ emails look like, you’ll be able to compare your content and see where you have opportunities to do better. For instance:
- Do your email templates look up to date, or do they look like they could use a revamp?
- Are you sending fresh content each time you send an email, or are you mostly recycling the same information over and over again?
- Is your content more interesting and varied than that of your competitors?
- What kinds of calls-to-action is the competition using, and how can you alter yours to be more effective?
- What kind of inbox opportunities might you find by seeing what they are doing in terms of frequency, send-time strategies, promotions, and discounts?
How to Conduct a Successful Email Competitor Analysis
It might look like a lot of work to keep an eye on your competitors, but it’s not as bad as it appears. Plus, every bit of effort you put into your competitor analysis is an opportunity to improve your digital marketing strategies. A little time upfront can yield huge results once your email blasts go out into the world.
1. Subscribe to Your Competitors’ Emails
Sign up for the email programs you want to track so you can see exactly what your competitors’ emails look like in the flesh. Of course, if you’re not getting your own company’s emails, make sure you sign up for those messages, too. This way you can compare and contrast the differences between your brand’s presentation versus the other businesses.
2. Track the Content You Receive
What are you seeing in these emails? Are they filled with animation and dynamic content? Are they ultra-personalized? What days and times are you receiving these emails? You can track all of this information in a spreadsheet that will eventually enable you to see the whole picture from a more detailed perspective.
3. Use SWOT to Guide Campaign Planning
Once you’re armed with the aforementioned information, you can use SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to guide your strategic decision making in the future. Proactivity recording what works for you and what isn’t doing as well with competitors can lead to better planning of how you need to move your business forward and pivot.
4. Record Your Findings
Record your results in a comprehensive report, including email screenshots and trend graphs when possible. This will allow you to keep your findings organized and provides a space to reflect back on information.
Let the Experts at ZGM Analyze Your Competitors
When it comes to email marketing and competitor analysis, nobody does it better than an agency that’s experienced in all things digital marketing. Our team at Zero Gravity Marketing will be happy to help you understand what your competitors are doing so your emails are as valuable as possible to your audience. Let’s chat about your goals today!
