10 Best Email Marketing Practices That Increase Sales

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“What are the best email marketing strategies?”

“How do I boost sales using email marketing?”

“Does email marketing actually work for small businesses?”

When you think about email marketing as yet another marketing strategy to consider in the journey of growing your business, you might often wonder if it’s worth the effort. After all, your customers are probably getting tons of emails every single day. You might even think that other businesses are not doing it, so why do you need to break your back or add yet another task to all the things you have to do as a business owner?

But the truth is email marketing can be a game-changer for your business’s bottom line or profit, whether you’re a small business or a big one. It is especially a fantastic way to remarket to your customers and turn subscribers into new ones. The secret is to engage them in a way that no one else is doing and stand out from the crowd, or in this case, from the million other emails that your audience is getting per day.

This article is dedicated to breaking down 9 best email marketing practices and tips that increase sales through email marketing and leave your competition in the dust.

1. Build a High-Quality Email List

One of the foundations of successful email marketing lies in building a high-quality email list. A quality email list not only ensures that your messages reach the right audience but also increases the likelihood of conversions and sales.

To organically grow your email list, consider enticing your audience with irresistible lead magnets, such as highly informative and exclusive content or discounts. Optimise your website sign-up forms to capture visitor emails (see a Bumpa website as an example above), reach a wider audience by taking advantage of social media, and engage with your community through exciting contests and giveaways. These hacks can help you grow a clean, quality email list for marketing organically.

Related: 15 Effective Ideas for Running Sales with Discounts & Coupons

2. Ask users to opt in

You already know that your customers are likely getting a lot of emails from other people. So how do you get your customers to actually read your own emails? The first step is the simple act of asking them to opt in. By asking their permission, you demonstrate respect for their inbox and also ensure that you’re sending emails to someone who genuinely wants to hear from you, which leads to higher engagement and increased trust. And higher engagement here can lead to increased sales. To make it easier, use opt-in forms (like in the image above).

3. Keep your emails short

Short and clear emails are more likely to be read in their entirety, leading to higher engagement and better response rates. So when it comes to email communication, brevity is your best friend. Keep your emails short and to the point to capture and maintain your receiver’s attention. Also, take advantage of bullet points and numbered lists to enable your readers to be able to quickly read through.

4. Craft compelling subject lines

Ever read an email subject that made you so curious that you had to open the email just to see what it was about? That’s the power of a compelling subject line. In an inbox that gets tons of emails per day, a captivating subject line can be the difference between your message getting noticed or being ignored. So it is important to take your time to craft really good email subjects.

Personalisation, urgency, curiosity, and clarity are essential elements to consider when creating subject lines that grab attention. Personalising subject lines with the receiver's name or other relevant details creates a sense of familiarity and connection. Adding a touch of urgency creates a sense of importance and encourages immediate action. Curiosity sparks intrigue, enticing the reader to explore further. Finally, clarity ensures that the recipient understands the value or benefit of opening your email.

5. Write conversationally

Imagine the kind of conversation you’d be having with a friend over a plate of amala and ewedu. It’s friendly, hilarious, warm and genuine. This is how you should write. Adopting a conversational tone can work wonders in establishing a genuine connection with your readers. Writing conversationally means embracing a friendly and approachable style that mimics natural human conversation, and most businesses have adopted this style as a part of their brand strategy in recent years because they find that it makes the brand more relatable.

Engage your readers with relatable anecdotes, use everyday language, and sprinkle in a touch of humor or playfulness when appropriate. Avoid jargon and technical terms that might distance your audience from your brand.

6. Use attractive images

The wonders images can do for your emails cannot be overemphasised. Images can actually summarise your email faster, helping you achieve the goal of sending that particular email in a few seconds. Images are also a great way to make your emails visually appealing and engaging for your readers. They can help break up the text, capture attention, and convey information in a more visually appealing way.

For example, you could include an eye-catching header image, relevant product photos, or even some fun illustrations to add a touch of personality to your emails. Just be sure to optimise your images for email, keeping file sizes small, and ensuring they load quickly for a seamless user experience.

Related: How to Take the Best Product Images on Your Smartphone

7. Always add a compelling CTA

When it comes to email marketing, adding a compelling call-to-action (CTA) is crucial. A CTA is like a friendly nudge that guides your readers to take the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for an IG live or webinar, or downloading an e-book.

By using powerful and action-oriented words like "Buy Now,""Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Get Started," you can entice your audience to engage further with your brand. Make sure your CTA stands out, either through bold colors, contrasting design, or clear placement within your email. Remember, a well-crafted CTA can make all the difference in turning a passive reader into an active participant or customer.

8. Use audience segments

Rather than sending a one-size-fits-all email to your entire subscriber list, segmenting your audience allows you to tailor your messages to different groups based on their specific interests, preferences, demographics, or past interactions.

For example, you can break your list into new subscribers, loyal customers, or potential leads, and send personalised and relevant content that resonates with each group. You can also further segment by shopping behavior, past requests and more, by utilising your business data. By understanding your audience's unique needs and sending them content that aligns with their interests, you can greatly increase engagement and conversions.

Quick story time.

I’ve shopped multiple times from a brand that sells all kinds of women’s wear, from jeans to short dresses to long dresses and even suits. But, I’ve bought from them 10 times, and 10 times out of that, I ordered short dresses. If I opt-in to get emails from this brand, what kind of content do you think I would love to see?

You guessed right! Short dresses. I’d love to see emails about new arrivals for short dresses, discounts and giveaways about short dresses, etc. If this brand keeps sending me generic emails about suits, jeans, etc, what do you think will happen? Over time, I’ll stop opening the emails, because it’s clear that this brand isn’t exactly speaking to me.

This is where business data and audience segmentation come together to help you target and convert your customers through email, and increase sales for your business.

9. Send a welcome email

Sending a warm and engaging welcome email is a powerful way to kickstart your relationship with new subscribers or customers. This email serves as the first impression of your brand and helps set the tone for future interactions. Make your welcome email personal and genuine, expressing gratitude for their interest and highlighting the value they can expect from being a part of your community. It's also a great opportunity to provide helpful information, such as links to useful resources or details about your products or services. Including a clear call-to-action encourages recipients to take the next step, whether it's exploring your website, making a purchase, or joining your social media channels.

10. A/B test your content

Finally, you should not forget to optimise your email campaigns to increase their effectiveness. You can do this through A/B testing.

By creating two versions of your email, each with a slight variation (such as subject lines, call-to-action buttons, or even the layout), you can experiment to see which version performs better. Then, analyse metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to determine the winning version. You can invest in affordable email marketing software to help make this process easier.

A/B testing helps you make data-driven decisions, refine your email content, and improve your overall email marketing strategy.

Setting up Your Email Campaigns with Your Bumpa App

Email marketing is a great channel for retaining customers, and getting them to come back to make another purchase. With the CRM feature on the Bumpa app, you can save customer details, create email campaigns and retarget them with more ease.

To have your customers’ information stored in your Bumpa app, it is important to record your orders on it. You can do this automatically by taking orders on your Bumpa website or recording them manually when you make sales on other online selling platforms or offline channels.

To set up an email campaign:

1. Open the Bumpa dashboard, and click on ‘Campaigns’. On the Bumpa app, go to ‘Customers’, and then select ‘Campaigns’.

2. Select email campaigns. On the Bumpa app, click on the plus bottom and then select ‘Email’ in the dropdown menu.

3. Add your email subject, content and images. Then hit send.

That’s all! You’ve successfully sent a campaign with your Bumpa App. Happy selling!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get more sales through email marketing?

To increase sales through email marketing, focus on personalization and targeted segmentation. Personalisation involves tailoring your emails to each individual recipient, using their name and referencing their past interactions. Targeted segmentation allows you to divide your audience into specific groups based on demographics or behavior, enabling you to deliver relevant content that addresses their unique needs.

How do you attract new customers through email?

To attract new customers through email, focus on creating compelling content, offering valuable incentives, and utilising targeted campaigns. Craft engaging subject lines and relevant email content that captivates your audience. Provide attractive incentives like discounts or exclusive access to entice recipients to take action. Segment your email list to deliver personalised messages that cater to the specific needs and preferences of different customer groups.

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