Email Breakdown #1: Pew Pew Tactical

Hey there. Welcome to my new email breakdown series. Starting with this post, I’ll break down an email I get every week (or at least try to).

I’ll point out what I like, what could be made even better, and give my overall thoughts.

By reading these posts, you can get some tips and ideas to implement into your own email marketing.

Today’s email to breakdown is coming from Pew Pew Tactical.

Quick Background on Pew Pew Tactical

I’m a gun guy. But I’m still learning lots of stuff.

Like any hobby, there are some snobs in the gun world. You ask an innocent question, and they make you feel silly for daring to further your knowledge.

But not everyone is like that.

Pew Pew Tactical is a firearms education/review website for gun people of all knowledge levels. They’re nice to even the newbiest of newbies. They don’t treat you like a fool for asking the classic “best handgun for home defense?” or “what’s the difference between a direct impingement and a piston system?” They love helping people get into the hobby/sport.

If I had to guess, Pew Pew Tactical makes a lot of its money from affiliate stuff, ads, YouTube revenue, etc. Aside from a video course or two and some branded merch, they don’t really have their own products. They’re more of a central info resource for gun enthusiasts.

Oh, but they email frequently. Sometimes daily, I think. You love to see it. Today, we’re breaking down their squeeze form, thank-you page, and first welcome email.

The Squeeze Form

All gun owners want to shoot better, whether they’re deep into the hobby or just own a self-defense Glock.

The headline gives it to you straight. No BS. Just “Shoot Better.”

Below that is a subheadline that gives more context about how they’ll help you shoot better — drills and targets, their lead magnets.

After that, they let you know what else they’ll send in their regular emails with that smallest line, just above the email address field.

Lastly, the button says “GET IT NOW,” not “Subscribe.” Much more powerful and relevant to the lead magnet.

Thank-You Page

After you click the GET IT NOW button, Pew Pew takes you to this thank-you page.

I like how you instantly get a taste of Pew Pew’s brand personality here. The copy sounds like a human being talking to you, instead of some corporate blabbing.

It also guides you to their paid video course, which is a nice touch.

Below that, they also offer you the chance to sign up for their daily deals emails before concluding with more of their most popular stuff…

And some humor with the meme, of course.

So overall, this is a great example of infusing your brand personality into every last nook and cranny of your marketing. And speaking like a human being. This thank-you page made me laugh a little — already, Pew Pew is beginning to build rapport with me, the customer.

The Welcome Email

Now, for the welcome email.

Above is the first section, and it’s done quite well.

The founder — Eric Hung — introduces himself, but gets right down to business. He gives you what you were looking for: the printable target lead magnet. He also mentions that they helped him boost his shooting skills, infusing some proof and personalization into the email.

A few readers might grab the targets and be done. But that’s fine. Pew Pew did a good job connecting with the reader, so many will continue to the next section:

Here, Pew Pew Tactical is segmenting their audience right off the bat.

This will help them deliver appropriate-level content for each reader. No “best 9mm for home defense” for advanced gun people, and no high-level AR-15 build kit content for beginners.

At the same time, they’re demonstrating their willingness to help beginner readers get into the hobby and get every reader, well, excited to peruse their site.

The one small thing I think they could do even better is add a line break before “One more thing!”

The best part of the email comes next:

I love this part of the email. The founder manages to tell his story (and feel human while doing it), distinguish his site from other blogs, and set expectations for subscribers in about 5 sentences.

I really like the “that’s like learning from your favorite gun buddy.” The human touch and relatability (if you have a gun buddy, that is).

One little way I’d make this email even better, though: place this last section before segmentation section I talked about earlier.

Too many links at once can overwhelm the reader and decrease the chance they see the whole email. Especially if they click on every link. Thus, they might not see the “origin story” section.

Rearranging the two sections gives them a little breather before the segmentation links and feels more natural. They minimize the number of CTAs that could throw the reader off course.

Then, the segmentation section can be the 2nd CTA, right at the end. Perhaps as a PS.

Other than that, this email is great.

Takeaways

Eric of Pew Pew Tactical (if he’s the one writing the emails) obviously has a knack for good copywriting. Aside from some minor changes, this is a solid squeeze page, thank-you page, and welcome email.

Each marketing asset is brimming with personality and humor. They’re fun to read and start things strong with the reader.

Love their brand, too. They’re doing a service to the firearms world.

What to Do Next

1. Get on my email list.
2. Reach out to me if you want some help making money with email marketing.
3. Check out some articles at Pew Pew Tactical if firearms interest you!