How not to get confused in the types of email newsletters: a guide to all types of letters
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 6:00 am
Emails have many superpowers. They help communicate with customers, increase trust and strengthen loyalty. These superheroes can even convince a person to return to the site and complete a purchase that he or she has been putting off. The times when subscribers were bombarded with advertising en masse are long gone. Now we have many types of emails, each of which solves its own problem and works for a specific audience. At first glance, this may seem confusing, but in reality, everything is much simpler. Our guide will help you easily distinguish between types of mailings and know exactly when and what to write to customers by email.
Before ordering something from an unknown brand, people go through several stages. They look something like this
Subscription.
Getting to know a brand or company and its products and services.
Purchase.
Building loyalty and trust.
Why do we need to know about this path? To better understand how to build communication with subscribers. For example, we understand that it is a bad idea to shower a person with discounts and advertising banners at the acquaintance stage. And if he is already ready to make an order, it is definitely not worth sending a useful guide with diagrams and tables. Everything has its time and place.
Now let's figure out how the types of email newsletters differ from each other, as well as to whom and when they should be sent.
Selling mailings
The most popular and effective type of letters. Their main task is to push users to the target action, that is, to purchase. Such emails directly affect the increase in profits.
What could be inside:
Information about a promotion or the start of a sale. Here it is important to convey the value of your offer and clearly indicate the period of time when it can be used. Look at the example from the shoe brand INCH - a stylish banner, a photo gallery with beautiful shoes and nothing more.
INCH2 Store Email Newsletter
Expand
Product or service selections. This could be a list of bestsellers or personalized recommendations based on the interests of site visitors. You can also offer related products to a subscriber's order. For example, you can recommend a lamp for a desk, or a convenient case for a tablet.
Promo codes, personal discounts, gifts - in general, everything that encourages purchase.
Reviews and feedback from other customers. They will help a person to make sure that he made the right choice, gain determination and place an order.
Who needs them?
Everyone. It doesn't matter what you sell - legal services or cat beds, it will be difficult without sales letters. Don't forget that these messages directly affect profits and sales.
What is important
Segmentation of the base. This type does not work well on a cold audience - users who have just met you. It is best to target them at those customers who already make purchases periodically. This way, you can analyze their purchasing activity, interests and create the necessary segments.
A catchy subject line. If the subject line is boring and dull, the subscriber won’t even open the email. It should make them want to click and see what’s inside the email. If you can’t think of anything worthwhile, read our article on subject lines and get inspired by the examples.
Concise content. Place the most important information at the very beginning of the mailing. In sales letters, long texts and complex sentences in the spirit of Leo Tolstoy will only irritate everyone.
A successful call to action. Successful means not aggressive, but intriguing. For example, the call to "buy urgently" can be replaced with a more delicate "go to the store" or "pick up at a discount". Do not put pressure on subscribers, and they will be grateful to you.
Important point: You can easily mix these types of email distributions with other types and add usefulness, news and interactivity to them.
For example, this is what the Moscow book oman business email list publishing house AST does. At first it seems like an advertising letter about the upcoming Halloween sale, but if you scroll a little, it turns out that the authors have prepared many more interesting things for readers. For example, selections of books about vampires, witches, and authors of famous horrors. And at the end you can find a small digest of interesting news and a block with recommendations for bestsellers about all sorts of evil spirits.
Email newsletter of AST publishing house
Expand
Content mailings
They are usually not tied to any important event, like the start of a promotion, and they do not need to sell anything. The main goal of such emails is to increase subscriber loyalty, introduce them to the brand better and convey the idea that you are cool guys and can be trusted. Engaging and useful content helps with this in the best possible way.
What could be inside?
Anything. No, really — content newsletters have almost no boundaries and rules. You can share something useful and educate your audience. Tell about the company and team to get closer to subscribers. Organize interactive activities and conduct surveys. If you don’t know what exactly to write in the letter, here’s a small cheat sheet:
Instructions, guides and manuals. Share useful and practical knowledge with your subscribers that will make their lives easier. Thus, the team of the educational platform "Synchronization" collected advice from practicing psychologists and wrote a useful article on how to become happier.
Email distribution platform Synchronization
Expand
Reviews. What do you do when you want to buy a phone or choose a course? Most likely, you read reviews to learn as much about the product or service as possible. Make it so that people don’t have to monitor pages on Google, but find everything they need in your email.
Collections. People really like it when important information is collected for them. You can combine anything into collections: tips, life hacks, books, films, articles. Tinkoff Magazine, for example, often publishes collections of the most read materials on the site or duplicates texts from other newsletters.
Research. A very good and relevant content format for B2B businesses whose clients value precise figures and facts.
News digests. Has something important happened in the company? Did you have a presentation of a new collection, published an article on the blog, or added new features to the service? Tell your subscribers about it so that they are in the know.
Stories. To avoid boring people with nothing but benefits, use storytelling . In the story format, you can talk about your team, show the kitchen of your brand, share your experience.
Interactive. Do you think that this format is only suitable for social networks? No, you can also conduct games, polls and even challenges in letters. Look how cool the graphic design service Canva is at this task. The authors are holding a challenge and asking readers to create a unique ice cream design using the app.
Email newsletter of the Canva service
Expand
Who are they suitable for?
B2B, information agencies, businesses that produce a complex product or provide many services.
What is important
All types of newsletters in marketing (digests, selections, instructions, checklists, guides) are very important. But the effectiveness of content letters depends on the involvement of subscribers, so they need to be sent regularly. You can also mix content emails with product selections - this way, customers will read your interesting texts and buy the necessary products.
Reactivation mailings
Over time, subscribers may stop contacting you and responding to your mailings. This can happen for various reasons. People may have lost interest in your content, or the product may have become irrelevant to them. In any case, it is necessary to wake up sleeping users and remind them of your existence. This is what reactivation emails are for.
Before ordering something from an unknown brand, people go through several stages. They look something like this
Subscription.
Getting to know a brand or company and its products and services.
Purchase.
Building loyalty and trust.
Why do we need to know about this path? To better understand how to build communication with subscribers. For example, we understand that it is a bad idea to shower a person with discounts and advertising banners at the acquaintance stage. And if he is already ready to make an order, it is definitely not worth sending a useful guide with diagrams and tables. Everything has its time and place.
Now let's figure out how the types of email newsletters differ from each other, as well as to whom and when they should be sent.
Selling mailings
The most popular and effective type of letters. Their main task is to push users to the target action, that is, to purchase. Such emails directly affect the increase in profits.
What could be inside:
Information about a promotion or the start of a sale. Here it is important to convey the value of your offer and clearly indicate the period of time when it can be used. Look at the example from the shoe brand INCH - a stylish banner, a photo gallery with beautiful shoes and nothing more.
INCH2 Store Email Newsletter
Expand
Product or service selections. This could be a list of bestsellers or personalized recommendations based on the interests of site visitors. You can also offer related products to a subscriber's order. For example, you can recommend a lamp for a desk, or a convenient case for a tablet.
Promo codes, personal discounts, gifts - in general, everything that encourages purchase.
Reviews and feedback from other customers. They will help a person to make sure that he made the right choice, gain determination and place an order.
Who needs them?
Everyone. It doesn't matter what you sell - legal services or cat beds, it will be difficult without sales letters. Don't forget that these messages directly affect profits and sales.
What is important
Segmentation of the base. This type does not work well on a cold audience - users who have just met you. It is best to target them at those customers who already make purchases periodically. This way, you can analyze their purchasing activity, interests and create the necessary segments.
A catchy subject line. If the subject line is boring and dull, the subscriber won’t even open the email. It should make them want to click and see what’s inside the email. If you can’t think of anything worthwhile, read our article on subject lines and get inspired by the examples.
Concise content. Place the most important information at the very beginning of the mailing. In sales letters, long texts and complex sentences in the spirit of Leo Tolstoy will only irritate everyone.
A successful call to action. Successful means not aggressive, but intriguing. For example, the call to "buy urgently" can be replaced with a more delicate "go to the store" or "pick up at a discount". Do not put pressure on subscribers, and they will be grateful to you.
Important point: You can easily mix these types of email distributions with other types and add usefulness, news and interactivity to them.
For example, this is what the Moscow book oman business email list publishing house AST does. At first it seems like an advertising letter about the upcoming Halloween sale, but if you scroll a little, it turns out that the authors have prepared many more interesting things for readers. For example, selections of books about vampires, witches, and authors of famous horrors. And at the end you can find a small digest of interesting news and a block with recommendations for bestsellers about all sorts of evil spirits.
Email newsletter of AST publishing house
Expand
Content mailings
They are usually not tied to any important event, like the start of a promotion, and they do not need to sell anything. The main goal of such emails is to increase subscriber loyalty, introduce them to the brand better and convey the idea that you are cool guys and can be trusted. Engaging and useful content helps with this in the best possible way.
What could be inside?
Anything. No, really — content newsletters have almost no boundaries and rules. You can share something useful and educate your audience. Tell about the company and team to get closer to subscribers. Organize interactive activities and conduct surveys. If you don’t know what exactly to write in the letter, here’s a small cheat sheet:
Instructions, guides and manuals. Share useful and practical knowledge with your subscribers that will make their lives easier. Thus, the team of the educational platform "Synchronization" collected advice from practicing psychologists and wrote a useful article on how to become happier.
Email distribution platform Synchronization
Expand
Reviews. What do you do when you want to buy a phone or choose a course? Most likely, you read reviews to learn as much about the product or service as possible. Make it so that people don’t have to monitor pages on Google, but find everything they need in your email.
Collections. People really like it when important information is collected for them. You can combine anything into collections: tips, life hacks, books, films, articles. Tinkoff Magazine, for example, often publishes collections of the most read materials on the site or duplicates texts from other newsletters.
Research. A very good and relevant content format for B2B businesses whose clients value precise figures and facts.
News digests. Has something important happened in the company? Did you have a presentation of a new collection, published an article on the blog, or added new features to the service? Tell your subscribers about it so that they are in the know.
Stories. To avoid boring people with nothing but benefits, use storytelling . In the story format, you can talk about your team, show the kitchen of your brand, share your experience.
Interactive. Do you think that this format is only suitable for social networks? No, you can also conduct games, polls and even challenges in letters. Look how cool the graphic design service Canva is at this task. The authors are holding a challenge and asking readers to create a unique ice cream design using the app.
Email newsletter of the Canva service
Expand
Who are they suitable for?
B2B, information agencies, businesses that produce a complex product or provide many services.
What is important
All types of newsletters in marketing (digests, selections, instructions, checklists, guides) are very important. But the effectiveness of content letters depends on the involvement of subscribers, so they need to be sent regularly. You can also mix content emails with product selections - this way, customers will read your interesting texts and buy the necessary products.
Reactivation mailings
Over time, subscribers may stop contacting you and responding to your mailings. This can happen for various reasons. People may have lost interest in your content, or the product may have become irrelevant to them. In any case, it is necessary to wake up sleeping users and remind them of your existence. This is what reactivation emails are for.