Remember our mantra at Sigl Creative? “Email = Revenue.”
Email marketing is crucial to your online marketing strategy. Emails help you reach potential buyers and strengthen your relationships with existing customers.
But all marketing emails aren’t the same – you’ve probably noticed subtle or major differences between emails in your own inbox! Knowing what kind of email you should use in different situations is important when marketing your product or service.
Marketing emails fall under 3 categories: transactional, promotional, and educational.
Transactional emails recognize that some exchange has taken place between your brand and a client.
Promotional emails give your client access to sales, discounts, or upcoming events.
Educational emails like a video or PDF tutorial offer new information to the client.
Today we’re breaking down each type of email and giving you some ideas for implementing them in your digital marketing strategy!
1. Transactional Emails
You know those emails you get whenever you change your password, order a product, or submit a request? Those are transactional emails!
Transactional emails may not sound exciting, but they’re important because they ensure good communication between you and your customers. When your customer orders a product, a transactional email tells them that the order was received and is being processed. These emails reassure your customer that their request or transaction isn’t lost or forgotten.
Transactional emails are beneficial for you too. They keep your brand top-of-mind so your customer doesn’t forget about you after making a purchase or giving you their email address.
While transactional emails are typically automated, they shouldn’t feel automated to your customer. The experts at Mailchimp report that personalized transactional emails get “26% more unique clicks” than emails that don’t include the recipient’s name.
Keep these tips in mind when writing transactional emails for your business:
- Include your customer’s name in the body of the email.
- Keep your brand name in the subject line.
- Thank your customer for engaging with your brand.
- Include an order tracking link if this is a receipt email.
- Use a friendly, enthusiastic tone.
Think about every touchpoint you have with current and potential customers related to activity on their account or a commercial transaction. Then write down a list of transactional emails to create and implement based on those touchpoints. Your target audience will appreciate the extra effort you put into communicating with them!
2. Promotional Emails
When you think of email marketing, promotional emails probably come to mind first. Emails that advertise sales, new products, discount codes, exclusive events – these are all promotional emails.
Promotional emails should have a clear call to action. For example, your email could spotlight some new products at your store, feature a sale, or give the recipient access to an exclusive event.
Don’t include all three in one email or your target audience will feel overwhelmed with choices. Limit your emails to one promotion and emphasize its perks.
In addition to a clear call to action, your promotional emails should have a sense of urgency. Sometimes, your customer needs a little extra push to invest in your product or service. Emphasizing a deadline or confirming their FOMO – their “fear of missing out!” – are great motivators for customers on the fence to take action.
Maybe your sale ends in 48 hours or you only have 12 seats left for your event. Maybe that discount code expires at the end of the week. These are great ways to increase the urgency of your promotion.
If you have the bandwidth as a team, you’ll want to write a series of promotional emails for a single sale or product. The first email introduces the opportunity, and the subsequent emails increase the urgency. The closer you get to the deadline, the shorter your emails should be.
After your customer has made a purchase or signed up for an event, be sure to send a transactional email and say thanks!
3. Educational/Informative Emails
Educational or informative emails are all about deepening your customer’s knowledge of your brand.
Emails with an educational resource like a lead-generating PDF can encourage potential customers to make a purchase. You can also engage follow up with existing customers by sending informative emails, such as a tutorial showing how to use the product they just bought.
You can encourage potential customers to give you their email address in exchange for access to an Ebook or PDF. The educational emails you send will introduce them to your brand and establish you as an expert in your field. After a series of educational emails, you might send a promotional email inviting them to engage further with your brand.
You can also use educational emails to make sure customers know you care about them and value their business. Send them a guide on how to use your product or an email explaining some tips and tricks for getting the most out of their purchase.
Overlapping Email Types
It’s important to incorporate all three types of emails into your marketing strategy to generate potential customers and foster a relationship with your existing customers.
If you’re feeling like these 3 types of emails might overlap, you’re right! A marketing email can include elements of 2 or even all 3 types.
Here are some examples of emails that overlap categories:
- An email thanking someone for subscribing to your list (transactional) and rewarding them with a discount code (promotional)
- A newsletter with tips and tricks for using your product (educational) and access to an exclusive event for subscribers (promotional)
- A product receipt with a tracking link (transactional) and a video demonstrating how to use their product once it arrives (educational)
Get creative! Brainstorm what kinds of emails might nurture your relationship with your customers. As long as you don’t include multiple calls to action and keep your messaging consistent, it’s okay to blur the lines between these types of emails.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all this talk about emails? Let our team at Sigl Creative handle your email marketing so you have more time and energy to pursue your passion. Schedule a call today, and we’ll create an email marketing strategy that maximizes all 3 types of emails to promote your product or service and nurture relationships with your target audience.