Email Sequencing Breakdown

What is email sequencing?

According to mail chimp, an email sequence is a series of marketing messages targeting your audience on a set schedule. Within email sequence software, there are several types of automation that can be used to reach your audience.

“Email marketing is the third most influential source of information among B2B audiences. It comes in behind only colleague recommendations and industry-specific thought leadership.” Risefuel

Email sequences are also known as lifecycle emails and email marketing automation because they allow you to schedule specific content to be sent to the customer.

What are the positive effects of email sequencing?

Without a doubt, email marketing is one of the most impactful tools in the digital marketing toolkit because EVERYONE uses email. Businesses use email sequences to increase revenue and retain customer attention, in turn creating a loyal customer base. Customer loyalty creates more profit because they are easier to sell to and they tend to spend more. According to Forta, loyal customers spend averagely 67% more on products and services than new customers.

Email sequencing is used with the aim to welcome new customers and engage with them regularly to keep the brand at the top of their minds, making them more likely to purchase your products and/or services.

Welcome emails are particularly important because they generate 4x more opens and 5x more clicks than regular email marketing campaigns, according to invesp.

“86% of business professionals prefer email when communicating for business purposes” Risefuel

7 examples of email sequencing

There are many different types of email sequencing which companies use with a variety of different purposes. The key ones are listed here below:

1) Abandoned cart email sequence:

WHEN to use this technique: People add items to their carts and either forget about doing so or stop at the checkout for any particular reason, because life can be distracting. It could also be because they have seen better prices with competitors or they’re saving their purchases for a later time.

WHO uses this technique: E-commerce businesses

WHY use this technique: To remind customers to purchase and to increase sales.

WHAT content: Shows content left in cart and the prices. Adds price discounts. Optionally, could add countdown to add a sense of urgency, in turn increasing the sales.

HOW many emails: Two emails. First would remind them that they have items waiting. After a certain period, second would be offering them a discount if they come back.

2) Welcome email sequence:

WHEN to use this technique: A first impression which allows you to communicate directly with new customers. The welcome email sequence allows the ability to introduce your business, its products and/or it’s services.

WHO uses this technique: All businesses

WHY use this technique: To welcome new customers to the brand and increase brand loyalty.

WHAT content: A positive, quick experience, informing your audience about the future of the company. If the company is e-commerce, it may be beneficial to send a discount in exchange for personal information. This discount will encourage more customers to purchase and interact with the brand.

HOW many emails: One brief email.

“The average email open rate is 19.7%, while the average open rate for welcome email is 68.6%” Oberlo

3) Re-engagement email sequence:

WHEN to use this technique: If you haven’t had any engagement from customers in a certain period of time, you can send them an email to remind them of the great services your business offers.

WHO uses this technique: B2B and B2C businesses.

WHY use this technique: To attract customers back to your business.

WHAT content: B2C would include a discount to customers who haven’t made a purchase in a while. B2B would send emails to prospects who haven’t opened or responded to their sales emails for a while.

4) Upsell & cross-sell email sequence:

WHEN to use this technique: When you know what specific customers like to purchase, you can then market either similar or more expensive products to them. This email sequence would be sent to people who have recently purchased from the business.

WHO uses this technique: B2C businesses.

WHY use this technique: To encourage the consumer to purchase specific products which may interest them, based on their previous purchases and clicks.

WHAT content: The email can include product recommendations based on their previous purchases, with the image of the product, key benefits and persuading features.

5) Lead nurturing email sequence

WHEN to use this technique: Can be used at any time, and the approach will change depending on where they are in their customer journey.

WHO uses this technique: B2B businesses

WHY use this technique: To build relationships with effectively target customers before they purchase and to send prospects the right messages at the right time, instead of salespeople constantly calling customers.

WHAT content: Starts with a welcome email, which provides brief information about the company, then become more specific to the customer and their needs, the more you learn about them.

"73% of millennials identify email as their preferred means of communication." Risefuel

6) Onboarding email sequence

WHEN to use this technique: This is the next step from the welcome email sequence to allow customers to understand more about the business.

WHO uses this technique: B2B and B2C businesses

WHY use this technique: To let your customers understand more about your business, products offered and services.

WHAT content: Starts with a welcome sequence. Next email will include the next steps, which may include setting up accounts, the future for the business and how we plan to communicate with our audience in the close future. The following emails will include actions such as verifying their email, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form. The final emails will include testimonials to compel them to take action.

HOW many emails: Several emails.

“Email subscribers are 300% more likely to share content on social media than leads that came through another channel” Risefuel

7) Feedback email sequence

WHEN to use this technique: When an existing customer has made a purchase, it is useful to collect customer reviews.

WHO uses this technique: B2B and B2C businesses

WHY use this technique: To allow you to collect customer reviews and review the feedback left on your business. It is a great way to see what the consumers like about your product, what is working well and what improvements need to be made. The feedback can be used to improve customer service, marketing strategies, and products. It is also a great tool for collecting potential content to be posted on social platforms, to intrigue new customers to the brand and to allow the brand to appear more trustworthy.

WHAT content: The email should be fairly brief, asking for product, service, customer service, or general feedback about your business. This process can be made easier by allowing them to directly respond on the email, by clicking a star rating on the website.

If the customer does not respond to an initial email, another approach could be sending another email a few days after, offering them an incentive, such as an offer, in order to encourage people to leave feedback.

It is advised to stop sending after two emails. If your brand sends too many emails, it can quickly and easily lead to people unsubscribing.

HOW many emails: Two emails.