You’ve made the smart decision to grow an email list. But now that you have an audience, what types of email marketing campaigns should you actually be sending them?
With the right types of email marketing campaigns, you can get users to spend more and share your offers. In some circumstances, email marketing can even be more powerful than social media.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at ten of the most popular and engaging types of email marketing campaigns you can launch. We’ll show you examples, break down why they work, and give you tips to implement them. Let’s get to it!
1. Welcome emails
Welcome emails are pretty straightforward in theory. Someone signs up to your mailing list, and you hit them with a friendly message to thank them, let them know what to expect, and maybe even offer a freebie. However, the amazing thing about welcome emails is their generally fantastic open rates, which is why even companies such as Slack use them:
There’s a lot of information to unpack in this example, but that’s to be expected from a service such as Slack. Notice they hit several key points, though, including:
- The brief “Thank You!” for signing up.
- A Call To Action (CTA).
- Additional information about the product and the resources available to you.
Welcome emails are compelling, so it doesn’t make sense to waste them with just a simple “Hello.” Use them to tell subscribers all the information they might find relevant and if you’re up to it, maybe consider a full welcome email series instead of a one-off.
2. Product feedback messages
Feedback is key to improving any product or service. However, getting people to leave you reviews involves a lot more work than you might think. One great way to get more feedback is via email.
Not only is feedback essential for product development, but it also helps your users know that their opinion matters to you, which can boost engagement. Our recommendation is to avoid overly detailed questionnaires and keep your product feedback messages more laid back (like Headspace does!).
3. New feature updates
Updates to your products or services are a great way to both keep customers happy and drum up more interest towards them. Whatever those updates involve, you should always email your subscribers to let them know:
New feature updates are one of the few types of email marketing campaigns where we recommend you add as much detail as possible. That way, you’ll answer as many questions as possible right off the bat, and your most dedicated users will be happy.
4. Email confirmation messages
Let’s face it: email confirmation messages – i.e., those you get when you sign up for a new list – aren’t glamorous, but they’re definitely necessary. If you’re anything like us, you hate email spam, so getting consent from your subscribers is key.
With email confirmation messages, you make sure that everyone who’s on your list wants to be there. As such, you’ll have access to more accurate metrics, and your conversion rates will remain higher.
5. Holiday-related emails
Holidays, such as Christmas, are fantastic from a marketing perspective, and that includes email marketing. Not only do they give you a chance to send your best wishes to your subscribers, but you can also use them to drive more conversions, give important news, or just have a bit of fun.
In the case of Feedly, they used their New Year’s email to announce new features. This is a fantastic idea because more users are likely to at least skim these types of messages around the holidays, which ensures greater exposure.
6. Thank you messages
We all have a family member that’s big on sending ‘thank you’ notes. Not only do they show good manners, but they’re an excellent way to garner goodwill. The same applies when they’re digital.
With email marketing, though, you can send thank you messages for pretty much anything. For example, companies such as Grabyo use them to celebrate special events. Another approach would be to use these emails as an opportunity to share freebies, much like Trello:
In any case, these kinds of messages are all about the customer, so you shouldn’t use them to promote products or services this time.
7. Nurturing emails
A lot of people subscribe to email lists, but then never open any of your messages or use your services. Instead of taking it personally, try to reach out and see if there’s anything you can do to help or otherwise improve your campaigns. This is what we call a ‘nurturing’ email.
This example from CloudApp is nearly perfect because it has a very personal feel – like a friend reaching out to ask if everything is okay. At the same time, they give out a free month of service, so that the user is likely to give it another shot if they’ve quietly ‘ghosted.’
When it comes to nurturing emails, a soft touch works best. Don’t try to drive conversions aggressively. Instead, focus on what you can do to improve your user’s experience.
8. Milestone messages
Whatever type of business you’re running, there are going to be a lot of milestones along the road. Each one gives you the perfect excuse to reach out to your subscribers, talk yourself up, and thank them while you’re at it:
Milestone messages offer great opportunities to connect with your subscribers. You can talk about what your business’ vision is, the updates you plan for the future, how you can help your customers, and much more.
9. Newsletters
Out of all the types of email marketing campaigns, newsletters are perhaps the most popular. For example, if you run a blog, chances are you’re going to be sending a lot of newsletters covering your content:
Only your most hardcore users are going to be visiting your site regularly. With newsletters, you get a chance to let everyone know about what they’re missing and get more return visitors.
10. Gift emails
If there’s one thing everyone loves, it’s a freebie. That’s why so many websites offer you free e-books and guides to persuade you to sign up for their email lists (us included, as you’ll see at the end of this post!). However, if you want to spread the love, you can also send the occasional gift to your existing subscribers.
A gift doesn’t necessarily have to be a specific item or service. You can give subscribers discounts on future purchases, offer a freebie if they buy specific items, and more. The key with this kind of email is to lead with your offer and explain what value it provides them, so it doesn’t feel like you’re ‘hoodwinking’ users.
Start sending these types of email marketing campaigns today
The types of email marketing campaigns you send play a huge role in keeping your subscribers engaged. For example, welcome emails usually get amazing open rates. If you take advantage of this and get off to a strong start, those same subscribers are more likely to open subsequent emails.
On the other hand, if you start with a sales pitch but bombard users with more day after day, you’ll likely end up in spam. Ultimately, subscribers like emails that offer them real value, with a personal touch if possible. This is the common thread within the types of email marketing campaigns we’ve touched upon here, so keep it in mind.
Finally, if you’re looking for the best email marketing service to send these campaigns, we recommend Brevo (our review).
Do you have any questions about which types of email marketing campaigns you should be sending? Let’s talk about them in the comments section below!
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