Email trends from 2015, Email expectations for 2016 and email best practices for subscriber focused...
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Transcript of Email trends from 2015, Email expectations for 2016 and email best practices for subscriber focused...
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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www.wearelift.com | 1
Email trends from 2015, expectations for 2016, and LIFT email best practices and examples…
…for subscriber-focused businesses.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
|
www.wearelift.com
Outline
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Email trends from 2015
Expectations for 2016• Conversational commerce• Chat with robots
LIFT approach to customer lifecycle communication• Welcome• Onboarding • Subscribe/purchase• Cart abandonment • Retention • Free preview/upsell• Referral/advocacy
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Email Trends from 2015
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Email is still doing the marketing heavy-lifting
Email Trends 2015: A Visual Guide10 Email marketing experts give their views and examples of the future of email marketing www.smartinsights.com
In 2015, email was still considered one of the top three sales drivers for digital marketing channels.
With a return on investment (ROI) of 38-to-1 on every dollar invested, it has the highest ROI among digital marketing channels.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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72% of people say they prefer
companies to communicate with them via email over any other channel.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Our email inboxes are full… always
www.smartinsights.com
A person’s email inbox is where forgotten passwords are revived, mass-mailings are collected, pumpkin-pie recipes are shared, toddler photos saved and travel itineraries referenced. It’s become the one-stop, go-to spot for all of our information.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Emails are more often read on mobile
source: Yesmail.com
And because we use phones more, of course, we use our mobile devices to check email more. 50% of users only open emails on mobile, 42% only open emails on desktop/laptop and 8% on both platforms.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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“Inbox” will change email beyond recognitionInbox by Gmail is a new app from the Gmail team. It is an organized place to get things done and get back to what matters. Bundles keep emails organized (and group all promotional and marketing emails together).
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Email needs to display on new screen sizesThe debut of the Apple Watch makes it absolutely clear that marketers must optimize that plain-text alternative for wearables.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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More customization
By segmenting users into their preferences and behavior patterns, user engagement increases. Email contents are tailored to readers’ preferences by giving them choices to click on.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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More personalization
It’s no longer enough to include someone’s first name and call it personalization (and it hasn’t been for years now…) With automated communication tools based on behavioral triggers and customer profile information, it’s easier to personalize emails now than ever.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Automated marketing tools are smarter than everMarketing automation space is "still a market that is in the learning and skill-building phase." And Silicon Valley is quickly creating more and more competitors.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Push notifications are the natural extension of emailThe Internet-everywhere era that smartphones ushered in brought with it vibrating, chiming, knocking, thrumming, anytime alerts from an endless number of people and apps.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Expectations for 2016
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Messaging apps are now bigger than social networks
Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-messag ing-a pp-re port-2015-11?IR=T
Users around the world are logging into messaging apps not only to chat with friends but also to connect with brands, browse merchandise and watch content. What were once simple services for exchanging messages, pictures, videos and GIFs have evolved into expansive ecosystems with their own developers, apps and APIs.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Slack: the fastest growing start-up
Ever. And the CEO refers to it as a replacement for company email. "It’s all your communication in one place, instantly searchable, and available wherever you go." Slackbot integrates with Google Analytics to Box. If employees communicate to each other primarily via chat, will they eventually communicate to customers the same way?
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Slackbot automates internal chat
Isn’t chat easier than an interface? Employees can create their Slack user profiles via chat (with the help us the slackbot). What is customers could sign up for new services and products that same way? It’s immediate. And automatic. And much simpler.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Payments are already part of conversationsConversational mobile apps have a lot more contextual information about users, including location, health sensor and social data. Friends can pay friends the same way they text message.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Instant interaction is key expected
You can order coffee via a message, pay and have a piping hot cup of joe in front of you a few minutes later. No hailing a waitress required. Interaction is immediate.
If you can order at restaurants via a bot, what else can we use bot communication for?
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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The net result is that customers will be talking to brands and companies over
Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and elsewhere before year’s end, and we will find it normal.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Will messaging replace email?
Maybe. Hard to know for certain. But the role of email is going to change in 2016 as more customers expect to pay via chat and communicate with bots via messenger apps.
Email is always going to have a place in the marketing mix. But we do expect that role to continue to evolve in 2016.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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2016 will be the year of conversational commerceCustomers will expect to make payments and use brand products or services from directly within their favorite messaging app.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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2016 will be the year of bot chat
Customers will expect immediate and automatic communication with brands (even if it’s a robot on the other end of the chat).
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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LIFT approach
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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We always look at the entire customer lifecycle.
Never just individual steps.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Our examples
We’ve specifically looked at onboarding and retention emails from subscription-based companies across multiple industries.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Onboarding
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Sign-up/Start trial
We’ve captured their email address. Now what? We need to help a new customer over barriers, show key benefits, validate the offer, and guide new customers through their first experience. Easier said than done.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Netflix uses “Anytime, Anywhere” to drive free month trial
Enjoy Netflix Anytime, Anywhere. The messaging is consistent across remarketing banner ads and social. Emails are concise with a single call to action.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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ClassPass encourages users to start a free trial risk-free
Trial offer is top priority. Email includes the two key benefits of joining ClassPass. 1) The ability to take multiple classes for one monthly price, and 2) The ease of booking via the app or website.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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LeTote explains how the service works then sends discounts
The first two emails from LeTote focus on how the service works. The idea of rental wardrobes is new and they have a lot of explaining to do.
Once they have explained how, they focus on getting customers to start their subscription (and offer as low as 50% off in order to do so).
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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MeUndies uses testimonials to drive subscription purchases
After one month (or two weeks after a new customer bought their first pair) MeUndies encourages customers to subscribe in order to save and receive the design of the month.
The monthly design is a key part of the brand and content. Each month they have a theme, campaign and content ranging from video spoofs to zombie races to promote the design.
Tweets specific to the subscription are pulled into emails.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Birchbox shows users what they might be missing out on
Although you don’t have to subscribe, the core of the Birchbox business model is a subscription to their sampling program. Only 30% of their business is e-retail. Each month they feature what was inside the Birchboxto anyone who didn’t receive it.
Birchbox follows up with a ”Last chance to subscribe and get the January Box” email.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Welcome emails
This is the first line of communication. It sets the tone for all future communication. These initial emails need to set expectation and demonstrate stats.
Welcome emails serve several purposes from welcoming members onboard, brand indoctrination, setting expectations, giving incentives and connecting with the brand in other channels.
www.marketingsherpa.com
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Hulu provides a basic overview of subscription and content
Hulu sends a single email to guide the initial experience followed by an email about top shows 7 days later.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Netflix provides a basic overview of subscription and content
Netflix Welcome is divided into two emails. 1) The first confirms your trial and provides details. 2) The second showcases top-watched shows and encourages new users to watch across any supported device.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Netflix communication at start of membership similar
The content and the tone are similar (if not identical to messaging in the trial emails.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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MeUndies “Welcome” from Jen states company mission
Whether you subscribe or buy, the first email is a message from Jen. All of your email communication will be from Jen!
The message is impassioned; it’s essentially a mission statement. MeUndiesthinks shopping for underwear is boring and they want to change it. This email lays the foundation for the rest of your MeUndies experience.
(The MeUndies team won’t reveal Jen’s
identity and there are billboards begging
the question “Who is Jen?” around Los
Angeles.)
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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MeUndies follows up with product information 24 hours laterA photo of the team and #hashtag immediately connects new customers to the @meundies community online.
They share three important things that differentiate their company: high-quality materials, great customer service and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This email is all about alleviating anxiety.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Make the most of the products and services (during trial)
Helping a person make the most of the product or service is key to getting trial users to subscribe and to retaining customers. It’s important to build a multi-step flow of emails and communication that makes sure the customer is engaged and satisfied.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Evernote “Welcome” provides clear next step
Evernote has 10 welcome and onboarding emails spread over 36 days. Instead of sending a generic “welcome to the family,” Evernote sends specific calls to action in their subject, “Get started with Evernote,” and in the body, “Access your notes anywhere. Open your email on your computer, tablet and phone to download Evernote on each device.”
Each email in the welcome series has a specific call to action in order to expose new customers to Evernote features. One at a time.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Evernote “Welcome flow” over 10 emails/36 days onboards
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Trunk Club encourages app download early
Trunk Club saw that when customers installed the app they were better able to engage with their stylist and therefore more likely to continue using Trunk Club. Therefore Trunk Club encouraged users to download the app (and could target users that hadn’t downloaded the app or had never used it with additional information).
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Cart abandonment emails
67% of online shopping carts are abandoned. Yikes.
In other words, 67 out of every 100 potential customers is browsing your website, looking at products, adding products to their cart and going to the checkout page because they intend to purchase.
But then they leave.
Retail cart abandon emails follow these guidelines: • Email 1 is a reminder (23 hours later) • Email 2 is an objection handling email (47 hours
later)• Email 3 is a discount email (71 hours later)
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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NatureBox reminders new subscribers to complete your order
Simple. Direct. Honest. It’s immediately obvious why they’re emailing you, as well as what you need to do next.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Honest offers customer support to complete order
The first step that Honest takes is to connect a customer to the support team.
Customer testimonials are featured on all emails to new customers.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Blue Apron shares recipes for every meal you miss
Blue Apron never wants you to miss a meal with them.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Retention
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Make the most of the products and services
Unlike during trial and onboarding, brands can leverage emails to communicate changes, updates, new content and new services to continue to engage their subscribers.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Hulu shows subscribers what is trending each week
Subscribers receive a weekly email with what is trending right now on Hulu. Emails are poorly integrated with the product experience and not designed well.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Netflix communicates new shows added regularly
Although these emails most likely go out to all subscribers, “we just added new shows you might like” feels personal (but isn’t overly promising). Users can immediately play the content or add to their watch list.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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NatureBox sends you the best of the best
NatureBox sends out weekly recommendations based on the most popular items and recently added seasonal snacks.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Texture sends daily recommendations for what to read
Texture sends daily recommendations for what to read based on current events and activities.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Customization and personalization
The emails with the highest engagement rates are those that feel the most specific to ME! This is done in two parts: firstly, by segmenting your customers and secondly, personalizing the content for the different segments.
source: MarketingSherpa.com: Top 8 Marketing Sherpa case studies
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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The entire Yummly experience is customized to you
The home screen of the app is also tailored to a user’s past views and saved recipes.
Yummly times their emails based on your previous engagement with the app. For example, if you last searched for recipes at 5pm, your next email from Yummly with recipe recommendations will arrive at the same time.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Netflix sends personal recommendations for what to watch
The email is titled “What to watch tonight” and although it says “for Danielle” it doesn’t match what is in the app experience. It’s unclear how often these emails are sent.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Birchbox tailors to groups based on profiles and behaviors
Birchbox’s light touch customization feels more personal than it really is. These emails are based on a specific profile attribute (skin type) and a custom email is sent to the 5 groups.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Zapier sends emails when no actions are taken
This is an example of a behavioral email. Zapier can see that the user has signed up for a free trial but hasn’t done much. With that knowledge, they can trigger a very targeted email. This email is loaded with ideas for using Zapier and it’s a great catalyst for onboarding.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Blue Apron sends a year in review
Blue Apron sends a year in review of all the meals cooked and ingredients used to remind customers how much they used the service. Each email is personalized to the user.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Upsell/Cross-sell
New products and services are often created because brands identified an additional need of their existing subscribers. We want our customers to get the most out of what we offer them. So the messaging needs to start there.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Dollar Shave Club offers add-ons before shipping
Dollar Shave Club provides an overview of what is shipping each month. Even though most members receive the same products each month, this serves as a reminder for what to expect in the shipment (and opportunity to add something to the shipment).
Customer testimonials are featured on all emails to new customers.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Blue Apron dedicates email campaigns to new product
Blue Apron dedicated a 3+ month email campaign to existing subscribers to get them to try their new wine pairing product. They did everything short of sending bottles of wine!
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Referral/Advocacy
What would you offer your current subscribers if they referred a friend to use the product? Can your current subscribers tell your product story to a friend better than you can? We think so. And shares to Facebook don’t cut it anymore. Brands need to be smart about how they incentivize and reward current subscribers for referring their friends.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Blue Apron sends free meals for subscribers to gift friends
Blue Apron gives each member the ability to gift free meals to 3 of their friends (based on usage and time). The current customer doesn’t receive anything, but the recipient gets 2 meals free (about 66% off) their first delivery when they subscribe.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Bark Box rewards all dogs with a free month of goodies
Bark Box confirms when a referral has signed up and prompts the subscriber to check their account online to confirm the credit has been applied.
Bark Box takes the opportunity to encourage the subscriber to invite more friends (and receive more months of Bark Box free).
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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Texture leverages gift cards rather than credit
Texture used multiple incentives within a short period of time to test what worked!
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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ENJOY!
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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LIFT is the agency that connects
subscriber and e-retail brands to their customers
to drive business performance.
is the agency that connects subscriber and retail brands to their customers to drive business performance.
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www.wearelift.com 69
Contact us: [email protected]
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