E-Commerce is a tricky business. In the past, it was enough for a retailer to ship their products and hope they would sell, but those days are long gone. Today, you must compete with just about every other online store to survive in the marketplace. And thus, one of the best weapons in this battle is email marketing automation.
According to a study, 84% of the marketers who were surveyed have successfully used email marketing automation to achieve their topmost priorities. But the question is how it can benefit you and why marketers use this strategy.
Let’s dive deep & understand everything around email marketing:
A Brief Introduction To Email Marketing
Simply put, email marketing is a way to use email to market your products or services to customers. Email marketing can build customer relationships, make them aware of new items or offers, and generate sales.
Email Marketing can be used for the following purposes:
- To promote products or services and in turn generate more sales.
- Stay in touch with your customers with relevant product updates
- Notify your customers about upcoming offers
- Remind your customers to complete their purchases from their cart
- Welcoming new customers through welcome emails from your brand
The great thing about email is that you can easily personalize your emails to make them more relevant to each and every customercustomer, and use it to drive specific goals & objectives.
Though, there are a few things to remember when you're using email marketing which are:
- Ensure that your emails are relevant and exciting to your customers. If they're not, they'll likely delete them without reading them.
- Don’t spam your customers with too many emails. They'll get annoyed and may even unsubscribe from your list.
- Make sure your emails are well-written and free of errors. People will judge your brand based on the quality of your emails, so take the time to proofread them before you send them out.
Email marketing can be a very effective way to connect to your customers and promote your products, but it's essential to use it wisely.
You may not know this, but email marketing has a long and storied history. The first email marketing campaign was sent back in 1978, and Gary Thuerk sent it to 400 recipients.
Incredibly, the campaign resulted in $13 million in sales. Not too shabby, right? Email marketing is a bit more sophisticated these days, but the basic principle remains the same: using email to connect with customers and drive sales.
Key Reasons Why You Should Use Email Marketing For Promotion
There are several advantages of email marketing, and the most popular are mentioned below:-
1. Increase Sales: Email marketing can directly increase sales for your business. You can promote special deals and discounts, encouraging customers to buy from your store. You can also include links to your product pages in your emails, making it much easier for customers to find what they're looking for and purchase.
2. Build Relationships with Customers: Email marketing helps you stay in touch with your customers and build relationships with them. You can send them updates about new products, special offers, and more. This helps keep your business top of mind when they're they're ready to make a purchase
3. Save money: Undoubtedly, it is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience. Unlike other marketing channels, there are no upfront costs involved in setting up an email marketing campaign.
4. Reach a wider audience: With email marketing, you can reach a wider audience than you would through other channels such as social media or paid advertising. Everyone has an email address, so you can know who uses which platform.
5. Stand out from the competition: In today's competitive marketplace, it's essential to ensure your ecommerce store stands out from the crowd. Email marketing can help you do this by promoting your unique selling points and differentiating your brand from others in the industry.
What is email marketing automation?
When using email marketing automation, you set up a series of emails subscribers will send based on a particular action they've taken or on a set schedule.
Say, for example, you run an online store. You could set up an automation sequence that sends a coupon code to people who have added an item to their cart but still need to check out. You could also send people a "thank you" email with a special offer for their next purchase.
Email marketing automation is an effective way to nurture leads and increase sales. It's also a fantastic way to keep your subscribers engaged with your brand.
Advantages of Email Automation Tools
Email automation tools offer several advantages for ecommerce businesses which include:
- They can help you save time and money by automating repetitive tasks, such as sending welcome emails or follow-up messages. Moreover, it can also help to improve your customer relations by providing timely and relevant information about your products or services.
- Automation tools can also help you segment your customer base and target specific audiences with personalized content. Additionally, email automation can improve your deliverability rates and ensure that your messages reach the inboxes of your intended recipients.
- Furthermore, automation can help you track customer engagement and behavior, better understanding their needs and preferences.
In short, email automation can help you boost sales and grow your business.
How can an D2C & Retail brands use email marketing to their advantage?
Email marketing is one of the best and most effective ways to reach customers and promote your ecommerce business. In order to get started with email marketing, you'll need to build a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive emails from you. You can include an opt-in form on your website or blog or run a targeted campaign to encourage sign-ups.
Once you have a list of subscribers, you can send out regular newsletters, special offers, and other promotional material via email. To maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing, be sure to segment your list so that you're only sending relevant information to those interested in it. And remember to track your results so you can see what's working and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Types of emails to send
The benefits of email marketing in ecommerce are vast. Email allows you to reach a large audience with minimal effort and is an affordable way to promote your products or services.
Additionally, email marketing can help you build relationships with your customers and create loyalty. There are several types of emails you can send to your customers, and each has its advantages.
Newsletters: Newsletters are a great way to keep your customers updated on your latest products, specials, or company news. They can also build customer relationships by providing valuable information, such as tips or advice.
Promotional Emails: It is a great way to increase sales and boost profits. They can be used to introduce new products, offer discounts or coupons, or advertise special deals or promotions.
Transactional Emails: Transactional emails are sent after a purchase has been made, and they typically include shipping information or confirmation of the order. These emails serve as valuable customer service tools and can also upsell additional products or services.
Thank You Emails: Thank you emails are a great way to show appreciation for your customer's business. They can be used after a purchase has been made or simply after signing up for your newsletter. A simple and cute thank you goes a long way in building customer loyalty.
Welcome Emails: Welcome emails are a great way to nurture new subscribers and turn them into lifelong fans. By sending automated emails, you can introduce your brand, build trust, and create a relationship with your new subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email: If you've ever added something to your shopping cart and then left the website without completing a purchase, you may have received an abandoned cart email. These emails are sent to re-engage shoppers who have shown interest in a product but didn't purchase it. They are a great way to remind customers of the items they left behind and convert them into paying customers.
Feedback Email: When you send a customer a feedback email, you ask them to provide their insights on their experience with your product or service. The email should be clear, concise, and direct, so the customer knows exactly what you're asking for. The more feedback you collect, the better you can understand what's working and needs improvement.
How to set up an email marketing campaign
Assuming you already have a list of email subscribers, setting up an email marketing campaign is relatively straightforward. You'll need to decide on the right software or platform to use and then design your emails using templates or a drag-and-drop editor.
Moreover, your email content will vary depending on your goals for the campaign.
For example, if you're running a sale or promotion, you'll want to include images and calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage recipients to take advantage of the offer. On the other hand, if you're simply trying to build brand awareness or boost engagement, you should focus on developing exciting and informative content that will keep people coming back for more.
Tips for success in your email marketing campaign
1. Keep your emails short and sweet. Your readers are busy people who don't need more time to read long emails. Thus, convey your point quickly and move on.
2. Use images sparingly. An email with too many photos can be overwhelming and challenging to read. Stick to a few essential pictures that support your message.
3. Use strong subject lines. Your subject line is one of the first things recipients will see when they receive your email, so make sure it's catchy and attention-grabbing enough to entice them to open it.
4. Personalize your messages whenever possible. Addressing your readers by name makes them feel like you're speaking directly to them, which can encourage them to keep reading.
5. Segment your list so you can send more targeted messages. Only some of your subscribers are interested in the same things. By segmenting your list, you can send more relevant emails that are likely to be opened and clicked on.
6. Send your emails at the right time so they're more likely to be seen and read by your subscribers.
7. Always test before you send out an email campaign. This includes testing subject lines, images, calls-to-action, and the overall layout of your email. Campaigner before hitting "send."
8. Include a call to action in every email.
Conclusion
Email Marketing has always been a holy-grail for marketers and for the right reasons. It has been the top choice for reaching out to customers and has always produced great results; But only if you use it correctly.
The right balance of email strategy into your marketing campaigns can enable you to build great customer relations, promote new products, and drive repeat sales.
So, if you're not already using email marketing or are not reaping the benefits from it, this is your cue to optimize your strategy & get started with Email Marketing.
Check out Xeno’s Journey Builder to learn more about automation customer journeys for your customers on Email.
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