In this post, we will explore the different types of email marketing strategies that can be used for business, whether they are a b2b business, an online shop, a service provider or a hospitality business. Email marketing is a channel with many benefits, that when utilised correctly and effectively, can be used to reach and engage with customers.
Different types of email marketing
Promotional Emails
Perhaps one of the most commonly used types of email marketing, promotional email campaigns are designed to encourage immediate conversions.
This makes this email type extremely effective for industries such as eCommerce, hospitality and other online services where the goal is to drive immediate sales and conversions. Promotional emails will often include special offers, exclusive deals or discounts to encourage their readers to make a purchase.
A well-written email campaign can be great for driving immediate sales and creating urgency around offers and promotions. They’re extremely easy to measure, relatively cost-effective and have the power to reach a large number of people, quickly.
However, there are some disadvantages to promotional emails. They can sometimes be perceived as spammy, so it’s important to carefully target and adapt the content, subject line and offering to the specific target audience. Monitoring the frequency of sending these campaigns is also important, as sending them too frequently can easily lead to frustrated customers and high unsubscribe rates.
Newsletter Emails
Unlike promotional emails, newsletters are much more informative and focus on providing valuable information and engaging content to subscribers on a more frequent basis.
This email type can be beneficial for businesses that want to provide their subscribers with new information on a regular basis.
Newsletters are an excellent way to establish and build brand authority and awareness. By providing regular updates, businesses can cement themselves as knowledgeable leaders within their industry, building trust and credibility amongst subscribers.
If done correctly, newsletters are also an effective way to build customer loyalty and long-lasting relationships by providing them with genuinely useful and interesting information that enriches their experience.
It’s important to bear in mind that newsletters may not always drive direct sales like promotional emails would. They can also be fairly time-consuming as they require more content and work than shorter-form emails. Similarly to other email types, the frequency of sends also needs to be carefully considered and they should only be sent when genuine benefits are offered to subscribers.
Welcome Emails
Welcome emails are a powerful way to make a great first impression, establish customer relationships and build loyalty amongst new customers. These are emails that are usually sent immediately after an email sign-up or important conversions, such as a registration or purchase.
This email type is great for setting an initial positive tone, nurturing customer relationships and getting to know your customers from the very beginning. The advantage of these emails is that they can also be automated, reducing the workload for your marketing team.
It’s important to ensure welcome emails aren’t overwhelming for new subscribers and that they are kept brief and relevant. Timing is also critical here, this email type is most useful when sent immediately after conversion.
Re-Engagement Emails
Also known as ‘win-back emails’, re-engagement emails are sent to inactive or disengaged subscribers in an effort to reignite their interest and reengage with the business.
This email type can be particularly useful in industries that have longer customer lifecycles, where customers don’t make frequent purchases or engagements.
Re-engagement emails are a highly targeted approach, as you can be confident that these emails are reaching people who have been interested in your product or service at one point in the past. They are also a cost-effective way to help revive customer relationships.
However, due to the nature of these campaigns, they tend to see lower success rates. Some recipients may be disengaged for a reason out of the business’ control and unlikely to ever come back. Nevertheless, re-engagement emails are a low-risk solution well worth exploring.
Transactional Emails
Transactional emails are extremely important for providing important information that a customer needs to know about. They’re usually emails triggered by specific actions such as a purchase, order status, password reset etc.
These emails serve an important purpose within a customer's journey with a business and should not be forgotten.
Personal Emails
Personal emails can include things such as birthday or anniversary emails. These are personalised emails sent to customers on a particular occasion.
They are usually used to show appreciation, provide personalised offers and showcase special promotions. Personal emails are a fantastic way to show customers that they’re genuinely valued by the business.
Post Purchase
Post-purchase emails are usually sent to customers after they have made a purchase or completed a conversion. They present a fantastic opportunity to show gratitude, offer any necessary post-purchase support and request feedback from customers.
Here, businesses are also able to offer referral discounts and encourage repeat business from customers through special offers. These emails are also an excellent way to begin building a relationship with a new customer and to keep them engaged with the brand.
Conclusion
There are many different types of email marketing and various different strategies that businesses can use to engage with their customers, build relationships and drive conversions. Each of these serves unique purposes and can be effective when used correctly.
It’s important to consider the content, frequency and relevance of emails to ensure they’re always well-received by subscribers.
It’s clear to see that a well-rounded email marketing strategy can be extremely beneficial for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
For more information or if you need help with your email marketing services, get in touch with our team of experts today.