Your clients aren’t “one size fits all.” Your email advertising shouldn’t assume they’re, however that’s what occurs if you solely ship broadcast messages (“one to everybody”).
Segmentation is one method to make your messages extra related. But, tying your email messages to totally different experiences in your buyer’s lifecycle together with your model helps you transcend this primary step.
It makes your emails extra customized, customer-centric and useful. Those three qualities make your emails extra priceless to your clients, and the extra worth your clients see in your emails, the extra doubtless they’re to open and act on them.
The result’s a stronger buyer relationship, greater return in your funding and extra income to counterpoint your organization’s backside line.
Matching Emails to the Customer Lifecycle
You don’t must look too exhausting to seek out examples of lifecycle email advertising messages and applications. They’re in all probability in your individual inbox now!
The graphic under maps a collection of customer-experience emails towards the most important factors on a retail buyer journey.
Source: Holistic Email Marketing
I’ve used this graphic to curate a group of 9 emails that look nice with out advanced knowledge integrations or automations.
1. First Purchase Program
You may consider this because the traditional “welcome” email you ship to new clients or subscribers. But, what’s your actual goal for this message? To transfer your buyer again to your web site to take the motion you need.
In retail, this usually is the primary buy. This email serves a better goal than merely welcoming a brand new subscriber. Centering this email program in your aim, as this email does, helps you create a targeted message with copy and pictures which might be extra prone to get clients to behave.
Three issues to notice about this email above from Eyeconic:
- The tone is welcoming and pleasant and displays the casual however targeted strategy you see on the web site. I just like the directional cue within the prime picture—a girl in glasses trying immediately on the headline.
- The email restates the expectations for the email program (“Awesome things coming your way”).
- It’s designed to drive motion. It lists advantages of purchasing with the model (choice, free delivery, free returns), provides a transparent name to motion that tells readers what you need them to do and presents worth by telling readers to attach their imaginative and prescient advantages.
2. Abandoned Cart Program
Worldwide, greater than 7 in 10 purchasing carts get left in digital aisles for one cause or one other (comparability purchasing, interruptions, delivery or checkout points, utilizing the cart like a purchasing listing/want listing).
You may simply ship a easy message saying, “Hey! Get back here and finish what you started!”
Or, you might put collectively a five-star email just like the one from Jack Wills under, which does every part properly:
- Personalizes the message with the shopper’s identify and merchandise within the cart, together with identify, measurement, worth and order whole
- Features a shade picture that matches the product picture on the web site
- Reassures as a substitute of scolds the shopper
- Links to the basket
- Adds an incentive: qualifying for free delivery
- Suggests associated gadgets ought to the shopper determine towards the unique buy
3. Abandoned Browse Program
Here’s one other email designed to deliver your shopping clients again to buy. Handled clumsily, it might probably feel and appear as for those who’re monitoring your clients’ each transfer.
To keep away from the creepiness issue, maintain buyer expertise ideas in thoughts, reminiscent of helpfulness by means of answering questions and personalizing the email.
Another method is to combine content material from the deserted browse session with modules containing associated or generic merchandise or pages, as seen in J. Jill’s email under.
This covert strategy makes the email appear to be an unexpectedly related broadcast email, and probably the most related content material—merchandise/pages regarding the deserted browse session—will stand out.
4. Second Purchase Program
The second buy is perhaps more durable to win than the primary one was, however a rigorously designed collection of emails just like the one under will enhance your probabilities of gaining that a lot sought-after subsequent buy.
Retailers are all-too-familiar with the problem of gaining a second buy. One-time patrons make as much as 80% of a retailer’s database. So, why go away it to likelihood that they’ll come again on their very own? Create a devoted collection to make sure clients come again to purchase once more.
On that notice: If you’ve regarded into your knowledge and located that those that purchase 4 occasions are almost definitely to develop into loyal clients, then broaden your repurchase plan to incorporate a Third Purchase Program and a Fourth Purchase Program.
This is the essence of what Lifecycle Marketing does—it helps you resolve issues and challenges.
This email from Hot on the High Street, the primary of a three-part collection, has a pleasant greeting, customer-focused copy (are you able to depend all of the “you” and “your” pronouns?) that highlights the advantages of utilizing this retailer, fast hyperlinks to fashionable purchasing classes and a hyperlink to obtain its purchasing app. All the CTAs are written to drive motion, too.
Emails 2 and three within the collection concentrate on different advantages of getting the model’s email. The remaining email is clearly designed to drive motion as a result of it focuses on a purchase order incentive.
5. Anniversary/Birthday Program
If you don’t have your buyer’s birthdate, don’t fret. Celebrate different moments as a substitute!
I picked this buyer anniversary email from Dorothy Perkins as a result of it’s simple to personalize, whether or not you select to acknowledge the day a buyer opted in, made their first buy, joined a loyalty membership or another vital occasion.
It’s customized to point out the time interval, each within the picture and the copy, and it contains a suggestion to drive a purchase order.
6. Replenishment Program
This program is as a lot about service as it’s about gross sales. Create guidelines in your advertising automation platform to set off emails timed to a product’s normal use cycle to encourage reorders.
This email from Lancôme under shows the product identify, picture and worth together with a benefit-driven promo for its auto-replenishment program. It additionally cross-sells and upsells associated gadgets.
7. Back in Stock Program
If you’ve a service that lets clients ask you to inform them when the product they need is again in inventory, that is the form of email you must ship. It’s useful, customized with the product picture and particulars and completely customer-focused.
The language from Lyst’s instance under additionally impels the shopper to behave: “Hurry {{product}} is now available to buy.”
8. Wish List On-Sale Program
Another nice service is the want listing, which lets clients create digital lists of things they like however both aren’t prepared to purchase or wish to share with somebody. When gadgets on their want lists go on sale, you’re duty-bound to let your clients know, proper?
Similar to the abandoned-cart and back-in-stock emails, this reminder from ModCloth under could be very customer-service led and shows the product picture, description and worth, hyperlinks to the product web page and reminds the shopper why she’s getting that message.
9. Win-Back Program
This is a vital level on the shopper lifecycle and another excuse why counting on broadcast (1:all people) email can imply shedding clients.
Win-back emails are targeted on bringing clients again to buy once more, however they will also be a painless method to attain out to silent or lapsing clients to uncover unresolved points and to restate your advantages and values, as this email from LOFT does.
This email presents a service that’s important for “brick and click” retailers—those with each bodily shops and e-commerce operations: utilizing location knowledge to helpfully pinpoint the closest shops.
If you don’t have the flexibility to tie their email exercise to their buy exercise then state it clearly as Belk has performed under. This will keep away from confusion if they’ve lately bought however merely not been opening and actioning their emails.
A Final Thought on Lifecycle Email Marketing
Sometimes a broadcast email might help you obtain a aim for your email advertising program. But, if you depend on it, you’ll overlook dozens of alternatives to attach in additional significant methods together with your clients.
Lifecycle email advertising permits you to create useful, customized and customer-focused emails that present your clients who they’re, that you’re positioned to serve their wants in addition to your individual and you could be a trusted accomplice in serving to them obtain their objectives.
When you assist your clients obtain their objectives, they, in flip, helps you obtain yours. Everybody wins!
