The Top 10 Ways to Grow Your Independent Retail Business with Email Marketing - and keep your sanity!

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO
GROW YOUR BUSINESS
WITH EMAIL MARKETING
and keep your sanity!
Karen Talavera, Synchronicity Marketing
May 1, 2017
All Baby and Child Conference, May 1-3, 2017

Karen Talavera, President of
Synchronicity Marketing
Providing email marketing strategy, consulting, coaching,
training and education since 2003
• Globally-known email marketing expert, consultant, speaker
• Leading email marketing trainer and professional educator for
the DMA, ANA, and eConsultancy
• Board Member of the Email Experience Council (EEC)
• Member Only Influencers, Women in Email
• Serving major retail brands and e-commerce marketers such as:
About Your Speaker

The Power of Email
 40:1 ROI
 higher than any other
online channel except
search
 81% of online shoppers
likely to make a
purchase as a result of
an email
 It’s ubiquitous
 54% of all email viewed
on a mobile device
 72% of consumers
prefer it as their #1 way
to hear from brands
Twitter: @SyncMarketing © Synchronicity Marketing. All rights reserved
54

More Good News!
 Email subscriber attention spans are actually increasing
 While technology is often blamed for shortening consumer attention
spans, in new research Litmus found the average time spent reading
an email increased 10% over the last five years

The #1 Reason:
Email Is Marketing’s "Connective Tissue"
Complement/Supplement
offline marketing
(DR and MM)
Mobile, immediate device-
neutral communication
channel
Push/Pull to Digital Content
too rich for inbox (Web site,
apps, social media)
Push to/Enable Online and
Offline Transactions
Email

Today’s Mindset for Email
Success
Nurture budding
relationships
Segment and
personalize
Sell by Way of
Serving First
Conversation vs.
Broadcast
Think “Long Term
Relationship”

Email Is All Grown Up
 Remember this guy?

The Old Model
• One-way progression
• Single (or very limited)
channels
• More interested in
speaking than listening
• Creating demand more
important than value
• Sell vs. serve

The New Way
• Two-way dialog
• Omni/Multi-Channel
• Conversation vs.
broadcast
• Centered on creating
long-term value &
loyalty
• Sell by way of serving

So What Should YOU Do?

Top 10 Ways to Grow with Email
Let’s count down the top ten ways to grow
your independently-owned baby and child
retail store with email marketing . . . while
keeping your sanity in the process!

Investing in good list growth strategies pays
huge dividends in this channel!
ALWAYS Be Building Your List10

How Do You Get Email
Addresses?
EVERYWHERE!

Online. . . Use a Light Box
 #1 for both quantity and quality

Online. . . Use a Light Box
 You don’t need freebies or discounts to entice sign-up
 Instead, tap into innate human desires for exclusivity,
access, fun and information!
From K2 Skis

Offline . . . Don’t Overlook These
 In Person – face-to-face or phone
 Outbound direct mail requesting email sign-up
 In Print – catalogs, print ads
leading to opt-in web page
 Events
 Printed forms
 Service contracts
 Contest and sweepstakes entries
 In store ”get the latest news” sign-up forms
 Bag stuffers
 Point of Sale
 Always ask during purchase!

Welcome & Onboard
Newcomers
 A welcome and
onboarding
campaign is a “must”
in any email program

The fact THAT you send email on a regular
basis is more important than how OFTEN
you send it!
Regularity Trumps Frequency9

You Don’t Have to Be This . . .
 In fact, don’t
even try!

This is More Effective
 Nutrition Smart’s
monthly “Smart
Buys” email is
seasonally-
themed and
visually eye-
catching

Or This . . .
 Bloomingdale’s
created “What’s New
Wednesdays”
 segmented (for
women, men, etc.)
 weekly break from
ongoing promotions
 curated content
 predictable schedule

Manageable Regularity Achieved By
 Regular-cadence update, bulletin, style-guide
 Newsletter (monthly is fine – you
don’t have to publish weekly)
 New subscriber welcome message
 First purchase thank-you campaign
 Cross-sell/up-sell campaigns
 Event promos
 Think “series” vs. “one-shot”
Show Up When It Truly Matters!

Are your emails resonating with
subscribers? If not, you might be missing an
important component of relationship-
building: making emotional connections
Make Emotional Connections8

Emotionally
Authenticity
Transparency
Personality
Community
Intellectually
Facts (Information)
Education (Learning)
Curiosity (Q&A)
Proof
Two Ways to Resonate

 We may think we use our superior intellects to make
buying decisions, yet the reality is:
People Buy from
Emotion
Emotion Trumps Intellect

Positive
Negative Emotion Tactic
Terror/Fear/Alarm Scarcity
Anger/Annoyance/Disgust Outrage
Sadness/Grief Pity
Distraction/Interest Interruption, Mystery
Safety/Security Testimonials, Success Stories
Anticipation/Hope Curiosity, Advance Notice
Trust Inclusion, Social Proof
Appreciation/Gratitude Community Involvement,
Rewards
Amazement/Wonder/Surprise Delight, Spontaneity
Joy/Happiness/Love Exclusivity, Gifts
The Emotional Spectrum

Capitalizing on Emotional
Connection
 Parents have a lot to be
emotional about
(especially new parents)
 You’re dealing with a
prime audience with
whom to make emotional
connections!
 Emotional triggers
 ”Endless magic”
 ”Smiles and laughter”
 Happy children
 Birds in flight
 Time running out (scarcity)

More Examples
 Tiffany’s does a great job conveying emotion in email

Email isn’t just about promotion – it’s an
opportunity to educate, serve, engage and
inspire loyalty
Use Content to Engage7

 Definition: Giving away something
valuable in order to sell something
related
 Creating and distributing relevant and
valuable content to attract, acquire, and
engage a clearly defined and
understood target audience - with the
objective of driving profitable customer
action
 Requires somewhat of a “media
company” mindset to do it successfully
What is Content Marketing?

Its Role in Your Program
 Great content serves multiple purposes in growing your
store’s physical and online visibility
Boosts Search
Rankings
Drives Web
Visits & Email
Sign-Ups
Multipurpose it
in email, web,
blog
Content emails
maintain
relationship
between
purchases
Great content
gets social
shares, likes,
pass-along

Content Marketing Example
 The Honest
Company monthly
email newsletter for
May features free
ecards and a recipe
for Mother’s Day
 It’s seasonally
themed to offer
relevant content all
year long

Email is the perfect enabler of customer
loyalty and frequency programs, plus a
channel for brand-building and community
involvement. Use it for both!
Show & Reward Loyalty6

Charitable Cause Loyalty
 Don’t be shy about
tooting your own horn!
 If you’re loyal to serving
your local community or
a cause, let subscribers
know how, where, when

Community Involvement
 David’s World
Cycle (a local
retailer of Trek
bikes) is very
active in the
local and
biking
community
 Notice:
excellent use
of content

Segment & Reward Loyalists
 If you have a loyalty program, use email to update
participants on their status, prompt redemption, and reward

Segment & Reward Loyalists
 In the absence of a formal
loyalty program, you can still
segment your best customers
for special rewards like this
 Subject Line:
“The credit in your account
just DOUBLED!”
 Note: no discounting on
product or “% off” savings
 How can you reward your
best customers? Who truly
deserves it?

Your loyal customers are your advocates, if
not evangelists. Are you inviting them to
spread the word via referral campaigns?
Invite Customer Referrals5

Ask Them To Invite Their
Friends
 Ask through both
active and passive
attempts
 Passive:
 Refer-a-friend or
FTAF buttons in
email message
template
 Boilerplate in
newsletters and
email design
templates

Refer-A-Friend and “Friends and
Family” Campaigns
 Active: be intentional
about growing your
list or store traffic
with a specific
campaign dedicated
to referrals like these
 Henri Bendel list
growth campaign
 Foremost
Motorcycle
Insurance Refer-
A-Friend
campaign

There are many advantages of a live in-
person vs. online shopping experience. Your
email should shine a light on that value,
remind subscribers of it, promote live
events, and inspire them to attend!
Promote In-Person Experiences4

UVPs of In-store vs. Online
Retail Experience
Immediate
Gratification
See, Touch, Try Avoid Shipping
Cost & Hassle
Personal Shopper
Services
Events!

Prime Example!
 This is a welcome
campaign sent after
new subscriber sign-
up
 What better time to
emphasize your
UVPs than right at
the start of a new
relationship?
 Subject Line: “now
that we’re friends…”

Call Out High-Value Services
 Make sure your email
communicates any
consultative or high-
value services you
offer, such as
personal shopping,
decorating, designing,
etc.

Promote In-Store Pickup
 Big box retailers do
this routinely. Why?
 Convenience, improved
customer satisfaction =
loyalty
 If you get them in store
they’ll likely buy more
(distraction
factor/visual merch)
 If you have an e-
commerce enabled web
site, position online
ordering as a fallback to
in-store pickup

Create Unique Experiences
 What unique or
exclusive in-
person
shopping
experiences
can you create
to specifically
drive store foot
traffic?

“In-Store Only” Promos
 To guarantee you drive
physical store traffic,
reserve some promotions
as “in-store only” events
 Vera Bradley promotes
new season launch as
“in-store only” event, with
incentives for actually
showing up

Create Exclusive Shopping
Events
 Ask email
subscribers
to RSVP to
special
events

Promote Recurring or Scheduled
In-Store Events
 Promote events
already scheduled or
happening in-store
on a regular basis

Promote Events You’re Attending
 Promote events
you’re taking
part in within the
community,
sponsoring, etc.
 Conventions
 Festivals
 Fairs
 Showcases

What does your store offer that others in the
area can’t or won’t? Make sure your email
highlights what makes you unique!
Emphasize Your “Uniques”3

Promote Brand Exclusives
 Nordstrom promotes
exclusive styles or brands
only they carry
 Citibank provides early
access to select music,
sports and dining events to
their American Airlines gold
level credit card holders
 Customer status and
product exclusivity

Promote Category Exclusives

Promote Exclusive or Limited
Time Merchandise Collections
 IKEA provides
subscribers an
exclusive preview
of their Art Event
2017 with an
invitation to see it in
store for a limited
time

Theme your email to seasons, buying
cycles, and gift giving occasions throughout
the year
Leverage Seasonality2

Seasonal Theming
 ZUMBA fitness not
only capitalizes on
seasonality for
relevancy, but uses
a real-life
mother/daughter
duo on Mother’s
Day, and a video
holidy greeting on
Thanksgiving

Recognize Holidays / Key Dates
 International
Women’s Day was
recognized by many
brands in 2017
 Send your
subscribers
greetings or
invitations on key
holidays relevant to
you and them

Treat your Email Subscribers like VIPs!
Channel Exclusivity1

Reward Channel Loyalty with
Exclusivity
 Want store traffic? Use email to
alert subscribers to deals, events,
or savings just for them
 Email marketing is the #1 method
retailers use to drive fast revenue –
instore OR online
 Ways to Reward with Exclusivity
 Sneak preview (see/get it before
non-subscribers)
 Advance sale/savings
 Additional $ or % sale/savings
 Private (email only) events
 Content

Final Example: COACH
 Illustrates not only great email
subscriber/channel exclusivity,
but also how a series can be
more powerful than a single
message
 First, here’s their general
Mother’s Day email promotion
from 2016:
 From line: Coach
 Offer: free shipping
 Value add: personalize gift with
monogramming

COACH Exclusive Series
 Email-exclusive Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Frequency: 6 Messages over
advance sale dates 4/29/16
through 5/08/18
 First Message send date:
4/29/16
 From line : Coach by Invitation
 Offer: 30% off (NOT available to
general public) PLUS free
shipping
 But, both in stores and online
 Value add: personalize gift with
monogramming

COACH Exclusive Series – email
#2
 Email-exclusive
Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Second
Message Send
Date: 5/2/16

#3
 Email-exclusive
Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Third Message
Send Date:
5/4/16

#4
 Email-exclusive
Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Fourth Message
Send Date:
5/6/16
 Image of bag is
animated and
changing color

#5
 Email-exclusive
Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Fifth Message
Send Date:
5/7/16

#6
 Email-exclusive
Mother’s Day
Promotion
 Sixth (final)
Message Send
Date: 5/8/16
(actual date of
Mother’s Day
2016)

Top 10 List Recap
10. Always Be Building Your List
9. Regularity Trumps Frequency
8. Make Emotional Connections
7. Use Content to Boost Engagement
6. Demonstrate and Reward Loyalty
5. Invite Customer Referrals
4. Promote In-Person Experiences
3. Emphasize Your Uniques
2. Leverage Seasonality
1. Channel Exclusivity

Remember Your Goals for Email
Nurture budding
relationships
Segment and
personalize
Sell by Way of
Serving First
Conversation vs.
Broadcast
Think “Long Term
Relationship”

Free Resources
 Growing Your Business with Email Top 10 List
http://bit.ly/2p2QU61
 Ultimate Email Marketing Resources &
References Guide
http://bit.ly/2qv9mq2

Need a Strategy? Ready for Help?
 Request a Free Consult at
http://SynchronicityMarketing.com/CoachingConsult

THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?
All Baby and Child Conference, May 1-3, 2017
Site/Blog: www.SynchronicityMarketing.com
Email: karen@SynchronicityMarketing.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SynchronicityMarketing
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/KarenTalavera
Twitter: @SyncMarketing
Phone: 561.738.5138

The Top 10 Ways to Grow Your Independent Retail Business with Email Marketing - and keep your sanity!

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