7 Emails B2C Businesses Should Send

Article published March 2018, updated July 2019.

B2C email marketing is a crucial digital strategy to nurture leads from prospects to customers. In fact, email has grown into the most popular form of communication for brands, maybe because it actually delivers measurable results.

We know that email drives results—email marketing brings in an impressive average ROI of $44 for every $1 spent. However, knowing which messages to send to whom—and when—is crucial to define for any successful B2C email marketing strategy.

Why? You’re able to deliver highly-personalized messages to your subscriber list (ones that educate and convert). You have the ability to make your subscribers feel like they matter to your community, and in turn, will not only purchase your products—but also recommend your brand to others.

Emails are powerful, and they’re not going away anytime soon. In an evolving digital world, it’s crucial to stay on top of upcoming B2C email trends to ensure you’re sending your subscribers the most effective emails.

B2C email marketing best practices

Before we dive into the top emails, let’s take a look at the top B2C email marketing best practices so you can provide value to your subscribers.

• Data-driven: By testing your data regularly, you’re able to build targeted campaigns based off of your subscriber’s activity. The more you know about your customers—the more relevant emails you will send.
• Personalization: Segmenting your distribution lists ensures that you deliver personalized messages based on interests, region, vertical, age, and more.
• Mobile-optimized: Mobile usage continues to rise, and emails not only need to be mobile-responsive but also include short (and
• impactful) subject lines and CTA buttons.
• Preference centers: As much as losing an unsubscribe bruises your ego, a preference center ensures your subscribers will only receive the frequency of content they want to engage with.

So, where do you begin? Here are seven different types of emails that help engage, convert, and provide value to consumers.

7 emails B2C businesses should send

1. Welcome emails

As your first chance to make a great impression on new subscribers, your welcome emails should introduce your brand and your products. Start a welcome series and showcase what sets you apart from the competition.

Automated emails increase open rates up to 70.5% and click-through rates up to 152%—Epsilon Email Institute

2. Purchase confirmations

Capitalize on the forward momentum of a recent purchase and update your customers on their recent transaction with your company. People want instant information about their purchases, so providing confirmation and other pertinent product information is vital for a positive customer experience.

Transactional email generates 8x opens and click and 6x revenue.

3. Shipping confirmations

Ever click ‘track’ the second you receive a shipping confirmation? Keep customers in the loop regarding order updates and deliveries.

Over 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered campaigns—DMA

4. Cart abandonment

Encourage follow-through from customers who didn’t finish a purchase process with an automated cart abandonment message. When done correctly, this could be the right push a customer needs to finish their purchase.

81% of online purchases are a result of a targeted email—Emarketer

5. Reminders

Reconnect with customers at a meaningful moment in their customer journey with a gentle reminder about your company and products.

Personalized emails can increase open rates by 29% and click-through rates by 41%—Experian

6. Birthdays and anniversaries

Leverage personalization and make each customer feel special with a tailor-made offer that congratulates them on their milestone.

74% of marketers say targeted personalization increased customer’s engagement—Econsultancy

7. Re-engagements

Engage inactive customers with an email-exclusive discount for them to become active with your brand once again.

Emails triggered by behavior are responsible for 30% of revenue—DMA

Wrap up

B2C email marketing isn’t just a great way to communicate with your customers, but it’s also been proven to drive revenue. Now that you understand B2C email marketing best practices and the types of emails to send, it’s time to try it for yourself.

Learn how automation can help your B2C email marketing strategy grow your distribution list into customers that purchase again and again.

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