Whatever industry you’re in, a loyal customer is a huge asset to your business. As well as being more likely to keep buying your products or services, they’re also more likely to spread the word about your company. With the right approach to email marketing, you can build a more loyal customer base and also consistently attract new customers.
According to a report from the Customer Service Institute on customer retention, 65 percent of a company’s business comes from existing customers (1). This is why it’s crucial to focus on the needs of your existing email subscribers when crafting email content. Here are nine email marketing strategies to strengthen customer loyalty and keep subscribers engaged with your brand.
Reward Loyalty Over Time
One of the most effective ways to increase customer loyalty is to deliver special offers that increase in value over time. Whether it’s through discounts or points-based rewards, loyalty programs that reward customers for repeat purchases can be highly effective.
According to the 2019 iVend Retail “Global Shopper Trends Report,” 58.7 percent of consumers said that earning rewards or loyalty points was the shopping experience they valued the most (2).
Consider setting up a loyalty program for email subscribers, giving them access to special discounts, coupon codes, and other exclusive offers.
Promote Other Online Channels
With an increasing number of consumers interacting with brands via social media, it’s important to use email messages to promote your other online channels. As well as promoting your social media pages, remember to provide links to your website and blog. Giving subscribers more opportunities to connect with your brand is a simple way to keep customers in the loop and also build brand awareness. To strengthen your credibility, remember to keep your branding and messaging consistent across all channels.
Listen and React to Feedback
Unfortunately, some businesses fall short when it comes to delivering content and experiences that customers actually want. This is why it’s essential to constantly listen to customers — not only to learn why loyal customers remain loyal, but also to learn what people don’t like about your brand. When people know you’re listening to their concerns, they’re more likely to stick around.
However, it’s not enough to show that you’re listening. When you gather feedback through email surveys, let people know what you’ve learned and what you’re going to do to make things better. This will show that you value customer feedback and help you create more powerful email copy.
Build Trust by Sharing Your Values
More than ever before, consumers care about where they spend their money. In such a competitive marketplace, being clear about where your company stands on social issues is a powerful way to attract and retain customers. A study by consultancy firm Wunderman revealed that 89 percent of consumers stay loyal to brands that share their values (3).
To build trust and help your business stand out, use email messages to reinforce your brand’s values. What’s important to you and your employees? You should start highlighting your brand’s values in welcome emails, but don’t forget to communicate these values in subsequent email campaigns.
Plan Regular Promotions
While it’s important to use major holidays to offer sales and discounts, using lesser-known holidays throughout the year can help your business stand out in email inboxes. According to one source, 75 percent of consumers said that they search their inboxes just to look for discounts (4). To make sure you take advantage of key dates and holidays throughout the year, set up a content calendar to organize and track your email promotions.
Send More Personalized Emails
According to Google, 61 percent of people expect brands to deliver personalized experiences based on their preferences (5). With this in mind, email is one of the most effective marketing channels to deliver personalized messages. By including recipients’ names in emails and segmenting your email list into groups based on specific criteria, you can deliver more relevant and personalized content that is more likely to resonate with subscribers.
Most email marketing tools allow you to segment your list based on demographics, purchase behavior, interests, and more. If you haven’t collected enough information about subscribers from email signup forms, you can send out additional forms to collect extra information. Alternatively, use email surveys, or direct subscribers to an email preference center page. Collecting the right data allows you to send highly personalized emails, such as signup anniversary or birthday emails.
Give Subscribers More Control
Even if you haven’t worked out the best send times and email send frequencies from analyzing data, you can still turn to your audience for answers. Simply send an email asking users to update their email preferences, either by including a form in the email or inserting a link to an email preference center page.
When you give people more control over the quantity, type, and frequency of emails they receive, they’re more likely to remain on your list and engage with your brand for longer.
Regularly Provide Helpful Information
While sales emails are important for growing your business, product guides, how-to content, expert advice, and other educational content should play a key part in any email marketing strategy. If you just bombard subscribers with irrelevant messages or constant sales emails, they’ll soon get annoyed, which will only damage your credibility and increase unsubscribe rates. Customers are more likely to stick with your brand if you regularly provide helpful, interesting, and inspiring content.
Send Email Reminders
If customers have discount codes or gift vouchers that haven’t been redeemed, they’ll usually appreciate a gentle reminder, especially if the expiration date is near. As well as showing customers you value them, these types of email also remind customers about your business. Most email marketing platforms allow you to set up automated email reminders that can be sent at predetermined times.
It’s also a good idea to occasionally remind subscribers why they joined your list in the first place. This is especially important when it comes to re-engaging inactive subscribers. Using tools offered by your email service provider, you can identify inactive subscribers and create an email campaign targeting this specific segment of your audience. Remind them of your business, highlight the value of your products and services, and include a special offer to boost engagement.
Grow Your Business by Building Customer Loyalty
With so many businesses competing for attention, consumers have more choices than ever before. As a result, they will only stay loyal to brands that provide great customer experiences. While building customer loyalty is an ongoing challenge, email marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways to engage prospects and reward existing customers.
By using the above email marketing techniques alongside other digital marketing strategies, you can build your brand’s reputation, ensure more customers continue to engage with your business, and hopefully stay one step ahead of your competitors.
