I’ve recently been reading Daniel Priestley’s book called Oversubscribed.
Inside, he talks about why some brands have customers “fighting” to buy from them, while others struggle to stay afloat.
I’m only about halfway through, and I can already say it’s an amazing book.
One of Daniel’s views really stood out to me:
Oversubscribed brands set their own rules.
Successful brands don’t play the game everyone else is playing.
They don’t exist to serve everybody.
They exist to serve a specific group of people.
That’s exactly what makes them so damn attractive.
If a prospect comes to them saying, “You’re too expensive,” they don’t start backpedaling.
Quite the contrary, they’re happy to tell them “no” and refer them to another brand.
Why is that?
Because they know there are people out there who are perfectly fine with paying a premium for the unique value that they’re offering.
And the truth is…
You can’t build a successful e-commerce business these days without knowing and communicating your unique selling proposition (USP).
That sounds obvious. I know.
Well, I have an exercise for you that will challenge you to communicate your USP.
It’s called a Us vs Them email campaign.
Today, we’re breaking down one of these emails from Blackwing Organic Meats.
This email was sent to me by copywriter Alin “El Copy Goat” Dragu.
Yup…that’s right.
Buckle up and get ready for some killer direct response copy.
Before we get into it, just in case you’re new here:
What is Emails That Sell?
Each week, I break down an email from a DTC e-commerce brand. Some of these brands are absolutely killing it when it comes to email marketing.
My goal with this series is to challenge conventional email marketing. Expect to learn different copywriting techniques, sales psychology, and consumer behavior. Anything that helps you move away from hard-selling discount campaigns and other mass-market tactics.
If you have an email you want me to break down, send it over to me on LinkedIn or at marketing@siimpettai.com.
Let’s get into it now:
As usual, let’s begin with the subject line:
“Grass-fed” may be a lie…
A short, lowercase subject line! Let’s go!
As a reader, it indicates to me I’m receiving an email written by an actual human, not AI.
Anyway, let’s rate the subject line using Robert Bly’s 4 U’s (urgent, unique, ultra-specific, useful) headline formula:
1 = weak
4 = strong
According to Bob, if your subject line rates a 3 in at least three of the U’s, you’re good to go.
Urgent: There’s no urgency here, and that’s okay. That’s not the point of this subject line. 1.
Unique: It’s saying something new. Something that the reader likely hasn’t heard before. I’d give it a 4/4.
Ultra-specific: The specificity (grass-fed may be a lie) does a great job of teasing the reader into reading further. Another 4.
Useful: The word “may” indicates there will be new, useful information presented to the reader. I’d give it a 3.
1 + 4 + 4 + 3 = 12
Not bad!
Now, the preview text…
The dirty secret big meat companies don’t want you to know…
Simple phrases like “dirty secret” are perfect for spicing up your hooks.
It could have said:
What big meat companies don’t want you to know…
Vs
The dirty secret big meat companies don’t want you to know…
See the difference?
I learned this from Alin himself.
Anyway, let’s get into the email now…
Straight to business. I like it.
You don’t need to begin each email with “Hello” or “Happy Sunday.”
Remember, your reader’s inbox is a warzone.
You NEED to deliver a strong hook immediately.
Like Alin does here:
“Most “grass-fed” beef you buy isn’t actually grass-fed.”
It opens a loop.
It makes me go: “Wait what?”
All of a sudden, I can’t go without reading the next sentence anymore…
That’s a sign of great direct response copy.
Another thing to notice is the mixture of short and long sentences.
It creates a natural rhythm.
Most emails nowadays sound like they came from a robot (and sadly, many of them do).
You don’t get that feeling here.
If anything, it actually feels like Roger (the sender) is speaking to you…
I’m only a few lines in, and I can already tell I dig this email.
It’s educational.
I’m learning something I didn’t know before.
But above all, as someone who loves eating beef, it’s also making me kinda pissed…
Have I been tricked this whole time into thinking I’m eating grass-fed meat?
This… this is the nuke.
Had we left it at cows being stuffed with corn and soy, it wouldn’t have been nearly as bad.
But growth hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides, and GMOs??!!
It makes me wonder:
“WTF have I been eating?”
I love that these were delivered as bullets.
It’s easy to read and gets the point across.
What happens next is very important:
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that authority is one of the six persuasion principles.
The fact that Roger has been in the business for nearly three decades gives him authority.
He knows what he’s talking about, and readers are likely to trust him.
Here’s the transition to the sale.
It feels natural because all the groundwork has been laid already.
And even if I don’t buy, I feel like I’ve received value from this email.
I’ve learned something new. And that counts as a W.
For whatever reason, most e-commerce brands think they can skip this step and jump straight into selling.
They’d rather stuff a pretty poster in the email and slap a discount onto it.
If your goal is to destroy all retention value, I highly suggest you stay away from that strategy.
But if your goal is to make more sales, and even better, do it profitably without discounts, then you need to communicate what makes your brand different.
Blackwing stands out because they don’t place profit first.
They care about delivering a great experience to the customer.
They take no shortcuts when it comes to product quality.
It sounds counterintuitive, but that’s exactly the reason they can charge a premium, and make even MORE profits.
They’re not here to serve everyone.
They’re here to serve people who want to buy quality beef.
The ending is the cherry on top.
They admit that they’re more expensive (which is an objection), but there’s also a good reason why…
You can buy all the cheap beef you want. Just know that you’re probably eating chemicals.
The PS displays ultimate confidence in the product.
Remember, about 90% of users read the PS after the email.
It’s a bold move, and I love it.
If there’s one thing I’d add, it would be another link to the product in the beginning as well.
From experience, I’ve found that linking only once at the end of the email lowers click rates.
That said, it’s tough to beat copy this good.
Awesome email!
What’s next
You should check out Alin’s stuff.
I’ve been on his email list for only a couple of weeks, and I love it.
Also, go ahead and write a Us vs Them email.
Think about what makes your brand different from competitors.
Is it the quality, craftsmanship, ingredients, or something else?
Jot down the key points, whip up the email, and hit “Send.”
Not only is it a great exercise, but it also forces you to write great direct response copy.
And if writing copy is something you struggle with, check out Alin’s free copy tactics.
If you haven’t already, subscribe to my email list and get notified of every Emails That Sell analysis + my weekly newsletter.
