Author: Chris Pearson, Partner & Email Marketing Specialist at 3BM
If you’ve ever traveled across multiple time zones for business, vacation, or both, then you know how brutal jet lag can truly be.
Difficulty sleeping at bedtime and waking up in the morning…
Tiredness and exhaustion…
Difficulty staying awake during the day…
Poor sleep quality…
Concentration and memory problems…
And more…
So, why in the hell would we put ourselves through this torture to travel?
Because traveling to place like this:
And this…
And this…
Are why I work.
Catching a flight through multiple time zones, around the world, to these wonderfully beautiful places with some of my favorite people is not easy.
Jet lag is real.
And this is why I wanted to share this brand with you today:
Technically, this is a software company, but the product they offer is already revolutionizing travel.
Essentially, Timeshifter helps you reduce or eliminate jet lag by shifting your circadian rhythm to match the time zone you’re traveling to. They do this through a simple to use, easy to follow app on your phone.
They do more than help you combat jet lag.
They help shift workers.
They help astronauts.
And, they’re working on helping people prepare for medical visits AND time their medications appropriately for maximum effect.
When I dug into their brand and what they’re doing, I had to sign up to their list.
No doubt this simple yet powerful approach to “circadian management” is going to help a lot of people.
Today, we’ll be looking at their welcome email.
Rules: The Email Muse
Each week, I venture through the marketing wilderness to find highly-effective ecommerce sales emails… and I shine a light on what made them work.
My goal with this weekly tangle with the email muse is to teach you strategies and tactics you can use with your emails.
Where do I find these magical electronic pieces of mail? My inbox, mostly, since I’m signed up to lists that I want to be on. I also take suggestions from readers who have a stellar email they’d like to share.
Did you get an email recently that made you smile, your eyes tear up, or flat out gut punched you? I want to see it.
Forward the email to me at (chris at threebeaconmarketing dot com) with a brief note about what you liked about it. If I choose to break it down, I’ll give you a shoutout and link back to your site.
And no forwarding me your own emails. That’s the only rule.
Capeesh?
Let’s get started.
Subject Line: Identity
I like how Timeshifter opens their relationship with new subscribers with identity.
They use the term “Timeshifter” to give new users a way to attach their identity to the brand.
If you’re a traveler, you can now share how you beat jet lag because you’re a Timeshifter.
If you’re a shift worker, you can now brag to your colleagues and family about how you beat sleep deprivation and exhaustion because you’re a Timeshifter.
And soon, if you’re preparing for a medical visit, treatment, or surgery, you can prepare fully because you’re a Timeshifter.
When you can tie your brand to someone’s identity, your brand lays deep roots in the customer’s life. This leads to brand affinity, loyalty, and advocacy.
And this leads to the customer sticking around for longer and increasing lifetime value.
Opening Line: The Community Mission
I really like how Timeshifter focuses the “mission” on what the community of travelers want, not what the brand is aiming to achieve.
Timeshifters positions themselves with this opening line as a facilitator or guide to the traveler, not a guru or master.
A lot of brands could benefit from simply positioning themselves as the conduit for the customer’s charge.
The customer is on this journey whether the brand exists or not, but…
You can be a vital piece to facilitating their success, if you position yourself properly.
You see, Timeshifter doesn’t say, “This is the best, only, most perfect way to fight jet lag.”
Nope…
They place themselves next to the traveler’s who want to avoid an outcome (jet leg) and offer the prospect a way to do that through identity and community.
Essentially…
If you’re a traveler and want to avoid jet lag, then you’re in the right place, because that’s who we help.
This is a nuance most brands miss in their copy because they’re so focused on “getting the sale” that they skip right over the prospect’s state of mind when they encounter the brand’s message.
Know how and when your ideal customer will encounter your message. Then, tailor the message to their state of mind, so you increase the likelihood of reception.
Proof: If It’s Good Enough For Astronauts…
Then it’s good enough for you.
The “final frontier” is dangerous, unforgiving, and demanding. So, if astronauts who intentionally place themselves in space use Timeshifter to get rid of jet lag, then our trips across multiple time zones is a piece of cake.
Timeshifter positions their product in a straightforward, serious way without bragging.
And, they accompany this positioning with a video from former NASA Astronaut and Timeshift investor, Mike Massiminio.
If you’ve got big social proof, then use it!
More Proof: The Doc Is In…
Timeshifter has a doctor back on earth that will backup the science behind the software, too.
Timeshifter leads with proof that their software works from credible, renowned sources.
What does this do in the mind of the prospect?
It addresses two major objections: skepticism and cynicism.
- Does this even work?
- Will this work for me?
These are the two primary objections when a customer is considering something new or novel.
Timeshifter also takes this “new” software and ties it back to something familiar: astronaut and circadian rhythm.
So, the software is “new enough” to get attention but not too new so that it flies right over the customer’s head.
Finally, I believe that Timeshifter is going to do well because they are leading with education. They combine proof with education, so they can get prospects to lean in and consider the software without it getting too overwhelming.
Selling through education is a great way to introduce products that prospects have never really seen before.
The Sign Off: Personal and Professional
Mickey is our sender of the email.
The signoff is simple and personal. They also include a photo of Mickey to lighten things up.
Again, Timeshifter is taking something extremely complex and complicated and keeping it simple for the end user.
If there’s one thing travelers, shift workers, and medical patients want, it’s simple.
I believe Timeshifter is doing just that with their messaging and this email.
What You Learned
Here’s the tl;dr of what you learned today:
- Find a way to attach your brand to your customer’s identity to increase affinity, loyalty, and advocacy.
- Focus your mission statement on what your ideal customer wants to avoid or achieve, not on what your brand is doing.
- Use proof without bragging.
- Back up the proof with more proof (yes, there are different proof types).
- Even with complex, serious topics, keep the email personal and one-to-one.