Email is a tool that when used correctly holds immense power with great benefits. Conversely, when used inappropriately, it can result in annoyed customers, unfollows, spam tags and decreased sales or negative reviews. Here are 10 emails you should consider using to help strengthen your customer relationships.
- Welcome Emails: This is probably the first email you will send to a customer so make it count! First impressions are everything and will set the tone for your long-term customer-brand relationship. Welcome emails should be short, personalized, engaging and offer some sort of incentive or “I care about you” feature (i.e. a $50 or 10% off coupon).
- Confirmation Emails: A customer’s biggest concern or complaint is when they order something and get no confirmation notification or email. Why do they freak out? Because for all they know, you’ve taken their money, won\’t send them their purchased product, and they currently have absolutely no way to tell you otherwise. A confirmation email is a customer’s proof and helps reassure them your brand is legitimate and they haven’t been scammed. Besides, everyone likes knowing they have a failsafe if they need to cancel, change or return an order.
- Reward Emails: If you have a collection of customers who are engaging with your brand constantly, reward them! If they’ve signed up for email notifications, are active on your social media pages or are purchasing products, help strengthen an already good relationship by offering them specials and deals exclusive to “engaged customers.” An example could be a special coupon, a free gift or maybe even something like a BOGO deal that they can share with friends and family. Reward emails are powerful because they encourage sharing, which in turn, increases your potential customer base!
- “But Wait, Come Back, Are You Done?” Emails: Some brands have wishlists, others have saved carts, but even if you have both, emails that catch customers leaving your site without purchasing products but whom have selected them or added them to their wish list can help you close tha sale. For example, if a customer visits your site, adds three products to a cart and then leaves, an automated email with their cart’s contents, an easy “check out here” button and of course, the necessary, “OFFER” element can help you get that sale done! Emails like this should include “free delivery” or “10-30% off coupons” to help encourage the customer to close the sale because the offer includes a deadline and hosts a sense of immediacy.
- How do you like it, Follow Up Emails: Has a customer recently purchased a product or come to you for a service? If so, a nice, polite follow-up email is a great, easy way to let them know you care about more than just the sale. Ask them for feedback, any issues that did or have arisen, and if it’s a product that they buy frequently or a service they need more than once a year, consider also sending reminder emails (see below).
- Reminder Emails: Nothing pisses a customer off more than realizing a deadline has passed and they’re overdue for a service, or when a product they frequently buy and need has run out. Reminder emails are easy and can be automated to send to a list of customers who constantly purchase a given product or service and serve as a nice, friendly reminder to customers so they don’t forget. These emails also serve to get your brand at the forefront of a customer’s mind, especially if they are secretly considering a competitor.
- Thank you Emails: Whether it’s for signing up for an email newsletter or for a customer’s purchase, an automated and simple “Thank You” can go a long way!
- Away Emails: No one is open 24/7 so setting up an automated email that alerts customers to when you’ll be back and offers them contact information, including email, phone, website and opening hours, is an easy way to let customers know you care even when you’re gone!
For a great infographic from MarketingProfs.com with more details and tips click here!
See how email marketing can help with your current marketing strategy by looking to incorporate some of these email options today!