265. The Power and Evolution of Email Marketing, with Scott Cohen

The Innovative Agency

Intro

In this episode of The Innovative Agency, we sit down with Scott Cohen, President and CEO of Inbox Army. Scott shares his expertise on the evolution of email marketing and its power as an enduring tool for customer engagement. We also explore the key strategies agencies should focus on to maximize their clients' email marketing success in a fast-changing digital landscape.

What you will learn in this episode:

• The core purpose of email marketing remains unchanged, but tools and tactics have evolved.

• How Apple's iOS 15 shifts focus from open rates to clicks and conversions.

• Why email marketing is undervalued despite driving first-time and repeat purchases.

• Strategies to improve email marketing, from automation to post-purchase emails.

• Balancing design and accessibility for more effective email campaigns.

• The limits of AI in email marketing and the need for human oversight.

• The importance of integrating email with other marketing channels for cohesive strategies.

Bio

Having begun life as a copywriter, Scott's been a stalwart in the email marketing industry since his boss came to him and said, "Hey, you write the newsletters... why don't you do them?" He has worked on both sides of the aisle, as a brand-side marketer running the email marketing programs at Purple, 1-800 Contacts, and Western Governors University as well as agency side working with clients ranging from small businesses to enterprise companies across multiple industries.

Scott won the 2021 Stefan Pollard Email Marketer of the Year Award from the ANA Email Experience Council for his work during his time at Purple. He's a sought-after speaker, webinar and podcast guest, having spoken at events like the Email Insider Summit, Email Evolution Conference, Email Innovations Summit, eTail West, and more. (He also won a Bronze Telly Award for the very first TV ad he ever wrote, so "it's been downhill ever since.")

Given his unique experience, Scott knows enough "to be dangerous" about email marketing, SMS, and many things CRM and retention marketing. He's built and managed larger CRM and retention teams, sent millions of emails (and a few million SMS, too), and written more than a few ads, blog posts, brochures, websites, and many other content pieces over the course of his 20-year marketing career. He's pressed the "Send" button a few thousand too many times to be anything other than frank about what email marketers need to do!

Resources:

• Website: https://www.inboxarmy.com/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcohen13/

• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/InboxArmy/

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottcohen13