10 Types of Email Content to Nurture and Engage Customers

We all know the feeling of our inboxes filling up with unread emails. It’s daunting and difficult to determine which deserve our attention and which can be deleted without a second glance. However, marketing emails are actually successful. According to a Litmus report, email marketing brings 4200% ROI. The global email marketing market is projected to increase to $17.9 billion by 2027. Also, 80% of marketers say they’d rather give up social media than email marketing. However, the average email open rate is 19.8%, and the bounce rate is 9.4%. To ensure that your emails are among the ones customers actually want to read, it’s essential to focus on content that nurtures and engages them. This article will explore 10 different types of email content that you can use to accomplish those goals. Whether you’re promoting a new product, sharing helpful information, or staying in touch, there’s an email content type that will suit your needs. So go ahead and take a look – your customers will be glad you did.

Table of contents

• Welcome emails
• Email newsletters
• Dedicated emails
• Lead nurturing emails
• Re-engagement emails
• Brand story emails
• Video emails
• Loyalty and rewards
• Testimonials and reviews
• Last-chance emails
• Wrap up

1. Welcome Emails

In the age of spam, it’s more important than ever to make an excellent first impression with your email communications. That’s why welcome messages are so important: they provide a chance to set the tone for future interactions and build a relationship with the recipient. Done right, a welcome email can be the start of a beautiful relationship.

Or, at the very least, it can prevent your messages from getting lost in the digital ether.

Research shows that over 80% of people will open a welcome email. That number represents four times as many opens and ten times as many clicks as other marketing messages.

Here are a few tips for crafting the perfect welcome email:

• Keep it short and sweet. No one wants to wade through a novel to find out what you’re selling.
• Be personal. Generic “Dear Sir or Madam” greetings are off-putting. Address the recipient by name and tell them why you’re contacting them.
• Get to the point. State your purpose upfront, so there’s no confusion about what you’re offering.
• Offer value. Give the recipient something to thank you for, whether it’s a discount, free shipping, or valuable email content.
• Make it easy to unsubscribe. No one likes feeling trapped in an email list, so give your audience an obvious way out.

Pro tip: You can also leverage user-generated content in your welcome emails. Some advertising agencies claim that UGC can increase the click-through rate by 300%, while others remark more modest increases of 13% to 73%.

Although there are few UGC statistics to ascertain these numbers, the practical experience of many marketing companies ascertains that UGC works.

Using UGC in your welcome emails shows potential customers:

• You have a strong relationship with your existing customers.
• They can trust your products/services and brand because people like them can vouch for you.

We’ll discuss more about UGC further down the line. For now, let’s move on to a different type of email content.

2. Email Newsletters

It can be difficult to keep up with all the latest news and trends in today’s fast-paced world. This is especially true for businesses that need to stay ahead of the competition to remain successful.

One way to do this is by sending email newsletters to customers.

In fact, 31% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads. Here’s why:

Newsletters help customers stay up-to-date on what is going on with your business. Simultaneously, you can nurture and engage them with exclusive deals and content. As a result, you can build loyalty and encourage them to continue doing business with you.

Why is it important to set goals and KPIs for your email newsletters?

Before you start planning your next e-newsletter, ask yourself why you’re sending it out in the first place. What goals do you hope to achieve? And what metric will you use to measure success?

Without a thorough plan, it’s all too easy for your newsletter to become little more than digital clutter. But, by taking the time to set some goals and KPIs (key performance indicators), you can ensure that your e-newsletter makes a lasting impression on your subscribers.

What type of email content can you include in your newsletters?

You can include a few types of content in your email newsletters, such as:

• Updates about your company or product
• Helpful tips or articles
• Exclusive offers
• News stories
• Blog posts
• Videos

The important thing is to make sure that the email content you include is relevant and engaging. Otherwise, your subscribers may quickly lose interest and unsubscribe from your newsletter.

3. Dedicated Emails

When it comes to email marketing, quality is always better than quantity. That’s why dedicated emails are essential for nurturing and engaging customers.

By focusing on a single offer or call to action, you can ensure that your message is clear and concise.

This laser-like focus also allows you to track the performance of your email more effectively, making it easier to identify what’s working and what isn’t. Besides, dedicated emails are easier to build compared to other content.

Remember: Customize your dedicated emails instead of sending a bland offer to your entire database.

Take this example:

A travel company sends an email promoting a last-minute getaway deal. The email includes images of sunny beaches and azure waters, along with a call to action to book now.

Here’s the catch:

The company customizes these emails with unique UGC for different segments of their audience. For example, young people are shown pictures of their peers having fun on the beach, while parents are shown UGC with family-friendly beach activities.

4. Lead Nurturing Emails

Lead nurturing emails are a series of targeted emails that aim to convert customers. By providing valuable email content relevant to the buyer’s journey, lead nurturing emails keep your brand top-of-mind and build trust with potential customers.

Statistics show that only 27% of your leads are sales-ready. Lead nurturing emails can warm up the remaining 73% towards the idea.

As a result, lead nurturing emails have several advantages over other marketing emails.

They are:

• Highly personalized, which makes them more effective than generic mass emails.
• Sent regularly, which keeps your brand top-of-mind and ensures that potential customers won’t forget about you.
• Relatively inexpensive to produce and can be automated, making them a very cost-effective marketing tool.

Suppose you sell custom-made jewelry.

A customer has just browsed your website and added a necklace to their cart, but they don’t complete the purchase. A few days later, they receive an email from you with the subject line, “A special offer just for you.” The email contains a coupon code for 10% off their next purchase and a link to the necklace they were interested in.

Therefore, the customer is pulled back into your sales funnel and is more likely to complete their purchase.

5. Re-engagement Emails

This type of emails;

• Remind customers of your brand and what you have to offer.
• Allow you to offer incentives or discounts that may encourage customers to interact with your brand again.
• Build goodwill with customers by showing them that you’re interested in maintaining a relationship with them.

Re-engagement emails can be short and sweet, but they should always include a call-to-action that encourages the reader to stay subscribed. For example, you could offer a discount for their next purchase or provide a preview of upcoming products. By making the process more interactive, you’ll be able to nurture your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Here’s an example of a re-engagement email from a cleaning company to a client who’s stopped using their services:

Hi [client name],

We noticed you haven’t been using our services lately, and we wanted to reach out and see if everything is okay. We’re sorry if there was something that didn’t meet your expectations, and we hope you’ll give us another chance. We promise to do better next time.

In the meantime, we hope you’re keeping your space clean and clutter-free. If you need any cleaning tips or inspiration, check out our blog. We’ve got great articles on decluttering, deep cleaning, and more.

We hope to hear from you soon.

[Your name]

[Cleaning company]

6. Brand Story Emails

Almost every business has an email list, but these lists are often used solely for promotional purposes. While there’s nothing wrong with sending the occasional sales email, your list can be more than that.

Brand story emails are a great way to nurture your relationship with your customers and keep them engaged with your business.

People love stories.

They’re what make us human.

And when you share your brand’s story with your customers, you’re giving them a chance to connect with you on a deeper level. Brand story emails help customers understand where you came from, what you’re all about, and why they should care.

These emails humanize your brand and make it more relatable.

As a result, customers are more likely to trust and engage with your business.

So if you’re not already using brand story emails to engage and nurture your customers, now is the time to start. Share your story and watch your relationship with your customers blossom.

Pro tip: Include UGC in this type of email to build more credibility. Besides, this method allows you to include numbers and statistics that convince your potential customers.

For example, you can share the story of how your brand came to be and how you’ve succeeded in the market. Next, discuss how these experiences have allowed you to help other customers achieve their goals efficiently.

7. Video Emails

A Wyzowl’s survey shows that:

• 96% of people have watched explainer videos to understand how a particular product/service works.
• 86% of people want to see more branded video content.
• 83% of video marketers claim that videos increase lead generation.

Besides:

• Adding a video to your email may increase the CTR by three times.
• Adding “video” in the subject line increases your open rate by 19% while decreasing the unsubscribe rate by 26%.

These numbers show that video emails are an excellent way to engage potential customers and convert your leads. Here are four reasons why:

• They grab attention. It can be hard to get noticed in a world where we are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages every day. A video email stands out from the rest and grabs attention.
• They build rapport. A video email allows you to put a face to your brand and build rapport with your potential customers. They can see that you are a real person, not just a faceless corporation.
• They build trust. A video email creates a sense of trust and credibility. Your potential customers can see that you are an expert in your field and passionate about your product or service.
• They convert leads into customers. Video emails are highly effective at converting leads into customers. A study by Kissmetrics shows that videos are 380% more effective than traditional text-based emails at getting people to take action.

8. Loyalty and Rewards

Studies show that acquiring new customers is five times more expensive than nurturing existing ones. Also, a 5% increase in customer retention may lead to a 25-95% profit increase.

Here’s how a well-executed loyalty and rewards marketing email can engage and nurture customers:

• It can incentivize customers to remain loyal to your brand by offering rewards for their continued business.
• It can build goodwill with customers by showing them that you appreciate their business.
• It can increase customer lifetime value by encouraging customers to make additional purchases to earn more rewards.

A loyalty and rewards marketing email can be a powerful tool for keeping customers coming back for more when done right.

Here’s an example:

Dear [Name],

Thank you for your continued loyalty to our brand. We appreciate your support and are excited to offer you a special reward for your loyalty. Here is your free gift with purchase for a limited time when you use promo code LOYALTY10 at checkout. We hope you enjoy your gift and continue to support our brand in the future.

Thank you again for your loyalty!

Sincerely,

The Loyalty Reward Marketing Team

9. Testimonials and Reviews

Statistics show that including testimonials and reviews in your marketing emails is very useful. Let’s look at some numbers outlined in Business Insider:

Abandoned shopping carts add to $4 trillion worth of merchandise per year. A savvy retailer can recover 63% of that.

At the same time, 90% of US customers say that user-generated email content can convince them to purchase. That’s why UGC increases the email click-through rate by 73%.

That’s nothing new under the sun.

Any savvy business owner knows that the customer’s opinion is critical. What better way to show potential customers what others think of your product or service than through testimonials and reviews?

• Including customer feedback in your marketing emails is a great way to build trust with your audience and show that you’re confident in what you’re offering.
• Reviews and testimonials also provide valuable social proof, which can help convince undecided readers to give your product or service a try.
• In addition, including customer feedback shows that you’re listening to your audience and are constantly working to improve your offering.

Ultimately, incorporating testimonials and reviews into your marketing emails is a great way to build credibility, boost conversions, and keep your customers happy.

10. Last-Chance Emails

“Last-chance email” might sound like something straight out of a spam folder, but it’s a powerful marketing tool. Essentially, a last-chance email is sent to customers who have shown interest in a product or service but haven’t purchased it because:

• They abandoned their shopping cart,
• Didn’t complete the checkout process, or:
• Never made it to your website in the first place.

Whatever the reason, last-chance emails give you one final opportunity to make a sale. And, if done correctly, they can be remarkably effective. After all, people are more likely to impulse buy when they feel like they’re about to miss out on a great deal.

This is a common tactic for online edupreneurs who create and sell online courses. Really any company that sells products could use this email type, because it’s very versatile. 

Here’s an example that creates urgency after warming up the audience:

Hi there!

We’ve been telling you about our financial course for several weeks, sharing success stories and showing you the stats. Now is the time to make your decision.

We’ll teach you everything you need to know about investing in stocks, bonds, and other assets, with practical examples.

This is your last chance to sign up for our course! We’re offering a special deal of 20% off the regular price, plus a FREE one-on-one meeting with our chief speakers to establish personalized goals.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now and start making your money work for you!

Sincerely,

The Investment Academy

Wrap Up

Which of these email types resonates with you? Hopefully, you found at least a few that could work for your business. The important thing is to keep your subscribers engaged with relevant, targeted email content that speaks to their needs and interests.

And don’t forget the Call-to-Action!

Every email should have a purpose, whether it’s getting subscribers to buy a product, sign up for a webinar, or read an article on your blog. By providing value and a clear path to conversion, you’ll nurture your relationship with customers and keep them coming back for more.