4 Examples of Effective Retail Email Marketing

I’ve covered retail email marketing tips. I’ve discussed the efficacy of the medium and how a single discount code can be the gateway to perennial profit. I’ve shown how to turn repeat consumers into loyal customers.

Now, I want to highlight the outstanding power of email marketing for retailers.

Today’s blog post is dedicated to extraordinarily effective retail email marketing examples. Keep scrolling to see how The Email Marketers have crafted powerful email campaigns to wow countless consumers.

“Well,” you may be saying, “my online store is different! We don’t sell those ‘regular things!’”

Think again!

I’m about to dig into promotional emails across the full spectrum of online retailers. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your journey through email marketing’s greatest hits.

1. The Anatomy of a Welcome Email

I’ll start where every customer’s journey begins: the welcome email. These campaigns are the first step of every email marketing strategy, yet they’re often overlooked! It’s not enough to deliver a half-hearted message and a piddly discount code. You need more!

Instead, consider this example, courtesy of Bavsound.

Now, be aware that this isn’t the most advanced of welcome emails. It lacks advanced personalization and flashy graphics. However, it doesn’t need those bells and whistles to push consumers to start shopping. In fact, this simple approach is the perfect way to ease new subscribers into your sales funnel.

And what does it look like? Well…

Highlight the Qualities of Your Retail Business

The Bavsound email has a strong, punchy opening. Its black, gold, and silver colors match the brand’s logo, cementing the content’s brand identity.

And I must call attention to the attention-grabbing introductory text: “Your Supra is amazing, but your sound system doesn’t quite cut it.” Already, we know who the target audience is. Already, we know that Bavsound audio systems aren’t for any car; oh, no, they’re for high-class luxury vehicles. Note, too, the presence of the Supra branding. The mere mention of this luxury-class car dramatically increases the value of Bavsound’s products.

Give Potential Customers a Reason to Buy Your Product

Moving away from that stunning introduction, I want to highlight the campaign’s body text. This part of an email varies in length and depth, but its goal will always remain the same. The body of your email is its heart and soul. It’s where you nurture customer relationships, drive sales, and solicit customer feedback.

For Bavsound’s welcome flow, the pros at The Email Marketers used this space to highlight the brand’s value.

Obviously, these three points don’t cover everything you’d need to know about Bavsound. They’re short, bite-sized tidbits of highly targeted content emphasizing three major factors in a consumer’s choice to purchase an item:

• Establish a Relationship: Having problems with your Bavsound purchase? “We’ll provide the parts, installation, and support.” This email campaign knows the importance of customer service, and it shows.
• Pain Points: New customers likely know about Bacsound’s focus on luxury cars. However, this email marketing campaign goes deeper. Respectively, they’re easy to install, low-profile, and amplify your vehicle’s sound system.

• Discounts and Deals: Most welcome emails aren’t transactional emails, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore their conversion rates! With this in mind, Bavsound encourages customer engagement by including a handy 50% off coupon at the end of the email.
• The Elevator Pitch: You only have a few seconds to grab a customer’s attention. Use it well! For this email campaign, the team utilized a “short and sweet” approach, wherein the most relevant content is placed in the most noticeable places.
• Meeting Expectations: Finally, modern email subscribers expect a welcome email. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it doesn’t even have to generate more sales. But it must exist. Otherwise, you’re likely to lose those new subscribers. You’ll also waste an opportunity to get near-guaranteed opens, as welcome emails have a 52% average conversion rate!

Notably, this campaign focuses on education and awareness. Revenue is a consideration, — as it always is — but the bulk of this campaign courts more website traffic.

This generalized focus makes it easier to send campaigns without extensive segmentation. It’s an excellent approach for many automated emails, particularly when you’re trying to gather data on new subscribers.

(As an aside, you can gather more information with robust signup forms, but overloading your sign-up source is a surefire way to lose potential subscribers. Balance the needs of your customer journey and the length of your signup form for the best results.)

2. The Everyman’s Sales Email

Of course, awareness doesn’t always translate to income. Businesses must have a well-rounded email marketing strategy, and conversion-driven campaigns will be your brand’s heavy hitters. In addition to attracting potential customers, sales announcements often re-engage lapsed existing customers.

My next example — written for Bahimi — is the perfect example of such content, highlighting the importance of balancing relevant sales and eye-catching imagery.

The Power of Seasonal Promotions

Now, I’ll preface this with a warning: This isn’t a long campaign. It’s a short, sweet email marketing message meant to drive sales. Most of its power comes from its visual design, which emphasizes the style and quality of its retail brand.

Its bold headline is the first thing to catch a reader’s eye: “Summer’s Almost Over!”

And, honestly, must we say much else?

This campaign is all about delivering timely, relevant emails. You wouldn’t see this in December, and — if you did — it wouldn’t be as effective! Moreover, sending this email at the wrong time would likely confuse subscribers.

Summarily, online stores must master the art of timing.

Designing Email Marketing for Mobile Devices

Retailers must also consider the design of their emails.

Scroll down further; you’ll see this delightful spread of eye-popping colors and captivating photos. This campaign capitalizes on what retail professionals already know: First impressions matter. There’s no beating around the bush and no need to segment subscribers. More importantly, this campaign is mobile-friendly, designed to work on mobile and desktop devices.

Of its many design features, its most prevalent include its…

• Bold, vibrant colors that break the modern mono-color norm. The vibrant hot pink used for each image caption matches the branding for Bahimi’s online store and draws attention to the brand’s feminine marketing focus. At the same time, it pairs well with the soft blues and tans of each image’s backdrop.
• Eye-catching visuals to lure in potential customers. Think of these emails as a store display. Your email marketing campaigns are the perfect place to showcase an upcoming product launch or — as is the case in this Bahimi email — your run-of-the-mill stock. However, you can’t just throw any image up and call it a day. The best retail email marketing strategy uses clear, high-quality images!
• Large text to make content more accessible and easier to spot on the small screens of modern mobile devices. Of course, you can’t use massive 18-point fonts in long-form content. Fortunately, this visually focused Bahimi email campaign lends itself to bold, attention-grabbing text.
• Short length to allow for lower bandwidth deliveries. Even the most complex personalized emails fail if they cannot be delivered. Shorter messages require less space to store, making it easier for customers with poor connectivity to view your content.
• Single-column layout, which makes marketing emails more accessible. It may not be the most exciting design on the planet, but this minimalist approach is easy to rework and mold into the perfect multi-purpose email marketing template.

3. The Informative Email Newsletter

Sometimes, your retail venture requires additional explanation. Many innovative products may come with informative post-purchase email campaigns to help consumers use them. Alternatively, retailers may send care instructions to smooth out any kinks in the overall customer experience. These campaigns are often triggered emails, and this Kozy Couch newsletter is no exception!

The Power of Human Connection

I’ll start with this campaign’s tone. Unlike the last two examples, this email takes a warm, welcoming approach. “Life happens,” it declares, ”Kids will be kids. Messes will be made. You don’t have to stress about the mess! Here’s a few tips to clean your Kozy Couch.”

This is a friendly message, a warm marketing email to a friend.

And, of course, it delivers on its promise. It’s another mobile-friendly design. Another collection of delightful visuals.

The Clever Bonus Sale

At the tail end of this campaign, you’ll find a clever plug for the company’s waterproof cover.

“You can stress even less when you get the Kozy Waterproof Cover,” declares the footer.

Think of this as a subversive approach to personalized content. While this campaign may not mention personal details, it knows its purpose. Anyone reading this campaign is looking for ways to clean their Kozy Couch. So, why shouldn’t they purchase a waterproof cover?

Note, too, that this subtle nudge can be added to any follow-up campaign. Many digital receipts now include personalized recommendations and suggested add-ons based on a user’s purchase history. For example, if a newsletter was sent out on how long a Kozy couch warranty lasts, they can follow it up with a product recommendation.

That wouldn’t work here, though! This generalized automated email isn’t a true post-purchase campaign. It’s a triggered message for buyers, but it relies on customer retention rather than direct customer feedback. And in doing so, it cements its status as a cheap and simple addition to Kozy Couch’s marketing strategy!

4. The Multi-Channel Newsletter

Perhaps your marketing strategy relies on satisfaction over perennial purchasing. Maybe your subject lines are meant to inform and engage your consumers. That’s fine, too! This STEMKids email marketing campaign showcases the power of a multi-channel marketing strategy.

Here, The Email Marketers aimed to garner website visits over outright monetary conversions. It seems like a confusing, useless tactic, but hear me out!

While loyal customers know your brand’s purpose, many retail email recipients are what I call “casual consumers.” They’re looking for quick fixes to common problems. In this example, they’re weary parents trying to entertain their kids over summer break.

So, it’s only reasonable for STEMKids — a brand specializing in educational children’s toys — to have some ideas!

Draw ’Em In With Valuable Information

Those ideas are this campaign’s value. They form the basis of the subject line and color the tone for the most playful of my retail email examples. More importantly, like any good email newsletter, they delight new and existing customers alike!

Notably, this email has nothing to do with a customer’s past purchases. There’s nothing in this content with immediate ties to the business’ best-selling microscope. But — again! — we want website visitors above all else.

Why?

It’s all about brand awareness! This campaign urges viewers to visit the website and learn more about the STEMKids mission. In doing so, each visitor learns of various sales and the brand’s educational discounts.

But, of course, you can’t avoid the sales pitch altogether.

Tie It Together

Yes, even the most informative of campaigns should include something about your product. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time! Even those wellness newsletters you get from your doctor probably have links to schedule an appointment. Similarly, that “personalized” email from your dentist invariably urges you to book a follow-up.

For STEMKids, The Email Marketers team blended the product’s inherent educational value with the email’s adventurous tone.

And a little bit extra never hurts!

Lead magnets — like these free PDFs — are low-cost ways to keep customers engaged. Moreover, they’re easily delivered with a few clicks in the right email marketing software.

At most, companies pay for the space to host these files. However, their purpose vastly outweighs their price. These workbooks have been downloaded countless times, and they remain popular products today!

Let Us Work for You

Here’s the best part of today’s blog post: All these emails were designed, written, and managed by The Email Marketers. That means you have the opportunity to get on-demand email marketing of the same caliber!

All it takes is a few clicks! Schedule a free strategy session today and stop worrying about these retail email marketing tips.

My team and I will handle everything. We’ll write gorgeous email marketing content to appease your audience, not some generic company’s. We’ll tailor your subject lines to match the needs of your retail email strategy. And, yes, we’ll happily work with your existing email service provider.

We know what it takes to build a successful retail email marketing strategy. We’ve done so many times before! Just look at my blog; you’ll find countless posts about the benefits of this modern marketing medium. We’ve handled many problems, and email marketing for retailers is second nature to us.

So, what are you waiting for? Use that handy signup form and prepare yourself for some amazing targeted messages!