Have you heard that Wonder Woman is now wearing pants instead of…well…no pants? This change in appearance has angered many long time fans. Did you know Justin Bieber recently changed his look by cutting his hair? That move cost him approximately 80,000 followers on Twitter. Judging from these two instances, change is not received well when it comes to a fan base.

However, as Robert C. Gallagher once said, “Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” Things progress, customer need evolves and your business will change as a result. It would be hard to remain the same in a world that is continually changing around you. Adjustments are crucial to remaining competitive in the business market.

Brand Familiarity and Adaptation

Now, here at Benchmark Email we have advised on more than one occasion that it is wise to maintain a recognizable look among your subscribers. Brand familiarity means a higher ROI (return on investment) for you. This means that the less you change your “look,” the higher your odds are of maintaining a long and steady line of repeat customers.

Whoa, wait? Conflicting ideas here? Not necessarily. The trick is to maintain a healthy balance between “keeping up with the times” and “brand familiarity.” You want your subscribers to open your email campaign and immediately recognize who you are and what it is you want from them. But at the same time you don’t want them to casually scan your email and think, “Same stuff, different day, yea, yea, yea…”

One way to achieve this balance is to utilize the same email template for each of your campaigns. This way, the layout is instantly recognizable to your subscribers. When your subscribers know where to look for the information they need each time they open your campaign, it makes the experience run that much smoother. We’ve all had that experience of walking into our favorite department store, money in hand and ready to spend, only to discover they changed the entire layout of the store! The toilet paper is where the electronics used to be and they’ve moved the clothing over where gardening was. Personally, I spend a lot less time in the store when this happens. You don’t want your subscribers to have the same reaction.

Putting the Template to Work

So now you have created the perfect layout that will make your subscribers happy and comfortable. How can you change things up without confusing and shocking them? Try a new color scheme to reflect the season. Spring time is upon us. You could try using brighter colors to draw attention. Throw in an eye catching image that makes someone pause and think, “Hey, what’s this? I want to know more.” Use the same reply address but change up your subject line.

Small changes like these will accomplish the need to remain fresh and competitive while allowing you to keep that same layout that subscribers will feel comfortable navigating through. Keeping the balance in your campaigns is as crucial as maintaining your balance on a bicycle. Both sides need to be working together in order for things to move forward at a steady pace.