Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to another Nacho Tuesday. Today, I have Daniel from Wary calling in from Tel Aviv, Israel. Without further ado, we’d love for you to introduce your company, Wary, and what you do in a quick elevator pitch. Daniel: Sure, we are Wary, and our primary focus is ensuring that emails actually land in the inbox. Email marketing and outreach are crucial for businesses, and we help make sure that these emails reach their intended recipients. When emails land in the inbox, they are more likely to be seen, engaged with, and acted upon. Andy: Great. I know email open rates and overall response rates have been dropping in recent years. For marketers and business owners out there wondering why this is happening and what they can do to improve their open rates, could you provide some insights? Daniel: Certainly. The decline in open rates is largely due to the misuse of email tools. Some users send unsolicited or unwanted emails, prompting email providers to become more sophisticated at filtering out spam. To improve open rates and engagement, it’s essential to target the right audience—those who genuinely want to hear from you or make a purchase. Additionally, sending relevant, non-spammy content without excessive links or attachments is crucial. A healthy domain and IP address are also important for deliverability. Andy: Are there any specific tactics or tips you would recommend, such as limiting the number of links or avoiding certain words like “money” or “free”? Could you provide more details on how people can effectively warm up their emails and ensure they land in inboxes? Daniel: Start by measuring your email performance because there’s no magic formula—it's a bit of a black box. Test different versions of your email messages, including variations in length and content. Also, be cautious with the inclusion of links and phone numbers, as these can trigger spam filters. Use tools like Google Postmaster to track domain health and run placement tests to evaluate performance. Ensure your content is precise and avoids spammy words like "money" and "free." Sending emails to prospects who have opted in and engage with your messages will generally have higher deliverability. Andy: What inspired you to focus on email deliverability and end up in this field? Daniel: It’s a long story, but to keep it brief, I previously ran an e-commerce business selling physical products. I wanted to expand by reaching out to physical stores across the US and Europe. This led me to explore email marketing and ultimately to my current focus on improving email deliverability. Daniel: I started sending emails manually, one by one, about six or seven years ago. I would find mom-and-pop stores, gather their emails, and send them messages about my product. However, as I wanted to scale and send hundreds of emails a day, I couldn't find a proper solution. I also realized there was an issue with spam; some recipients were finding my emails in their spam folders. After spending over ten years in university, I decided to develop a solution, which is how Wary was born. Many successful entrepreneurial stories start with solving a personal problem, and this was certainly mine. Andy: A lot of great entrepreneurs find their start by addressing their own issues and discovering that many others face the same problems. Email marketing is still effective, even cold emailing, but the bar is higher than ever. To your point, understanding your prospects, keeping messages concise and relevant, and respecting people's inboxes are crucial for achieving opens. What other marketing tips do you have for SMBs in 2023? Daniel: In the future, the key will be building close relationships with your prospects rather than sending a cold email with a demo offer right away. It's more effective to establish a relationship first and only offer a call after a few emails or interactions. In an automated world, people are increasingly valuing personal connections and less automation. This approach will help you stand out. Andy: I agree; personal engagement often works better than automation in today’s world. What other SMB marketing trends should business owners be aware of, and how can they leverage these opportunities? Daniel: I really admire Seth Godin's concept of the "Purple Cow." In an automated world, doing something different—such as building personal relationships—can be very effective. You can engage through conferences, meetups, or any platform where you can connect with your customers. For cold emailing, avoid immediately offering a call; instead, focus on building a relationship over time. This approach will be more successful. Andy: That’s a great point. Engaging with customers authentically and personally is becoming increasingly important. What other tried-and-true marketing principles should business owners and marketing executives utilize? Daniel: Social media remains a powerful tool, especially when used for personal recommendations. Everyone is on social media, whether it's YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. Depending on your audience, social media can be a great way to build a personal brand. In today's solopreneurship boom, individuals are often their own brands. People buy from people, so it's important to highlight the people behind your company. When customers connect with the individuals behind the brand, they're more forgiving of any mistakes. This personal touch can make a significant difference. Andy: I’ve noticed that trend as well—people prefer to engage with brands that have a personal touch or community manager. Many solopreneurs are their own company, and it’s important for them to stand out as experts in their field. I’ve also observed a rise in fractional roles. We recently spoke with the CEO of Fractionals United, and the community is growing with fractional leaders across various fields. How do you see marketing roles evolving in the next year or two? Daniel: As new tools make automation easier, many marketing tasks will become more streamlined. However, going back to the "Purple Cow" concept, it's crucial to differentiate yourself. While automation can handle tasks like SEO or messaging, creativity will be what sets a company apart. Marketers who think creatively and uniquely will drive differentiation and success. Daniel: If you want to be successful, you need to stand out from your competitors. Today, authenticity is more valued than ever. While there are many great tools available, they are accessible to everyone, so you have to get really creative to stand out and be authentic. For those looking to automate, there are countless tools for various tasks, such as writing texts and sending emails. However, relying solely on automation isn’t a marketing strategy—there’s still a need for a human touch. Andy: HubSpot is a popular choice for many because it offers a wide range of features. However, some people struggle to fully utilize its capabilities due to its complexity. Do you have any examples of companies that excel in their marketing efforts? Daniel: I’m really impressed with Apple’s marketing—they consistently create excitement and anticipation among their customers. In the email marketing space, Mailchimp is another standout. They are very innovative and continuously test new approaches, which I find impressive. Andy: Beyond your industry, are there any other companies that have used particularly creative marketing tactics to stand out from the crowd? Daniel: As I mentioned, Apple is a prime example of creative marketing. Their customers are so enthusiastic that they camp out for days just to get the latest product. This level of excitement indicates they’ve done an excellent job with their marketing strategy. Andy: Failure is a part of entrepreneurship. Can you share a time when you failed and what you learned from it? Daniel: I’ve faced many failures throughout my career. I spent a lot of time and money on ventures that didn’t work out. But I believe that failure is a crucial part of success. I started in the academic world, which didn’t prepare me for business, so I made many mistakes. Eventually, things started working out, and I became excited about my progress. As the saying goes, "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand." The process involves a lot of trial and error. Andy: What challenges did your company face in the early days, and how did you overcome them? Daniel: Startups face challenges every day, whether technical, knowledge-related, or financial. Every day presents a new problem, but I enjoy tackling these issues and leading my team through them. The constant challenges keep things interesting and drive us to keep moving forward. Andy: Are there any books you’ve read recently that you would recommend to entrepreneurs, particularly for marketing insights? Daniel: One book I recommend is Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution by Uri Levine, co-founder of Waze. It’s a great read for entrepreneurs because it emphasizes the importance of understanding the problem rather than just focusing on the solution. This book is valuable for developing empathy with customers and solving their problems effectively. Daniel: Building a product effectively often means addressing a real-world problem rather than just adding features. I see many people throwing features at a problem, especially with new AI startups, without genuinely identifying and solving the core issue. This is a common issue with every new hype curve in technology. It's not easy, but focusing on solving the real problem in the best way possible is the right approach. Andy: Absolutely. So, what should potential customers know about Wary, and why should they choose your product over others? Daniel: One important thing to understand is that "different is better than better." I heard this from a prominent VC partner in Israel. Wary offers a unique approach by providing a personal touch with our customers. Deliverability isn't just about technology—it's about working hand-in-hand with customers to ensure their emails are successful. Our technology is sophisticated, with a dedicated team working around the clock. We don't just offer a feature; we provide a complete solution for email deliverability. As the problem becomes more complex, our comprehensive approach ensures we're continually investigating and addressing these challenges. Andy: That's great to hear. Ensuring customer success through a personalized service often leads to long-term loyalty because results are what matter most. Sometimes, expert guidance is essential to make the most out of technology. Daniel: Exactly. We are constantly expanding our support and success teams, and we prioritize training everyone in our company about deliverability. This ongoing education is crucial for our success. Andy: What’s next for Wary in the next five years? What can we expect from you? Daniel: We’re focusing on adding new features and technologies to enhance deliverability. We handle a diverse range of cases from heavy senders to smaller ones, and we continuously look for ways to improve. Our roadmap includes many exciting developments. As email usage continues to grow, there are many opportunities for innovation. Andy: That sounds exciting! One of the perks of my job is discovering cool new tools, so I might have to reach out to discuss this further. For anyone looking to boost their email deliverability, Wary is a great option. It’s featured in Nacho’s B2B SaaS Marketplace, the best place to find quality SaaS products. Daniel: Thank you so much for having me today. It was my pleasure. Andy: Thank you, Daniel. I know it's getting late over there, so I really appreciate your time. Best of luck, and stay safe. Daniel: Thank you again. It was great to be here.