Tijana Jovic - Five Element

Triple Your Email Campaign Results: Master A/B Testing

by Tijana Jovic | Jun 27, 2024 | Cold Outreach

Cold email campaigns can be a powerful tool for generating consistent appointments and driving business growth. However, transforming an underperforming campaign into a successful campaign requires a strategic approach.

This article is divided into three parts:

The 3 Levels of A/B Testing
How to Analyze Your Stats
Practical Examples for Conducting Effective Testing

Three Levels of Testing

Not all tests are created equal. There are three crucial levels of testing, each varying in the potential impact they can have on your campaign’s success. We recommend starting with Level 3, before moving on to Levels 2 and 1, to maximize your campaign’s effectiveness.

Level 3: Potential to Increase Campaign Results by 100% to 400%

At this stage, you’re testing fundamental aspects of your campaign.

Market: Evaluate your industry and country.
Offer: Assess what you offer. Is it something people want or need? How is the offer positioned within the market?
Sophistication: How mature is the market? See below the 5 levels of sophistication.
Awareness: Understand your target audience’s awareness of the problem and the solution you offer.

Level 2: Potential to Increase Campaign Results by 30% to 100%

At this intermediate level, you refine your campaign by addressing the following:

Case Study: Use relevant case studies for credibility.
First Line: Does it capture attention and create interest?
Targeting: Determine company size and job titles in your audience.
Strategy: Personalized Loom, AI-generated copy, direct call requests, etc.
Lead Source: Identify lead sources like Apollo, Store Leads, Crunch Base, etc.

Level 1: Potential to Increase Campaign Results by 10% to 20%

The final level of testing involves fine-tuning the following elements:

CTA: Review the effectiveness of your CTA. Is it compelling enough to prompt action?
P.S. Line: Make sure your P.S. line reinforces your message and provides additional incentive for the reader to take action.
Follow-ups: Follow-up process. Is it timely and engaging? Does it effectively reinforce your initial message?

How to Analyze Your Stats

Volume before Analysis: Ensure you have a significant sample size before analyzing your results. Contact at least 300 leads per test to gather meaningful data.

To measure the success of your A/B testing, focus on two key metrics:

Positive Reply Rate: The percentage of leads who respond positively to your campaign.
Appointment Booking Rate: The percentage of leads who book an appointment after the initial contact.

Analyzing cold email data is more straightforward compared to platforms like Facebook Ads, where numerous metrics are available for analysis. Here, we focus on these two primary metrics, which simplifies the data analysis process but can also complicate optimization.

With fewer metrics, pinpointing the exact changes needed for improvement can be more challenging.

In conclusion, optimizing your cold email campaign requires a strategic approach through structured A/B testing. Start with high-impact Level 3 tests to assess your market, offer, sophistication, and audience awareness. Progress to Level 2 to refine your case studies, engagement lines, targeting, and lead sources. Finally, fine-tune Level 1 elements like your CTA, P.S. lines, and follow-up processes.

Focus on key metrics like positive reply rates and appointment booking rates, ensuring a substantial sample size for meaningful analysis. By following these steps, you can transform your campaign’s performance and drive business growth.

Happy emailing!

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If you have any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help you achieve your goals and transform your outreach efforts. You can book a call using this link – Book a Call

Education Business: 7 Steps to Create Your Irresistible Offer

by Tijana Jovic | Jun 21, 2024 | Marketing

Do you want to make your educational products or services stand out? This blog post will guide you on how to create compelling offers that drive success for your education business. Whether you’re a course creator, an educational institution, or a training provider, the insights in this article will help you craft offers that your audience can’t resist.

Types of Offers

Five main types of offers appeal to people or businesses. However, for education businesses, three types stand out:

Save Time: For example, an LMS can streamline course management processes, freeing up valuable time for educators to focus on teaching and student engagement.
Save Money: Offering an affordable subscription model for online courses can significantly reduce costs compared to traditional in-person classes.
Improve Outcomes: A tutoring program that enhances student performance can directly impact graduation rates and overall academic success.

In the context of education, most products or services can highlight their value proposition across these three areas. So, think about how your educational offer can help institutions save time, save money, or improve outcomes.

Understand Prospect’s Awareness and Needs

Before creating your offer, it’s important to understand your prospect’s awareness and needs. This falls into two main categories: Demand Capture and Demand Generation.

Demand Capture:

Example: LMS solutions like Moodle that centralize learning resources. These platforms are essential for schools that need consistent and scalable learning solutions but might not realize their full potential until they see the time and cost savings.

Demand Generation:

Example: New educational technologies such as AI-driven tutoring systems. These can generate significant interest by offering innovative and personalized learning experiences, even if schools aren’t actively seeking them.

Consider the market awareness of your offer. Are you entering a competitive space with high awareness, like general LMS platforms, or are you introducing something new and exciting that requires more education and convincing?

Crafting the Perfect Offer

Let’s look at some practical examples of offers within these frameworks:

Low Awareness – Demand Capture:

Example: Advanced AI-driven adaptive learning platforms.
Strategy: Highlight unique benefits and educate the market on how these platforms can tailor learning experiences to individual student needs.

High Awareness – Demand Capture:

Example: General LMS platforms like Canvas.
Strategy: Differentiate by offering unique value propositions, such as enhanced data analytics or superior customer support.

Low Awareness – Demand Generation:

Example: Gamified learning modules.
Strategy: Use extensive documentation, case studies, and social proof to demonstrate the engagement and effectiveness of gamified learning.

High Awareness – Demand Generation:

Example: Comprehensive subscription-based e-learning libraries.
Strategy: Focus on strong personalization and compelling case studies to show how these libraries can meet diverse educational needs.

Step 1: Define Your Audience

Identify who your ideal customers are. Understand their pain points, desires, and the specific outcomes they are looking to achieve through your educational solution.

Example:

Target Audience: School administrators.
Pain Point: Need for efficient, scalable learning management systems.
Desire: Easily trackable progress and outcomes.

For instance, a school administrator might be looking for a scalable solution that can track student progress efficiently. Understanding this helps you tailor your offer to meet their specific needs.

Step 2: Identify Core Content and Benefits

Determine the key benefits your educational platform provides and align them with the needs of your audience.

Example:

Core Content: STEM education modules.
Benefit: Enhanced student engagement and improved STEM skills.

For an e-learning platform offering STEM education, highlight benefits like increased student engagement and enhanced STEM skills.

Step 3: Combine an Attractive Solution with a Desirable Proposition

Your offer should clearly articulate the solution your educational platform provides and present it in a compelling way.

Example:

Offer: a 30-day free trial of your LMS with a money-back guarantee.
Proposition: Try our LMS free for 30 days with a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.

Combine a free trial with a money-back guarantee to reduce perceived risk and increase appeal.

Step 4: Show Clear and Immediate Benefits

Focus on the immediate and long-term benefits your educational platform provides.

Example:

Immediate Benefit: Quick onboarding process.
Long-term Benefit: Continuous improvement in student learning outcomes.

Highlight both the quick wins, like an easy onboarding process, and long-term benefits, such as continuous improvement in student learning outcomes.

Step 5: Provide a Guarantee

Include a strong guarantee to reduce risk for your potential customers.

Example:

Guarantee: We guarantee a 20% improvement in student performance within the first semester or your money back.

A strong guarantee, such as promising a significant improvement in student performance, can make your offer more compelling.

Step 6: Promote Fast Results

Offer quick wins to keep your customers engaged from the start.

Example:

Quick Win: Immediate access to a quick-start guide or an introductory webinar.

Provide immediate resources like a quick-start guide or an introductory webinar to help users get started quickly and see immediate value.

Step 7: Update Your Offer as the Market Evolves

Stay current with market trends and continuously adapt your offers.

Example:

Update: Integrate the latest AI technology to personalize learning experiences.

Regularly update your educational platform to incorporate the latest technologies, like AI for personalized learning experiences, ensuring your offer remains relevant.

Creating compelling offers for your education business is essential to stand out in a competitive market. Focus on saving time, saving money, and improving outcomes to highlight your unique value. Understand your prospects’ awareness and needs, define your audience, and identify core benefits to craft an attractive proposition.

Show clear and immediate benefits, provide a strong guarantee, and promote fast results to keep customers engaged. Stay current with market trends to keep your offers relevant and innovative. By following these steps, you can create offers that resonate with your audience and drive success for your education business.

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Unlock Growth in the Education Sector: Master Market Awareness and Sophistication

by Tijana Jovic | Jun 19, 2024 | Marketing

Understanding market awareness and market sophistication is essential for successfully engaging potential clients. By knowing where the market stands, you can better tailor your marketing strategies and approach to resonate effectively and meet the specific needs and expectations of your audience.

This guide is divided into 5 parts:

Market Awareness
Market Sophistication
5 Steps of Market Awareness
5 Steps of Market Sophistication
Market Awareness and Sophistication in the Education Sector

Market Awareness

Market awareness refers to how well consumers know about a service, its features, and its benefits. It is about the level of familiarity and recognition a service has among potential customers.

Key Points:

- Recognition: How easily consumers can identify the service.
- Understanding: How well consumers understand what the service offers.
- Exposure: The extent to which consumers have been exposed to marketing and information about the service.

Focus: Building awareness involves educating the market, increasing visibility, and ensuring that consumers know what the service is and what it can do for them.

Market Sophistication

Market sophistication refers to the maturity and development stage of the market concerning a service. It involves how knowledgeable and demanding consumers are, how many competitors are in the market, and the level of innovation present.

Key Points:

- Consumer Knowledge: How well-informed and experienced consumers are with the type of service.
- Market Competition: The number and quality of competitors in the market.
- Consumer Expectations: How high the consumers’ expectations are in terms of service quality, features, and overall experience.

Focus: Addressing market sophistication involves continuously innovating, differentiating the service from competitors, and meeting or exceeding the increasingly complex demands of well-informed consumers.

To conclude:

Market Sophistication: How demanding and knowledgeable the consumer is about your service and its competitors.
Market Awareness: How aware the consumer is about your service.

5 Stages of Market Awareness

Stage 1: Unaware

Characteristics: The market does not know the service. Potential business clients are unaware of the service’s existence and its potential benefits.
Example: B2B fitness subscription service. Focusing on broad advertising to inform businesses about its existence, the convenience of virtual fitness classes, and the potential benefits such as enhancing employee wellness and productivity.

Stage 2: Aware

- Characteristics: The market is aware of the service, but has a limited understanding of its benefits. Businesses know about the service, but may not fully grasp how it can benefit them.
- Example: Highlighting key benefits such as increased employee productivity, reduced healthcare costs, and improved overall well-being. The campaign also showcases the convenience of virtual fitness classes that can be accessed anytime, making it easy for employees to incorporate fitness into their daily routines.

Stage 3: Interested

- Characteristics: The market has a basic understanding and shows interest in the service. Companies are curious and want to learn more about how the service can meet their specific needs.
- Example: Offering free trial memberships and showcasing success stories to build interest in the fitness subscription service, demonstrating how it can improve employee wellness and engagement through testimonials and case studies.

Stage 4: Considering

- Characteristics: The market is seriously considering using the service. Businesses are evaluating different options, comparing features, pricing, and potential ROI.
- Example: Highlighting the fitness subscription service’s competitive pricing, unique features like personalized training plans, and providing detailed ROI projections to encourage sign-ups, along with special offers to make the decision easier.

Stage 5: Experienced

Characteristics: The market has used the service and formed opinions. Companies have adopted the service and have experienced its benefits firsthand. They are now considering long-term use and potential expansion.
Example: Regularly engaging with businesses that use the fitness subscription service by offering loyalty rewards, personalized content, and encouraging user reviews to build a strong community and retain customers. Providing continuous updates and improvements based on user feedback to maintain engagement and satisfaction.

5 Stages of Market Sophistication

Stage 1: The Market is Unfamiliar

Characteristics: The market is entirely new, and businesses do not know the service. Businesses are not yet aware of the potential benefits and applications of the service.

Stage 2: The Market is Familiar with the Service

- Characteristics: The market is aware of the service and its benefits, with few competitors present. Businesses understand the basic benefits but may not be fully convinced of its superiority.

Stage 3: The Market is Competitive

- Characteristics: Many competitors have entered the market. Businesses are becoming skeptical and more discerning. They start to look for unique features or additional value that differentiates one service from another.

Stage 4: The Market is Highly Sophisticated and SaturatedS

- Characteristics: The market is highly saturated, and businesses are well aware of all the services and their claims. Companies have high expectations and are looking for exceptional quality, customization, and measurable ROI.

Stage 5: The Market is Extremely Sophisticated and Cynical

Characteristics: The market is saturated, and businesses are cynical about marketing claims. They demand authenticity, measurable results, and a strong emotional connection.

Market Awareness

In the B2B education sector, market awareness typically falls into Stage 3: Interested to Stage 4: Considering.

Stage 3: Interested

- Characteristics: Companies are not only aware of your e-learning or corporate training services but are also actively interested in exploring these options. They seek detailed information, case studies, and customer testimonials to understand the benefits and potential ROI.
- Implication: Engagement through demos, free trials, and informative content is crucial to convert interest into consideration.

Stage 4: Considering

- Characteristics: Companies are seriously evaluating various services similar to yours. They compare value propositions, pricing, special offers, and comprehensive support services to make informed decisions.
- Implication: They look for strong evidence of success, such as detailed ROI projections and success stories from similar-sized businesses.

Market Sophistication

In the B2B education sector, market sophistication typically falls between Stage 3: Competitive and Stage 4: Highly Sophisticated and Saturated.

Stage 3: Competitive

- Characteristics: Many companies are already aware of your services and are using them to some extent. These businesses have become selective, looking for features that specifically fit their needs, such as customization and scalability.
- Implication: Competition among service providers is robust, with many offering similar core services, necessitating differentiation through unique features or better user experience.

Stage 4: Highly Sophisticated and Saturated

- Characteristics: The market is highly saturated with various e-learning/training providers. Companies have high expectations regarding service quality, customization, and measurable ROI.
- Implication: Differentiation becomes crucial, with businesses looking for advanced features, exceptional customer support, and services that offer clear competitive advantages.

Overall Market Standing

The market for B2B education services is mature but still open to innovation and differentiation. Businesses are generally knowledgeable about the available options and have specific expectations from service providers. They demand high-quality, customizable, and efficient solutions that can provide clear benefits and justify the investment.

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Scale Your Corporate Training Business: Contact 5,000 Companies Monthly

by Tijana Jovic | Jun 17, 2024 | Cold Outreach

When it comes to contacting a large number of leads, having the right infrastructure is just as crucial as the email copy, target audience, and your offer. Without a robust infrastructure, you risk either not being able to send enough emails or ending up in the spam folder after just a few weeks of your campaign.

One of the biggest mistakes companies make is using their primary domain for cold emailing. This is risky because it can lead to the domain being blacklisted, which could cause emails to end up in the SPAM folders of team members or clients. To avoid this risk, we need to buy new domains based on the volume of emails we plan to send.

The setup process will be divided into four parts:

Domain creation
Email account creation
DNS setup
Smartlead setup (email sending software)

Domain Creation

For this example, we want to contact 5,000 new leads every month (250 per day). To achieve this, we will purchase 12 domains similar to our main domain and create 3 email addresses under each domain, resulting in a total of 36 email addresses.

It’s crucial to only buy ‘.com’ domains, as these have the best deliverability and are trusted internationally. The easiest place to buy these domains is Cloudflare.

If your primary domain is companybusiness.com, consider purchasing domains like:

- company-business.com
- getcompanybusiness.com
- trycompanybusiness.com
- gocompanybusiness.com
- meet-companybusiness.com

Other prefix and suffix ideas include:

Email Account Creation

Next, we need to create email accounts using Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Business accounts. We advise splitting the domains between these two providers to enhance deliverability, as emails sent from Google Workspace are more likely to land in Gmail inboxes, and emails from Microsoft 365 are more likely to land in Outlook inboxes (instead of the SPAM folders).

The email-sending software we will be using can recognize the email provider (Google, Microsoft, or others) of the recipient before sending. This allows the software to prioritize sending from a corresponding provider, improving the chances of landing in the inbox.

You can create your accounts using the links below:

Google Workspace

Microsoft 365 Business

The setup process for these accounts is well-documented, and there are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube. Given that this step is time-consuming, it might be best to outsource it. Once the accounts are created, proceed to set up the DNS for your domains.

You can also use resellers so you don’t need to do everything manually. (Feel free to email us, and we will share some resellers with you.

DNS Setup

The following DNS setup is for Google Workspace only. If you are using Microsoft 365 or another email provider, the setup will be slightly different. The final setup will look like the screenshot below, but we will configure each step together.

Your DNS settings should be configured as follows:

1. Tracking Domain

Type: CNAME
Name: track
Content: open.sleadtrack.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Explanation: This sets up a tracking domain for your email-sending software to monitor opens and clicks.

2. CNAME for WWW

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Content: yourdomain.com
Proxy status: Proxied
Explanation: This ensures that www.yourdomain.com redirects to yourdomain.com.

3. Mail Exchange Record 1

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Priority: 10

4. Mail Exchange Record 2

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Priority: 10

5. Mail Exchange Record 3

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Priority: 5

6. Mail Exchange Record 4

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Priority: 5

7. Primary Mail Exchange Record

Type: MX
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: aspmx.l.google.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Priority: 1

8. DMARC Record

Type: TXT
Name: _dmarc
Content: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:yourname@yourdomain.com
Proxy status: DNS only
Explanation: This sets up DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to manage email authentication policies and receive reports. Replace yourname@yourdomain.com with an email address you own for receiving DMARC reports.

9. SPF Record

Type: TXT
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
Proxy status: DNS only
Explanation: This is an SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record that allows Google servers to send emails on behalf of your domain.

10. Google Site Verification

Type: TXT
Name: yourdomain.com
Content: google-site-verification=(your verification code)
Proxy status: DNS only
Explanation: This is a Google site verification record used to verify domain ownership for Google services. When you created your Google Workspace, this was one of the steps. Google guided you through this, so it should already be set up.

11. DKIM Record

Type: TXT
Name: google._domainkey
Content: v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=(your DKIM key)
Proxy status: DNS onlyExplanation: This is a DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) record that adds a digital signature to your emails to verify that they haven’t been altered.
In your Google Admin, type DKIM in the search bar and click on the first result: ‘DKIM authentication’. Add the record that is shown and click on Start Authentication.

Smartlead Setup

Create an Account. Sign up for Smartlead and add your 36 email addresses. They provide guides on how to do this in bulk, but you can also add them one by one. If you’re using a reseller, he will do it for you.

Configure your Email Addresses. Select all your email addresses and click on ‘Bulk Update’. Configure the following settings:

General Settings:

Warm Up:

Your email addresses are now warming up. We recommend not sending any emails other than the warm-up emails for 2 weeks. After this period, keep the warm-up activated.

NOTE: We aim to contact 10 new leads per day per email address. To reach 250 new leads per day, you will need to include 25 inboxes in the campaign. In our example, we created 36 inboxes because we always keep 30% of the inboxes in warm-up mode. We rotate every 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks, the inboxes that were in warm-up will be added to the campaign, and we will disconnect 30% of the currently active inboxes, preferably those with decreased reputations.

Happy emailing!😊

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5 Steps to Build a High-Quality Email List for Education Businesses

by Tijana Jovic | Jun 17, 2024 | Cold Outreach

List building is arguably the most critical part of the process.

You can have the best offer, the most compelling copy, and perfect deliverability, but if you’re not targeting the right prospects, you won’t achieve meaningful results. Here’s how to ensure you’re contacting the right people.

The list-building process will be divided into 5 parts:

Identify your target audience
Segment your leads
Source your leads
Verify your emails
Waterfall enrichment

Identify your target audience

Begin by defining who you want to contact. Create a detailed profile of your ideal prospects using the following criteria:

Industry: Which sectors are you targeting?
Keywords: What terms best describe their business?
Company Size: What is the size of the companies you are targeting?
Location: Where are these companies located?
Job Title: Which roles within these companies are you aiming to reach?
Technology: Are there specific technologies they use that would qualify them as leads

Segment your leads

Different segments of your audience have different needs and pain points. By segmenting your leads, you can address these specific needs more accurately. Segmenting your leads involves categorizing your leads based on specific criteria to tailor your outreach efforts more effectively. This allows you to create more personalized and relevant messages for each segment, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Segmentation Criteria:

Industry: Different industries face unique challenges and have specific needs. Create tailored messages that address the particular pain points and benefits relevant to each industry using the same product or service.

Example Message:

For Healthcare: “Hi {{first_name}}, our data analytics software helps healthcare providers improve patient outcomes by offering real-time insights and predictive analytics.”
For Finance: “Hi {{first_name}}, our data analytics software helps financial institutions enhance risk management and optimize investment strategies with advanced data insights.”

Company Size: The size of a company often dictates its resources, decision-making processes, and pain points. Tailor your messaging to reflect the scale of your solution, whether it’s for SMBs or large enterprises.

Example Message:

For Small Businesses: “Hi {{first_name}}, our tool is perfect for small businesses looking to streamline their operations and reduce costs.”
For Large Enterprises: “Hi {{first_name}}, our enterprise solution is designed to handle the complex needs of large organizations, ensuring scalability and efficiency.”

Location: Geographic location affects language preferences, cultural nuances, and time zones. Adjust your campaigns to match the language and optimal sending times for different regions. For example, you might need separate campaigns for the UK and the USA to ensure emails are sent at appropriate times for each timezone.

Job Title: Different roles within a company have varying responsibilities and concerns. Customize your messaging to address the specific priorities and pain points of different job titles.

Example Message:

For CEOs: “Hi {{first_name}}, our software provides comprehensive analytics that can drive strategic decisions and enhance overall business performance.”
For Sales Heads: “Hi {{first_name}}, our software improves sales team productivity by automating lead management and providing real-time performance insights.”

Source your leads

Once you have a clear profile, the next step is to identify the right tools to source these leads. We’ve compiled a document with over 50 tools that can assist in this process. There are 50+ tools depending on what you’re looking for.

Some tools have a good database specifically for e-commerce stores, others for SaaS companies, local businesses, agencies, leads that are on Instagram or Twitter, companies that are raising funds, or those using certain types of technologies, etc. But in 90% of cases, Apollo is the best option for sourcing leads.

Although the specific steps to source leads are straightforward and can be found in numerous YouTube tutorials, here’s a brief overview of the key information you need to export:

First Name
Last Name
Company Name
Website
Email
LinkedIn Profile
Company Size
Industry

Verify your emails

Most leads you export will have their email status marked as either verified or unavailable. Here’s how to handle each scenario:

Verified Emails: Even if an email is marked as verified, we recommend an additional layer of verification using tools like Debounce. You can also use any other tool under the category CLEAN LEADS in the document presented earlier. This extra step ensures higher accuracy.
You’ll get three types of results:
– Verified (Safe to Send)
– Invalid
– Catch-All
Contact leads with Verified emails directly.
Remove Invalid emails as they will bounce and harm your deliverability.
For Catch-All emails, use another verification tool like Verify Magically or Scrubby

Unavailable Emails:

Waterfall enrichment

Waterfall enrichment involves using multiple vendors to maximize lead enrichment. This can be time-consuming if done manually, so we recommend tools like BetterContact or Clay that automate this process.

BetterContact: Easier to use for those new to waterfall enrichment.
Clay: More advanced

Building a high-quality email list is a crucial step for education businesses to effectively reach their target audience and achieve meaningful results. By identifying your target audience, segmenting your leads, sourcing reliable leads, verifying emails, and utilizing waterfall enrichment, you can ensure that your outreach efforts are precise and impactful.

Each step of this process enhances the quality of your list, allowing for more personalized and relevant communication that drives engagement and conversion. Implementing these strategies will position your education business for success, fostering stronger connections with the right prospects and ultimately achieving your marketing goals.

Happy emailing!😊
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