Intro Brittney Trahan

Eli Adams: Brittney is the Co-Founder of Strategy Maven Agency. She has over 11 years of marketing experience with a focus on Email and SMS. In October 2020 she co-founded SMA, a full service email and SMS agency that delivers unique strategies to build community, drive revenue and retain customers. Welcome to the show, Brittney.

Table of Contents

• Who is Brittney Trahan?
• Current Projects That Excite Brittney
• Tactical and Strategic Email and SMS Marketing Advice from Brittney
• Where Does Brittney See the Future Going in Email and SMS Marketing?
• How to Get in Contact with Brittney
• Additional Insights from Brittney
• Advice to Younger Self
• Current Inspirations
• Conclusion

Who is Brittney Trahan?

Brittney Trahan is a marketing expert from the New Orleans area, born and raised there and still living there. As a kid she wanted to be a veterinarian or marine biologist, like many of her generation. But her career path took a different turn and she ended up in digital marketing.

Early Career and Experience

Brittney started working at 16 and learned many lessons she still uses today. Her early experiences in various industries and roles, team management and dealing with different people and opportunities has contributed to her success today.

The Digital Shift

As a millennial Brittney considers herself lucky to have lived in the pre-internet era and the rapid digital growth of the last 15-20 years. This has given her a unique perspective on digital marketing.

Career Turning Points

Brittney’s journey into digital marketing was marked by:

1. Realizing the limitations of corporate America
2. Exploring freelance opportunities
3. Taking the leap to entrepreneurship and freelancing

She stresses the importance of being willing to take risks especially when entering new territory like freelancing which was rare when she started.

Agency Experience and Skill Development

Brittney’s experience at a small marketing agency was instrumental in her development:

• Worked in a team of three, handled multiple aspects of marketing
• Learned about all the different parts of digital marketing, ads, email, social media, SEO
• Figured out what she was good at and what she liked in the field

She found out she loved email marketing. It’s creative, strategic and measurable.

Current Projects That Excite Brittney

Educational Content Development

Brittney and her team are currently working on creating educational pieces for 2024. This project involves:

• Conducting market research
• Identifying gaps in knowledge about email and SMS marketing
• Developing guides and eBooks to address these gaps

The goal is to provide valuable information about how email and SMS marketing work with other channels and to help people understand the intricacies of these marketing strategies.

Networking and Event Participation

Another exciting project for Brittney in 2024 is expanding her professional network and attending more industry events:

• Attending local events
• Participating in e-commerce events in different states
• Meeting more people in the digital space

This initiative aims to increase visibility for her agency and foster new connections within the industry.

Tactical and Strategic Email and SMS Marketing Advice from Brittney

Understanding Email and SMS Marketing Basics

For business owners new to email and SMS marketing, Brittney recommends:

1. Understand what these channels offer:
• Automations provide passive income
• Lifecycle campaigns educate, build community, and help convert
2. Integrate email and SMS into your existing marketing calendar for cohesive messaging across all channels
3. Conduct an audit of your current setup:
• Check for broken triggers or integrations
• Identify missing foundational flows

Setting Up Foundational Flows

Brittney emphasizes the importance of having these key foundational flows:

1. Welcome flow (segmented for new or returning visitors)
2. Post-purchase flow (segmented for first-time and repeat purchasers)
3. Browse abandoned flow
4. Add to cart flow
5. Checkout abandoned flow (often called abandoned cart)
6. Win-back flow (for lapsed customers)
7. Sunset flow (for non-engaging contacts)

Choosing the Right Email Service Provider (ESP)

Brittney recommends different ESPs based on business type:

• For service providers: Active Campaign or Constant Contact
• For e-commerce: Klaviyo
• For larger enterprise companies: HubSpot

She advises against MailChimp due to its limited functionality in lower-tier subscriptions.

Integrating Your Website with Your ESP

To set up flows like browser abandonment:

1. Go to the integration settings in your ESP
2. Link it to your website host (e.g., WordPress, GoDaddy)
3. Ensure the API key is properly set up

The ESP will prompt you if any necessary integrations or tracking are missing.

Capturing Customer Information

Brittney suggests using popups or forms on your website to capture visitor information and segment them based on their interests. This allows for more targeted and valuable content delivery.

Balancing Email and SMS Strategies

When deciding between email and SMS:

• Use SMS for more time-sensitive or important information
• Consider SMS for VIP treatment, limited availability items, or new product releases
• Use email for less urgent, more detailed communications

Opt-in Strategies

For capturing email and SMS opt-ins:

• Use a two-step process in data capture forms
• Ensure clear guidelines and separate opt-in steps for SMS (as required by law)
• Focus on attracting genuinely interested subscribers rather than using excessive incentives

A/B Testing

Brittney emphasizes the importance of A/B testing in email and SMS marketing:

• Test one element at a time (e.g., design, messaging, templates)
• Conduct tests in both automations and lifecycle campaigns
• Use A/B testing for opt-in forms as well

Personalization and Design

The effectiveness of heavily designed versus text-based emails can vary:

• Depends on the industry and purpose of the email
• Text-based emails can feel more personal and perform better in certain situations (e.g., welcome flows)
• Always A/B test design elements to determine what works best for your audience

Where Does Brittney See the Future Going in Email and SMS Marketing?

The Role of AI in Email and SMS Marketing

Brittney believes AI will play a significant role in the future of email and SMS marketing, but not in the way some might expect:

1. AI-powered automation:
• Creating segments based on data analysis
• Generating reports and insights
2. Enhanced strategist tools:
• Making data more accessible and actionable
• Streamlining the process of creating monthly recaps and action plans
3. Limitations of AI:
• Not yet capable of fully conducting an email program
• Still requires human interpretation and strategy

Interactive Email Functionality

Brittney anticipates improvements in interactive email capabilities:

• Native survey functionality within emails
• In-email purchasing without redirecting to websites
• Broader server support for these interactive elements

Competitive Analysis in Email and SMS Marketing

While competitive analysis is limited compared to other digital marketing channels, Brittney recommends:

• Signing up for competitors’ email lists
• Researching competitor websites
• Analyzing traffic data where available
• Studying overlapping audiences to understand what resonates with them

How to Get in Contact with Brittney

If you’d like to connect with Brittney or learn more about her work, you can reach her through the following channels:

• LinkedIn: Brittney Trahan
• Website: Strategy Maven Agency
• Instagram: @StrategyMaven

Additional Insights from Brittney

The Importance of Confidence and Self-Belief

When asked what advice she would give her younger self, Brittney emphasized the importance of confidence:

• Trust in your abilities and knowledge
• Don’t let self-doubt hold you back
• Recognize the value of your experiences and skills

Perspective on Work-Life Balance

Reflecting on what her future self might advise, Brittney highlighted the importance of maintaining perspective:

• Don’t stress over trivial matters
• Focus on doing your best without worrying excessively about outcomes
• Stay true to yourself and your values, even in the face of industry pressures

Sources of Inspiration

Brittney finds inspiration in:

• The success stories of colleagues and clients
• Seeing others in her network doing well
• Disconnecting from work to foster creativity and innovation

She emphasizes the importance of balancing professional education with personal interests and relaxation.

Advice to Younger Self

If Brittney could go back and give advice to her younger self she would say:

“Have the guts to put aside the self doubt and believe in what you know you can do. I’ve learned that throughout my career. I could have been way more confident in myself and what I was doing if I would’ve known what I know now. Just be okay with being confident in what you know. Whatever you’re doing, experiencing, learning, go with that.”

Current Inspirations

When asked about books, podcasts or leaders that currently inspire her, Brittney replied:

1. Success stories of colleagues and clients:
• Seeing others she works with do well is very inspiring to her
• Others’ successes are wins for her and her team
2. Disconnecting from industry content:
• She’s burnt out on typical industry influencers and content
• She focuses on staying educated in her profession and what’s happening in her space
3. Creative decompression:
• She reads fantasy books and listens to true crime podcasts
• These activities outside of her profession help her decompress and stay creative

Brittney says to balance professional education with personal interests and relaxation. She finds that disconnecting from industry info allows her to be more creative and strategic.

Conclusion

Brittney Trahan’s journey from young professional in New Orleans to co-founder of an email and SMS marketing agency is a must read for marketers and business owners. Her advice to continue to learn, adapt to technology and balance professional growth and personal well being is the total package for success in digital marketing.

As email and SMS marketing continues to change, Brittney’s expertise and forward thinking puts her at the top of the game. Her focus on education for herself and her clients is elevating the game of email and SMS marketing.

If you want to level up your digital marketing, Brittney’s advice on setting up foundational flows, choosing the right tools and data driven strategies is a good place to start. As the industry moves towards more personalized, interactive and AI assisted marketing, following leaders like Brittney Trahan will be key to staying ahead in the game.