Types of email and how to use them in your digital marketing strategies

by Moises Hamui July 8, 2024

Email is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in digital marketing. It allows you to communicate with your audience in a direct, personalized and segmented way, offering them valuable content and generating trust and loyalty.

However, not all emails are the same or have the same objective. There are different types of email that you should know and use depending on the moment, intention and profile of your recipient.

In this article, we will explain the main types of email and how you can use them in your digital marketing strategies to achieve better results.

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What is email and how does it work?

Electronic mail, also known as email, is a communication system that allows messages to be sent and received over a computer network. To do this, you need an email address, which identifies the sender and the recipient, and an email provider, which is the service that manages the sending and receiving of messages.

Email messages can contain text, images, attachments, links, and other multimedia elements. They can also be sent individually or in bulk, depending on the number of recipients.

Email works through two types of servers: outgoing servers and incoming servers. Outgoing servers are responsible for sending email from the sender's account to incoming servers, which deliver it to the recipient's inbox.

The most commonly used protocols for the operation of email servers are:

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) : This is the most commonly used protocol for sending emails. It is responsible for transferring the message from the outgoing server to the corresponding incoming server.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3 ): This is the most commonly used protocol for receiving emails. It is responsible for downloading the message from the incoming server to the recipient's device. Once downloaded, the message is deleted from the server.
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) : This is the most modern and advanced protocol for receiving emails. It is responsible for synchronizing the message between the incoming server and the recipient's device. The message is kept on the server and can be accessed from any device.

What types of email exist?

There are different types of email depending on the purpose, content and format of the message. Some of the most common are:

Personal email : This is used for personal purposes, such as communicating with friends, family, acquaintances, etc. It does not have a specific format or a defined frequency. It can contain any type of information, from greetings and congratulations to photos and videos.
Corporate email : This is used for professional purposes, such as communicating with clients, suppliers, collaborators, etc. It has a more formal and careful format, and a variable frequency depending on the need. It can contain work-related information, such as invoices, budgets, reports, etc.
Commercial email : This is used for commercial purposes, such as promoting products, services, offers, etc. It has a more attractive and persuasive format, and a regular periodicity depending on the strategy. It can contain marketing-related information, such as calls to action, testimonials, benefits, etc.

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What is email marketing and how to use it?

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. It consists of sending commercial emails to a previously obtained and segmented contact base, in order to inform, educate, entertain and persuade recipients to perform a desired action.

Email marketing has multiple advantages, such as:

It is economical and profitable : It has a low implementation cost and a high return on investment.
It is measurable and analyzable : It allows you to know the performance of the campaigns and optimize them according to the results.
It is customizable and segmentable : It allows you to adapt the message and the offer according to the characteristics and preferences of each recipient.
It is interactive and dynamic : It allows you to generate engagement and foster relationships with recipients through the use of multimedia elements and links.
It is direct and timely : It allows you to reach the recipient at the right time and with the right message.

To use email marketing effectively, you must follow these steps:

Step 1: Define campaign objectives

Before sending any email, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve with it. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, increase web traffic by 10% in a month, generate 50 qualified leads in a week, increase sales by 15% in a quarter, etc.

Step 2: Create and segment the contact base

To send commercial emails, you must have the express consent of the recipients. This means that you must obtain their data legally and ethically, through subscription forms, landing pages, events, etc. In addition, you must segment your contact base according to criteria such as profile, behavior, interest, funnel stage, etc. This way, you can send more relevant and personalized messages to each group.

Step 3: Design and write the email

The design and wording of your email are essential to capturing the attention and interest of your recipients. You should take care of the following elements:

The subject line : This is the first thing recipients see and what determines whether or not they open the email. It should be clear, concise, attractive and generate curiosity.
The sender : This is the second thing recipients see and what determines whether or not they trust the email. It should be recognizable, professional and human.
The preheader : This is the text that appears below the subject and complements the information. It should be coherent, informative and persuasive.
The body : This is the main content of the email and what conveys the message. It should be structured, legible, useful and convincing.
The CTA (Call To Action) : This is the button or link that invites recipients to perform the desired action. It should be visible, prominent, direct and motivating.

Step 4: Send and monitor email

Sending and monitoring emails is essential to assess the success of your campaign and improve future ones. You should keep the following aspects in mind:

Timing : You should choose the most appropriate day and time to send the email, depending on the behavior and availability of your recipients.
Frequency : You must establish the frequency with which you will send the email, depending on the type of content and the expectations of your recipients.
Metrics : You should measure the performance of your email, based on the indicators that are most relevant to your objectives. Some of the most important metrics are: opening rate, click rate, conversion rate, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, ROI, etc.

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What types of email marketing exist and how to use them?

There are different types of email marketing depending on the objective, content and format of the email. Some of the most common are:

Newsletter : This is an informative bulletin that is sent periodically to the entire contact base or to a part of it. Its objective is to maintain contact, inform about the news, educate on the subject and generate trust. Its content is usually varied and can include articles, news, advice, events, etc.

Transactional email : This is an email that is sent automatically after an action by the recipient, such as a purchase, subscription, registration, etc. Its purpose is to confirm the action, thank the recipient for their trust, offer additional information and generate satisfaction. Its content is usually specific and may include invoices, receipts, instructions, etc.

Promotional email : This is an email that is sent on a one-off or regular basis to promote products, services, offers, etc. Its objective is to encourage purchases, increase sales, build customer loyalty and generate loyalty. Its content is usually attractive and may include discounts, coupons, launches, testimonials, etc.

Welcome email : This is an email that is sent automatically when a recipient subscribes to a mailing list or registers on a platform. Its purpose is to welcome, introduce the brand, set expectations and build trust. Its content is usually friendly and can include a value proposition, a story, a proposal, etc.

Abandoned cart email : This is an email that is sent automatically when a recipient leaves products in the shopping cart without completing the process. Its objective is to remind them of the purchase, resolve doubts, eliminate objections and recover the sale. Its content is usually persuasive and can include images of the products, benefits, guarantees, urgency, etc.

Feedback email : This is an email that is sent manually or automatically to request the opinion or evaluation of the recipients about a product, service, experience, etc. Its objective is to know the satisfaction, improve the quality, obtain testimonials and generate recommendations. Its content is usually brief and can include a survey, a scale, a question, etc.

Loyalty email : This is an email sent periodically or on an ad-hoc basis to maintain contact, reward loyalty, offer benefits and generate repeat purchases. Its objective is to retain customers, increase lifetime value, create a community and generate ambassadors. Its content is usually exclusive and may include points programs, gifts, invitations, etc.

Reactivation email : This is an email sent on a one-off or regular basis to regain contact, remind the brand, offer incentives and generate re-engagement. Its objective is to reactivate recipients who have stopped interacting, purchasing or opening emails. Its content is usually emotional and may include a question, an offer, a novelty, etc.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.