Email is a channel I have a passion for, it’s a very effective way to gain a deeper understanding of what resonates with customers, communicate the brand’s values and cultivates brand advocates.
Opportunity : To express the brand purpose through relevant content that deepens the relationship between the brand and the consumer.
Method : Implement email best practices and adjust with feedback and analytics.
Key Considerations:
• Nobody reads commercial email – they skim it briefly looking for interest
• Eyes should be able to quickly scan an email and understand it without reading
• Less is more
Apply standard principles of good design to achieve clarity:
• One main objective
• Keep it simple, minimize copy
• Own a clear and recognizable typography approach
• Develop a clear and consistent style for CTAs
• Color harmony
• Email subject lines should not sell what’s inside, but tell what’s inside
Build customer trust:
• Communicating in a consistent and compelling voice
• Be pithy and engaging while communicating in an authentic, not overly promotional tone
• Compelling subject line, opening header and relevant body copy, with strong CTA
• Body copy should relate to the theme, be solution-oriented and convey the brand voice
• Offer customer both a benefit and a solution, to be inspired and take action
The Sign-up Autoresponder
This email confirms that the customer+brand relationship has begun and sets the tone for the customer relationship and can be the device that triggers the email welcome stream.
These are typically customized by delivering content based on the category, product or persona type. I work with the business to craft the product pages that help collect the right information that drives the customization, then we can test, learn and continue to give the best experience possible.
Below is an example of before and after creative for the first email a designer receives after signing on the platform. The text only approach is great for transactional emails, but in this case misses an opportunity to give consumers a richer branded experience that reflects their interests and give them a feeling of belonging to a global community.
Emails should support the larger marketing initiatives.
To deliver relevant information, emails should map to an approved marketing cadence and content calendar. Below is a UX schematic for the Mezzetta Story of Sauce campaign and one of the accompanying emails. This campaign and supporting channels delivered thirteen weeks of unique content, mapped to the messaging strategy and were perfectly synced giving the consumer a narrative brand experience .
Welcome streams should align with a purchase journey
The autoresponder email (above) can be a stand-alone email, with consumer interaction can inform the content for subsequent emails, or it can be the first email in a fixed content format. This fixed format is successful when the content follows a linear purchase path as with the tuxedo category (illustrated below). Since the purchase journey of a bride follows a typical path, from engagement to honeymoon, the emails align with the brides needs and anticipate her next steps, delivering helpful content and editorial guidance that drives engagement and positions the brand as an expert.
Emails should be targeted
At 99designs the target was busy small business owners. Inspiring this target to convert meant giving them fast solutions to their graphic needs, and educating them on marketing opportunities.
The communication here was positioned to sell the landing page product quickly by trimming the impression to the benefit: by using a visual sample of a popular use case, and secondarily offering free content. The top module quickly moves consumers who are familiar with the product into the purchase funnel, the next module (second row left) captures those who are need more information before making a decision. Typically, targeted content drives higher engagement in the email channel, in the example below the category in the web graphic reflected the interest of the customer.
A key consideration for the content was that it also helps building a positive relationship between the designer and business owner; giving the business owner the tools to successfully engage with the designer.
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Relevant content drives conversion.
A triggered email that was sent after the customers completed a brief bridal questionnaire and delivered a dynamic bridal mood-board containing the brand’s color-accented wedding imagery. This imagery inspired style and decorating ideas that could be integrated to an existing Pinterest boards or other collaborative platforms.
The email (subject line indicated color choice) saw an open rate of 38.22% which is 238% above the average open rate for the dedicated Men’s Wearhouse email. The click-to-open rate of 18.52% was 97% higher than the average.
Concept Testing
Intuition has its place in the creative expression, but testing is the only way to better understanding your consumer’s needs and preferences.
In the example below the three email represent testing frameworks from which we learned about pricing / promo strategies and communications, editorial content, product catalog, rewards, coupons, social prompts. These frameworks allowed us to rearrange the content hierarchy to lean and to optimize open rates, click-through, conversions, test photography and messaging. The data acquired allowed us to understand customer preferences for future customization. Once the data around the framework settled into a somewhat predictable outcome, the testing could be refined to subtler elements like finessed messaging, creative and photographic styling.
Re-styling for better branding and higher conversion
On the left is an email supplied to our marketing team by one of our outside agencies. On the right is a rework I provided as a test. An A/B test resulted in the updated creative (right) converting at 2x over the original, which I would attribute to an easier visual scan, with the CTA higher in the composition. The revisions also moved the brand closer to the established style guide.
Consistency and messaging hierarchy throughout the experience
Below left, is an email promoting seasonal product with a discount. The focus is on the emotional benefit of the product. Practical applications are tertiary.
The middle example, is a reminder email is only served to those have opened the first email. elevates the discount, practical applications are secondary.
Both creative drive to the landing page (third example) that reminds the consumer of the emotional and practical benefits and drives to convert.
