A customer journey does not end with a purchase. Post-purchase engagement is a crucial part of building a long-term relationship with your customers. Sending post-purchase emails is an effective way to stay in touch with them, build brand loyalty, and increase sales.
This article lists the top ten post-purchase engagement email campaigns, including success stories and statistics, to help you understand and apply the strategies in your email marketing campaigns.
1. Thank you emails
A simple thank you email is a great way to show your customers that you appreciate their business. According to a survey by Epsilon, customers who receive a “Thank you” email are more likely to make a repeat purchase. The survey found that such customers spent 13% more than those who did not.
The “Thank you” email can also be an opportunity to ask for feedback or to offer a discount code for a future purchase. It can encourage customers to come back and shop with you again.
Success Story: Patagonia
Patagonia is known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental activism. Their “Thank you” emails reflect this commitment by encouraging customers to donate to environmental causes. After a purchase, customers receive a “Thank you” email that includes information about the environmental impact of their purchase and a call to action to donate to an environmental organization.
2. Review request emails
Reviews by existing customers build trust and credibility in the minds of future customers. Send request emails asking your customers to leave a review of their experience with your product or service. These emails can be sent a few days after a purchase, giving customers enough time to try out the product and form an opinion.
According to BrightLocal, 91% of users in the 18–34 age group trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Reviews can also improve your SEO, as search engines use reviews as a ranking factor.
Success Story: Casper
Casper, a popular mattress company, sends a review request email a few weeks after a customer purchases a mattress. The email includes a call-to-action to leave a review and a reminder that reviews help other customers make informed decisions. These post-purchase engagement emails have helped Casper collect thousands of reviews, which have improved their search engine rankings and increased customer trust.
3. Cross-selling emails
Cross-selling emails recommend complementary products based on a customer’s purchase history. These emails can be an effective way to increase sales and improve customer retention.
A study by RJMetrics reveals that customers who make a repeat purchase within 90 days of their first purchase are more likely to become long-term customers. Cross-selling emails can encourage customers to repeat purchases by offering products that complement their previous acquisitions.
Success Story: Amazon
Amazon is a master at cross-selling. After a customer purchases a product, Amazon sends a follow-up email recommending related products. These recommendations are personalized and based on the customer’s purchase history and browsing behavior. Amazon’s cross-selling emails have helped them increase their average order value and improve customer retention.
4. Loyalty program emails
Loyalty program emails are most effective in incentivizing repeat purchases and rewarding loyal customers. These emails can include information about points earned, rewards available, and exclusive promotions for loyalty program members.
Findings from a study by Accenture show that 63% of consumers are more likely to return to a retailer that offers a loyalty program. Loyalty programs can also increase customer lifetime value by encouraging repeat purchases.
Success Story: Sephora
Sephora’s loyalty program, Beauty Insider, has over 25 million members. Beauty Insider members receive regular emails that include information about points earned, rewards available, and exclusive promotions. These post-purchase engagement emails have enabled Sephora to reduce customer attrition and build brand loyalty.
5. Abandoned cart emails
Abandoned cart emails remind customers of items they added to the cart but still need to check out/pay for. Such follow-through emails are proven to help you recover lost sales.
Here’s a data insight from a study by SaleCycle: abandoned cart emails have an average open rate of 44.1% and a click-through rate of 28.3%. These cart recovery emails can effectively remind customers of the items they left behind and encourage them to complete the purchase.
Success Story: Best Buy
Best Buy, a leading electronics retailer, sends abandoned cart emails that include a personalized message, a reminder of the items left in the cart, and a call-to-action to complete the purchase. Best Buy’s abandoned cart emails have significantly contributed to recovering lost sales and increasing revenue.
6. Re-engagement emails
Re-engagement emails are the top choice to reach out and reconnect with customers who last purchased a while ago. These emails can include a special promotion, a survey to gather feedback, or a reminder of the benefits of your products or services.
Return Path’s email marketing study confirms that re-engagement emails have an average open rate of 45% and a click-through rate of 11%. These emails can be a powerful way to bring customers back to your brand and improve their customer lifetime value (CLV).
Success Story: Airbnb
Airbnb, a popular vacation rental platform, sends re-engagement emails to customers who have not booked a trip in quite some time. These emails include personalized recommendations for destinations and a call-to-action to book a trip. Airbnb’s re-engagement emails consistently bring back inactive customers and increase bookings.
7. Product review request emails
Product review request emails make for the ideal two-way engagement with customers after they have made a purchase. These emails ask customers to share their thoughts on the products they have purchased, which can help improve customer satisfaction and provide valuable feedback for your business.
According to a study by PowerReviews, product review request emails have an average open rate of 20.8% and a click-through rate of 2.7%. While the CTR may appear low, customers who click through are highly engaged and most likely to leave a detailed review.
Success Story: Sephora
Sephora, a well-known beauty retailer, sends product review request emails to customers after they have made a purchase. These emails include a personalized message, a reminder of purchased products, and a call to action to leave a review. Sephora’s post-purchase engagement emails have helped them generate a large number of customer reviews, which have improved their product offerings and customer satisfaction.
8. Velvet rope marketing emails
Velvet rope marketing emails are at the forefront when it comes to rewarding and engaging with your high value customers. These emails can include information about points earned, exclusive offers, and personalized recommendations based on purchase history.
Accenture’s study points out that loyalty program members belonging to the velvet rope category spend 12-18% more per year than non-members. By interacting with such customers through tailored post-purchase engagement emails, you can encourage them to continue high-ticket shopping with your brand and increase their lifetime value.
Success Story: Starbucks
Starbucks, a leading coffee chain, has a highly successful marketing program that rewards customers for their purchases. Starbucks sends tailor-made emails that include personalized offers and reminders of points earned. These emails have helped Starbucks increase engagement from big spenders and generate a significant portion of their total revenue.
9. Referral program emails
Referral program emails prove most effective in encouraging customers to refer their friends and family to your business. These emails can include a special promotion or incentive for the referrer and the person referred.
One of the key points in a study by the Wharton School of Business notes that referred customers are 18% more likely to stay with a brand and have a 16% higher lifetime value. By leveraging your existing customers to refer new ones, you can add new customers and eliminate acquisition costs that would have otherwise been incurred.
Success Story: Dropbox
Dropbox, a cloud storage platform, has a highly successful referral program that rewards customers for referring friends and family. Dropbox sends referral program emails that include personalized offers for the referrer and the referred person. These emails have helped Dropbox acquire new customers and spread their reach.
10. Social media follow-up emails
Post-purchase engagement emails that leverage social media to engage with customers are highly effective. These emails can include a call-to-action to follow your brand on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
As per a study by HubSpot, social media followers are more likely to recommend your brand to others and have a higher lifetime value than non-followers. Interacting with your customers on social media can increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, and drive more sales.
Success Story: Glossier
Glossier, a famous beauty brand, sends social media follow-up emails to customers after they make a purchase. These emails include a call-to-action to follow Glossier on social media and stay up-to-date on their latest product releases and promotions. Glossier’s social media follow-up emails have resulted in a highly-engaged social media following and drive more sales through Instagram, Facebook and other social media channels.
In closing
Post-purchase engagement emails are a crucial part of building long-term relationships with your customers. By sending these emails, you can improve customer retention, increase sales, and build brand loyalty. The success stories and statistics in this blog post demonstrate the effectiveness of post-purchase engagement email campaigns for various businesses.
Remember to keep your post-purchase engagement emails personalized and relevant to each customer’s individual needs and wants. Be on top of your customers’ shopping behavior, resonate your emails with their browsing and purchasing, and encourage them with matching incentives; they are sure to keep returning to your brand.
Feel like exploring post-purchase email campaigns further to increase repeat sales and boost your ROI? Netcore can guide you in the right direction for achieving quick and impressive results.
We are leaders in the email deliverability and transactional email space, and the world’s most recommended ESP, as per G2.com. For the second year in a row, Netcore received the highest overall customer rating as a customers’ choice in the 2022 Gartner Peer Insights’ ‘Voice of the Customer’ Report.
We were also recognized as “Ahead of the curve at applying AI to marketer workflow” as per The Forrester Wave™: Email Marketing Service Providers Report 2022.
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