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

by Moises Hamui December 2, 2023

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, the intention and the profile of your recipient.

In this article, we will explain to you what the main types of email are and how you can take advantage of 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 you to send and receive messages over a computer network. To do this, you need an email address, which identifies the sender and recipient, and an email provider, which is the service that manages the sending and receiving of messages.

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

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

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

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) : It is the most used protocol for sending emails. It is responsible for transferring the message from the output server to the corresponding input server.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3 ): It is the most 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) : It 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 the one used for personal purposes, such as communicating with friends, family, acquaintances, etc. It does not have a specific format or a defined periodicity. It can contain any type of information, from greetings and congratulations to photos and videos.
Corporate email : It is the one 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 may contain work-related information such as invoices, estimates, reports, etc.
Commercial email : It is the one used for commercial purposes, such as promoting products, services, offers, etc. It has a more attractive and persuasive format, and a regular frequency depending on the strategy. It may 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 take 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 analysable : 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 the following steps:

Step 1: Define the campaign objectives

Before sending any email, you should 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 your 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. Additionally, 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 compose the email

The design and writing of the email are essential to capture the attention and interest of recipients. You must take care of the following elements:

The subject : It 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 must be recognizable, professional and human.
The preheader : It is the text that appears below the subject and that complements the information. It must be coherent, informative and persuasive.
The body : It is the main content of the email and what transmits the message. It must be structured, readable, useful and convincing.
The CTA (Call To Action) : It is the button or link that invites recipients to take the desired action. It must be visible, prominent, direct and motivating.

Step 4: Send and monitor email

Email sending and monitoring are essential to evaluate campaign success and improve future ones. You must take into account the following aspects:

The moment : You must 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.
The metrics : You must measure the performance of the email, according to the most relevant indicators for your objectives. Some of the most important metrics are: open 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 : It is a newsletter that is sent periodically to the entire contact base or a part of it. Its objective is to maintain contact, inform about news, educate on the subject and generate trust. Its content is usually varied and may include articles, news, advice, events, etc.

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

Promotional email : It is an email that is sent occasionally or regularly to promote products, services, offers, etc. Its objective is to encourage purchases, increase sales, build customer loyalty and generate loyalty. Their content is usually attractive and may include discounts, coupons, launches, testimonials, etc.

Welcome email : It is an email that is sent automatically when a recipient subscribes to a mailing list or registers on a platform. Your goal is to welcome, introduce the brand, set expectations and build trust. Their content is usually user-friendly and may include a value offer, a story, a proposal, etc.

Abandoned cart email : It is an email that is sent automatically when a recipient leaves products in the shopping cart without completing the process. Its objective is to remember 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 : It is an email that is sent manually or automatically to request the opinion or evaluation of the recipients about a product, a service, an experience, etc. Its objective is to know satisfaction, improve quality, obtain testimonials and generate recommendations. Its content is usually brief and may include a survey, a scale, a question, etc.

Loyalty email : It is an email that is sent periodically or punctually to maintain contact, reward loyalty, offer advantages and generate repeat purchases. Its goal is to retain customers, increase lifetime value, create community and generate ambassadors. Its content is usually exclusive and may include points programs, gifts, invitations, etc.

Reactivation email : It is an email that is sent punctually or regularly to regain contact, remember the brand, offer incentives and generate re-engagement. Its objective is to reactivate recipients who have stopped interacting, purchasing or opening the emails. Its content is usually emotional and may include a question, an offer, something new, 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 enhancing digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.