7 Types of Emails You Should Definitely Be Sending to Your Subscriber List

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Email marketing is not a new concept. However, it has proven to be one of the most tried and true practices. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Email marketing is still one of the top marketing strategies for targeting, converting, and tracking customers. Though it may seem simple, sending the right kinds of emails to your subscribers is a more difficult task than you might think. This post outlines the 7 types of emails you should be sending to your subscriber list to get the most conversions.

Welcome emails

The welcome email is just what it seems -- the email you send right after a customer subscribes, welcoming them to your network. It should be a simple email detailing how happy you are to have them and what they can expect from you in the future. Historically, welcome emails have the highest open and engagement rates, making them a crucial first step to creating a loyal customer.

Offer emails

These types of emails often provide an incentive to those who subscribe by providing a special offer, promotion or discount to members. Offer emails are often the reason customers signed up for your email list in the first place, meaning they're essential if you want those customers to stay subscribed. Offer emails also have high open rates. They show appreciation to subscribers and keep them coming back for more.

Review emails

After a customer has purchased a product or interacted with your company, it's typical to send out an email requesting something in return -- namely a review or testimonial about your products or services. In the eCommerce world, reviews are a hot commodity and crucial to future sales. That makes these emails vital for improving customers' experiences and getting the word out about the great things you're doing.

Newsletter emails

Newsletters, while valuable tools if done right, can also be a detriment to your marketing efforts. They can be a great way for your customers to feel involved in your day-to-day and "in the know" about the inner workings of your business. Everyone likes to know what's going on and newsletters are a great way to communicate that. However, writing a newsletter just for the sake of sending something out can be a slippery slope. If you're going to send one, make sure it's interesting! A boring newsletter can be a direct line to the "unsubscribe" button.

Rewards emails

Many companies, especially those in the eCommerce space, offer loyalty programs with simple rewards systems. Often, these rewards come in the form of store credit, discounts, or free shipping if customers spend a certain amount of money. By providing rewards at certain benchmarks, your customers will likely spend more money and make more purchases to reach that threshold.

"Just because" emails

Not every email has to have an ulterior motive. Some emails should be sent for the simple benefit of the customer (and gaining their trust). These types of emails provide value to your subscribers with no catch. They could be a blog post that your customers would find funny or interesting, a mid-week pep talk, or even a small, free gift. These emails remind customers why they subscribed and let them know they are valued and deserving.

Abandoned cart emails

Automated account tracking tools have the ability to monitor when a potential sale falls through and the customer leaves a full cart without making a purchase. These tools can then send out an email to those customers reminding them what they left behind, causing them to second guess their decision not to buy. Abandoned cart emails are a simple way to gain back those potentially lost sales.

Creating an effective email marketing campaign requires a lot of moving parts. Though it may seem like you only need to tell customers when you have a sale coming up, it's important to keep them interested on multiple levels. From a simple welcome to your community, to letting them know they never checked out, subscriber emails are a vital component to keeping customers engaged and coming back for more.   Amanda Peterson is a contributor to Enlightened Digital and software engineer from New York City. When she's not trying to find the best record store in the city, you can find her curling up to watch some Netflix with her Puggle, Hendrix.