This month, one great piece of marketing truly stood out. Shortly before the “big game,” I received an email from Bitly with a subject line that read:
“Why we decided not to run a SB ad this year”
(Preview text: “To avoid rumors, we’re addressing the decision head on.”)
OMG—scandalous! Suffice it to say, I was hooked.
Let’s dive into this remarkable email and explore how Bitly used curiosity, humor, and empathy to capture my undivided attention. Along the way, we’ll uncover practical insights you can apply to your own marketing.
Marketers learn from other marketers. We watch major brands for cues and advice, always staying alert to the latest innovations. So, when a brand like Bitly announces a major decision—especially around a high-profile ad opportunity—we pay attention. The subject line teased news or even controversy, sparking my curiosity. I opened the email because I had to know more.
Let’s dig in!
1. “That” Subject Line (and the Value of Preview Text)
The preview text—“To avoid rumors, we’re addressing the decision head on”—drew me in further. That’s a lesson in itself: clever subject lines and relevant preview text are the first (and often most difficult) hurdles in getting an email opened.
Key takeaway: Subject lines should intrigue and invite. Preview text is equally crucial—use it to pique curiosity or hint at a story.
2. Humor and Hook — Persona Mastery
“We’re pretty sure the world would have been moved to tears by our concept of talking bananas connected at the stem who come to appreciate the value of their connection.”
Immediately, I realized I’d been had—in the best way possible. Bitly offered a playful jab at the over-the-top ads we see every year. The humor was disarming and refreshing, and I was compelled to keep reading. Before I knew it, I was actually laughing.
One line in particular—describing their product as turning “LIIINKS into LINKS”—was a witty, concise way to remind us what Bitly does. By that point, they had earned another scroll, and I’d invested more than 10 seconds of undivided attention in their email.
Key takeaway: A dash of humor can humanize your brand, hooking readers so they stick around longer—especially if your product is typically seen as purely functional.
3. Relatability — Brand Mastery
“The truth is, we wanted to send a message. The simple message that we don’t have an extra $8 million laying around to spend on a single ad placement! We imagine you probably don’t either.”
Here’s a brand that “gets it.” They know most marketers don’t have multi-million-dollar budgets lying around. By using words like “scrappy,” “resourceful,” and “more with less,” they spoke to a common struggle in marketing.
I Googled Bitly’s stats—over 500,000 customers, $100M+ in ARR, and 600 million links handled monthly. None of that surprised me. What did surprise me was the sudden kinship I felt with their marketing team. They “get” the reality of stretching budgets and meeting stakeholder demands. Maybe their VP cuts their budget too; maybe they’ve had to defend the value of real MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) versus generic “leads” in a meeting.
Because they acknowledged these challenges so directly, I found myself thinking, “Wait, they understand what my world is like.” Their words—“scrappy,” “resourceful,” “for marketers like us”— resonated. It felt like we were on the same team. Suddenly, Bitly wasn’t just a link shortener; it was a brand that spoke my marketing language.
Key takeaway: Show your audience you understand their reality. Empathy bridges the gap between your brand’s capabilities and your customers’ challenges.
4. A Powerful Ask — “What Do You Want From Me?”
By this point, I was fully on board—entertained, feeling understood, and waiting for the pitch. Instead of a hard sell, Bitly ended with:
“Because you know how to GET IT DONE.
We’re honored to be part of your game plan. You got this!”
No coupons or “Buy Now!”—just a simple message of respect and partnership. That single line reinforced Bitly as a trusted ally. They positioned themselves as both a cheerleader and collaborator, leaving me feeling great about using them. It was almost like we’d shared a joke at the bar and discovered we have a lot in common.
Key takeaway: Sometimes the best call to action isn’t a discount or sign-up button—it’s simply expressing confidence in your audience and thanking them for their partnership.
Conclusion: One Great Email Can Transform Brand Perception
Before that email landed in my inbox, Bitly was just a tool I used—like a hammer or email itself. Within minutes, I found myself thinking about Bitly differently. For all of my short codes in the last week, I’ve used my Bitly QR Code Generator bookmark instead of Googling “Short code generator” for whatever was currently advertised.
I forwarded the email to my marketing team as a prime example of engaging content, brought it up in customer conversations, and ultimately wrote this blog post about it. That’s a lot of brand credibility earned—all from a single, cleverly executed email.
In fact, on February 6 at 10:50 AM, I couldn’t have given you a real opinion on Bitly (it was just a “tool”). By 11:00 AM, I was a raving fan, saying, “Let’s make sure we use Bitly to create the right URLs.” And, of course, bookmarking their QR Code Generator.
Four Key Lessons You Can Apply
- Subject Line & Preview Text: Use them to tease and intrigue, not just label the email.
- Humor & Wit: Breaking the fourth wall can keep your audience scrolling.
- Empathy & Relatability: Acknowledge real-world challenges to forge a meaningful connection.
- CTA as Empowerment: Instead of asking for something, sometimes it pays to simply say, “We see you—keep going!”
About Tactical MA
Trillions of dollars in marketing surround us daily. Every email in our inbox is the product of experience, intentional copywriting, and design. Every ad on Spotify, every sponsored result in a Google Search, and every package on a store shelf can be studied, absorbed, emulated, and perfected in the next iteration.
At Tactical MA, we stand on the shoulders of these marketing giants to bring innovative strategies and tactics to our clients every day. If you’d like to apply a scrappy, resourceful approach—like Bitly did—to your own brand, we invite you to reach out. We offer straightforward retainers, a proven track record, and an army of satisfied customers who’ll gladly speak for us.
Ready to explore working together? Contact us today!
This is not a paid promotion by Bitly, nor does Tactical MA have any official affiliation with Bitly. Bitly has not endorsed or approved this post. All thoughts and views expressed here are solely those of Tactical Marketing Automation, LLC.
