12
2012
Welcome series email marketing = ongoing customer engagement
A Welcome Series provides a great opportunity for email marketers to acknowledge, educate and engage customers. Start with an email to new subscribers expressing a sincere thank you for joining the program and, ideally, containing a special offer. Next up in the series could be educational information such as tips, best practices, links to how-to videos, as well as more special offers that keep your brand top-of-mind and rewards subscribers for their continued interest.
The emails really work, outperforming standard promotional emails in terms of response and revenue earned.
The emails really work, outperforming standard promotional emails in terms of response and revenue earned. For instance, according to Experian primary research across multiple verticals, standard promotional emails have a .06% response rate and earn $.06 in revenue per email, while Thanks for Joining Us emails that kick off a Welcome Series have 0.95% response rate and earn $1.29.
Moreover, Welcome Series emails increase retention by educating customers on new ways to use products and services they’ve purchased from you. They also remind customers of the benefits they’ll reap from enrolling in your loyalty programs or credit card (“Get free shipping if purchased with our credit card” or “Loyal customers take additional 15% off list price.”)
Finally, Welcome Series emails are excellent vehicles for directing customers to an email preference center (EPC). An EPC provides a personalized web page for customers and prospects to opt in and opt out of your email promotions, newsletters, and product enhancements, or indicate topics or categories of interest to them, as well as how often they wish to receive promotions. You can also use an EPC to survey customers, test their interests in future product expansions or business initiatives, and gauge other marketing considerations. Most importantly, emails with EPCs have lower unsubscribe rates than emails with a simple “unsubscribe” link.
Read more about Welcome Series email campaigns in a new white paper.
Segmentation and personalization are likely the most underutilized keys to email marketing success by most companies. Your emails are competing for attention with an increasing number of messages in your subscribers’ inboxes. The emails that resonate most, through personalized subject lines, offers, articles, products showcased and follow-up emails based on recipient activity, will be the clear winners. It is crucial that you begin this process, even if it is simply personalizing the content of the subject line or sending modified emails to several different segments of your list. Once the process is started, you can then work toward the promised land of dynamic content and lifecycle-based messaging.