FINAL WORD
campaigns , versus relatively small send volumes . Having this kind of information supports enhanced sophistication in your segmentation , targeting and personalization .
Leveraging competitive intelligence that proves their email campaigns are more sophisticated than yours can not only provide inspiration but may also create a compelling argument for more resources for your email team .
5 . How frequently their email campaigns touch each of their subscribers
This reflects competitive contact strategies . Too large a number creates retention risk , but too small a number suggests opportunities to enhance contact .
You can act on this with contact frequency testing and optimization . Segment your database and try different send times and frequencies for each group .
For example , do you get more engagement with emails once a day or three times per week ?
6 . Find out whether any of your competitors ’ deliverability and engagement rates are better than yours
Inboxing is strongly driven by message relevance and improved subscriber engagement . It also helps document the business / financial upside to inbox , audience and message optimization .
This intel can lead to important diagnostic / best practices audits on your own campaigns and help with program and audience planning to ensure you ’ re engaging the right people with the right message .
7 . How competitors ’ subject lines are structured
Subject lines can affect deliverability and they ’ re the most critical tactic in driving opens ( even if opens can ’ t always be accurately measured ).
This kind of information also reveals details of subject line deployment and practice ( e . g . wording , length , symbol use ) in relation to inbox performance and engagement . Test your own subject lines and offers based on these competitive insights . Don ’ t forget strategic preheader text , too !
8 . What other senders ’ audiences overlap with yours
This reveals which other emailers are competing with you for attention in your subscribers ’ inboxes – and for product sales .
John Landsman ,
Manager of Research and Analytics , SparkPost , a Messagebird company
The best of them will get better engagement . It also provides a profile of your email subscribers interests .
Calibrate your mailings to match ( or beat !) the quality and sophistication of competitive mailers . Leverage overlaps for new audience acquisition and engagement , as well as possible strategic partnerships .
These are powerful ways you can put competitive intelligence to work for you . Insights and actions supported by robust competitive intelligence have direct financial impact , including demonstrable lifts in inbox rates , open , click and conversion rates and average order value .
Companies that have and use robust email competitive intelligence can improve email revenue as much as three times . Think about the possible impact of those multiples if you monetize your email and don ’ t use competitive intelligence . p
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