I​n eCommerce, having a solid marketing mix helps your brand stand out from the competition and remain at the forefront of your current and prospective customers’ minds. One of the most impactful marketing channels eCommerce businesses can leverage is also one of the most traditional: email. Email subscribers are already invested in your business because they’ve opted in to your communications. They’ve probably purchased from your company as well and so can be reengaged for future sales.

A​ successful email marketing strategy can expand your reach, grow your revenue, and develop your brand image. In this article, we’ll explore what email marketing is, how email can support your other marketing channels, and effective ways to leverage this method of communication.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing provides a direct line of communication between businesses and their customers. It’s a cost-effective way to reach a large audience and is valuable for building customer relationships, promoting products and services, and generating sales.

An effective email marketing strategy begins with a well-defined target audience. This allows businesses to tailor their messages to the interests and needs of their consumers. Then, companies can craft a series of targeted and personalized emails that deliver value to the recipient.

Your communications can take various forms, from simple, text-based letters to more sophisticated designs with images and graphics. Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor make it easy for businesses to craft and send emails, as well as manage their mailing lists.

Diversify your sales channels and add new revenue streams by embracing email marketing. It’s an effective strategy that allows you to reach your audience on a personal level through customized messages.

What to push with email marketing

An appealing advantage of email marketing is the ability to include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) with links that send your audience to a specific place. That decision depends on what you want to highlight and the desired action you want your recipients to take. We’ve listed some top places and events to push via email marketing to maximize your campaigns’ return on investment (ROI).

New sales channels

If you’re scaling your business and adding new sales channels, a targeted email blast is a great way to announce it to your existing customer base. Expanding to a marketplace like Amazon or Walmart makes for especially enticing email copy, as customers will be excited to shop diverse products and sellers in the same place.

T​o maximize this type of email communication, it’s critical to include a clear CTA that brings email recipients directly to the new channel and communicates what action they should take (e.g., “log in” or “sign up”). Additionally, highlight any perks such as coupons or savings upon their first purchases through this channel to sweeten the deal.

Your store

A​ common strategy in eCommerce email marketing is to transport recipients to your business’s website, Amazon shop, or another online store. Doing so increases traffic to your website and, with the right promotions and timing, even sales.

Event registrations, demo sign-ups, and related surveys

Email marketing paves the way for savvy businesses to deliver an incredible customer experience and build relationships, so you shouldn’t limit its reach to typical pages.

From live shopping on social media to webinars or in-person, invite-only events, leverage emails to encourage your audience to register for events and sign up for demos. Further, you can send surveys to capture feedback on their experience and understand what kinds of products, services, and events they’d like to see from you.

Product landing pages

P​ushing your email audience to a product page reduces the number of clicks it takes for customers to reach the final purchase stage of their journey. CTAs that direct to a particular product page are also a great way to promote a new product or highlight special promotions.

Newsletter sign-up

Launch a separate newsletter with tips and tricks or other valuable information. Newsletters can effectively build brand loyalty and provide greater value to your customers without running the risk of sales spam. Invite your customers to sign up for it in your next product marketing email.

How email marketing supports your overall strategy

Businesses both eCommerce and not must constantly vye for customers’ attention. As such, email marketing provides a targeted and cost-effective opportunity to reach potential customers and retain existing ones. It offers several benefits that prove it’s an essential addition to your marketing mix.

Direct, personalized communication

Email marketing brings a level of personalization that’s difficult to achieve through other marketing channels. With the help of customer data, you can create targeted campaigns that speak to recipients, providing them with relevant information, offers, and promotions that encourage them to buy. This helps build strong relationships with your customers, increase brand loyalty, and, ultimately, drive sales.

High ROI

Another advantage is the ability to reach a large audience with minimal costs. Unlike other marketing channels that can be expensive, email marketing allows you to communicate with thousands of customers at a fraction of the price. For small businesses especially, it’s a cost-effective way to compete with larger companies.

Email marketing also makes it easy to track and measure your campaigns. This data provides valuable insights into their effectiveness and can inform decisions about future marketing strategies. Track metrics like open rate, click-through rate, and conversions to fine-tune your campaigns, achieve better results, and increase your ROI.

Even more appealing, you can automate email marketing campaigns to send personalized messages to customers at the right time — no manual intervention necessary. Set up automated communications such as welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and birthday greetings with triggers based on specific actions or events. This saves time and resources and ensures consistent and engaging communication with customers.

Supports multi-channel marketing efforts

Based on the longstanding Rule of Seven, an eCommerce customer needs to hear (or see) a brand’s messaging an average of seven times before they make a decision to buy. With this in mind, you can use email marketing to support your multi-channel marketing efforts.

I​t might start with a pay-per-click ad on Google, then a Meta ad delivered on Facebook or Instagram. Then TikTok. Back to Meta. An email. A trip to your website. Retargeting, and so on. The digital shopping journey can be lengthy, but email helps you target your customers at each stage with relevant messaging and products.

Drives customers to your physical locations

In part due to Covid-19 restrictions being lifted around the world, in-person shopping experiences are on the rise, with customers seeking unique experiential opportunities to engage with their favorite brands. Promote these physical sales channels through emails for fruitful results, highlighting aspects like location, hours, special promotions, and other perks for:

• In-store shopping at brick-and-mortar stores
• Pop-ups at other locations like gyms or markets
• Experiential shopping opportunities, such as Sip and Shop or Try Before You Buy events

Different ways to use email marketing

We’ve explored ways to drive your audience to other sales channels, but you can leverage email marketing in other ways to grow your brand, which we discuss below.

Launch a newsletter (that doesn’t focus on sales messaging)

One of the most effective email marketing tactics to grow your brand is to launch a newsletter. This regularly scheduled email should include a variety of content, such as company updates, industry news, and educational articles.

The key to a successful newsletter is to avoid focusing on sales messaging. Instead, feature valuable content your subscribers will find useful and interesting. This builds trust with your audience and positions yourself as an expert in your industry.

Also, include a clear CTA that encourages subscribers to engage with your brand. For example, you could ask them to follow you on social media, leave a review of your product, or share your newsletter with their friends.

Send informative emails

Another approach that yields lucrative results is to send informative emails that focus on how customers can get the most out of your product. These communications should provide tips, tricks, and best practices for using your product and be tailored to your audience’s needs.

By offering helpful information that enables your customers to thrive, you’ll increase their satisfaction with your product and strengthen their loyalty to your brand. You’ll also position yourself as a company that cares about its customers and is committed to their success.

When crafting these emails, employ a friendly, conversational tone that resonates with your audience. You should also include plenty of visuals, such as screenshots and videos, to illustrate your points and make your content more engaging.

Highlight your customers, suppliers, or your team

Email marketing offers a prime opportunity to highlight your customers, suppliers, or team. Showcasing the people who make your company successful creates a more personal connection with your audience.

You could send an email that features a customer success story, highlighting how your product helped them achieve their goals. Or, you could spotlight a supplier who provides high-quality materials for your product. You could even feature a member of your team and detail their expertise or experience.

By placing these people front and center, you’ll show your audience that your brand is more than just a product — it’s a community of people who are passionate about what they do.

Offer an email course

A less common but equally effective use of email marketing is to offer an email course. This is a series of emails sent over a period of time that are designed to teach your audience a specific skill or concept.

An email course is great for positioning yourself as an expert in your industry and providing a valuable education to your audience. This increases trust and credibility among them and can help drive sales by showcasing the advantages of your product.

When creating an email course, make sure to choose a topic that’s relevant to your audience’s needs and interests. You should also break your content into bite-sized pieces and make it easy to consume. By doing this, you’ll increase engagement and make it more likely that your audience will complete the course.

Tactics to try

B​eyond the applications we’ve covered in this article, you can employ other tactics to gain the most out of your email marketing efforts. Give the following strategies a try to help your brand stand out from the competition.

Alert your subscribers to social “live” sales

Send alerts to make your subscribers aware of social “live” sales and achieve maximum exposure. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram now offer live sales that allow businesses to showcase their products in real time and interact with customers in a more personal way.

By sending an email to your subscribers before a live sale, you’ll increase the likelihood of people tuning in and making a purchase. Include all relevant details, such as the date and time of the sale, the products you’ll feature, and any special discounts or promotions.

W​ant to really sweeten the deal? Offer a special email-only discount code!

Include “tell your friends” buttons for easy sharing

Make it simple for subscribers to share your emails by incorporating share buttons in your correspondences. This is a small but powerful way to increase your reach and attract new customers.

Include clear and compelling CTAs that encourage subscribers to share your content with friends, family, and their social network. You could even offer a reward, such as a discount or free shipping, for every new customer they refer to your business.

Leverage CTAs strategically

CTAs are the backbone of your emails. These buttons (or links) nudge subscribers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for your newsletter.

To craft successful CTAs, make sure they’re clear, compelling, and relevant to the content of your email. For example, if you’re showcasing a new product in your communication, you should feature a CTA that encourages subscribers to learn more or buy.

Experiment with different types as well, such as offering limited-time promotions or free shipping. Make sure to track the results of your CTAs and adjust your strategy based on what works best on your audience.

Wrapping up — Capitalize on digital communications for greater conversions

Email marketing is a powerful and cost-effective avenue for eCommerce businesses to reach their target audience, build strong relationships, and increase sales. By crafting targeted and personalized emails that deliver value to your subscribers, you can expand your reach and grow your revenue.

At MyFBAPrep, we understand the impact of a successful email marketing strategy and we’re here to help you make the most of this channel. Enjoy streamlined operations, reduced costs, and greater business growth with our suite of services. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive eCommerce solutions and how we can help you achieve your goals.