It can be a challenge coming up with new email ideas to send. Sick of writing the typical email newsletter? Your customers are probably sick of receiving them. It’s easy to get into a rut blasting out just one type of email to your prospects and clients. Mixing your email marketing up a bit makes it easier for you to come up with fresh, engaging content. We all want to make the content we send more appealing to subscribers. Maybe sending your list some fresh email ideas will help lift engagement and revenue from your email campaigns. When they receive a steady stream of relevant, useful emails from you, they’ll be more likely to engage with and trust your brand. So, what should you be sending instead of that email newsletter? Any one of these email ideas is a great place to start for your next email campaign:
34 Email Ideas Other Than Newsletters
New Product Launch
The launch of a new product is one of the best email ideas and least thought of for campaigns. Not only do you have something newsworthy and relevant to share, but you can send two emails in one. Send one to happy, current customers letting them know you have something new they’ll love. Try a slightly different version, using A/B testing, to those who used to buy but who have not purchased recently. The new product introduction is an ideal time to let these lapsed buyers know you have something fresh for them to consider and allows you to reconnect in a positive way. Whether you send to new or existing customers, include great images of your new lineup for them to see right in their inbox.
Ask for Feedback
What do your customers really think about your business? The best way to find out is also the simplest; you need to ask. These email ideas asking for feedback not only yields useful data, but it also tells your customers something important… They’ll know that their thoughts and feelings matter to your business and keeps them engaged, too.
Give Something Away
Want to see your open rate metrics soar? Offer a giveaway! People love to get something free and including a giveaway offer is a surefire way to get your recipients to interact with your message. Approach giveaways in the right way – if your subject line indicates a free gift, then the body of the email needs to follow through. Reading about a free gift and then discovering that you’ll really only get 10% off is not only annoying, it breaks trust with your reader entirely.
Win-back
Where did your customers go? If they’ve wandered off to a competitor or simply stopped buying, an email campaign can be used to win them back. Breaking your lapsed buyers into groups can help you identify the right offer or email to send to boost conversions. A tempting deal or offer is one of many email ideas to convince a lapsed buyer to return if price was an issue, while a new perk or accessory can win back someone who simply has your entire product line already.
Event Invitation
Planning a customer appreciation event, online door buster sale or other fun happening? Use email to invite your clients and prospects. This approach also works if you are attending a trade show or conference and have a booth or hospitality suite; email invitations give you a chance to connect in real time.
Off-season Check-in
You sell pool care items – so what do you do in January? Connect off season with care tips, planning ideas for spring and other interesting bits of information. You can also use this opportunity to clue price savvy customers in on the great sales you run this time of year.
Breaking News
Important industry news that is truly relevant to your customer and important enough to share can make a great email. “We’re having a sale” is not news, but a change in regulations, closure of another company or brand or even the announcement of the next year’s annual convention site is.
Digest
Want to make it easy for customers to take in all the new things you’ve shared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week? Package them into an “in case you missed it” digest is one of those email ideas for easy industry reading.
Best Of
People love lists – there’s a reason headlines with “5 top ways to…” or “10 best…” perform so well. Create a roundup of the best items in a particular category or even the top ways your customers have used your product. Count them down so readers can see if their own ideas made the list or identify new ways to use your products. Industry related lists work well, too. A travel agency posting a “10 Best Theme Park Rides in Florida” will likely get a lot of opens… …while a car repair shop listing the “5 Worst Cars of All Time” would find quite a few interested readers.
Anniversary
An anniversary is a reason to celebrate – and reminds your prospects of how long you’ve been around and how experienced you are in your chosen field. Announce those big milestones and make sure you offer a compelling promo so your customers can celebrate, too.
End of Season
Whether it is the customer’s last chance to buy at this year’s prices (or at all, if you are seasonal), or you’re selling off the rest of this year’s inventory cheap, announce it to your customers to boost retail visibility and engage.
Weather
Got a cure for the rainy-day blues or a way to beat the heat? Using Mother Nature for fresh email ideas allows you to tie in a reminder about upcoming weather, and how you can help your prospects prepare or enjoy the upcoming weather. If you offer any seasonal events, this is also an ideal way to let your followers know what to watch for.
Holiday
Whether you wish them a happy Mother’s Day email or send personalized Happy Birthday greetings, a simple greeting makes for great email ideas no matter the holiday.
Seasonal
A roundup of fall activities timed just before kids go back to school – or a list of fun kid’s promotions you are having when school lets out lets families and followers know what you have to offer. Providing a seasonal roundup lets prospects know what’s coming and makes it easier for them to plan, no matter what industry you are in.
Letter from the CEO
Most of your emails come from your marketing and content creation folks; at least once a year, send a letter from the CEO. These email ideas can be as simple as a quick note of thanks, a preview of some exciting events or changes or even a peek behind the scenes.
Reminder
Have a timely event or an important date approaching for your industry? Whether you do an email blast to everyone about one big upcoming event or you send personalized reminders to individuals, this is a good way to stay in touch.
Social
Are your email readers following you on Facebook, connecting on Twitter or seeing your helpful information on LinkedIn? Remind readers they can always find helpful tips, customer service and even secret discounts when they follow you on social media and watch your stats climb.
Cart Recovery
More than half of the people who place items in an online shopping cart bounce away before buying; if you capture emails early, you can easily send a cart recovery reminder. Send one right away after an abandonment; there could be a technical issue preventing checkout and a quick email could resolve a problem. A second follow-up a week later complete with photos of the items that were in the cart can also help bring back a prospect who shopped, but fell short of buying.
Sneak Preview
Give your email readers a sneak peek at your latest product, post or even a coming item in production. They’ll enjoy being in the know and you’ll add others to your list when word gets around that you’re sharing sneak peeks via email.
Recap/Follow Up
Recap a meeting, class or other touch-point with a quick email to all involved. You can also recap an event for those who missed it, including video in your email to enhance the experience.
Sale
Having a sale? Even if you promote it in other ways, your email followers need to be notified as well. Send a little in advance to give them time to open (receiving an email after the sale has ended will simply cause frustration) and act on the sale.
Thank You
At the end of the year, after a big event or just when you need to express gratitude, a thank you email is always a good way to get in touch. Make sure your thanks is just that – an expression of gratitude, not a veiled promo attempt, for best results.
Top Seller
These email ideas are an easy way to showcase your top products and let clients know what pieces are most in demand with your buyers (or consumers, if you are a wholesaler)
Free Shipping
One of the biggest reasons prospects abandon carts or stop in the middle of the sales process is the reveal of a not so great shipping rate. If you plan on offering free shipping for a limited time, it’s worth a note to your customers.
Limited Edition
Reveal a new, limited edition item and include information on how scarce it is, how to get it and why you’ve chosen to limit it to just a few customers. Include a photo of the item to tempt readers to learn more about this limited time offering.
Update
Have an update on a product or service? Reveal the new feature via an email campaign to let readers know instantly.
Coupon
Coupons aren’t just for groceries; even brick and mortar stores now accept coupons via mobile device. Email makes discount delivery a snapand allows you to eliminate printing and mailing costs, too.
Raffle
Offer an easy way to enter a contest or raffle. Your email should include what can be won (with a great visual), how to enter and how winners will be determined to get the best responses.
Video
Email ideas using video are a great way to grab attention in the inbox. A step by step video email walk-through of how to use, assemble or hack your product can be very engaging. You can also include a behind the scenes peek at your operation or fun clips of people using your products in an email blast.
Welcome
Every customer who subscribes to your list needs a welcome. Setting up a welcome series to run automatically takes the pressure off you and ensures that each prospect gets the warm welcome they deserve. A welcome email also confirms the subscription, making it clear your emails are not spam.
Back in Stock
Has a coveted item recently returned to stock? If it will sell out fast, your loyal readers will love this heads’ up email idea when it returns.
Podcast
Deliver your latest podcast via an email link so your listeners know where to find it and can easily access your show. Provide a photo, a recap of what to expect from the podcast and a link to the show so that readers can find you.
App Announcement
You’ve taken the time to create your own app so that customers can check their account, earn rewards and even interact with your brand, but are people using it? An announcement of your app (and maybe a perk just for app users) could generate more downloads and ensure your customers are aware of your brand’s very own app.
New Location
Opening a new location? Let people know in advance, and make sure you share photos of construction, your staff getting things ready and even any promotions you will be running. You should also include details about any Grand Opening promos or specials you’ll be running to celebrate the new location.
Which one of these email ideas should you try first? The time of year, your current situation and the types of customers in your list will influence what emails you send and when you send them. Every time you interact with a customer you reinforce your relationship and position yourself and your brand as a solution to their problems. To make it easy, bookmark this article as your email marketing strategy evolves. No matter which type of email you send, Delivra can help you create and send each of these ideas and engage with your audience with ease.
