How to Turn Email Subscribers into Customers

Building an email list is a great accomplishment — it’s one of the most valuable assets your business can have. So if you have a growing list, you’re already winning. But you can go a step further by monetizing it.

Use the tips below to convert your email subscribers into paying customers. You can get started today! 

Imagine that a dating site matches you with someone, and you initiate communication — only to get two weeks of silence in response. 

That relationship probably isn’t going anywhere. 

Relationships of any sort — including between a customer and a business — are built on good communication. Your first email to a new subscriber should do more than offer, say, a discount on a first-time purchase. It should also make the person feel like they made the right choice by subscribing to your email list!

Communicate passion for your business and the problems it solves for your customers. Make some promises for what’s coming — and keep them. Talk about your service, how easy it is to reach you, or some other aspect of what makes your company a pleasure to do business with. 

And include something of value other than a sales offer — perhaps a popular blog post, a video, or a compelling graphic with useful information about your business. You can also do a welcome series of three to five emails so that your opening communication with a subscriber doesn’t hinge on a single email.

If your subscribers forget about you, your email list has no value. 

You want to email often — once per week is a good minimum for most businesses. So keep your email marketing ideas list up-to-date and send consistently to stay on your subscribers’ minds!

Don’t worry too much about people unsubscribing. If they do, a lot of the time it’s because your business is no longer relevant to them — it isn’t solving problems they need help with. As an example: A parent of toddlers doesn’t necessarily feel the need to stay on an email list for new parents.

You want to email often, but you don’t want to be repetitive. Every email you send should be primarily about one thing, but not always the same thing. If you present your subscribers sale after sale, day after day, you increase your risk of being ignored. 

By varying calls to action (CTAs), you’ll be treating your communication with your subscribers more like a dynamic relationship. There are a wealth of CTAs to choose from — some examples include:

• Watch this video.
• Read this article.
• Take this survey.
• View this infographic.
• Listen to this testimonial.
• Buy this new product.
• Become a member.
• Use your discount code.

And as you can see from this list, you should also vary the media included in your CTAs. Don’t make all your emails text-only. Don’t feature a photo every time. Change it up!  

Turning subscribers into buyers depends on sustained engagement, and the best way to get it is to be creative. 

Offering discounts to first-time buyers is a proven strategy. Remember, even if a subscriber hasn’t made a purchase yet, they’ve joined your email list — that means you have something they want. Keep offering them a first-time discount. Each time you do, you increase the chances that they’ll bite.

Most businesses that consistently use ecommerce email marketing can tell stories of subscribers who bought nothing for a year or two, and then one day made a purchase. Sometimes a big one. Persistence pays. 

These can take many forms: 

• Be first in line to try a new product.
• Claim an email-only special.
• Get a free gift if you’re among the first 100 buyers.
• Join our VIP club and get the first two months free.

Offer a steady stream of special offers, and some subscribers will take you up on them. Feeling special is a reason to buy, and sometimes it outweighs the price. Consider going beyond discounts and coupons, too. Look at the many great ways you can make personalized offers through email using AutomateWoo. 

Deadlines are another proven direct response tactic — knowing when an offer expires can motivate a person to take action. Make sure that deadlines are easy to find — they should be near the top of your emails and in a large font, perhaps even a bright color that’s different from the rest of the text. 

Deadlines also give you a good reason to send email reminders as expiry dates get closer. Urge people to act now, lest they miss out!

You can persuade subscribers to become buyers by introducing them to a steady flow of other satisfied customers. Video testimonials are the best option because they have the most credibility. But any testimonial — a quote from a review, for instance — is better than none. 

Testimonials also convey a sense of community, and you can magnify that if it makes sense for your business. 

There’s a difference between asking people for their money and offering them content that helps them obtain something they need or solves a problem for them. If you send ten emails per month and fill eight of them with information that’s useful to subscribers, that’s outstanding marketing work. 

Why? Because you’re presenting your business as one that truly cares about the quality of your customers’ lives. You’re not just out for their money. You want them to be happier, healthier, less stressed, and more satisfied. 

So ask yourself what your customers need help with, and what you can provide them. An easy example is a yard maintenance company offering email subscribers ideas on how to create a beautiful flower garden. The company may not sell flowers, but many of their customers may already have a garden or want to start one. And people with a flower garden might eventually need yard maintenance.

This last tip may be the most important one of all. So much email marketing is the same. Sale! Save 30%! Clearance! Act now! 

Instead, imagine sending an email with a funny personal story about an annoying customer service experience you once had. You can then use that to reinforce how much you prioritize customer satisfaction in your own business.

As far as you are comfortable — and boundaries are important — be relatable. Talk about what matters to you. Be funny. Be vulnerable. Share jokes. 

Why is this so important? Because people buy from businesses they know, like, and trust.

Another way to say this is: People like businesses that feel human. 

Email subscribers are online business’s most important assets. They want to hear from you and have expressed interest in something you offer. It’s worth putting your best foot forward to serve these people with helpful, interesting, and valuable content. Done right, it can grow your customer base by turning subscribers into buyers.

But creating effective email campaigns doesn’t have to take all day. AutomateWoo, Mailchimp, and MailPoet are trusted WooCommerce tools that give you a head start in creating attractive, clear, easy-to-send messages. And automation means you can send emails around the clock to reach the right people at the right time based on their geographic locations, previous order history, or past actions taken on your site. 

Think of it this way: If your email list is an untapped gold mine, there’s no time like today to start digging. 

About

Dan Magill