The best email marketing campaigns are able to do more than just spread the word about an upcoming sale, new product arrival or impending event. In today’s digitized world, there are many competitors and almost just as many email marketing campaigns vying for the attention of your customers.
To ensure that you’re able to keep your customers engaged, it’s critical that you work with a team of email experts like our gurus at SmartMail.
However, what sort of email campaigns are right for you will depend on your business and your customers’ journeys. In this article, we’ll introduce you to 10 email campaign examples that can help you maintain a positive and active relationship with your customer base.
Top 10 Email Campaigns to Engage Customers
1. The Welcome Email
The welcome email series is a fantastic way to help introduce new customers or subscribers to your brand. It offers a frictionless way to introduce your product and service, complete with a product guide, extra information, or even a discount code to help lock in that first purchase.
Personalized welcome emails with the recipient’s name and relevant details regarding their interaction with your website can go a long way to sealing the deal. Remember to keep the email brief and to the point with clear headings and appealing to the key benefits of your product or service. End off with an easy and enticing Call To Action to help them (and help you) purchase your offering.
Here’s some example copy:
Subject: [Name], Welcome!
Dear [Name],
We wanted to welcome you to [Your Business] and thank you for choosing us.
To help you get started, we’ve put together some helpful resources, including [list of resources, such as user guides, tutorials, FAQ pages, or customer service contacts].
We also wanted to let you know about our new customer promotion. For a limited time, we’re offering a [discount, free trial, or any other promotional offer] to new customers like you. Use the code NEWCUSTOMER10 at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Once again, welcome to [Business Name]! We’re excited to have you on board, and we look forward to helping you for years to come.
Best regards,
[Business Name]
2. The Newsletter
A newsletter email campaign is an effective way of keeping customers engaged in the latest and greatest news of your company. Newsletters offer a low-key and casual way of updating customers on exclusive offers or product updates in a way that doesn’t come off as too ‘salesy’.
Make sure your newsletter is both well written and easy to read with a strong aesthetic design and graphics. Remember when designing your newsletter to optimize it for mobile devices as well, as many customers will access their email on their phone.
3. Abandoned Cart Reminders
The abandoned cart reminder email campaign has become a staple of the ecommerce world and for good reason. It is designed to remind customers that they have items waiting in their digital cart but have yet to make a purchase.
These reminders can help to encourage customers who are just at the point of sale by enticing them back to the counter. Coupled with a discount code or other offering (such as free shipping), the abandoned cart reminder email can be enormously effective.
Use a sense of urgency and exclusivity in the email to encourage quick and prompt action from your customer in order that they do not miss out.
Subject: Your Cart is Waiting for You! Complete Your Purchase Before You Lose It
Dear [Name],
We noticed that you left some items in your shopping cart without completing your purchase.
We understand that life can get busy, and sometimes it’s easy to forget about things that aren’t right in front of us. That’s why we wanted to remind you of the items you left behind and help you complete your purchase.
We would hate for you to miss out on the items you were interested in, so we’re offering a special promotion exclusively for you.
Use the code COMEBACK10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order total.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team. We’re always here to help.
Best regards,
[Your Business Name] Team
4. Special Event Emails
One of the great email campaign examples to engage and appeal to customers is through a birthday or anniversary email.
These personalized digital mail-outs on a customer’s birthday or the anniversary of their first engagement with your company can be accompanied by a special message, offer or discount. This will appeal to them as a “present” and encourage them to make further purchasers.
However, even if your email campaign is not geared towards sales and is simply a kind message to your customer on a special day, it will go a long way to cementing your brand in their mind and keeping them engaged with your business.
5. The Up and Cross-Sell Campaigns
The up and cross-sell email campaigns are where the rubber meets the road in email marketing. If a customer has recently made a purchase with your company, a well-crafted email suggesting complementary products can be hugely effective
As a win-win scenario, your up or cross-sell email will appear to your customer as genuinely increasing their overall satisfaction and the value of your offering (which it does) and help you increase your sales and boost purchases.
Using automated and dynamic content to personalize the product recommendations by drawing on the customer’s purchase history and/or browsing behaviour is also a very effective way of making the most of this marketing email example. It is also good practice to include reviews or ratings of the product to build confidence.
6. Customer Feedback
Asking your customers for feedback on their recent purchase or experience offers two main benefits:
- It allows you to identify your strengths and areas needing improvement.
- It shows your customers that you care and want them to engage with your company in ways other than just spending money.
Include in your feedback email campaigns follow-up emails for those customers offering constructive feedback and consider offering them a discount code or entry into prize draw to further encourage engagement.
Here’s a some top notch copy you could use for this type of email:
Subject: Help Us Improve: Share Your Feedback with Us
Dear [Name],
At [Business Name], we’re always striving to provide our customers with the best possible experience. That’s why we value your opinion and would love to hear about your recent experience with us.
We’re committed to making improvements based on your feedback, so please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing a short survey. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate your time and input.
As a token of our appreciation, we’re offering a [discount, free gift, or any other promotional offer] to customers who complete the survey. Once you submit your feedback, we’ll send you the promo code to redeem your offer.
To start the survey, please click the following link: [Link to the survey]. The survey should take no more than [time estimate] to complete.
Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
[Business Name] Team
7. The Re-engagement Email
Specifically designed for customers who haven’t engaged in your brand for some time, the re-engagement email can help to remind them that you exist and that you have value to offer.
Make sure your email has a catchy subject line, is personalized and includes an incentive for them to re-engage. Think a discount code or early access to a new offering. Depending on the circumstance, it may be worth including a sense of urgency to ensure they act sooner rather than later.
As always, make sure you have a bold and clear Call To Action included in the email campaign as well.
Subject: Welcome Back! We’ve Missed You!
Dear [Customer’s Name],
We hope this email finds you well! We wanted to take a moment to thank you for being a valued customer of [Your Business Name].
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from you, and we wanted to check in to see how you’re doing and remind you of all the exciting things happening at our company.
We understand that life can get busy, and sometimes it’s easy to forget about things that aren’t right in front of us. But we want you to know that we’ve been working hard to make sure you have the best possible experience when you interact with our brand.
We’ve made some significant improvements, including:
[List of significant improvements or updates, such as new products or services, enhanced website features, or changes in customer service policies.]
As a token of our appreciation, we’re offering a special promotion exclusively for our returning customers. Use the code WELCOME10 at checkout to receive 10% off your next purchase.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team. We’re always here to help.
Best regards,
[Your Business]
8. The Educational Email Campaign
The educational email campaign can help drive both customer engagement and loyalty. The format and content is largely up to you and your offering but can anything from how-to videos to written tutorials.
It’s all about adding value to your customers by helping them make the most of their purchases or to show them that your business is really dedicated to helping foster an interactive relationship with them.
Remember: you can still encourage customers to buy your product or service, as well as share the information on social media or just engage with your education content.
9. The Seasonal Campaigns
Summers sales, Christmas offerings, End of Financial Year savings… There are many times of the year that can be used to promote specific products, services or offerings. A well-written and designed marketing email campaign with a strong Call To Action can drive sales during these seasonal periods.
Remember to use season-related imagery and colors to appeal to your customers and stand out among competitors. Seasonal discounts, exclusive offerings or promotions will inherently create a sense of urgency as they are time sensitive with the season.
10. Referral Campaign
Last but not least is the referral email campaign. Encouraging customers to refer your business to their family and friends is the key to driving growth. Word of mouth and social proof are invaluable ways to spread brand awareness.
Make sure to use a personalized email template here and offer some sort of incentive for them to spread the word. This can be an incentive for either or both the referrer and the new customer.
As long as the referral process is seamless and hassle-free, loyal customers will be glad to share their great find and benefit in the process.
Your next great email campaign starts with SmartMail!
At SmartMail, we know our way around a good marketing email campaign. Our expert email marketers have worked with businesses across industries and of all sizes and types to help them drive engagement and sales among their customer base.
If you’d like to find out more but are not quite sure which of the best email marketing campaigns is right for you, contact us today for a free email audit!
