7 Email Marketing Lessons Every eCom Brand Should Learn From Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is a lot more than a pretty face. He’s built several businesses and made each of them wildly successful–from Aviation Gin to Mint. 

The actor and producer extraordinaire has some savvy skills that can teach us all a thing or two about email marketing.

So sit back, grab some popcorn (or gin, Aviation preferably), and let's dive right into it.

Lesson #1: Don't be afraid to get personal

Ryan Reynolds is all about making a connection with his fans. He's not afraid to show his vulnerable side and share personal anecdotes with his fans. By doing so, he creates a sense of familiarity and trust.
Your email and SMS communication could easily come across as cold and faceless, if not done right. It’s extremely difficult for brands to be relatable. But, having a personality can help you stay clear of the bland, forgettable category. 

Lesson #2: Tell an interesting story

Ryan Reynolds is a master storyteller. This is one of the primary reasons why his fans are so passionate about him. If you’re not convinced, watch this video. ‍

PSA: You’ll keep on watching all the videos in his channel. Don’t forget to come back to this blog. 

Storytelling is a powerful way to create an emotional connection with your customers. Leveraging your brand story is one way you can do that.

Say, for example, you’re in the health and fitness space. Share stories of how you’re making a positive impact in people’s lives. This will make your subscribers feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Lesson #3: Be funny 

Ryan has an insane sense of humor. He brings that same wit and cheekiness in all his videos, making them engaging and memorable. Watch how he promotes Mint Mobile.

Humor is always a double edged sword. While it increases engagement, you also risk offending your audience. There’s only one thing worse than no humor – bad humor. 

Use it with caution and keep in mind these three things:

• Your brand voice
• The niche you’re in and the audience you speak to
• Why you’re sending that email

There’s a thin (often blurry) line between being funny and being professional. Start off with a few funny emails including puns and dad jokes to test the waters. 

Don’t go too overboard that your subscribers don’t take you seriously anymore. If they want outright comedy, they’d go see Ryan Reynolds instead.

Lesson #4: Don't be afraid to be unique

Ryan Reynolds often has an offbeat, quirky tone, which sets him apart from the rest. By embracing his weirdness, he creates a unique brand voice that stands out in people's inboxes.
Be it your story or your brand personality, don’t forget to flaunt it. Just like Ryan, don't try to be someone you're not, unless you're playing a superhero, of course. Be genuine and authentic.

Lesson #5: Don’t be afraid to try new things

Ryan Reynolds is known for his bold career moves, such as taking on the role of Green Lantern (sorry, Ryan). 

In the same way, you gotta switch things a little and try new things every now and then. 

We tried changing the brand voice for one of our clients. We opened with a strong subject line (No one buys from us twice) to showcase how durable their bags are. This is the result we saw.

These little things can pay off in a big way.

Lesson #6: Collaborate with Other Brands

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman coming together in the next Deadpool movie has already garnered a lot of attention.

The two stars have come on a bunch of promos together as well as have a fictitious feud. He has also collaborated with a number of other brands like Peloton for Mint Mobile. 

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman coming together in the next Deadpool movie has already garnered a lot of attention. The two stars have come on a bunch of promos together as well as have a fictitious feud.

He has also collaborated with many other brands like Peloton for Mint Mobile. 

If your audiences overlap or your products complement each other, teaming up with non-competitive brands can do wonders for your brand:

• reach a wider audience
• grow brand awareness
• increase conversions 

Lesson #7: Share behind the scenes

Behind-the-scenes content gives a peek into what is happening inside a business. Good BTS content focuses on revealing company processes over products.

You could highlight employees, showcase how it’s made, and share company events. 

It’s effective because it lets you authentically connect with your audience and build trust. 

Ryan Reynolds shared the process that goes behind making Aviation gin. And, it went viral.

There you go. 7 lessons you can use right now for your eCom from the man himself. 

There’s nothing stopping you from growing your eCom brand if you obsess over your customer experience and provide them with content that’s too good to share.

Always remember the mantra: WWRRD (What Would Ryan Reynolds Do?)!

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