The benefits of email marketing are often overlooked. Many organizations are so involved with SEO, social media, and link building that they neglect the power of email marketing. The reason may be that there are many misconceptions about it. Marketers are often sceptical about whether or not email marketing works or if it is pertinent to the industry they operate in, when in reality, email marketing is actually effective across a wide range of industries.
Email marketing acts as a link to both current and future customers. If done in the right manner, it can amplify sales. Email marketing accounts for approximately 23% of sales, rendering it one of the most effective marketing channels at your disposal
Having said that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to use email marketing to boost your sales!
- Transactional Emails
These emails are sent after a customer has made a purchase. They can be anything from order confirmations, thank you notes or shipping notices. Since these emails are of direct and immediate interest to the recipient, they have a high open rate. This should be utilized to entice the person to make another purchase or a repeat purchase.This can be done through product bundling – Featuring items that are often purchased along with the ones the buyer has recently bought. Special offers or discounts for future purchases can be provided which, in turn leads to customer loyalty.Many times, customers act on impulse when they see products that are related to a previous purchase but they didn’t think about buying it while shopping. This is particularly true if a promotional offer is attached to the purchase, such as “Buy now and save 50%” or “Add this to your cart for no additional shipping charge.”
- Welcome them to your company!
Some of the biggest brands in the country send introductory or welcoming emails when someone signs up to be on their mailing list. These emails usually thank the person for signing up, and then offer them a small discount or offer on their next purchase.For example, let’s imagine a customer just moved into a new apartment and realized that their dining table doesn’t fit. To purchase a new one, they would go to a few different websites to do some research but are not quite ready to make a purchase. Then, the next day one of those sites sends them an email with a code for 15% off first purchase. This would prompt them to revisit the site and take action. The welcome email helped in generating a sale by keeping the furniture needs in mind. - Remind them about their cart!
People often indulge in window shopping online. They add items to their cart, and then abandon it for one reason or another. Either they may have looked at the total and decided not to spend the money or maybe the shipping charges were too high.These customers can be brought back to complete the sale with a cart abandonment email. This email would remind people that they have items in their cart and invites them to checkout. By gently nudging people to move forward with their purchase, many companies also send a coupon code for a percentage off the order or for free shipping to prompt these customers to complete their sale. - Follow up periodically
Customers appreciate companies who pay attention to their needs. Sending an email to past customers asking them if they need a refill of something or some kind of aftersales service in their last order can lead to additional sales. This is especially effective in case of items such as pet food, dietary supplements, or beauty products. Displaying images of the exact item people bought not only sparks their memory, but is also known to show an increase in click-through rates. People tend to purchase the same items when they are satisfied with them.This is equally effective for service-based industries where clients require a follow-up service. For example, if you’re a dentist, you could send an email every 5 or 6 months after each client’s last visit to remind them that they’re due to come back in for their next appointment. Or, if you’re an accountant, a series of reminder emails should go out as tax season gets closer. - Promotional Emails
Customers love sales and they jump at the opportunity to buy when time to cash in is limited. We owe that to cognitive psychology — people hate to lose out on something and it creates a sense of urgency. This is why it’s important to add words like “limited time only” to your emails with promotions. This causes them to take action more quickly.These types of emails should be sent periodically only. People can become immune if they are presented with the stimulus of the sales and urgency if it happens too much.
