Check Competitors Email Marketing Campaigns

When it comes to email marketing, knowing what your competitors are up to can feel like you’re peeking into their playbook. And why shouldn’t you? If they’re crushing it with their email campaigns, why not learn from their strategies and adapt for your own business? This post will show you how to check competitors email marketing campaigns without getting stuck in the weeds.

Why Check Your Competitors Email Marketing?

Keeping tabs on your competition isn’t just about copying them (although that’s definitely part of it). It’s about understanding trends, staying relevant, and making sure you’re not being left behind.

Let’s break it down:

• • Content Inspiration: You’ll see what kind of offers or messages resonate with your shared audience.

• • Frequency Insights: How often are they sending emails? Are they ramping up during certain seasons?

• • Tone & Voice: Spot how they communicate with customers – casual, formal, or somewhere in between.

• • Design Choices: Are their emails visually stunning or more focused on minimalism?

Bottom line: it’s less about spying and more about gaining insights to up your own game.

How to Check Competitors Email Marketing Campaigns: Methods That Work

1. Subscribe to Their Newsletters

The most obvious way to get access to your competitor’s emails? Sign up for their newsletter! You’ll start getting their emails directly in your inbox and can see everything, from subject lines to CTAs, design, and timing.

Pro tip: Use a dedicated email account for this or a competitor email monitoring tool. If you’re tracking multiple competitors, things can get messy fast.

Steps:

• • Visit your competitor’s website.

• • Sign up for their newsletter.

• • Keep an eye on their email flow for a few weeks (or months) to see patterns emerge.

2. Use Tools to Track Email Campaigns

Here’s where things get a little more sophisticated. If you’re serious about email marketing intelligence, subscribing to a competitor’s email is just the start. You need to go deeper – that’s where tools like CompetitorTrack.io come in handy. (Shameless plug, but hear me out.)

CompetitorTrack.io lets you track, store, and analyze competitors’ email campaigns without cluttering your inbox. You’ll get real-time data on:

• • Subject lines

• • Timing and frequency of sends

• • Promotions & offers

• • Visual designs and layouts

Plus, the tool gives you trend reports so you can see the bigger picture rather than just isolated campaigns.

3. Analyze Their Website for Opt-In Forms

Most companies use multiple lead magnets or opt-in forms to segment their audience. By scanning a competitor’s website, you can find all the different entry points into their email funnels. Check for:

• • Pop-ups

• • Sidebar forms

• • Exit-intent forms

Take note of the type of offer used to entice sign-ups (discounts, guides, webinars, etc.). You might even want to go through their entire funnel, signing up with different email addresses to see how they treat different segments.

4. Spy on Their Social Media for Promotions

Another quick win? Check their social media accounts. Companies often promote their email campaigns or link directly to opt-in offers via social media platforms. This could give you insight into:

• • Limited-time offers

• • Seasonal campaigns

• • How they’re using social media to drive email sign-ups

It’s an indirect way to check on their email marketing campaigns but useful nonetheless.

5. Check Their Landing Pages

Landing pages are often tied to email campaigns, especially during a product launch or promotion. If you can get your hands on a competitor’s landing page (through social media ads or Google search), you’ve struck gold.

Pay attention to:

• • Messaging: How is the email campaign integrated into the broader marketing strategy?

• • Form fields: How many data points are they collecting? Just email? Or are they capturing demographic info as well?

• • Calls to Action: Are they pushing hard for conversions, or taking a more laid-back approach?

What to Look For in Competitors Emails

Now that you’re armed with all the ways to track and check your competitors’ email marketing campaigns, let’s talk about what to actually look for. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Subject Lines

Do they use urgency or scarcity in subject lines? Are they using emojis or personalization (like inserting your name)? Subject lines are critical for open rates, so take notes here and pay attention.

2. Design & Layout

Is the email design complex or simple? Are they using a lot of images, GIFs, or videos? Are their emails mobile-friendly? Compare their design choices to your own, what would you prefer if you were an unbiased reader?

3. Offers & Promotions

What kind of discounts, offers, or content are they pushing through email? Seasonal promotions? Limited-time offers? Understanding their promotional strategy can help you stay competitive.

4. Call to Action

Are they using one single call-to-action (CTA) or multiple? Do they stick with “Buy Now” or experiment with other phrases like “Learn More” or “Join Us”?

5. Timing & Frequency

How often do they send emails? Is there a specific pattern to when they send like mornings, afternoons, weekends? Are they sending more emails around holidays or special events? There might be multiple lists (promotions vs newsletter).

Wrapping Up

By tracking your competitor’s email marketing campaigns, you can stay one step ahead in your market. Use these methods to not only check what they’re doing but also to inspire and fuel your own email strategy.

Of course, if you want a next-level solution, tools like CompetitorTrack can automate and streamline the entire process, leaving you with just the insights – no heavy lifting required.

Stay competitive, stay smart, and keep innovating.