Successful email marketing is far more than one-and-done messages to a consumer whose information you’ve captured. When done strategically, email marketing can become the conduit through which your brand builds personal equity with consumers while establishing a population of known customers.
The email journey is the process and phases through which brands communicate with consumers via email. Think of it like a traditional sales funnel, but with more automated options for engagement, purchase, customer service and repeat business. Memorable brands make sure their content stands apart, but they also use smart strategies the engage rather than annoy their customers.
To simplify and better understand the journey and how it can impact your brand equity, let’s look at its steps:
- Awareness – Your brand works hard to raise awareness among its target audience. Your email should complement these efforts. Introduce yourself through the lens of your ideal customer without filling up their inbox or clogging their browser. Introductory offers can pique interest. Be sure to use other brand resources to build your email lead database (social media, promotions, in-store purchases, cookie info, etc.).
- Consideration – So you got a click-through or a self-initiated visit to your website – awesome! Your potential customer has literally walked through the doors of your business and now it’s time to use email to not only help them make their purchase but also introduce them to your brand. A clear brand voice and useful, robust product information relevant to the consumer are essential. Use comparison tactics and testimonials to help guide their decision. Again, introductory offers can help push a potential sale over the line.
- Purchase – Yay! We’re done, right? Not so fast. There’s more to the purchase phase than you may consider, and it’s crucial to prove to your customer that their decision was a smart one. Order confirmation, updates and shipping information are all important emails to send. Keep the information simple and easy to navigate. Use this phase and these emails to educate your new customer on your brand and other products they may be interested in. If there is specific product information that will enhance their experience, let them know via email. Consumers love being part of something. This is an excellent opportunity for your brand to shine!
- Loyalty – Once a relationship is established, smart brands will start using email to build loyalty. Your CRM data can help identify frequent shoppers, customer preferences and spending habits. Use that data to craft emails that upsell or cross-sell your brand. Showing the customer some love via an exclusive email offer is a great way to ignite another purchase decision or re-engage a dormant buyer. As your relationship progresses, don’t forget to think outside the box, with seasonal or event-specific offers and information. For your big fans, make advocates out of them with refer-a-friend deals, special merchandise or customized shopping experiences. All of this should be communicated in your brand’s voice via email.
When brands carefully consider their customers’ email journey, they have a unique opportunity to establish a relationship that will yield many repeat purchases. Be careful not to inundate inboxes with emails. Find a cadence that yields the highest response rate. There are endless ways to tweak the messaging and timing, and luckily, digital communication allows for instant feedback.
Email marketing is highly cost-effective and, when done correctly, can enhance a brand’s unique attributes. From these basics, a robust ecosystem of customer service, product development, operational efficiency and sales prediction can be developed. All from good emails!
Curious Jane can help your brand build out an email strategy that enhances your brand and drives sales. We’d love to talk – let us know how we can help.
