12 Mar
Email marketing is a crucial piece of any retail business’s full marketing plan. It means using email to link with possible and current buyers to form bonds and boost sales. For retailers, email marketing gives a direct way to contact customers and hype up products and services.
In this blog article, we’ll dig into the definition of retail email marketing and explain some key tactics and examples retailers can use in their email campaigns.
What is retail email marketing?
To understand retail email marketing, we must first break it down into its individual components. ‘Retail’ refers to the sale of goods or merchandise to customers directly for their personal or family use. This usually takes place in stores, but nowadays also includes online shops. ‘Email marketing’ means promoting products or services to current and potential customers using electronic mail.
Businesses communicate with purchasers through electronic messages to enrich customer experience and enhance sales. Rather than sending unsolicited messages, companies construct mailing lists of those who opt-in or consent to getting updates. Email marketing for retail incorporates these two concepts by using email as a channel to interact with shoppers and promote items sold by retailers.
The objective is to encourage customers to return to stores or sites. Common aims involve sharing new arrivals, discounts, or deals, informing subscribers about events like seasonal sales, and reminding folks of items in their cart if they exit without finalizing a purchase. Effective retail email marketing draws in previous and prospective buyers through personalized and pertinent content. It builds on relationships and fosters brand loyalty over time.
Suppose, a clothing boutique may send an email featuring a new product collection along with details about an upcoming one-day sale. A hardware shop could promote a selection of tools while also including safety tips and project ideas. An online furniture company alerts registered users of limited-time savings across selected categories. In each case, the merchant hopes email subscribers make purchases prompted by the correspondence.
What is the goal of email marketing online retailers?
Email marketing is a strategy that many retailers should utilize. Sending marketing emails to customers and potential customers presents numerous benefits for retailers. There are a few key reasons why using email marketing is advantageous.
Reaching Customers Cost-Effectively
To begin, email marketing allows retailers to connect with consumers cost-effectively. Sending promotional emails to a list of subscribers costs significantly less than other forms of advertising like TV commercials or print ads. Retailers can share discounts, new product launches, and other deals with many customers at once without breaking the bank. The low cost of emails makes it possible for retailers both large and small to reach potential buyers.
Tailoring Communications for Specific Groups
Additionally, email communications enable retailers to target specific groups of consumers. Retailers can segment their subscriber lists based on demographics like location, purchase history, interests, and other preferences. They can then send tailored messages to different segments. For example, a sporting goods store may send one email promoting baseball gear to customers in their baseball-loving area while sending a different email about basketball shoes to subscribers nearer cities with NBA teams. This results in marketing that is relevant for the recipients.
Also Read: Improve Customer Retention with Email Marketing
Gauging Campaign Success with Email Analytics
Another benefit is that email gives retailers the ability to measure effectiveness through analytics. Email platforms provide data on open rates, click rates, and purchases driven by emails. Metrics like these assist retailers in optimizing future email content and targeting. If a promotion is under-performing, retailers have the insight needed to tweak or retire that offer. However, successful campaigns that generate revenue can be repeated or expanded. The tracking power of email equips retailers to continuously refine their marketing strategy.
What kind of emails can you send to your customers?
There are many diverse varieties of emails that retailers can deliver to their audiences. Let us examine some types of email marketing retail:
Promotional emails are messages that aim to sell a product or present a sale. These will highlight special deals, new inventory arrivals, or seasonal offerings. For instance, a clothing store may feature a 20% off winter coat promotion in an email during November.
Informational emails keep customers updated about your business. They can share company news, interesting stories, or helpful tips related to your industry. As an example, an outdoor gear company may email subscribers with recommendations for the best hiking trails in their local area.
Transactional emails are automatic messages sent in response to a customer activity, like order confirmations, shipping notices, or invoices. Retailers will deliver these to officially acknowledge purchases and track order status.
Newsletters are periodic non-promotional emails that focus on value over sales. Their purpose is to keep customers engaged through interesting content rather than specific promotions. For example, a toy store may email monthly newsletters profiling new educational games and toys.
The type of messages you deliver should depend on your business goals and audience preferences. It is wise to survey subscribers and analyze open/click rates to recognize what formats seem most well-received. Then, retailers can curate email communications strategically based on such insights.
Retail email marketing strategies to follow
Now that we’ve discussed what email marketing for online retailers is and some examples to utilize it, let’s delve into the specific strategies you may want to consider employing for your own business. Following are a few techniques you can put to use to help boost your email subscribers and generate more sales through this digital medium.
Collect Emails Through Website Forms, In-Store Requests and Checkout
To start, it’s important to gather customer email addresses. You want to provide sign-up forms on your website and inside your physical stores where shoppers can readily opt in. Requesting an email at checkout is another smart way to build your list. However, be sure any address collection adheres to privacy regulations.
Send Messages Weekly or Monthly to Share New Products and Deals
You should send regular communications on a schedule such as weekly or monthly. Customers like knowing what’s new and on sale. Include fresh product images along with deals and promotions in your messages. Testimonials or user-generated photos can give buyers a feel for how items look in real life. Providing value is key so readers feel your emails are worth their time.
Give Readers a Reason to Engage with Incentives
Segment your subscriber lists. Separate by past purchase history, item preferences, or location to tailor each message accordingly. For example, send active buyers notifications of related products to cross-promote your inventory. New subscribers may appreciate introductory discount codes or welcome packages. Segmentation allows more relevant outreach to different audience types.
Monitor Rates and Purchases to Enhance Top Performing Content
Now, analyze open and click-through rates along with purchases driven by your messages. This will reveal which content and offers are most compelling. You can then duplicate star performances or modify lackluster ones. Testing subject lines, layouts, product placement, and more will provide important insights. Continuous optimization based on metrics will help boost engagement and sales increments with every future email.
Implementing effective retail email marketing strategies and campaigns takes careful planning, testing retail strategy examples, and optimization. But the hard work pays off through increased brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales. If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, be sure to also have a solid retail POS system with email marketing in place to provide a seamless customer experience and capture key data. Sign up for FREE today!
