What is a promotional email?
As the name suggests, a promotional email is a type of email that is specifically designed to push a product, service, event, or some other offer to members of an email list.
If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: How can I send an effective promotional email?
To send an effective promotional email, you will need to follow six simple steps:
Start by building a proper list. Do not let just anyone into your list. Make sure the people you add are actually interested in whatever it is you have to offer. Keep in mind that it is easier to sell to people who already want what you are selling.
Segment your list. It can be by demographics, interest, position in the buyer’s journey, or any combination of the three. Doing so would make it so much easier for you to deliver relevant offers to everyone on your list—which brings us to the next step:
Craft a relevant, compelling offer. It does not matter how awesome your offer is, if it is not relevant to the recipient, you will still struggle to convert. You need to offer something that the recipient actually wants.
Write a clear, compelling subject line. Of course, the only way you will be able to pitch to your recipients is if they actually open your promotional email. So, you need to make sure that your subject line gives them a reason to do just that.
Write a clear, compelling body. Writing an awesome subject line, however, is just the first step. Your pitch (i.e., the body of your email) should also be top-notch if you want to successfully convert your recipients.
Write a compelling call to action. The last step is to give the recipient a clear, no-brainer reason to take whatever action it is you need them to take.
Question #2: What do I use to send a promotional email?
There are a lot of different platforms you can use to send, including:
Your choice would depend on your budget, goals, and requirements.
Question #3: What makes it fail?
The main things that make a promotional email fail to include:
- Poor targeting – Even if you offer a 70% discount on a high-end motorbike, for example, you still would have a hard time selling it to someone who has no ability and desire to ride motorbikes. You need to make sure to always target the right people.
- Poor list hygiene – If your list is filled with invalid and inactive recipients, even your best promotional emails would still end up underperforming.
- A non-compelling offer – 20% off on a second $2,000 camera when a customer buys an identical camera first for full price is just not as compelling as just offering a 10% discount on one camera. This is because there is a big chance that not that many people are looking to buy two $2,000 cameras in one go even if one of them comes at a 20% discount.
Also, with the first offer, the customer would have to spend a whopping $3,600 only to end up with a second camera that they probably do not need. In contrast, with the second one, they would only have to spend $1,800 to get the camera they want.
- A vague, generic subject line – Again, you can only pitch to your recipients if they actually open your promotional email, and a poorly written subject line can prevent that from happening.
- A poorly written pitch – Of course, even if your recipients actually open your promotional email, if your pitch is no good, then there is a big chance that you still will have trouble making the sale.
A non-compelling call to action – Simply put, if you do not give your recipients a clear, compelling reason to take action, they probably would not.