Types of Emails to kickstart your 2021 marketing strategy
Email isn’t a new technology. In fact, it was one of the very first means of digital communication. Email marketing Is almost 50 years old today, and it is more widely used than ever.
As the years go by Email is only getting bigger:
- In 2019, there were 3.9 billion global email users
- 80% of Americans check their email at least once per day, with nearly a quarter of them checking their personal email several times a day
- 80% of business professionals believe that email marketing increases customer retention.
Given the figures, it’s not surprising that email is hailed as the most effective channel in digital marketing. Not having an email marketing strategy means missing out on sales opportunities and the chance to strengthen ties with customers.
Creating an email marketing plan can be challenging for small business owners. They often don’t have the time to plan for much more than announcements and promos. But to keep your subscribers engaged, you’ll need much more than that. Ideally, your emails will be something that they look forward to reading so that they’ll keep your business in mind even when they’re not yet ready to buy.
In other words, you shouldn’t send out the same types of emails all the time. This guide lists the different types of email campaigns you can send out to keep your subscribers engaged, and even drive up sales.
1. Welcome Emails
You should always send a welcome email to the new subscribers, as long as they confirm their email address. Subscribers are highly likely to open and click welcome emails compared to other types of promotional emails, so it is very important to make a good first impression and make your branding clear. For example, you can use your welcome email to tell your brand’s story, offer a free trial of your product, discounts, or free shipping.
2. Customer Stories
Customer stories are generated from interviewing or studying your customers. These stories could be about their success with your products or services, their personal stories, and tips to other customers like them. Their stories could also come in the form of pictures or videos they’ve taken. Because these stories come from other customers, it builds a sense of community. Subscribers are able to identify with other buyers, sharing their interests and experiences.
3. Tutorials and Tips Emails
Another good idea is to send instructive and educational emails that help subscribers in a way that’s relevant to your business. These usually come in the form of how-to tutorials and tips. They can be simple or in-depth—depending on what your products do and what your subscriber needs. Instruction emails are a great way to familiarize your subscribers with your products or services. This can be especially useful when it’s unclear how your business can help them solve a problem or attain a goal.
4. Re-engagement Emails
It’s usual, a part of your subscribers to be less to not be as engaged as others. Maybe they lost interest in your products or emails. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, what matters is to encourage them to reengage with your brand. You can use an email with “miss you” or “come back” in the subject line or one with a discount on it.
5. Cart Abandonment Reminders
One type of email that’s essential for any online store is cart abandonment emails. These are the emails that you send out when potential customers add items to their online shopping cart, but don’t follow through on a purchase. A good cart abandonment email includes a prominent call-to-action and some compelling copy to remind the customer why they should complete the sale.
6. Time-Sensitive Promotions
Time-sensitive promotional emails include an offer that will expire soon. This offer could be about the limited availability of the product or service, or it could be a discount that’s only available for a limited time. When sending out these types of emails, the subject line has to be clear about the time-sensitivity of the email. Otherwise, customers might not feel the urgency to open it immediately.
7. Confirmation emails
You should always send order confirmation or receipt emails with the order details, once a customer completes a transaction.
8. Review Requests
When a customer is satisfied with a purchase, you can email them a request to send in a review or testimonial. When posted on your online store, social media pages, or on third-party review sites, these good reviews will serve as social proof that can help build trust and confidence among incoming customers. They even make your other emails more effective.
Test which emails from the above list work better for you and remember, email marketing is really about building a long-term relationship with your subscribers. That kind of relationship-building requires more planning and variety. In return, you’ll get better brand recall and customer loyalty.
As email will be one of the biggest marketing trends of 2021, check out how Routee can help you connect with your customers and transform your communication strategy.