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Email Marketing for eCommerce: The Formula for a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Jamie Stradley

While social media marketing is a popular way to promote a brand, email marketing is also a preferred choice. In fact, it’s a better way to reach your customers organically.

Moreover, as a cost-effective method with a high ROI, email marketing is an excellent tool for nurturing leads at any stage of the sales funnel.

Using a well-thought-out email strategy can bring multiple benefits to your brand. As:

So yeah, it’s understandable why so many businesses are incorporating it into their marketing mix.  Even ecommerce businesses get benefits from email marketing. In fact, ecommerce statistics show that 20% of traffic comes from email marketing. But multiple aspects go into a successful email marketing campaign- it’s not only about the content of an email that’s important. An email is an extension of your brand’s image, and everything has to be spot on.

Want to learn all about the secret formula for an effective email campaign?

Then you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a comprehensive list of all the elements that you should be looking into:

1. Create a captivating subject line

The subject line can make or break your email marketing efforts. It’s the first thing an individual sees. Within 2 seconds, they’ve made up their minds whether to read it or simply move it to the trash folder.

Inboxes are typically overflowing with emails. So how do you make sure your email stands out from the rest? Simple, make the subject line so attractive that people are excited or intrigued to open it.

As the CTA towards opening the email, the subject line is the most crucial step of your email marketing campaign. Therefore, you need to spend time creating a subject line that not only encourages recipients to open it but draws them into the sales funnel.

Here are some best practices to apply:

2. Write a powerful copy

The content of your email depends upon what you plan to achieve from the campaign. Emails include general product information, newsletters, answers to queries, event invites, notifications about giveaways, order verifications, etc.

There are four types of email. You need to begin by selecting the perfect one that matches your objectives. The kind of email you use depends on the message you intend to send:

But to make the communication more effective, consider the following questions:

Remember, that no matter what type of email you compose, create a value-driven message. This will make the reader feel special because of the feeling of belonging to an exclusive group, advertently prompting loyalty.

Other ways to achieve the best conversion with your email messages include:

3. Segment the target audience

Emails need to be relevant and exciting. And you want to focus on interacting with people that are more likely to be converted into customers. But there is no one-size-fits-all email solution.

You need to begin by segmenting the email list in order to deliver the right message to the right people. Moreover, it provides a different message depending on the stage of the customer’s journey.

There are several ways to segment your audience effortlessly.

There’s a plethora of metrics that you can use to reach the right segment, such as age, gender, location, etc.

Create enticing ways to bring people into your email list, such as welcome gate opt-ins, timed lightbox pop-ups, sidebars, exit intent pop-ups, etc.

However, ensure that the sign-up and the opt-in process is simple so that people are encouraged to fill out the form. Make sure the forms are:

Don’t:

4. Timing is everything

There’s a fine line between bombarding subscribers with too many emails and using them enough times to build loyalty and engagement. So how many is too much?

Only you can decide the answer to that. It also depends on your industry and niche requirements. Use negative feedback or the number of unsubscriptions as an indicator that you’ve gone overboard.

Moreover, there’s a delicate balance between email frequency, the day it’s sent, and the time. For example, emailing light content at 8 in the morning (the time when emails get the most opens) is great in order to encourage clicks and engagement.

People are either getting ready for work, on the commute there or just arriving. But retargeting efforts may be more suitable in the evening when people are relaxing and nudge readers towards a purchase.

But having said that, consider what days are better as well. Various tools are available to help automate email content generation and send schedules. Ultimately, the goal is to have your email opened within the first hour of being delivered.

5. Establish a personal connection

Add a personal touch to your emails. Make readers feel that they’re conversing with a human, not reading a boring generic email. There are several ways that content can be personalized, some are:

Also, consider including aspects such as social media icons and the option to share or forward emails. This can help build your email list.

6. Craft a beautiful design

The design of an email is equally as important as the content. In fact, it should cohesively pull all elements together, including the message, logo, colour scheme, etc.

Aim at creating a clean and straightforward design with adequate blank space that lets readers scan the content. Moreover, the design should be mobile-optimized as 46% of emails are opened on cell phones, quotes HubSpot. But more on that later.

7. Utilize a CTA

A CTA is a marketing tool that can help a business convert a viewer, visitor, or reader into a lead. A clear and appealing CTA at the end of an email can help direct readers through the sales funnel and increase conversion rates.

Ideally, it should be catchier than the subject line and message because it needs to tell people exactly what they will get in the next step. Whether it’s a link to a product page or downloading content, individuals are directed to that page with a mere click. Consider using a button that stands out, preferably big and coloured.

8. Make sure emails are mobile-optimized

People are constantly on the go. They will be consuming content from mobile devices. Your job is to reach and target them wherever they are.

Ensure that all the elements of the email fit appropriately on smaller screens. For example, the subject line shouldn’t be too long, or else it could be cut short. Moreover, it must also be responsive. So make sure images and content load quickly; otherwise, the email will be deleted even before it is read.

9. Send different emails for various stages of the customer journey

Initial emails tend to focus on introducing the brand and arousing interest in its products. Subsequent emails need to nurture subscribers with personalized content.

And when the desired action is completed, a thank you email along with an order confirmation message is required. And customers can also be reminded of items that were abandoned in their shopping carts.

For the most efficient email campaign, you will need to use an automation process that moves customers through the sales funnel. According to Campaign Monitor, automated campaigns can generate 320% more revenue.

10. Identify the right metrics and gather information

Last but not least, how do you know whether your email marketing campaign is working? Simple, measure the key metrics.

With essential information such as the ratio of people that have clicked on your links to the amount that have taken the desired action to the number of people that opened your email, you have all the figures at hand that can influence your current strategy.

Still not getting optimum results?

For more on common email mistakes, read Why Your Email Campaign is Not Working – Causes and Solutions

Final thoughts

A well-designed email marketing campaign is something that your business requires, sooner rather than later. It needs to have more than just a compelling copy. Ideally, you want people to read it and take action. And at the end of the day, you want to promote the growth of the business.

So yeah, an email marketing campaign is a long-term strategy that takes time, hard work, research, and planning. But with the right tactics in place, you’ll be able to increase the open rate and drive conversions in no time at all.

AUTHOR BIO: Mary Warner is an enthusiast blogger. Her compelling research and communication capabilities exchange offerings that have value for the reader. Her passion for writing has been an ever-evolving affair. She loves to share her views related to the latest trends in marketing, technology, eCommerce, and the like.

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