Nurturing Your Email Subscribers: How to Create Email Campaigns that Build Trust and Loyalty with Your Subscribers

Today we're diving into the world of email campaigns, but not just any campaigns—ones that nurture and grow your relationship with your audience. Trust me, there's a difference between email lists and loyal communities, and we're aiming for the latter.

What Does 'Nurturing' Even Mean?

Nurturing is like taking care of a plant. You water it, make sure it gets the right light, and maybe even talk to it (no judgment here). Similarly, nurturing your email subscribers means you're looking out for their needs, giving them value, and maintaining a healthy, two-way relationship.

Why Is It Important?

Nobody likes to be sold to all the time. If every email you send is "buy this, sale here, offer there," you're going to lose people—fast. In fact, according to a study by the Content Marketing Institute, 90% of top-performing B2B content marketers prioritize the audience's needs over their sales message.

So How Do You Nurture Subscribers? Here are some tips.

1. Know Who You're Talking To

For example, if you run an online fitness gear shop, you should know your subscribers’s workout preferences, sizes, and maybe even how often they exercise. You can gather this information through quick surveys or by analyzing their behavior on your website.

2. Segment Your Lists

If you've got 5,000 subscribers, they're not all going to want the same thing. Segment your lists by behavior, location, or interests. Companies that segment their email campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue, according to Campaign Monitor.

3. Personalize, But Don't Creep Out

According to Statista, personalized email campaigns can lift transaction rates and revenue per email six times higher than non-personalized emails. But don't overdo it. Saying "Hey [First Name], I noticed you looking at [Product]" can be a bit creepy.

4. Give Value First, Ask Second

Free ebooks, tips, or exclusive content go a long way. Neil Patel, a giant in the digital marketing world, offered a free SEO course via email, which led to a 40% increase in his engagement rates. Once you've provided value, then you can nudge towards a sale or action.

5. Consistency is Key

Choose a schedule and stick to it. CoSchedule found that the best times to send emails is between 10-11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Missing a beat can make your subscribers forget about you but overwhelming them is also a no-go.

6. Analyze and Adapt

Keep an eye on your open rates, click-through rates, and, of course, the conversion rate. If something's not working, be prepared to tweak it. Companies who A/B test every email see ROI as much as 37% higher than those who don't, says HubSpot.

Real World Examples with Numbers

1. BuzzFeed's "This Week in Cats" Newsletter: They know their audience loves cats, so they send out a weekly newsletter just about cats. Open rates? Sky-high.
2. Netflix Personalization: Netflix sends out super-personalized recommendations based on what you've watched. Result? A stickiness that has helped Netflix reach a value of $33 billion as of 2022.
3. Grammarly's Performance Emails: Grammarly sends weekly emails showing your writing stats and giving tips for improvement. They've got a subscriber base of 30 million people as of 2022, so they're doing something right.
4. Warby Parker’s Abandoned Cart Emails: Warby Parker sends out engaging abandoned cart emails with a humorous twist to nudge potential buyers. They saw an increase of 14% in recovered sales.
5. Sephora's Birthday Emails: Sephora sends out personalized birthday emails offering a small gift or discount. This has helped them increase their customer retention rate by 8%.
6. Airbnb's Local Experience Recommendations: After you book a stay, Airbnb sends out personalized emails about local experiences, restaurants, and places to visit, contributing to their $38 billion valuation.
7. Duolingo’s Learning Streak Reminders: Duolingo sends daily reminders to users who have an ongoing learning streak. This approach has helped Duolingo achieve a daily engagement rate of approximately 55%.
8. Amazon’s Follow-up Reviews: After you make a purchase, Amazon sends an email asking for a review. With this tactic, Amazon has garnered millions of reviews contributing to consumer trust and boosting sales.

 Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash