A Case Study of a Starbucks Email Newsletter
The importance of analyzing the components of a winning email campaign is a true art within itself. And the breakdown of categories and systematic groupings of topics discussed herein lends itself to the same principles surrounding effective newsletters, as well.
An effective email campaign is the leading method to communicate with your audience and to breed open dialogue with your followers, maximizing your opportunities to sell your brand. Thus, let’s take a brief, but closer look at the outline of email components, using a past Starbucks Holiday email offer as a skeleton outline, in order to understand how to leave a lasting impression that truly translates.
The Subject Line
Persuasive, interest-sparking subject lines provides the initial window into your campaign’s message and what you aiming to sell, and a major hurdle determining whether your email will be opened or ignored as trash. Successfully enticing subject lines that consistently produce higher open rates appeal to audience interest as to what of value is being presented and are usually time specific to add an heir of urgency, buzz and demand.
The Email Banner with Logo
The next in line, following a strategic subject line is the email header banner, which is essentially the dressing of your email newsletter and it sets the tone and expectations for what the actual email will embody. Successful banners are relevant, current with the goings on around them and their email messages reflect that up-to-datedness. Gripping headers include logo emblems, key words that guide, and embody the overall tone of your company culture and character.
The Greeting
The Greeting is the top portion of your email, which may be the very first sentence, or the first few sentences welcoming your audience and introducing what it is you wish to let them know about. A greeting is vital, as it summaries in a few words why you are reaching out to your audience and what they can potentially gain in this moment.
The Call to Action
The common thread through all these important email marketing components is that of clear simplicity, and the “call to action” is no exception. A single “call to action” helps avoid confusing your audience with too many variables or excess details that dilute the main message and instantaneous impact you wish to achieve. So be mindful to row your paddles in one direction and keep it simply single!
The Content
This is perhaps the most rudimentary component of any email campaign, in that great content is what drives the race and keeps them coming back. Simple ideas and short paragraphs help achieve a clear and concise message and are also visually pleasing, so much so that your time-pressed audience should be able to understand your offer in the first couple seconds, before they lose interest. The best part of email marketing is that you can certainly write about whatever you wish, whatever is going to drive a sale and stir repeat business or generate a loyal following. Tips, tricks, recommendations, referrals, sales, coupons, gift ideas, holiday packages, special hours, introduction of new staff members, new services products or even tangential services performed by your company, are all some of the common content topics email marketers often want to reach out to their audiences about.
The Imagery
In this fast-paced world we live in, a single image can save so much time capturing a message in a single photo shot, versus several descriptive words to achieve the same effect. Beyond its emotional aptitude, pictures are often loaded with aesthetic appeal, helping your message stand out by simplifying your meaning. Readers know exactly what you are offering or talking to them about in a quick couple seconds.
The Clickable Buttons or Links
Never forget to incorporate links. Every successful campaign offers links to other sources and other web pages to not only bring clout to your brand, in that it is a legitimate opportunity readily able to be explored online, but also to promote a more comprehensive engagement with your company. Also, it is a great idea to introduce clickable links, such as enticing images or simple directional buttons that seem fun enough to click on to get to the next web page, as opposed to more traditional text links, that may be regarded as less enticing and somewhat difficult to navigate through.
The Social Media Icons
Similar to the discussion on how links in general extend your reach of information being communicated to your audience, the inclusion of social media icons also extend the breadth of your most recent campaign or message. Whether you are part of one or all social media channels, like Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, it is a must to include the applicable icon linking to your page in your campaign for easy sharing. After all, next to direct email marketing, social media is the next best way to get your brand out there, and it’s free.
The Invitation
Let every message feel personal and special by devising emails that invite client feedback. You want your audience to know that you wish to actually hear from them about their experience with your brand, improvements they wish to see implemented and that you give great importance to improving customer relations. You can set up your invitation plainly by asking for feedback, or maybe try devising a brief survey with a chance to win something of value. This way, over time, you are giving your subscribers focused, targeted offers and content, and in turn gaining higher click and open rates.
So, now that we have seen just how Starbucks, a household staple, has used most of these key components in the design and planning of its email, to get noticed, get opened and clicked upon to drive sales and repeat business, you too will be able to create an equally successful email campaigns that brands your company culture. And RedCappi’s simple email editor makes it even easier for you to get your email underway, with quick drag & drop blocks, that have replaced traditional template methods.