5 Blueprints for building smarter emails
Subscribers are raising the bar on relevance. They’re tired of being treated the same as everyone else and they’re tuning out “one size fits all” messaging. They want brands to prove they’re paying attention by delivering the right content at the right time. In short, they expect smarter emails. Marketers have all the tools available to them to live up to these expectations. But taking an intellectually challenged email and transforming it into a genius message with heroic timing is a daunting task. The answer is to evolve your emails in several manageable steps rather than attempting to leap tall buildings in a single bound. 2 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to step up the effectiveness of five different kinds of emails: 1 WELCOME EMAILS 2 PROMOTIONAL EMAILS 3 EVENT REGISTRATION EMAILS 4 TRANSACTIONAL EMAILS 5 CART ABANDONMENT EMAILS For each type of message, we’ll present an industry-specific example that will demonstrate how to turn IQ Boosting Opportunities into effective action. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 3
The Unenlightened Email: This basic, image-heavy welcome email confirms the signup, perhaps sets some expectations around the content of future 1 emails, and thanks the subscriber for subscribing. It offers no clear call-to-action WELCOME beyond waiting for the next email to arrive. EMAILS These emails are triggered when a person signs up to IQ Boost Opportunities: receive emails from your Expand into a welcome email series brand. Usually, they form your subscribers’ first Use defensive design such as HTML text and alt text — particularly on the impression of your email first email in the series program — and sometimes Drive high-value actions that the first impression of improve subscriber lifetime value, such as incentivizing the first your brand. purchase or collecting additional profile information Include messaging that’s informed by the source through which the subscriber was acquired Include personalized content based on profile Repeat messaging to drive high- value action if subscriber didn’t respond the first time 4 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
For instance, if you’re a financial services company, your welcome email series might look like this: 1 The first email in the series uses solid defensive design, welcomes the new subscriber, and asks them about their financial goals, which will be used to inform future messaging. 3 The third email in the series promotes your services. If provided, the subscriber’s financial goals determine the services that are promoted. Otherwise, a full array of services are promoted, with the click behavior indicating implied preferences regarding interests. 2 The second email in the series promotes your If the subscriber didn’t respond to the first email mobile app if the subscriber signed up via your 4 about financial goals, the fourth email repeats that Facebook page, or promotes your Facebook page call-to-action, while also offering the opportunity to if the subscriber signed up via your mobile app. chat or speak with an advisor. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 5
2 The Unenlightened Email: This broadcast promotional email uses PROMOTIONAL desktop-centric design and presents the EMAILS same content to every subscriber. Touting great deals, great products, and great content, these emails represent IQ Boost Opportunities: of the vast majority Migrate to a responsive email of the emails template so content is easy to read and interact with on smartphones, most marketers desktops, and everything in between send, especially B2C marketers. Use personalization to include account details Include personalized recommendations using predictive intelligence Use dynamic content to include local information 6 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
For instance, if you’re a travel or hospitality company, your promotional email might: Highlight loyalty program status, points available, and redemption opportunities— and if the subscriber is not a member, point out that they’re not earning points for their activity. Include personalized recommendations based on past trips, recent browsing, and the travel behavior of other subscribers with similar interests that live in the area. Use dynamic content to include parking, dining, and shopping information about the subscriber’s preferred airport or the airport that they’re using next if currently on a trip. Use responsive design, which caters to frequent travelers. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 7
3 The Unenlightened Email: This single email confirms their registration, EVENT provides basic information about the venue and program, and links to the event website REGISTRATION for additional details. EMAILS These emails confirm a person’s registration for an event and IQ Boost Opportunities: gives them important logistical information about attending. Add a pre-event email series Add at-event messaging Add post-event messaging Combine with an event mobile app and location- and time-based push and email messaging Include live content for real-time information Include dynamic content based on behavior
For instance, if you’re a media or B2B company, your event email series might look like this: 1 The registration 5 Daily at-event emails confirmation email lets you would highlight key know you’re set to attend sessions for the day and and recommends hotels—if review what happened not included—and provides the previous day, perhaps travel recommendations. showcasing tweets and other social media posts by attendees. 2 The first pre-event email would promote key 6 The first post-event email would use dynamic presentations and, if necessary, would let attendees content to provide links to video recordings, slide know how to reserve their spot in sessions. decks, and other content for the sessions each attendee attended. 3 The second pre-event email would focus on the 7 The second post-event email would thank attendees entertainment or charity efforts around the event and for coming, ask them to be sure to rate the sessions might talk about attire and include a current five-day they attended, and provide them with the dates for weather forecast using live content. next year’s event. 4 The first at-event email would focus on where and how to check in and when and where the event kicks off—including a live clock that counts down until the start time. It might also promote the hashtag for the event and your company’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 9
4 The Unenlightened Email: This simple receipt email is mostly text-based TRANSACTIONAL and contains little information besides the purchase and shipping details. The e-receipt EMAILS version is largely a scan or replica of the paper-based store receipt. Whether from an online or offline purchase, this email provides a receipt for the items bought. IQ Boost Opportunities: Include images of the products purchased Include recommendations of related products or accessories Include seasonal messaging Include social sharing calls-to-action Add post-purchase emails 10 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
For instance, if you’re a retailer, your transactional email series might look like this: 1 The receipt email would include product names and images for easy reference. It would include product and accessory recommendations powered by predictive intelligence, using data on the customer’s past purchases and the collective buying patterns of all of your customers. It would also include seasonal promotions and information, such as alerts about the upcoming Black Friday sale, links to gift guides, and notification of holiday shipping deadlines. 2 The receipt email would be followed by one or 3 After the customer has had a while to enjoy their more post-purchase emails that provide installation purchase, you would send a product review request. instructions or assistance, care instructions, That email would also give the customer the warranty or product registration details, or other opportunity to share their purchase satisfaction with appropriate messaging. their social networks. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 11
The Unenlightened Email: This basic cart abandonment email arrives a couple of days after a cart is abandoned and simply notifies the subscriber that they’ve left 5 something in their shopping cart, without saying what. CART ABANDONMENT EMAIL IQ Boost Opportunities: Online shoppers abandoning Determine the natural rate of return to their carts is a natural part of abandoned carts and send your email shortly after the buying process, but it’s also Include the names and images of the a high-value behavior that’s specific products left in the cart worthy of a response. Include recommendations of alternative products Promote current sales, free shipping offers, and seasonal information Highlight your payment options, return policies, price-matching guarantee Include customer service phone number and live chat service, if offered Highlight reviews of the product Send a series of cart abandonment emails, if the value of the cart justifies it 12 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
For instance, if you’re a retailer, your cart abandonment email series might look like this: 1 The first message in the series would include the names and images of the products in the abandoned cart and be delivered shortly after the time period that most of your cart abandoners tend to return to their carts without prompting. This message would also highlight current sales and seasonal shipping deadlines and — depending on the price and types of products abandoned — include payment options and customer service information. 2 If the value of the cart warrants it, the second message 3 If the value of the cart continues to warrant it, the in the series would focus on alternative product, third message in the series would again highlight much like a browse abandonment email would. It the products in the subscriber’s cart along with might highlight products in the same category that are some alternative product suggestions that are cheaper, have features, are best-sellers, or are more informed by the subscriber’s response to the highly rated. Or it could suggest products that shoppers second email in the series. tend to browse, buy instead of, or buy along with the products in the subscriber’s cart. 5 BLUEPRINTS FOR BUILDING SMARTER EMAILS | 13
CONCLUSION We have focused on five common types of emails in this report, but this approach of incremental improvement can be applied to any email that your program sends. Salesforce Marketing Cloud can help you identify opportunities for enhancements and come up with a plan of action. Craft your own personal blueprints for smarter emails. VIEW A DEMO 14 | SALESFORCE.COM/MARKETINGCLOUD
