Did you know that the average return on email marketing is over $40 per dollar spent? Email is the second most effective way to acquire new customers, but it’s also ideal for keeping current customers engaged.
And engaged customers boost sales by 23%.
Automated email campaigns based on customers’ birthdates, site views and clicks, content downloads, purchases and similar personalized data minimize the work involved in nurturing customer relationships. But, they still produce solid increases in sales and satisfaction.
Build loyalty, encourage additional sales and educate your base about your brand, products and industry with these 11 ideas.
11. Thank them for being a customer.
Remember—you’re constantly asking something of your customers, whether it’s pushing them to buy a product or take time to read a blog post. A short and sweet “thank you” email gives them a break from marketing and shows your appreciation.
10. Meet the team and employee spotlight emails give customers a face (or faces) to go with the brand.
Tie these emails to a specific point in the customer’s lifecycle, like a week or two after a purchase, or get more specific. If a customer recently read a blog post, send a spotlight email talking about the team behind the blog or the writer of the post.
9. Welcome them to the journey.
Did they sign up for your newsletter? Make their first purchase? Send out a pithy greeting that lets them know exactly what they’ll get out of being your customer and what they can expect from you moving forward.
8. Link to content that customers might find interesting or helpful based on their interactions with your site, email and brand.
If they recently read a bunch of articles on your site about traveling to Costa Rica, send them a video tour. When a customer signs up for your SEO course, email them links to your blog series on the subject.
7. Harness the power of recommendation emails.
Trigger these when a customer views products or service descriptions on your site or makes a purchase. If a customer recently viewed a necklace, point out the coordinating pieces. When someone purchases a handmade coffee mug, send them care instructions.
6. Highlight customers in spotlight emails, triggering the emails based on customers’ visits to your site.
Find people with interesting personal stories or those who attribute a positive change in their lives with your brand. This shows that you listen to and are involved with your base and provides social proof to site visitors who haven’t made a purchase in a while.
5. Create a “miss you” email triggered when customers go past the average time between purchases.
A simple note—preferably with some type of discount—saying that you’ve noticed their absence works for nearly any business. And don’t be afraid to tell them what they’re missing out on, including new content you’ve put out, recently launched products or positive customer reviews for products or services the customer recently viewed.
4. Track the average lifespan of your products and send customers a reminder to stock back up or replace it when the time comes.
Replenishment emails work best when there’s a strong call-to-action and direct link to the product. They can also be used for services: Website designers could send an email letting a customer know a refresh of their design might be in order.
3. Reach out to customers who fill their carts but fail to complete the purchase.
Sometimes all you need to do is to remind them they left something behind to advance the purchase cycle. For serial cart abandoners, try a more direct, personal approach: Ask why they didn’t order. Statistically, a series of three different abandoned cart emails is 69% more effective than sending one email.
2. Engage customers with brand history emails that highlight who you are as a company.
Send these during the first few months of your relationship or on anniversaries like the founding of your company or launch of a bestselling product. Use this in conjunction with miss you campaigns and cart abandonment emails to reel lapsed customers back in.
1. Celebrate customers’ birthdays and milestones in your brand/customer relationship.
Send a digital birthday card during the customer’s birthday month or on the actual day. Or, celebrate a customer’s “anniversary” with your brand on the date they first signed up with you or made a purchase. Be sure to include a gift, whether it’s a discount or freebie with their next purchase.
Adding even a few of these ideas to your overall email marketing strategy increases customer retention and satisfaction. And with marketing automation platforms like MailChimp, creating automated, targeted email campaigns is a breeze. So—what are you waiting for?
