Email has been around as long as…well, as long as the Internet. For over 30 years, people have been communicating online via email, and that’s why it’s such a wonderful marketing tool for a WooCommerce store. Whether you’re letting customers know about a new product or service, or sharing a coupon code with a new lead, email is a valuable part of any marketer’s toolbox.
But over the last five years or so, many marketers abandoning email in favor of more ‘immediate’ returns from sources like Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat. People aren’t always sure if the effort of writing, designing, and sending a quality email was worth the time, when they could just send out a tweet with a few clicks.
But we’re here to tell you that creating and sending quality emails is more than worth it; in fact, it can help take your WooCommerce store to new heights. Not convinced? How about these stats from OptinMonster:
58% of users say checking their email is the first thing they do online, compared to 11% for Facebook and 2% for Twitter. 66% of users said they made a purchase because of an email communication, compared to 20% from Facebook and 6% from Twitter. The list goes on and on.
Instead of throwing all your eggs into the social media basket, it’s important to have a well-rounded strategy that incorporates all forms of media, email included. Let’s take a look at some ways you can use email to grow your WooCommerce business.
Grow Your List…With Quality Leads
Having a big email list doesn’t mean anything if it’s filled with ‘spam’ addresses or accounts that haven’t been opened since Yahoo was around. First, go through your list and purge it of addresses that haven’t been interacting with your emails. If they haven’t opened an email from you for six months, chances are they’re not going to open one period.
Next, you need to start attracting new, quality leads. This is where avenues like blogging and social media come into play. Creating newsletter signup popups or content walls will allow you to get addresses from individuals who want to actively engage with your content and your store.
Segmentation Is Key
Once you’ve grown your list, you need to segment it. Not all customers are created equal, and they shouldn’t be receiving the same sales emails, either. Segmenting your list is the easiest way to ensure that all your different leads are receiving emails corresponding to their stage in the marketing funnel.
Most email marketing platforms allow you to easily segment individuals as they move through the marketing funnel. You can set up different variables based on things like browsing or shopping behavior or demographic data, and then target email messages based on custom combinations of those variables. Many platforms also allow you to add tags to customers (e.g., you could tag all customers who asked about a specific product via support) and then segment based on those tags. It’s a relatively simple process that can help you get more out of your targeting.
Quality Content for Quality Leads
Getting leads is all well and good, but creating content to convert them is a whole other story. If you go so far as to segment your main list into four or five separate audiences, you don’t want to let all that work go to waste. To get the most out of your leads, curate content to each individual list.
This means creating specialized content for leads who have already converted, as well as leads who have only recently shown interest in your product or service. You wouldn’t want to send a recently-converted lead an ad for a product they’ve already bought, would you? Ensuring each customer is receiving the right message at the right time is key to moving them down the marketing funnel quickly and effectively, ultimately leading to conversion.
But what kinds of content should you be creating for your different audiences? Here are a few key examples.
A Welcome or Thank You
Whether we recognize it or not, a prospect giving you their email address is a sign of trust. They’re giving you a piece of personal information because they find your content useful or are interested in your product. You should at least send them a quick message thanking them for giving you the opportunity to speak with them.
Opportunities to Re-Engage
Sometimes, prospects can make it far down your marketing funnel only to drop off the face of the earth. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost, though. Sometimes, a simple reminder or incentive is the best way to get someone to re-engage with your service.
Try sending out a quick reminder email to pick up where they left off. Or if you haven’t seen them on your site in a long time, try sending a win-back email to grab their attention. These communications can include something as simple as a 10% off coupon, free shipping, or a one-on-one walkthrough of your services. Did you know that 27% of US online shoppers subscribe to your email list just to save money? Offering free shipping or a small discount can be a great incentive to pick up where they left off.
Shopping Cart Abandonment
Many larger retailers have forgotten about the importance of abandonment emails in recent years. But short reminders about abandoned shopping carts can mean the difference between a conversion and a lost customer. Check out Jilt’s best practices for abandoned cart emails for more information about what emails to send and when.
Creating an effective email campaign takes time, sure, but the leads that your store gains from segmentation and creating quality content can last a lifetime. It may take a little more time than writing a tweet or a Facebook post, but email marketing, done right, can grow your WooCommerce customer base like never before.
Amanda Tsourakis
With over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Amanda's experience demonstrates her sales expertise. Her commitment to building, training, and guiding high-performing teams has been instrumental in driving Pressable's success. Amanda's extensive background in sales and marketing, coupled with her sharp business acumen, has made her an invaluable asset to the tech community. Her ability to identify and foster talent, combined with her passion for developing winning sales strategies, has propelled her to the forefront of the industry. When she's not expertly navigating the tech sales landscape, she loves spending quality time with her family, loves travel and adventure, lounging pool/beach-side, playing tennis, working out, and meeting people/making friends all along the way!
