Although we’ve had great digital communication advancements, there’s one reigning champ.
Email.
In fact, according to Marketing Sherpa, 72% of consumers prefer to communicate with businesses through email.
In addition, email marketing is the most cost-effective way to directly communicate with customers, send them promotions, and make sales.
For those skeptics that don’t believe customers want to be ‘bombarded’ by promotional emails…
…Yer wrong.
Marketing Sherpa also discovered that 90% of Americans want to receive promotional emails AND more than half of them say discounts in emails have been the biggest influence on their purchasing decisions.
In this article, I’m going to cover:
Owned media are digital marketing channels that are completely controlled and owned by your company.
Examples of owned media are blogs, email marketing campaigns, your companies website, and even posts your company makes on social media.
Essentially, owned media allows you to effectively advertise without having to pay for advertising space.
You can send specific emails to specific subscribers that want to receive them through a technique called segmentation.
Segmentation is a process in which you divide your email list into different segments based on certain characteristics.
This allows you to deliver relevant campaigns to recipients that will most likely take advantage of your offer based on their previous history and interactions with your store.
Email automation allows you to send out precisely timed and triggered emails to specific subscribers.
This customized strategy allows you to send out emails to customers in different stages of the customer lifecycle, personalized email campaigns such as birthday promotions or anniversary promotions, as well as any specific account updates.
Automation makes email campaigns more relevant and takes hours of work off of your hands.
I’m sure you’re aware that your customer won’t make a purchase on their first visit.
Or even their 5th.
I am the eCommerce stores worst nightmare. I sometimes go and ‘window shop’ and simulate a purchase by adding things I like to my cart.
And then I empty it and go on with my day.
It’s cruel I know.
But then I’m constantly updated with the items I deserted by emails from the stores I assaulted.
And 9/10 times I buckle and hand over my money.
This is called remarketing and its where most of your stores’ sales are going to come from.
Emails are more persuasive than facebook ads.
Invest in them.
Klaviyo is a data-driven automation provider that uses an AI to organize all of your customer’s data in one central spot – eliminating the manual research.
You can track website behavior for more personalized, and laser targets your campaigns.
Klaviyo also features growth workshops that help users excel in marketing efforts through community collaboration projects.
MailChimp is an all-in-one email platform that lets you track metrics across all channels:
In addition to the breadth of tracking and integrations, they give subscribers access to a content studio where you can make on-brand designs sans the graphic designer.
This platform keeps the Shopify store owner top of mind – at all times.
Market Hero is set up to effortlessly help new and small business owners strategize their campaigns – email and messenger.
In addition to providing additional platforms to run your autoresponder campaigns on, Market Hero helps you understand and quantify data points that you should be measuring
Collecting emails can be tricky, it’s all about the right timing and reciprocation.
In the following paragraphs, I’m going to reveal the most optimized ways to collect emails, without irritating or disrupting your shopper.
The only pop up you should have on your store is an exit intent pop-up.
It’s less disruptive than a timed pop-up and doesn’t lower your conversions like ones that appear when someone clicks to view a product.
You should incentivize your customers to submit their email by offering:
By doing this, not only are you acquiring a new subscriber, but you’re also increasing your chances of saving a sale.
An alternative to the exit intent pop-up is one that is gamified, that is, one that portrays itself as something similar to a game with a prize at the finish line.
This technique works by playing on the pleasure centers in the brain associated with winning a competition and a subsequent prize.
It’s a fun way to get your shoppers to interact with your site.
As mundane as you may think they are, they’re pretty effective.
Sometimes, all it takes for a person to submit their email is to browse around and really figure out your brands personality.
The best places to put a subscription box are on the About Us page and in your footer.
Having a subscription box on the About Us page typically gains more sign ups than one in the footer.
After reading your About Us page, your customer is more likely to form a connection with your brand, and that connection will make them want to stay in communication.
I have included a few campaigns to get your email marketing efforts off the ground.
These are the 7 campaigns each store should be investing their efforts in from the start.
Also, just so you’re warned ahead of time, you guys will be subjected to the contents of a 20-something-year-old girls inbox.
This may get ugly for some of you.
This indoctrination sequence should give your new subscribers a preview of the communication style, frequency, and token of appreciation.
Aim to have a conversational tone within these messages, familiarize your new subscribers with your brand’s personality.
The first email should essentially thank your subscriber for signing up to the list and a brief overview of your brand accompanied by a double opt-in or ways to connect with your brand on social media.
The second email should contain a discount or offer as a token of appreciation. This email should include an organized catalog selection in the email to lead subscribers directly to products they’re interested in.
You can condense the series into one email, but there should only be one clear call to action – either the double opt-in or the discounted call to action.
Notice the simplicity and straightforward messaging LUV AJ uses in their indoctrination email.
There is a clear call to action accompanied by an organized catalog at the top of the email.
At the very bottom of the email, there are ways for subscribers to connect with the brand on social media.
Your featured items email should be composed of your best offers and products or a preview of your new collection.
These emails provide diverse offers to your subscribers and will help you segment your list based on what each individual interacts with.
Catbird sends out curated collection emails frequently that include fun messaging.
Notice how they feature a wide range of items based on a common theme, this allows them to easily segment subscribers based on which item they click.
Email marketing is most effective when you’re able to encourage interaction, or engagement, between your subscribers and your brand through emails.
Motivate engagement by offering fun and unique incentives.
Ask for customer photo’s to feature on your social page, boosting your brands social proof.
Send a free gift alongside the next purchase.
Give your customer a personalized discount for their birthday or anniversary with your company.
Not only do these incentives and strategies boost sales, but they make your customers feel valued.
Burst Oral Care sparks urgency by offering a free set of their whitening strips within a limited time.
Notice the countdown timer as well as a clear, strong call to action.
Maybe you have a set of emails on your list have yet to take further actions, aka make a purchase.
All they may need is a little extra nudge.
Cue in social proof.
Sending out customer testimonials accompanied by a curated best sellers list, or list of products your customer would like based on their previous browsing history will be your best way to persuade them to make a purchase.
We all know the power harnessed in product reviews – don’t limit them to your product pages!
Frasier Sterling is famous for using the power of influencers, models, actresses, and musicians that use their products in their marketing campaign.
The trendy affordable brand has been able to scale their business significantly by harnessing the power of social proof that deeply resonates with their target market.
Despite having a perfectly optimized store and checkout, you will still have abandoned carts.
The number one reason people most often abandon carts is due to unexpected shipping costs.
You can coax your customer back by offering them a one-time use discount code or free shipping for that order.
If giving a discount doesn’t fit in with your margins, then influence the purchase using scarcity. Let your customers know there are only a few items left in stock or the promotion is ending soon.
Ecom empire NastyGal knows a thing or two about effective email marketing.
Their abandoned carts email links their customers right back to the point of transaction – the checkout page.
Order confirmations should include links to order tracking, anticipated delivery dates, and customer service information in case anything goes awry.
You can even include upsells or cross-sells in these emails.
If your customer didn’t purchase an optional warranty – include the option to add it on in the email.
Maybe your customer ordered something that could be bundled with another item to increase its benefits – let them know and include images of the products in the email!
Public Space may not offer any upsells in their order confirmation email, but they explicitly state the longer delivery times and give their customers personal contact points for any questions they may have while they wait.
Their message is pretty flattering too 😉
These emails should be sent out when an item is about to arrive or has just arrived on your customers doorstep.
Include supplemental content that will compliment their purchase such as a product FAQ or a step-by-step guide on how to use the product.
In addition, these emails can be used to get reviews for the product or your brand. The most effective way to get a review from someone is to ask them – don’t be shy.
It’s true what they say, whatever Amazon is doing is most likely the right way to execute strategies.
Flat out asking a customer to give a review or partake in a survey is the most effective way to get them to participate, especially after they express their gratitude.
I would know.
WHY email marketing is so vital to your marketing strategy, you can begin implementing your own campaigns!
Use the techniques outlined for collecting email subscriptions and implement all 7 campaigns, sit back, and watch your sales start pouring in!
While you’re at it, check out our post on optimized store design to make sure your store is ready to handle all of those new sales!
As always, leave your comments in the field below and share some of your favorite email marketing hacks!
Email marketing is best
Sure is 🙂