An email marketing sequence is a series of automated emails sent to members of a subscriber list at a predetermined time interval. They are Email Marketing designed to guide potential customers through a sales funnel, providing valuable information and opportunities to take a specific action. According to research by digital marketing firm DMA, email sequences can lead to an 18% increase in open rates.
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Essential email sequence for your e-commerce
Carrying out an email marketing strategy is not a simple task. An email sequence can have a large number of emails , so it is important to know which ones are most important for your interests.
This email is used to personally welcome a new user who joins your community. In this case, you should make sure that it is a personalized email, with content adapted to the recipient and, if possible, offering a benefit for them in the form of a discount or exclusive promotion. The key is to generate trust and show that you are willing to help at all times before promoting the sale.
The welcome email sequence would be as follows:
- Welcome email to the brand. Be transparent: explain how communication will be from now on and how user data will be used.
- Email to show value . Highlight what makes you special, put the spotlight on your most outstanding features.
- In the third mailing you have to show subscribers what you can do for them.
- For this step, segment your contacts to send them emails that contain information relevant to them.
With MDirector you can easily create your welcome emails. You have the option to configure them from scratch with the MDirector Drag and Drop Editor , by uploading an HTML or using the custom templates. You can edit colors, styles, fonts and add various CTAs, among other options.
To achieve high performance from the start, provide your new subscribers with useful information and offers, such as discount cameroon phone number data codes or lists of your e-commerce’s best-selling products.
2.- Newsletter, offers and discounts
The newsletter allows the new customer to email marketing for universities: strategies and examples expand their knowledge about the brand. In this way, you can gradually “mature” the lead until they make a purchase. This process is known as Lead Nurturing .
To do this, send newsletters to your subscribers with sms to data personalized and relevant information for them, including special offers and promotions. Or provide information about special campaigns, as can be done in an email sequence for Black Friday , for example. To create them, you can use the following roadmap:
- Select the platform you will use . If you are looking for a free option, MD Free plan allows you to send 5,000 emails at no cost.
- Create an attractive design and content. Include valuable content that meets a need of the target audience. You can also add relevant corporate information, relevant data about your business or interesting items you have for sale.
- Personalize your newsletter . It is important to indicate the name and email address you want to appear as the sender. With MDirector, you can also personalize your newsletter with the name of your subscribers. Take your time to design emails that include content, offers and promotions that are of interest to your subscribers. Also, make sure your subject line is striking and personalized to increase the opening rate of your emails.
3.- Create expectation or urgency
It’s been proven that customers don’t like the feeling of missing out. Talking about product shortages or the latest news is often effective. Develop an email sequence that creates anticipation or a sense of urgency as follows:
- To start, present the item or service you are going to offer or that will be disappearing soon , without going into details. Do some prior segmentation, based on geographic location, purchase history and web browsing to determine who to send this email to.
- In the next step, explain its benefits, highlight the product’s value and how it can help the user. Invite the recipient to pay attention to future mailings from your brand. This email should be sent 1-2 days after the first one.
- The third email will include a benefit tied to the item or service in question. This could be a discount , for example. The CTA to be included needs to create urgency by setting an upcoming deadline to take advantage of the full offer. Send this email on the fourth day of starting the sequence.
- The fourth and final email should be an invitation to action. Emphasize urgency and encourage potential customers to take advantage of the offer before it is too late . The final reminder should come a week after the initial send. Phrases like “Exclusive limited time offer!” either “Last hours to take advantage of the discount!, will motivate your subscribers to open the email.
4.- Abandoned cart reminders
The customer was about to buy and, for some reason, abandoned the process at the last minute. A cart recovery email sequence is the best way to give them the little push they need to make the decision. The step-by-step instructions for creating one would be as follows:
- Send the first reminder shortly after the cart has been abandoned by the user.
- If this first email has not had a positive response, send a follow-up reminder 24 hours after the cart has been abandoned.
- After 48 hours have passed since the cart was abandoned, send a third email offering an incentive to help close the sale. Offer limited-time discounts , special promotions, or additional incentives to drive action.
5.- Reactivation emails
If you notice that a lead or customer has been inactive for a long time, you will need to create a reactivation email sequence . The idea is to remind the customer who has already purchased from your store the reasons that led them to do so. Here is how you can create a reactivation email sequence :
- First, send a first email to remind the user of your brand and reactivate their interest. The moment of sending will be determined by the time you think appropriate to classify them as inactive.
- In the next email, provide relevant content and show how you can be of use to them. This email is usually sent 3-5 days after the first one.
- For the third email, include a discount or special promotion . Send this email 5-7 days after the first outreach.
- The fourth email will focus on the benefits of your specific brand or service and can be sent 10-14 days after the discount email. In this re-engagement email, you can include testimonials from satisfied customers to show the recipient the good work you do.
- Send a fifth email to create a sense of urgency in the recipient. After 3-4 days after the fourth email, let them know that this is their last chance to take advantage of the discount you sent earlier or to purchase that product.
- The last email is a final farewell. In this case, thank them for their interest and invite them to unsubscribe. Send this email 7-10 days after the previous one.
How to create email marketing sequences with MDirector
With MDirector’s Marketing Automation you can create dynamic and automated scenarios to maintain personalized contact with your customers throughout their entire purchasing cycle. And all without the need for prior technical knowledge.
Scenarios can vary, such as welcoming a new user, trying to recover an abandoned cart , or asking for feedback after a purchase. Here’s how you can create your own scenario:
- Log in to Marketing Automation from the home page of your MDirector account
- Click on the Create Scenario option .
- In the Scenario Editor , set an entry point . Indicate when you want a person to enter the scene. For example:
Open an email.
- Click on a link.
- Receive a specific email.
- Receive a specific SMS.
- Specific date.
A scenario is not required to have an entry point, as it can be started from another scenario.
- Enter the steps of your scenario and select the action you want to perform from among all of these:
- Send an email.
- Send an SMS.
- Add contact to a list.
- Delete a contact from a list.
- Add tags to a contact.
- Remove tags from a contact.
- Add the conditions. These are what will allow you to take one action or another depending on the subscriber’s interaction with receiving your emails. To do this, you will build the so-called flow tree: a series of branches that open up based on what is happening. Depending on the action you determine, the subscriber or client takes one path or another. You can, among other things, do the following:
- Define waits for each of the phases.
- Take a path depending on the condition.
- Split the scenario into several different options.
- Start/End an automation. From an automation you can branch off or even end any other automation the subscriber is currently in.
In the following images you can see a real example of a shopping cart recovery scenario:
This cart recovery sequence consists of two or more emails that request feedback on a product, service, or other aspect of your business . If the first email does not receive a response, another email with the same theme is sent after a while, except that in this case it can be accompanied by an incentive for the recipient.
If this attempt is unsuccessful, a third email is sent, which is definitive. Users who do provide information are removed from the list, so subsequent emails only reach those who have not yet participated . All the information compiled can help you improve the services you offer and optimize future marketing campaigns.
In this case, it is important to keep in mind that sending too many emails to users not interested in a specific topic can lead to an unsubscribe . Be persistent, but respectful.