10 ideas for a killer email marketing campaign
Want to increase brand loyalty and boost sales? Here are 10 ideas – with examples – of killer email marketing campaigns you can use.
You’ve worked hard to build a mailing list for your business. But now what do you do with it? You might send out regular newsletters, but is there anything else you can do to grow your relationship with your customers and maximise the value of your list?
10 ideas for a killer email marketing campaign
Clever email marketing can build customer relationships, stimulate growth, and educate customers. To help give you an idea of the type of email marketing you could try, here are 10 different types of campaign, with examples.
1) Promote relevant local events
This is a way for local businesses to draw in customers with local events. Here’s an example:
The design is simple and eye catching, with a straightforward title and key event information. Note the “forward to a friend” link above the fold so the user doesn’t have to scroll.
This example is dangerously close to being cluttered. However, they’ve divided the email well ensuring all the information is readable. If you need to include lots of text then link to a landing page with all the information.
2) Advertise promotions
Everybody loves a deal, and it’s important that you keep customers informed so they never miss an offer or promotion.
This email is minimal, allowing the discounts to attract the reader and listing only relevant information. They strike the perfect balance between being informative, but not overwhelming.
This email is very different, choosing to include all the links you normally find on the actual website. From here you can buy gift cards, shop online etc. The focus however, still remains on the main deal, the free shipping. The problem with this email is that the reader can lose focus and click away.
3) Send coupons
One way to boost sales is by offering coupons. Personalising these emails is a nice touch that improves customer experience.
If a customer hasn’t made a purchase for a long time then this is a great way to bring them back. The email is simplistic and the customer instantly gets the message. The link is also not the usual “shop now”, which can be interpreted as spam.
This email also looks to encourage back customers who have abandoned a shopping cart. It’s a simple design that perfectly communicates the intent, but also links to the rest of the website in a very natural manner.
4) Share positive reviews
This helps build trust with customers as they see that you have a good relationship with your other customers.
This is a well designed email that fits in a number of relevant reviews and the products, helping to promote their offering and share customer reviews.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any reviews yet; you can also send an email requesting them for recent purchases.
5) Send product newsletters
If you have a new service or product then this is a great way to spread the news.
Here they’ve announced their new releases alongside a promotion. The page is crowded, but the focus is still held on the new releases and the discount, which is repeated twice.
6) Send promotional newsletters
While you want to use email to promote offers to your customers, it’s important not to overdo it, as this can lead to them unsubscribing from your list.
This is a perfect pre-sale email as it’s minimalist, but includes everything the reader needs to know, and is a great way to boost traffic during the sale.
7) Encourage user engagement
This isn’t about getting an instant sale, but looking for long term relationships by encouraging interaction between users or future use of the service.
This is used to encourage users to interact with each other. It makes the new user feel welcome and shows the popularity of your site to the reader. However, these emails can easily become overwhelming so keep to a few a month.
This not only creates user engagement, but also helps to bring in new customers.
8) Show your customers some appreciation
These make your customer feel important – building your relationship and hopefully leading to repeat business.
Anniversary emails are a great way to maintain customer interaction. Here they’ve created a video for the customer, but you can offer something relevant to your customers.
9) Ask for feedback
Feedback is vital to improving your brand. It also makes your customers feel valued.
This is an attractive email that quickly conveys the message. The discount also incentivises the reader to leave feedback.
This has the survey in the email, saving the user’s time. It also doesn’t offer an incentive, which is fine if your email is this straightforward.
10) Create educational newsletters
This builds customer trust as it gives you authority on a topic. It also gives customers another reason to join your mailing list.
This email provides relevant advice directly in the email. Only link away if there is too much information for an email.
This email is well divided and provides enough information to entice the reader to click on a call to action to get the recipe.
Seven tips that apply to ALL email marketing
Whatever type of email marketing campaign you decide on, here are seven tips that apply:
- Don’t overcrowd emails with text and images.
- Highlight calls-to-action (CTA).
- Keep the heading simple and concise.
- Don’t distract from the main point.
- Use relevant images.
- Save readers time with simplistic design.
- Focus on one or two CTAs, don’t clutter!
Now that you have a foolproof plan for your email campaign, it’s time to make sure your website is well-optimised. Do a quick SEO check to ensure the best experience for your audience.
