Why you should be using behavioral email marketing

Behavioral email marketing generates much of the revenue for online stores across the globe. As eCommerce grows more each year, brands are utilizing automated strategies to communicate with their customers.

What is behavioral email marketing?

Behavioral Email Marketing is an automated, customer-triggered communication strategy that is used to provide real-time value to customers while they are interacting with a related topic. For example, one can send automated emails about tennis balls to customers that just purchased a tennis racquet. This strategy streamlines the traditional correspondence method in which messages are determined and sent by the business. A few popular behavioral email types are listed below.

• Welcome Email, sent when a customer subscribes
• Transactional Email, sent when a customer purchases
• Notification Email, sent when there’s an account update
• Rewards email, sent to incentivise additional purchases

Why you should be using it

There’s no question that behavioral email marketing increases your open and click rate. Welcome emails get 3 times more engagement from customers over regular email marketing yet only 57.7% of brands welcome new subscribers with emails. So why not start a welcome email series to introduce your brand to your customers?

Building a cohesive and complete strategy involves behavior mapping, web tracking, and an email platform that automates your emails at just the right moment. It may seem daunting at first, but it will absolutely pay off as you refine the specific triggers and automated responses your customers receive.

How to execute a behavioral email marketing strategy

Step 1: In order to create a behavioral email marketing strategy you must first identify which platform your website is on (i.e. WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, custom). If you have one of the more popular platforms, you’re in luck. These platforms tend to have automated email options, either within the platform or through an integration with an email service that offers automation based on behavior.

Step 2: Identify where your current marketing emails are sent from (i.e. Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Drip, etc). It is important to confirm that both the platform and email service offer automation. After that, make sure the website and email service are connected in order for the website to send data to your email client.

Step 3: Brainstorm ideas and create specific campaigns that your customers would love to receive. Do you want them to get a welcome email after joining the newsletter? Receive  a coupon code when they abandon their cart? Get an email about the product they were staring at? It’s best to start with a few campaigns, analyze the data from the email service and then make changes for a more effective strategy.

Make sure to be mindful of the ever growing inbox and  send only emails that add value to your customer.

Wrap up

If you are looking to drastically improve email engagement, a behavioral email marketing strategy is worth implementing. Use behavioral email marketing to welcome customers, increase sales, or get feedback on your product/service. You don’t have to go it alone! I am available to assist you in creating campaigns and building your e-commerce business. Just schedule a free meeting with me, and become behavioral email marketing master!