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235: Email Marketing's AI Makeover: Less Spam, More Glam with Host Kendra Corman · Imperfect Marketing

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Hey there, welcome back to another episode of Imperfect Marketing.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, kendra Korman, and today we're diving into one of my favorite topics the wonderful world of AI-powered idea generation, email outlining and ugly first draft writing.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Okay, so it's a lot cooler than it sounds and, again, like I said, it's one of my favorite things to talk about.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: I know what you're thinking, kendra are robots going to write my email?
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: Well, now you're probably even just hoping that I'm going to say yes.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Well, the answer is not exactly.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Think of these AI tools as brainstorming buddies on steroids.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: They're interns with unlimited hours.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: They're here to help you generate ideas and create outlines faster than you can, say Writer's block.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: So let me introduce you to my favorite sidekicks when it comes to AI.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Chatgpt is really my workhorse.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Claudeai, when ChatGPT is not giving me what I think I want, and Perplexityai, which is an amazing research assistant that will help me fact check and help me really come up with ideas that are relevant and based in reality.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Now, these aren't just fancy chatbots.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: It's like having a marketing team, a research assistant and a creative writing coach all rolled into one.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: The best part, they don't steal your lunch from the office fridge.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: So let's break down how these AI marvels can jazz up your email game.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Let's start with idea generation.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: Stuck on what to write about.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: That's a problem that a lot of people come to me with.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: I want to start an email newsletter, but I don't have enough to write about.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Well, these AI tools are like idea vending machines Type in a topic keyword, ask them for podcast topics, give them the last 10 that you did and say you don't want to repeat it, and watch the suggestions roll in.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: It's like brainstorming with a team of marketing geniuses, minus the awkward icebreakers and stale donuts.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: So let's move on to content outlining.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Once you have your idea, these AI assistants can help you structure your email.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: They can suggest headings, subheadings, bullet points, faster than you can say email sequence.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: It's like having an online fairy godmother, but instead of a pumpkin carriage you've got a killer email structure.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Now, one of the biggest benefits to this is overcoming writer's block.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: We've all been there staring at the blank screen with the cursor willing the words to just appear out of us.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: Right, with these AI tools, you can input a few key points and let them generate a draft.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: It's not about copying and pasting, though.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: It's about jump-starting your creativity.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: It is a writing prompt on steroids.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: That is all it is.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Then we've got research assistance.
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: If you need some quick facts or statistics to beef up your email, perplexityai is like having a research assistant who never sleeps.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: It can pull up relevant information faster than you can Google how to sound smart in emails.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: Then, of course, there's tone and style.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Okay, if you want to try a different voice for your emails, these AI tools can help you.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: Experiment with various tones and styles can also help you keep things consistent If your voice and your tone is not that of your company's.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Like having a wardrobe of different voices to choose from, minus the fashion police judging your choices.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: So don't be afraid to play a bit with it.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Ask it to write like Barbie or an English Duchess or Iron man, whatever you desire.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: I do caution you here a bit, though.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Your voice is part of who you are, so I don't want you to try and be someone else.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: Be you.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: And if you're playful enough to have it, write your email like Barbie, let the world know, let them see it, and don't be afraid to use it.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: I get the biggest reactions when I do presentations on AI and I'm like and here's the version written by Barbie in the voice of Barbie, and people love it.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about brainstorming specifically subject lines.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: People do not do not absolutely do not pay enough attention to their subject lines.
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: They don't spend enough time on it, and it can make or break an email, as you well know.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: Now, using these AI tools to generate a list of catchy subject lines, it's awesome because you can get a list from one to 100 different ideas.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Now, for the most part, it's very rare, very rare, that I actually like a subject line that AI generates.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: However, I do love the ideas it provides that I can build off of.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: That will help me generate ideas.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: Now, a word of caution.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: These AI tools are incredibly powerful, but they're not magic wands.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: They're here to assist, not replace your unique voice and expertise.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: I want you to think of them as the Robin to your Batman, the Watson to your Sherlock.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: Well, you get the idea.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Here's how I like to use them.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: One.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: I start with a general topic for my goal and my email, at a minimum.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: Sometimes I'll have a story that's inspired me, or I'll have a couple of points that I want to cover when it comes to like I don't know short term video or certain trends.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: Then you can use Cloud or ChatGPT to generate a list of potential angles, subtopics, ways to write about that.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: Then I pick my favorite ideas and I ask the AI to create an outline, and I always add in be sure to include these different things that are key from my experiences, and that way it's again adding my expertise and my experience.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: Sometimes I'll go ahead and right now jump into Perplexity to research and fact check any claims or statistics.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: It gives you links that you can click on to verify where it's coming from or if you want to replace something it again is a great research tool.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Then I take the outline and research and I put my own spin on it.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: I write it in my voice.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: You want to use the AI tools to brainstorm subject lines and CTAs, but the key to remember is you want these tools to enhance your creativity, not replace it.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Your unique voice and connection with your audience are what make your emails special.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Ai is just here to help you unlock your full potential.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: So are you ready to let AI supercharge your email content or are you going to keep wrestling with writer's block like it's an Olympic sport?
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: The choice is yours, but I want you to remember even Shakespeare would have killed for a good AI writing assistant.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: Though to AI or not to AI doesn't have the same ring of to be or not to be.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: That is the question.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Before you go, I do have a little bit of homework for you.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: I want you to try using one of these AI tools for your next start Again ChatGPT, claudeai, bioanthropic or Perplexityai they almost all have free plans and free versions, but I want you to start small.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: Okay, maybe just use it for idea generation or an outline.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: If you want to dive deeper, I've got a free e-copy of my book Mastering AI and Communications.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: That's waiting for you on my website at KendraCormancom.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: Slash AI book.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Until next time, this is Kendra Corman, and I'm reminding you that in marketing as in life, it's okay to get a little help from our AI friends.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Keep it creative, keep it authentic and, most importantly, keep those emails flowing.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: See you next time.