SEND BETTER BIRTHDAY EMAILS

Your emails can brighten someone's day and maybe make you a few dollars

My birthday just passed (I turned 46 this year, thank you), and because of the joys of email marketing I got a few celebratory emails from some brands I subscribe to.

In fairness, I won’t show off the birthday email from a client, but here’s an email from another label in the same genre:

Nothing fancy, but it works. Direct, simple, the colors are on brand - bravo!

Compare that with birthday email from my bank. They’re in the business of literally HOLDING ONTO EVERYONE’S MONEY, and I get dumb stock image:

If ANYONE should know what my interests are, it’s the one business who sees every damn penny I spend month after month. Instead I get no direct benefit - no discount, no exclusive offer, nothing.

All of this to say - if you have permission to send someone email marketing messages (very important), and you have their birthday info, sending someone an email on their special day can do two things: make the person feel good (it’s their birthday), and make a sale.

Yes, of course the second one is self-serving, but we all got rent to pay. And if they’re subscribed to your email updates in the first place, it’s not like it’s some egregious affront to their inbox.

Things you could send your fans on their birthday:

• Discounts on shirts, music, or other goodies

• Free shipping on select items, or at a lower than usual price point

• Special video performance, or message - make a new one every year

• Discount codes or guest list for upcoming shows

Hey - they’re your fans, you know what would resonate with them better than I would! Reply to this email and I’ll bounce some ideas around with you.

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Speaking of birthday emails, I helped co-found Metal Bandcamp Gift Club back in 2016 (here’s an interview with did with Bandcamp), and since 2019 I’ve been sending out people’s Bandcamp wishlists on their birthdays.

Whenever there’s a birthday, I send an email (sometimes up to three links in one email), and people buy albums for people they don’t even know. And it’s also a great way to find some good music.

If you have a birthday, and a Bandcamp wishlist, sign up for that newsletter here:

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Three other goodies to read:

HASHTAGS = SHIT

“People still buy Metallica’s “Black Album,” because every day someone discovers that album for the first time.

You’re not Metallica, so keep talking about the stuff you’re proud of.”

From, ‘IT'S OKAY TO REPEAT YOURSELF.”

And, “Don’t just send emails when you got something for sale.”