The Power of Follow-up Emails: Turning Prospects into Customers
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the significance of follow-up emails and how they can effectively turn prospects into customers. We aim to provide a beginner-friendly guide to why follow-ups are crucial in email marketing, along with practical tips on how to craft impactful follow-up emails.
Hello there!
It’s great to see you taking an interest in email marketing. It truly is an effective way to connect with your audience. One particular facet of email marketing that often gets overlooked is the follow-up email. It might sound simple, but believe me, it’s a game-changer. Let’s take a closer look.
Why are Follow-Up Emails Important?
Think about the times you’ve made a purchase or a decision instantly. Rare, isn’t it? Most of us like to ponder our options, compare, and then decide. Your prospects are no different. This is where follow-up emails come in. They serve as gentle nudges reminding your prospects about your offering and why it’s worth considering.
Moreover, follow-up emails show your prospects that you value them and are ready to engage in a conversation rather than just pushing for a sale. It demonstrates persistence and the will to serve – factors that potential customers find reassuring.
Crafting Impactful Follow-Up Emails
Now that we understand their importance, let’s discuss how to craft effective follow-up emails:
1. Timing is Key:
Timing refers not just to when you send your first follow-up email, but also to the frequency of subsequent follow-ups. Typically, the first follow-up email should be sent within 24 hours after the initial interaction when the meeting or event is still fresh in the prospect’s mind.
For subsequent follow-ups, consider factors such as your industry, the nature of your product or service, and the behavior and feedback of the prospect. A well-spaced follow-up sequence could be a second email 2-3 days after the first, a third email a week after the second, and so on.
Warby Parker, the eyeglasses brand, sends a follow-up email to customers who have tried their home try-on program but have not yet made a purchase. The email is timed to arrive towards the end of the home try-on period, just as the customer is deciding whether to buy.
2. Be Personal and Genuine:
Personalization goes beyond using the recipient’s first name in the email. It includes tailoring the content of the email based on the prospect’s interests, needs, and previous interactions with your business.
To be genuine, show that you care about the prospect’s problem or need, not just about making a sale. Avoid pushy sales language, and instead, focus on how you can help the prospect.
Spotify sends personalized follow-up emails based on the listener’s music preferences. For example, they might send you an email when a band you follow releases new music, showing that they understand and care about your musical interests.
3. Keep it Short and Focused:
Your follow-up email should be easy to read and understand. Use clear and concise language, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex terms.
The email should also be focused on a single goal or action you want the prospect to take. Too many different calls to action can confuse or overwhelm the prospect.
Online retailer ASOS sends concise and focused follow-up emails to customers who have left items in their shopping carts. The email includes a picture of the item and a clear call to action to “View Your Bag”.
4. Offer Value:
Each follow-up email should provide some value to the prospect, making it more likely that they’ll read the email and take the desired action. This could be a useful piece of information, a relevant resource or piece of content, a special offer, or a solution to a problem they’re facing.
HubSpot offers value in its follow-up emails by including relevant content and resources. For instance, they might follow up with a prospect who visited their website by sending a useful blog post or ebook related to the pages the prospect viewed.
5. Use a Clear Call-to-Action:
Your follow-up email should make it clear what action you want the prospect to take next. The call-to-action (CTA) should be prominently displayed and worded in a way that motivates the prospect to click and take action.
Uber uses clear and compelling CTAs in their follow-up emails. For example, they might send a follow-up email to inactive users with a discount offer and a prominent “Ride Now” button.
6. Be Persistent, but Respectful:
While it’s important to be persistent in sending follow-up emails, it’s equally important to respect the prospect’s space and preferences. If a prospect asks not to receive any more emails, or if they consistently ignore your follow-ups, it may be time to move on.
LinkedIn demonstrates respectful persistence in their follow-up emails. If you ignore their first invitation to connect with someone, they’ll send a reminder after a week. But if you ignore the reminder, they won’t keep bombarding you with the same request.
Follow-up emails are an excellent tool in your email marketing arsenal. By making them a regular part of your communication strategy, you can maintain engagement with your prospects, provide them with value, and gradually lead them down the path to becoming customers.
So go ahead, give follow-up emails a try, and see the difference they make. And remember, patience and persistence often reap the most rewards.
Happy emailing!