June 5, 2025
They are saying a thousand mile journey begins with a single step. The shopper journey usually begins with a single e mail.
Each interplay you may have with somebody is an opportunity to construct a relationship. Some folks will observe you on social media. Some may seize a enterprise card at an in-person occasion or attend a webinar. Others will make a purchase order, or 5. Have you learnt what encourages them to go from “met somebody at a convention one time” to devoted buyer?
That’s the shopper journey. And no surprises right here: It’s e mail that is a crucial advertising and marketing channel to maneuver clients alongside the trail to buy and past. As e mail entrepreneurs, it’s your job to seek out strain factors, proactively reply objections, and nudge somebody towards making a purchase order. Right here’s how one can do it:
What’s a buyer journey?
The shopper journey is the contact factors a purchaser goes via as they be taught, have interaction, and buy out of your model. It’s your complete buyer expertise from begin to end. Whereas “journey” makes it sound like a fast and linear course of, it may be something however. A prospect could spend years on the prime of the funnel, studying your publication or commenting on the occasional social media submit. Or they might go to your web site primarily based on a suggestion from a buddy and instantly request a demo.
What the shopper journey appears like varies wildly primarily based in your merchandise, gross sales and advertising and marketing technique, and buyer demographic. We’ll discuss extra about conventional buyer journey phases in a minute.
What’s buyer journey mapping?
Entrepreneurs visualize the shopper journey via a course of referred to as buyer journey mapping. There are a number of methods for instance a buyer journey map, from the standard advertising and marketing funnel to cyclical loops to advanced diagrams. No matter what it appears like, it’s vital to herald dependable knowledge and viewers analysis to inform a narrative concerning the some ways clients and contacts work together along with your model.
Buyer journey map examples
It’s vital to needless to say your clients are the heroes of this story. It’s their journey, not the model’s or the product’s. Journey mapping helps you get contained in the heads of your clients and prospects. This improves your understanding of what folks assume, how they really feel, and why they make sure choices.
What’s an e mail journey?
A buyer journey mapping train usually encompasses each touchpoint, although you are able to do a buyer journey map of simply the emails you ship for readability as properly. When you perceive your total buyer journey, you possibly can create an e mail journey.
An e mail journey makes use of e mail, together with automations, to succeed in focused prospects through the inbox at particular factors within the path to buy and past. That is the place you establish the place you’ll arrange a bit nudge to get somebody shifting in the proper course, remind them of what they’re lacking, or encourage them to get extra concerned with you, relying on their purchaser persona.
Who’re your purchaser personas?
Purchaser personas give entrepreneurs an thought of the kind of those who buy from them. This contains demographic knowledge akin to age, gender, and marital standing, but in addition basic pursuits and hobbies, whether or not or not they should focus on the shopping for resolution with another person, and what frustrations or ache factors they’ve of their on a regular basis life that your product solves.
You’ll have completely different journeys for various personas, or must tweak your messaging in your emails at completely different factors primarily based on their wants. Both approach, a persona can information you towards stronger segmentation and personalization methods in your e mail advertising and marketing.
The ten e mail journey phases (plus e mail examples and techniques for every one)
As e mail entrepreneurs, we discuss loads about “the proper message to the proper clients on the proper time.” That’s the place e mail advertising and marketing and buyer journeys kind the right partnership to create the very best buyer expertise. E-mail has a job to play in every stage of the shopper journey to enhance your conversion charges – right here’s how:
1. Model Consciousness
On the whole, and for apparent causes, e mail normally isn’t thought-about a “prime of funnel” tactic. You’ll be able to’t precisely subscribe to a publication for those who’re unaware of a model. Nonetheless, e mail can play a job to start with phases of a buyer journey.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for model consciousness
Contemplate partnering with the social media group to work collectively to develop your publication subscribers. You’ll be able to promote a branded business publication to the proper viewers or determine an internet writer in your business that gives e mail publication sponsorship alternatives. When you concentrate on this stage within the funnel, it’s extra about getting your e mail model on the market as value subscribing to.
One of many nice issues about e mail is that it’s an especially inexpensive advertising and marketing channel. However generally, it’s a must to spend a bit cash to earn consideration, entice guests to your web site or weblog, and get that preliminary consciousness. Then, the true journey can get began.
2. Lead Acquisition
A sound e mail tackle is the foot within the door you have to transfer prospects from the model consciousness stage into changing into advertising and marketing certified leads (MQLs). After that, your e mail nurture tracks do a whole lot of the heavy lifting concerned with turning MQLs into gross sales certified leads (SQLs).
To seize leads, e mail technique wants to attach with content material advertising and marketing technique. What are you able to provide of worth to prospects that builds belief? How can your nurture tracks present the gross sales group these MQLs are warming up?
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for lead acquisition
When you’ve obtained high quality content material in place, give attention to touchdown web page copy and optimizing your varieties. Whereas the e-mail tackle is the important thing to all of it, qualifying questions make it easier to section new contacts, placing folks with sure roles or pursuits into particular e mail nurture campaigns which can be related to their journey.
Then, check out your welcome e mail collection for brand new subscribers.
Your strategy will depend on your viewers, in fact. You might wish to ship a reduction to new subscribers or welcome them with a extra private letter, like this one:
Both approach, ask your self: Are you offering a steadiness of value-added content material with details about your organization’s services? Might you profit from separate welcome collection with e mail methods for various personas? Are you introducing the proper workers to prospects utilizing pleasant from names? That is the primary impression of your emails for these prospects, so make it rely.
3. Analysis
Nearly all of analysis takes place on search engines like google and social media. Sadly, you possibly can’t optimize e mail campaigns to rank on Google. Nevertheless, when you’ve turned prospects into e mail subscribers, you possibly can ship useful content material on to their inboxes.
The time between researching and buying will fluctuate drastically relying on the acquisition being made. Customers will spend much more time researching a brand new automotive buy than their choices for ordering dinner. A B2B prospect will probably conduct extra analysis for a cloud storage supplier than an workplace provide vendor. Generally, the extra danger there may be, the extra analysis is concerned.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for analysis
It is a stage by which understanding the shopper journey is essential. It is advisable to know what questions individuals are asking as they conduct analysis for a possible buy.
Take into consideration what potential clients ask about essentially the most. Should you’re undecided, attain out to your gross sales or buyer assist groups. This e mail reveals off new synthetic intelligence options and explains them, which may very well be very helpful to a prospect researching AI.
Your leads may very well be making an attempt to beat fears and objections or chasing an aspiration. As you create e mail campaigns for purchasers within the analysis part of their journey, hold this in thoughts: People use logical data and knowledge to justify emotional choices. In the long run, all of us are inclined to go together with what feels proper.
So, ship alongside helpful data to assist in analysis. However don’t overlook to go for the feels, too!
4. Consideration and Comparability
As a possible buyer creeps nearer to creating that buy resolution, she’ll begin weighing her choices. Which means your model is being in comparison with your rivals. It is a pivotal stage within the buyer journey.
Positive, worth goes to be on prime of the listing of concerns. However, for those who’re not the most cost effective within the bunch, how else are you able to persuade prospects that what you provide is the only option?
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for consideration and comparability
It is a very important second of fact. Your e mail technique wants campaigns designed to push prospects throughout the end line and show that you simply deserve their {dollars}. This may very well be together with success metrics in your clients or sending them a competitor comparability guidelines that places your model in a optimistic gentle, like this one:
This is perhaps the proper time to supply a reduction or a free trial and not using a bank card. Or, you should use social proof via case research and testimonials that present, slightly than inform, how wonderful you’re.
Don’t underestimate the potential of constructing an genuine private connection through e mail at this level. It may very well be the perfect time to show that your organization truly does have “world-class customer support.” Present prospects you’re prepared and keen to reply questions and go the additional mile.
5. Buy
Increase. You probably did it! You’ve simply netted a brand new buyer. Good to go, proper?
They’ve signed on the dotted line or hit that “Place Your Order” button. They’ve made it to your “thanks” touchdown web page. Now, let’s present your new clients they made the proper resolution after they clicked in your call-to-action. Every part that occurs after the acquisition is the time when e mail has its true alternative to shine alongside the shopper journey.
We’ve all had that anxious, barely queasy feeling after making a purchase order. They name it “purchaser’s regret.” E-mail is a superb approach to offer some welcomed reassurance.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique post-purchase
The acquisition stage is essentially the most crucial, since that is the place your patrons lastly make the choice to purchase. That stated, they might want one ultimate push, like with an deserted cart e mail.
As soon as the acquisition goes via, your transactional emails must be a precedence. Customers wish to promptly obtain a notification that their order was obtained. Then, they wish to know the place their cargo is and after they can count on it.
Savvy e mail entrepreneurs are utilizing bundle monitoring emails with reside updates, which present real-time information when a buyer opens an e mail. It additionally updates in the event that they return to it later. This kind of e mail is rapidly changing into an expectation slightly than an innovation.
Even for those who’re not delivery a bodily product, clients wish to hear from you at this weak step. Subscription and service-based companies, SaaS corporations, and people promoting digital merchandise also can ship affirmation emails even when there isn’t a bodily order being shipped.
There’s loads to be stated about utilizing e mail to say, “Thank You!” after anybody turns into a brand new buyer.
6. Onboarding and Schooling
Did you assume the shopper journey was over after that preliminary buy? Nope. Your clients are beginning a brand new journey along with your model at their facet.
Now’s the time to indicate your clients how one can get essentially the most out of their buy with onboarding assist and informative content material.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for onboarding and training
Your organization could have glorious assist assets and a full content material library. However e mail entrepreneurs can add much more worth by delivering this content material to new clients on the proper time in an onboarding e mail sequence, particularly if utilizing your product comes with a studying curve.
This e mail is a step-by-step information to getting began:
You may as well can use this step within the buyer journey to indicate a wide range of options somebody is perhaps enthusiastic about, or exhibit how different individuals are utilizing the identical product.
Work with buyer assist to grasp when and the place folks run into roadblocks. Develop a welcome e mail collection that guides folks via every little thing they should know to get began and achieve success.
7. Upsells and Crosssells
There’s a 60% to 70% likelihood of closing a sale to an present buyer. That’s in comparison with a 5% to twenty% likelihood of promoting one thing to a prospect. I do know which one I’d select.
Should you’re doing it properly, your emails could even be welcomed and anticipated. However no matter you do … don’t destroy your belief and repute by overdoing it. Your clients received’t go for an upsell or crossell instantly. Give it a bit time earlier than you encourage clients to discover new merchandise, go to a higher-tiered plan, or provide supplementary providers that complement their ongoing buyer journey.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for upsells and crosssells
Now you’re a daily fixture within the inbox and you may have tons of information about what they work together with, what options they use, and their total buyer sentiment. That is your likelihood to make use of segmentation to your benefit by sending extra customized, relationship-building emails that encourage them to go deeper with you.
The higher your segmentation and personalization, the extra highly effective and efficient your e mail technique for upselling and cross-selling shall be. Likewise, the extra you perceive the shopper journey up so far, the simpler it will likely be to craft these campaigns. The extra about your buyer, the extra you possibly can ship customized emails.
Others may very well be primarily based on seasonality, life occasions, or the period of time somebody has used your product, like this e mail from Warby Parker promoting check-ups on their one-year anniversary.
8. Retention and Loyalty
To maintain clients on a steady journey, you’ll want to spice up retention and cut back churn.
All these e mail touchpoints assist create loyal clients as your relationships with clients enhance. Don’t overlook to proceed to offer worth with each e mail ship via extra data, reductions, or customer support.
E-mail advertising and marketing retains clients engaged and knowledgeable at this stage, although you don’t have to be in contact on a regular basis. Let your clients resolve how and after they wish to hear from you with an unsubscribe hyperlink or one thing comparable.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for retention and loyalty
Ultimately, clients will rethink the selection to buy from you. Or a brand new downside that prompts a purchase order resolution will come up, they usually’ll begin a brand new journey. Good e mail entrepreneurs have a method that anticipates these moments in a buyer journey.
A few of these emails shall be automations, which get triggered by actions your clients take or milestones they attain. Should you’re capable of gather birthday knowledge, a birthday-themed e mail or present for ecommerce clients goes a good distance.
One other approach to construct model loyalty is to create exclusivity and urgency by giving your clients entry to gross sales or particular occasions early. You need your emails to strengthen the connection between clients and your model and remind them why they like working with you or buying from you within the first place.
9. Advocacy
If you flip prospects into clients, and constant clients into model advocates, you create a virtuous cycle. It consistently brings new folks right into a journey pointing to a shortcut that leads straight to your organization. Folks belief recommendation and referrals from their friends, colleagues, household, and associates.
Social media and evaluate websites are the channels that always come to thoughts for encouraging model advocacy. They’re digital phrase of mouth. Nevertheless, e mail can take part on this a part of the journey too.
The e-mail technique for advocacy
Listed below are a number of methods to encourage clients to turn out to be model advocates utilizing e mail:
You may as well use e mail on this stage to encourage extra touchpoints between you and your buyer, like including social media information, becoming a member of an internet group or signing up for texts.
Develop an e mail marketing campaign that pushes participation in a referral program, or use a typical ecommerce tactic of together with buyer opinions, with a CTA to ask your clients to present them.
You may as well ask your subscribers to ahead your e mail to a buddy – extending your word-of-mouth. That’s the place a ahead to a buddy device turns out to be useful. In response to E-mail Uplers, this technique also can assist e mail entrepreneurs keep away from rendering points when emails are forwarded from Outlook or Thunderbird.
10. Re-engagement
Generally buyer engagement disappears. They cease utilizing your product, cease re-ordering, and cease opening your emails. It occurs. Perhaps they’re dissatisfied, or possibly they simply forgot about you. Use e mail to re-engage them… But when you have to allow them to go, that’s okay, too.
The e-mail advertising and marketing technique for re-engagement
You might wish to stretch your creativity past the usual “We’ve Missed You!” topic line in your engagement e mail. However optimizing inbox show goes to be vital if you would like disengaged clients to begin opening your emails once more.
Once they do open your subsequent e mail advertising and marketing marketing campaign, don’t be afraid to ask what’s occurring:
You might want a reduction to deliver them again into the fold. Generally, they might have been interrupted, or one thing else obtained in the best way. Convey them again with a delicate nudge.
If it’s time to let a subscriber go, don’t be afraid to unsubscribe them out of your e mail listing. It’s a lot better to have a barely smaller listing of extremely engaged people than a big listing of people that hardly ever work together along with your emails. Your deliverability will thanks (and hopefully, you will get a bit buyer suggestions on the best way out so you possibly can enhance sooner or later.)
The e-mail buyer journey and automation
If this all sounds prefer it’s loads, it’s. That’s why mapping out your complete buyer expertise forward of time, together with the entire e mail advertising and marketing campaigns you ship and when, is so vital. As soon as precisely which emails you wish to ship, you possibly can arrange a collection of selling automations so you possibly can information clients via the trail to buy with out being on 24/7.
Keep away from e mail buyer journey roadblocks
Out of your welcome collection to your re-engagement marketing campaign, Sinch Mailjet and Mailgun have your again, serving to you ship e mail perfection each time. Examine your content material for errors, optimize for deliverability and accessibility, and preview your campaigns on dozens of shoppers and units. Plus, our free e mail testing templates make it straightforward to ship the proper emails, on the proper time, to the proper particular person – gently nudging them in the proper course, too.
If you wish to nerd out on all the main points about buyer journeys, we’ve written a stellar book on omnichannel advertising and marketing. Obtain it at no cost to learn how to make your clients the hero of their very own journey when you keep in contact via the inbox and different communication channels.
