Interacting with your customers is essential for achieving their loyalty to your brand. You want to keep them updated about your promotions, upcoming events, latest deals, or new product launches for brand recall and ultimately to nudge them to purchase your product. A Square Future of Commerce research states that 60% of customers prefer to get emails from the businesses they frequent.
But the average customer has a ton of messages in their inbox. According to Statista, a whopping 361 billion emails are sent daily worldwide. So, how do you ensure that your emails stand out in the crowd?
In this blog, we will explore 10 unique email marketing ideas that can breathe new life into your next campaign. Whether you're a B2B or B2C marketer, these strategies can be tailored to suit your specific goals and target audience. Let's dive in.
10 email marketing ideas that work wonders
1. Craft interactive emails with polls and surveys
This approach is particularly effective for gathering insights, feedback, and preferences directly from your subscribers. You can use a no-code email editor to create a customer survey in miunutes. You can use this data to further improve the response rates and campaign performance.
Veeam is doing it right with their survey email. They keep it simple, offering a chance to win a gift card for answering a few questions. The email's layout is clean, with consistent branding, clear instructions and a compelling CTA. This increases the chances of getting a response from their subscribers and provides valuable information for the company to improve their products and services.
Why does this work?
- Interactive emails captivate your recipients and encourage active participation.
- Real-time data from polls and surveys provides insights into customer preferences.
- Data from the surveys and polls can be used to segment your audience and deliver more personalized content, offers, and recommendations.
How can you use this idea?
- You can ask subscribers to suggest topics or themes for upcoming blog posts, videos, or newsletters.
- You can invite customers to share testimonials based on specific experiences, such as recent purchases or interactions with customer support.
- You can run a customer poll to identify their favorite products or features, helping prioritize future development efforts.
2. Utilize user-generated content to build a community
You can use user-generated content to cultivate vibrant communities beyond the confines of social media platforms. Anushka Rathod, a finance content creator, faced platform limitations while engaging her 1.8M+ social media followers.
Launching the Crore Club email newsletter via Mailmodo allowed her to foster a reliable, algorithm-independent community for sharing in-depth finance lessons. This is one of the excellent email marketing ideas for D2C businesses.
Why does this work?
- Sharing UGC showcases brand appreciation, nurturing trust and rapport with the community.
- UGC adds authenticity and credibility to your marketing efforts.
- When users share their UGC with their own networks, it extends your brand's reach and visibility organically.
- Building a community outside social media allows you to differentiate your brand and create a unique experience for your audience.
How can you use this idea?
- Ecommerce companies can use this email marketing idea to encourage customers to submit product photos for inclusion in promotional emails.
- If you run a hospitality business, you can use this approach to invite guests to share their experiences from their stay.
- A fitness business can utilize this tactic to run challenges where participants submit progress photos.
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3. Remind them of your reward program
Tell customers about their rewards to keep them engaged and excited. It taps into their natural desire for recognition and encourages them to keep coming back for more.
This is what Smash + Tess did with their double points campaign. We love it because the message is crystal clear: earn double points for bigger discounts on products. Plus, it's visually appealing and even non-members are encouraged to join.
Why does this work?
- Reward program emails encourage customers to stay active and engaged with your brand.
- They also contribute to positive brand perception, building trust and loyalty over time.
How can you use this idea?
- You can provide exclusive early access or special discounts to loyalty program members as a reward.
- You can celebrate customer milestones, such as reaching a certain point threshold or anniversary with the program.
- You can share feature testimonials or success stories from satisfied customers who have benefited from the rewards program to inspire others to join. You can create a sense of urgency by promoting limited-time offers or flash sales exclusive to loyalty program members.
4. Design a re-engagement campaign
Re-engagement email campaigns are typically deployed for targeting inactive customers, addressing abandoned carts, or renewing expired subscriptions. This is one of those email marketing ideas that aim to reignite customer interest and prompt immediate action.
A classic example is Duolingo. They use a sad emoji to show that they miss their learners. Sometimes, a friendly message like this can win back lost subscribers by showing that you care about them.
Why does this work?
- Re-engagement emails win back inactive subscribers by reminding them of the benefits they're missing out on.
- People are more likely to engage with brands they're familiar with and trust. Re-engagement emails help with this.
How can you use this idea?
- SaaS companies can send a personalized email highlighting new features or updates since their last login, offering a limited-time discount or free trial extension to encourage them to revisit the platform.
- If you offer services, you can email a special discount or a free consultation to encourage past clients to buy again.
- You can also give a sneak peek of upcoming products, services, or content to pique the interest of inactive subscribers.
5. Launch a referral program via email
Launching a referral program via email is among the best email marketing ideas because it harnesses the power of word-of-mouth marketing from existing customers. You can also include a referral program CTA button in your email newsletters.
Tradesy does an awesome job of slipping a referral offer into a shipping update email, catching customers' attention in a moment of excitement. The email keeps it simple but highlights the referral details prominently with an image, large text, and a colorful button.
Why does this work?
- Referrals from friends or family members are highly trusted, leading to increased conversion.
- Seeing others engage with a brand through referrals builds credibility and encourages participation.
- Exclusive referral offers or rewards also create a sense of exclusivity and incentivize referring people.
How can you use this idea?
- You can create an exclusive referral program targeting your top customers, offering them VIP status in exchange for referring new customers. VIP benefits could include early access to new products, special discounts, or dedicated customer support.
- You can launch a limited-time promotion where participants earn double rewards for successful referrals.
- You can host a referral contest where participants compete to earn the most referrals within a specified time frame.
You can check out the detailed steps to launch referral programs within your email in the related guide below.
💡 Related guide: How to Create a Referral Program Inside Email
6. Develop a drip campaign for educating your customers
Creating a drip campaign for customer education is one of the most effective email marketing ideas for increasing product familiarity and encouraging product trials. Drip emails keep your brand top-of-mind, ensuring customers are informed and engaged throughout their journey.
Treehouse does a brilliant job with using emails to explain their coding courses. They make it easy to understand the value of each course, like their WordPress course, by breaking down the project and course sections.
Why does this work?
- Drip campaigns deliver information over time, nurturing leads gradually.
- Consistent educational content builds trust and credibility with customers.
- Automated sequences ensure timely delivery of relevant content.
- Drip emails guide leads through the sales funnel, increasing conversion rates.
How can you use this idea?
- You can create a series of emails showcasing different product functionalities or use cases.
- You can offer industry-specific insights, tips, and trends relevant to your customers' interests or challenges, positioning your brand as a thought leader.
- You can address frequently asked questions or common concerns in each email of your drip campaign.
7. Use storytelling to share your brand journey and customer stories
Through storytelling, you can humanize your brand, build trust, and engage customers on a deeper level. This is because you’re not trying to sell to them by promoting your products by sharing your company’s journey and ideals with them.
The Body Shop tells a captivating story in their welcome emails. Instead of focusing solely on promotions or discounts, they share how they've made a positive impact on environmental and social issues. They also invite you to join their tribe. This creates a sense of community and connection from the start.
Why does this work?
- Storytelling taps into emotions, fostering deeper connections with the audience.
- Sharing authentic brand narratives instils trust and credibility.
- Engaging narratives activate areas of the brain associated with empathy, enhancing persuasion and decision-making abilities.
How can you use this idea?
- You can share anecdotes about your brand's founding story.
- You can highlight customer success stories through case studies.
- You can create a series of emails showcasing different aspects of your brand journey.
- Incorporate storytelling elements in product launch announcements.
8. Leverage quizzes, contests and games in your email
Interactive elements like quizzes, contests, and games are great for boosting engagement in your next email marketing campaign. They grab your audience's attention and get them involved, making your emails more fun and memorable.
Take this interactive email from Mailmodo, for example, that has a spin-to-win game embedded in it. You can even create your interactive emails with this widget without writing a single line of code using their template editor.
Why does this work?
- Interactive elements offer entertainment and your recipients are more likely to interact with the content.
- They encourage social sharing, extending the reach of email campaigns.
- They make your emails stand out in crowded inboxes, grabbing recipients' attention effectively.
- They can be effective lead magnets for capturing contact information from participants.
How can you use this idea?
- You can create a personality quiz related to your product or industry.
- You can host a photo contest where subscribers can submit their entries for a chance to win prizes.
- You can also use a spin-to-win game offering discounts or freebies upon participation.
You can check out the detailed steps to gamify your email in the related guide below.
9. Design an interactive onboarding journey for customers
Onboarding emails stand out for their exceptional engagement rates among customers. It is a great opportunity to build a good first impression and credibility.
Grammarly's welcome email is among the best onboarding email marketing ideas. It tells users what they'll get from the free and premium versions right away. Also, it explains what to expect from weekly emails and offers clear calls to action.
Why does this work?
- Automated drip emails are the easiest way to personalize onboarding at scale.
- They provide structured information to customers without overwhelming them.
- They are crucial for maintaining engagement during long sales cycles.
- They encourage product usage with tutorials and case studies.
- You can also monitor the customer journey for optimization.
How can you use this idea?
- Send a series of welcome emails introducing new users to your platform, including tips for getting started.
- You can also provide a step-by-step product tour via email.
- You can create interactive quizzes to assess users' knowledge and tailor subsequent emails based on their responses.
- Do send them regular progress updates and milestone achievements.
- You can also offer exclusive discounts or credits to new users who complete specific onboarding tasks.
10. Talk about new launches or upcoming features
Customers are always eager to learn about new launches or upcoming features. Incorporating this information into your email campaigns can generate excitement and anticipation among your audience. This is one of the most perfect email marketing ideas for SaaS companies.
Apple's email announcing the release of AirPods Pro exemplifies effective product launch strategies. The email's minimalist design and captivating visuals allow the product to shine. The CTAs, too, are strategically placed to prompt immediate action from recipients.
Why does this work?
- These build anticipation and excitement among your subscribers.
- Customers are more likely to engage with emails that offer them a sneak peek into what's coming next.
- Sharing information about new products or features can lead to increased sales.
- Providing insider information about upcoming releases can make subscribers feel special and part of an exclusive group.
How can you use this idea?
- You can send out teaser emails that provide glimpses of new products or features that are soon to be launched.
- You can provide exclusive early access to new launches or features for subscribers who engage with your emails.
- You can build excitement by creating countdown campaigns leading up to the launch date.
- You can use these email campaigns to gather feedback and insights from your audience about their preferences.
Level up your email marketing strategy today
Whether you're a B2C or a B2B marketeer, nailing your email marketing game is crucial. Email campaigns are paramount for revenue generation, serving as powerful tools to drive sales, conversions, and customer engagement. We discussed the best email marketing ideas to inspire you for your next campaign, including utilizing different types of emails. You can play with interactive elements like quizzes, user-generated content, and storytelling, which can grab your audience's attention.
It’s also important to personalize your messages, educate your customers, and foster a sense of community. And don’t forget to keep your emails mobile-friendly and track your ROI consistently. The best email campaigns are the MVPs of marketing, scoring big wins with their targeted messaging.
