Prepping for 2017: 4 Types of Email Campaigns You’ll Need

The best marketers are always six months ahead of schedule. While the rest of the world is eagerly anticipating the start of the holiday season, these marketers have their sights set on the summer of 2017.

Without question, email is a heavy hitter in their strategy. More specifically, targeted email campaigns that incorporate automation, personalization and retargeting tactics. According to MarketingSherpa, 61 percent of consumers enjoy receiving promotional emails on a weekly basis, and 72 percent of all U.S. adults prefer to communicate with companies via email. Furthermore, personalized emails deliver six times higher transaction rates.

Here are four types of email campaigns you’ll need to send to stay competitive and cater to the wants and needs of your customers.

1. Promotional Emails

Promotional emails are ideal for marketing a particular product and enticing customers to purchase. The most effective promotional emails are short, straightforward and use an eye-catching graphic that clearly states what the offer is. You can also add a sense of urgency to the promotion by using phrases and calls-to-action like Shop Now or Limited Supply.

2. New Inventory Emails

Providing customers with a sneak peek of your summer inventory is a good way to generate anticipation and draw attention to newly released items. Include high-quality pictures of your new stock and keep these types of emails light on the text. Let the images speak for themselves. Time is of the essence when it comes to new inventory emails. Be ready to distribute them the moment new products become available.

3. Event Invitations

Whether it’s a Fourth of July sale, back-to-school special or another type of seasonal event, email your loyal customers a personalized invitation to shop. Include exclusive information about the event date, the hottest deals and any other details that will help generate buzz. Make recipients feel as if they’re VIPs, privy to information not available to the public.

4. Transactional Emails

When customers complete a purchase or place items in their online shopping cart, send an automated, action-based email to thank them for their purchase or remind them that they haven’t checked out yet. Transactional emails are an excellent way to build customer loyalty for your brand and reduce shopping cart abandonment. They also provide an opportunity for you to promote other products a customer may be interested in based on their prior purchases.

As you develop these email campaigns, don’t forget to pay special attention to your contact lists. Poor list hygiene could land your brand in the spam folder and damage your reputation. You should also put consistent effort into expanding your email lists. Ask customers to provide an email at checkout or create a customer loyalty program that incorporates email. With the holiday season just around the corner, this is the best time to cultivate a more robust subscriber list.

Make sure your emails are ones your recipients actually want to read. Download 3 Ways to Use Subscriber Data to Modernize Your Email Marketing to learn how to use Email Intelligence to increase engagement.