Cavemen would be laughing at us...

Do you hate seeing litter as much as I do?

Because if you do, you’d probably be pissed at what's going on right now...

You see, the other day I drove to my local Wally Mart to stock up on toilet paper and bananas and I was horrified at what I saw.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed patches of yellow, pink and blue stuff all over the ground. I didn't think much of it at first, but what happened next made me clench my hands to the wheel.

After I parked the car and stepped out, my foot squished onto a stack of soggy paper flyers.

I thought to myself, my god...what am I looking at?

A sea of paper flyers with stock images and SALE, SALE, SALE splashed across them.

Some were still stuck on the windshield under the wiper but most of them were dotted across a parking lot the size of a football field.

I thought to myself...it's 2022, how can this be?

Now don't get me wrong, I think direct mail pieces still have their place, but that's a topic for another day.

What made me shake my head was the piss poor attempt at getting people's attention and holding their interest being displayed in the flyer.

It's the same way most ecommerce brands create their emails...

With a coupon flyer mentality, filled with images and a few words.

That got me thinking...I bet if cavemen from long ago could see us now, they'd probably laugh, then grunt and then laugh at us again.

They would probably wonder...

Why are these shaved people wandering around and still using images to communicate with each other? I mean it was ok back in the stone tablet days, but this is crazy.

They have beautiful, creative, and precise words that they can use to communicate and yet they create flyers with pictures when they want to sell something?

And you know what...they'd be right for thinking that.

Look...it's 2022 and we don’t have to walk around with iPads and draw each other pictures to get our point across.

So why do ecommerce brands still do that with emails?

We have words.

Words that we can use to express any emotion, and to paint any picture we want in the minds of our readers.

Words that can move your readers to take action and words that can get people to buy your stuff.

So here’s the point when you're sending ecommerce emails...

It’s 2022, there are no cavemen anymore, so don’t talk to people like they’ve never seen an automated email before.

When someone gives you their email, they’ve given you temporary permission to chat with them, which means you have one chance to make a good first impression.

One more thing...when you use words, you can share stories about why your products are best for your readers.

Isn't that better than showing them a picture, and hoping they act when they see SALE, SALE, SALE?

Give your reader a reason to read your emails.

Be fun, entertaining, helpful and supportive and you’ll make more sales.

Also, don't litter.

Chat soon,

Mike