7 Campaigns For Your E-commerce Email Marketing Strategy

Email campaigns have long been the backbone of digital marketing. They are tried and true, and continuously produce excellent results, especially for retail and e-commerce brands. Email’s unique ability to grab attention without the distraction of hundreds of other content, like on social media, makes it an incredibly useful marketing tool. According to DMA’s Marketing Email Tracker 2019 report:

• 76% of marketers report an increase in open rates in the past 12 months
• 75% of marketers say click-throughs are higher
• 51% of marketers say ROI has risen
• Opt-out rates have decreased according to 41% of marketers 
• 55% of marketers say spam complaints are also down
  

We can go on and on with statistics boasting about the successes email brings. Instead, let’s dive into the 7 campaigns your e-commerce email marketing strategy needs.

1. The Welcome Email

Sending a welcome email to new subscribers is the perfect way to get personal, thank the user, and offer a sweet discount for their first purchase. These emails typically reveal top-selling items too. While the design should remain simple—you don’t want to overwhelm your customer and scare them away—it should also be creative, original, and, of course, showcase your branding.

2. The Engagement Email

To get your audience to open your emails—and more importantly, click within them—you must have something they want. For example, an exclusive offer, a redeemable code, or claimable free shipping. By sprinkling in a prominent incentive, you’ll be urging your audience to click the button and follow through with the purchase. To avoid having users swipe away from the email and ‘come back later,’ try a time-sensitive deal. Make your offer, but take it away after 24-48 hours, so your audience is more likely to make the purchase that day. An ongoing sale won’t stay on top of their mind the same way.

3. The Cart Abandonment Email

When online shopping, tons of distractions can prevent your customers from finalizing their purchase. By sending a friendly reminder email that they have left items in their cart, and perhaps including a little discount, you’ll encourage them to follow through with the sale. A huge turn away for customers is a hefty shipping cost. To combat this common issue, try offering free shipping in your cart abandonment email and watch as those sales increase.

4. The Cross-Sell Email

An up-sell, that is, the encouragement of purchasing a more expensive item is typically done on a website itself. A cross-sell, however, makes a great email campaign; it is when related or complementary products are encouraged at the point of sale. While this can also be done on your website, an email holds a quaint personal touch. For example, send a follow-up email asking if your customer is enjoying their recent purchase of X item. Then, in the same email, suggest products that are frequently purchased or work well together. Write complimentary copy that gives your brand the voice of a friend rather than a company trying to make another sale.

5. The Win-Back Email

While it’s exciting to market for your audience that opens, clicks, and engages with your emails, those that are less active can still be valuable. Don’t view those that don’t bother opening, or perhaps open but don’t interact with your email, as making your campaign numbers less attractive. Instead, see it as a missed opportunity for sales. This way, you’ll be inspired to create a win-back campaign that directly speaks to those inactive customers. Have an enticing title text, an eye-catching design, and artistic photography throughout this email. Plus, throwing in a small discount doesn’t hurt either.

6. The Survey Email

Collecting feedback from your customers is extremely valuable and can be a critical influence when making business decisions. Unless the survey is short—we’re talking 1 or 2 questions—you’re going to need to provide a sweet incentive to get some responses. A popular survey tactic is to host a survey as if it were a contest. By submitting the questionnaire, they’ll be entered to win a gift card to your shop or maybe a goodie bag. Another smart incentive is to offer a gift with their next purchase, added to their account at checkout.

7. The Thank You Email

Most emails, unless there is a dire company update, are sales-based. While that is the ultimate conversion, brand loyalty is what turns a one-time purchase into a customer that comes back for years. There are certain events in your business that may occur and make wonderful opportunities to thank your customers. Perhaps you have recently launched a new product line, received an award, or exceeded a milestone. By sharing these moments with your customers, you create a sense of community and value. 

Start Running Successful E-commerce Email Campaigns

To get started with your e-commerce email marketing strategy, talk to the digital experts at Kraus Marketing. Our team of designers, copywriters, and email strategists work with you to send campaigns specifically for your target audience. Don’t wait—start creating dynamic and engaging emails today. Contact us now!