I strongly disagree with socialist/progressive economics.
It’s wrong and destructive.
But they are right about a lot of marketing.
The socialist/progressive movement may not be pro-business, but they do have powerful marketing strategies that any entrepreneur, business, marketing director, or President of a company can learn from.
Organizing for Action (OFA) is a socialist/progressive advocacy group started by President Obama. They have been wildly successful in raising support and finances for their political and social agenda.
They owe much of their online success to their highly strategic digital marketing campaigns, emails, and landing page…and combining that with advanced data, targeting and analytics.
Even if you run a for-profit business, you can still use their tactics to significantly increase response from prospects and customers.
Here are 7 powerful marketing strategies of the progressive movement you can use in your own marketing. These tactics will dramatically increase your response, expand your customer and prospect base, and boost profits.
 

Strategy #1: A Follow-Up Email that Asks You to “Pass it On.”

After signing up to their subscription list, prospects receive an email from the OFA that provides a link to forward the same opportunity to a friend through email.
This is a powerful way of giving leads an easy opportunity to share the information by “word-of-mouth”…a strategic and effective way of reaching new prospects that are similar to your best leads and customers.
Ask customers to share your marketing materials on email, Facebook, and Twitter, and you’ll see a dramatic increase in response.
 

Strategy #2: A Powerful “Don’t Leave!” Unsubscription Page.

 Growing your email subscription list is a valuable tactic for increasing response and maintaining relationship with current prospects and customers. However, email subscribers always have the option to “opt out,” meaning you could lose leads… and sales.
When email contacts try to unsubscribe from OFA’s email list, they are taken to a page that reminds them of the compelling benefits of being a subscriber with a powerful video and a written appeal to stay on the list.
Remind prospects and customers of the benefits of your product or service, even as they try to unsubscribe from your list. That way, you’ll decrease loss and maintain valuable relationships.
And offer unsubscribe options. For example, prospects may not want to receive emails daily, but they may be interested in receiving a weekly email. Give different options, and you’ll lose less subscribers.
 

Strategy #3: Plain-Text Email Wins. 

Plain text email wins over cleverly designed HTML-designed emails.
The majority of emails that OFA sends are plain-text with long copy. Plain-text emails increase response to CTA. In fact, they yield 17% more clickthroughs than HTML.
Customers and prospects are more likely to respond to your call-to-action when you send them clear emails with few distractions.
 

Strategy #4: Powerful, “You-Oriented” Copy.

OFA uses “you-oriented” copy in their marketing materials, giving prospects a powerful reason to respond and opt in to their subscription, donate, and respond.
For example, the headline for their opt-in for subscription: “Are you ready to get to work?”
Further down in the copy…”are you in?”
Remembers, prospects care about one thing: me, myself, and I. Focus on the prospects and customers in your copy, and you’ll increase response.
 

Strategy #5: Easy Upsell.

When asking for donations, OFA gives prospects multiple opportunities for the upsell, by asking donators to “make it monthly” with just one click.
Make it simple for customers to respond to an upsell with just one click.
 

Strategy #6: Follow-Up Increases Response.

The OFA sends multiple follow-up emails to prospects and leads to give them more than one opportunity to respond.
For example, for their email campaign to raise support against tax reform, subscribers received a series of emails asking them to call their senators and speak out on social media.
Always follow up leads with emails, retargeting ads, and other opportunities to respond to a CTA to visit your landing page or make a purchase.
 

Strategy #7: Clear CTA’s.

It’s no mystery what the OFA would like visitors or readers to do when they open emails or visit their landing page. A clear call-to-action button on every marketing piece, floater, ad, post, or email makes it easy to know how to respond and click-through.
Visitors are also given multiple opportunities to provide their contact information and sign up for subscription.
For example, on an email raising support against Trump’s tax reform plan, they have a clear CTA button: “Donate.”
And at the bottom of their landing page, OFA has an easy sign-up form and a button: “Add my name.”
Make sure to include clear, powerful CTA’s on your marketing materials, and you’ll see a massive increase in response.
 
Do you need help with your marketing strategy and approach? Let’s talk. Give me a call at (310) 212-5727 or email Caleb at [email protected].
 
Here are the rest of this week’s articles: