Putting the cart before the source

Ep. 12 Takeaways Takeaways from Forgotten Flights

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Let’s dive into the strategies and methods used in the POWERUP Toys abandoned cart email, featured in Episode 11.

Ideas you don’t want to miss

(02:08) Takeaway 1: Research gives you relevance.

(03:03) Takeaway 2: Templates have their place, but they’re limited

(03:26) Takeaway 3: Use abandoned carts to motivate, not just remind

(05:29) Takeaway 4: Layer in emotion – it’s how people make decisions!

(05:52) Takeaway 5: Test your buttons – boring often converts better

Links from this episode

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Plan more effective abandoned cart sequences with my Abandonment Playbook

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Transcript

Nikki Elbaz: The ​first ​thing ​that ​I ​got ​from ​this ​interview, ​and ​it’s ​no ​surprise ​coming ​from ​the ​Getuplift ​team, ​is ​a ​reminder ​that ​you ​need ​a ​really ​deep ​understanding ​of ​your ​customer ​to ​do ​standout ​work. ​How ​in ​the ​world ​would ​they ​have ​tapped ​into ​the ​nostalgia ​if ​they ​didn’t ​speak ​to ​their ​customers ​and ​understand ​what ​they’re ​gaining ​from ​the ​product? ​Sure, ​they ​probably ​thought ​they’re ​having ​fun ​nerding ​out. ​Maybe ​they ​even ​had ​the ​idea ​that ​they’re ​buying ​them ​for ​their ​kids. ​But ​the ​nostalgia ​angle? ​That ​they’re ​reliving ​simpler ​times? ​That’s ​just ​not ​something ​that ​shows ​up ​unless ​you ​talk ​to ​your ​customers. ​So ​takeaway ​number ​one. ​Research. ​Research. ​• ​• ​• ​I’m ​talking ​to ​myself ​here ​too, ​just ​as ​much ​as ​you. ​It’s ​so ​easy ​to ​skip ​the ​research ​because ​you ​think ​you ​understand ​what’s ​motivating ​or ​stopping ​the ​customer. ​It’s ​so ​easy ​to ​skip ​the ​research ​because ​you ​just ​want ​to ​get ​started. ​• ​But ​beyond ​getting ​that ​level ​of ​relevance, ​there’s ​also ​just ​so ​much ​more ​creativity.

Nikki Elbaz
That ​you ​can ​work ​with ​when ​you.

Nikki Elbaz
Have ​a ​depth ​of ​research ​to ​sift ​through, ​when ​you ​have ​stuff ​that ​can ​percolate ​as ​you ​plan.

And ​that ​leads ​me ​into ​takeaway ​number ​two. ​When ​Sophia ​mentioned ​how ​the ​Klaviyo ​templates ​are ​a ​good ​place ​to ​start, ​this ​is ​true. ​You’ll ​recover ​more ​cards ​with ​the ​templates ​than ​you ​will ​with ​nothing. ​But ​they’re ​templates, ​which ​means ​they’re ​not ​based ​on ​research, ​so ​they’re ​not ​customized. ​We ​as ​marketers ​like ​to ​make ​fun ​of ​these ​templates. ​To ​us, ​they ​feel ​canned ​because ​we’ve ​seen ​them ​so ​many ​times. ​But ​how ​that ​translates ​to ​the ​customer ​is ​so ​much ​more ​important. ​And ​how ​that ​translates ​to ​the ​customer ​is ​irrelevant. ​A ​very ​generic ​message ​is ​just ​not ​going ​to ​pull ​any ​heartstrings. ​It’s ​not ​going ​to ​compel ​them ​to ​move. ​The ​only ​thing ​it ​does ​do ​is ​remind ​the ​customer. ​That’s ​takeaway ​number ​two. ​The ​templates ​can’t ​do ​much ​emotionally.

But ​there’s ​a ​second ​more ​significant ​issue ​when ​using ​the ​standard ​abandoned ​cart ​template, ​and ​that ​is ​this. ​Your ​abandoners ​need ​more ​than ​reminders. ​Now, ​I ​know. ​I ​know ​what ​you’re ​about ​to ​tell ​me. ​The ​number ​one ​reason ​that ​people ​abandon ​cars ​is ​because ​they ​get ​distracted. ​So ​don’t ​reminders ​do ​the ​trick? ​And ​here’s ​what ​I ​have ​to ​say ​back ​to ​that. ​The ​number ​one ​surface ​reason ​that ​people ​abandon ​carts ​is ​because ​they ​get ​distracted ​sometimes. ​There’s ​this ​famous ​study ​that ​gains ​traction, ​and ​people ​use ​it ​to ​such ​an ​extreme ​that ​it ​becomes ​such ​a ​best ​practice ​that ​everyone ​just ​kind ​of ​follows ​it ​blindly, ​always ​pointing ​back ​to ​this ​one ​piece ​of ​data. ​Distraction ​as ​a ​reason ​for ​abandoning ​is ​one ​of ​those ​things. ​Do ​people ​abandon ​because ​they ​get ​pulled ​away ​to ​do ​something ​else? ​Yes, ​but ​why? ​We’ve ​heard ​this ​stat ​quoted ​so ​many ​times ​that ​we ​don’t ​even ​think ​about ​it. ​• ​• ​•

 

Nikki Elbaz
Uh, ​why ​is ​it ​that ​people ​are ​so ​easily ​pulled ​away? ​• ​• ​The ​real, ​real ​reason ​is ​that ​decisions ​are ​hard. ​When ​you ​click ​through ​on ​a ​Facebook ​ad ​for ​something ​that ​looks ​enticing, ​but ​something. ​Maybe ​the ​price, ​maybe ​the ​shipping ​time, ​maybe ​that ​you ​can ​find ​a ​better ​version ​in ​store, ​maybe ​that ​you ​already ​have ​two ​and ​you’re ​not ​really ​sure ​if ​you ​need ​a ​third. ​Et ​cetera, ​et ​cetera, ​et ​cetera. ​Whatever ​objection ​you ​have ​is ​in ​the ​way ​of ​the ​decision, ​• ​• ​and ​it ​is ​a ​lot ​easier ​to ​say, ​uh, ​let ​me ​think ​about ​this ​later ​than ​it ​is ​to ​say ​yes. ​So ​when ​the ​phone ​pings, ​or ​the ​pizza ​delivery ​arrives, ​or ​the ​dog ​wants ​a ​walk, ​it’s ​almost ​an ​excuse ​to ​not ​have ​to ​make ​the ​decision. ​• ​• ​Do ​people ​abandon ​for ​distraction? ​Sort ​of. ​But ​really ​they ​abandon ​because ​they’re ​not ​sure. ​• ​So ​should ​your ​abandoned ​cards ​only ​remind? ​• ​• ​• ​That ​doesnt ​really ​solve ​the ​problem. ​• ​• ​Should ​it ​remind ​and ​then ​send ​a ​discount? ​Well, ​that ​solves ​the ​price ​objection. ​But ​what ​if ​that ​isnt ​really ​the ​objection? ​Ideally, ​your ​abandoned ​cart ​should ​talk ​through ​objections, ​mention ​benefits, ​work ​in ​some ​motivators, ​just ​like ​this ​email ​that ​we ​feature ​did. ​Because ​what ​they ​actually ​are ​feeling ​is ​indecision. ​So ​takeaway ​number ​three. ​Use ​your ​abandoned ​cart ​sequence ​to ​help ​your ​customer ​make ​the ​decision. ​Don’t ​just ​remind ​them ​they’re ​not ​a ​goldfish ​that ​got ​pulled ​away ​by ​some ​shiny ​object. ​They ​need ​more ​information. ​They ​need ​more ​motivation. ​They ​need ​their ​hesitations ​addressed. ​• ​I ​loved ​Sophia’s ​idea ​of ​adding ​a ​gif ​to ​this ​emo. ​That’s ​a ​great ​way ​to ​overcome ​hesitations ​to ​show ​the ​product ​in ​action. ​But ​what’s ​even ​cooler ​is ​that ​Sophia ​said ​something ​deeper ​than ​just ​including ​an ​instructional ​gif. ​She’s ​said ​to ​add ​gifs ​that ​communicate ​joy. ​Bam. ​That’s ​way ​more ​powerful. ​Again, ​she’s ​tapping ​into ​that ​emotion ​of ​nostalgia. ​That ​will ​be ​a ​huge ​but ​very ​subtle ​motivator. ​• ​• ​Takeaway ​number ​four, ​dont ​forget ​that ​people ​buy ​with ​emotion ​and ​justify ​with ​logic. ​Layer ​in ​that ​emotion ​wherever ​you ​can. ​• ​• ​Last ​thing. ​Did ​you ​notice ​the ​button ​copy ​on ​this ​email? ​It ​was ​complete ​order, ​boring, ​generic, ​and ​not ​even ​consistent ​because ​it ​was ​no ​longer ​the ​voice ​of ​the ​plane. ​• ​But ​buttons ​are ​really ​important ​elements ​to ​test. ​It ​kills ​the ​creative ​side ​of ​me. ​I ​love ​fun ​button ​copy, ​but ​sometimes ​more ​often ​than ​I’d ​like ​to ​admit. ​Really, ​people ​just ​need ​the ​button ​to ​be ​clear, ​and ​that ​means ​breaking ​with ​the ​theme ​of ​the ​email. ​It ​means ​just ​having ​clear ​copy. ​• ​• ​• ​That’s ​it. ​Hope ​you ​enjoyed ​standard ​abandoned ​carts ​are ​one ​of ​my ​biggest ​email ​pet ​peeves, ​so ​I ​had ​fun. ​And ​I ​hope ​we’re ​one ​step ​closer ​to ​ridding ​the ​world ​of, ​um, ​non ​converting ​abandoned ​cart ​emails.

Nikki Elbaz
Thanks ​for ​geeking ​out ​with ​me ​about ​that ​email ​story. ​If ​you ​enjoyed ​either ​of ​these ​episodes, ​you’ll ​probably ​enjoy ​getting ​my ​emails. ​Plus, ​you’ll ​never ​m ​miss ​another ​episode. ​Sign ​up@nickiellebus.com ​subscribe ​and ​yes, ​that ​link ​is ​in ​the ​show ​notes.

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