The Ultimate Guide to SaaS Email Marketing

In fact, about 8 out of 10 B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is the email newsletter. That means that email is still a relevant and powerful marketing tool in the modern world.

Of course, as with any form of marketing, there are certain dos and don’ts that you need to keep in mind. This is especially true for email marketing, since a poorly executed campaign can easily come across as spammy or unprofessional. In this blog post, we’ll provide the ultimate guide that covers all that you need to know about SaaS email marketing.

What Is Email Marketing And Why It Matters

Email marketing is the process of sending out emails to potential and existing customers with the goal of promoting a product or service. It’s a form of direct marketing that allows you to reach a large number of people with your message. In the SaaS world, email marketing is often used to promote new features or updates, announce special deals or coupon codes, nurture leads, or provide helpful resources to existing customers.

When we look at the numbers, email marketing can give you an ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. That’s a pretty good return on investment due to the fact that email marketing is relatively inexpensive to execute. Additionally, email marketing has been shown to be one of the most effective marketing channels when it comes to acquiring new customers, generating leads, and driving sales.

Now that we know a little bit more about SaaS email marketing and why it matters, let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts that you need to keep in mind.

The Do’s of SaaS Email Marketing

1) Segment Your Mailing List

By creating different groups based on factors like geographic location, interests, or purchase history, you can send more targeted and relevant emails to your subscribers. Not only will this result in higher open and click-through rates, but it will also help to improve your customer relationships.

In addition, segmenting your list makes it easier to track results and measure ROI. You can use different segments to test out different email content, subject lines, or call-to-actions to see what works best with your audience.

2) Personalize Your Emails

Personalizing your message can be as simple as adding the recipient’s name to the subject line or greeting. In rare cases, you may also want to include a brief personal note. This can be done easily with the aid of email marketing tools.

For example, if you are emailing  a customer about a new feature, you might say something like,

“Hey John,

We noticed that you’ve been using our software to manage your blog. We just released a new update that we think will make your life easier.”

Personalizing your emails shows that you are taking the time to connect with the person on a personal level, and it can help to build rapport. According to Campaign Monitor, marketers personalizing their email campaigns are likely to see a 20% increase in their sales revenue.

3) A/B Test Your Emails 

A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a method of comparing two versions of an email to see which one performs better. This can be done by testing different subject lines, calls-to-action, images, or even the time or day that you send your emails.

By sending two slightly different versions of your email to a small subset of your list, you can measure which one performs better in terms of opens, clicks, and other important email marketing metrics. And once you’ve found a winning formula, you can roll it out to the rest of your subscribers with confidence.

4) Make Your Emails Mobile Friendly

In today’s fast-paced world, more and more people are checking their email on their phones. In fact, a 2018 data show that about half of emails were opened via mobile devices. That’s why it’s important to make sure your emails are mobile-friendly. Once again, your email marketing tool can help you with this.

Most email marketing platforms will automatically format your email to look good on a mobile device. But it’s always a good idea to preview your emails before they are sent to make sure they look the way you want them to.

Here are a few additional tips:

• Keep the subject line short and to the point
• Use short paragraphs and simple language
• Include a clear call to action
• Make sure your signature is brief and easy to read

By following these tips, you can ensure that your emails will be read and responded to, regardless of where your recipients are reading them.

5) Include an Unsubscribe Link in Your Emails

This may sound counter-productive but it’s important to give your subscribers the option to unsubscribe from your emails, even if they don’t ever intend to use it. An unsubscribe link shows that you’re committed to giving your subscribers control over their inboxes, and it also helps to keep your mailing list clean.

When people unsubscribe, it gives you an accurate picture of who is actually interested in hearing from you. Plus, it’s required by law in some countries. So even if no one ever uses the unsubscribe link, it’s still a good idea to include it.

6) Test Your Automated Emails Before implementing Them)

Automated emails are a fantastic way to stay in touch with your customers and leads because  they provide a consistent stream of valuable content. But before you start setting up your email automation, it’s important to test each automated campaign to avoid any potential deliverability issues.

Automated emails are triggered by specific actions, like someone subscribing to your list or someone inquiring about your SaaS product. So it’s important to take the time to test each email campaign to make sure it’s triggered correctly and that the content is delivered as expected. If there’s a mistake in the email’s design or coding, it could result in the email being sent to the wrong people or not being delivered at all.

To avoid any issues, it’s best to test each automated email campaign before you launch it. You can do this by sending the email to yourself or a small group of people who can give you feedback. Once you’re confident that everything is working as it should, you can roll out the campaign to your entire list.

In addition, automated emails can sometimes end up in spam folders if they are not properly configured. So it’s a good idea to check your spam folder occasionally to make sure your automated emails are being delivered as intended.

7) Use Interesting Subject Lines for Your Emails

How many times have you opened an email, only to find that the subject line doesn’t match the content? You’re not alone. In a study of over 1,000 email users, 33% said they would open an email based on the subject line alone. So it’s clear that subject lines are important.

But what’s even more important is using different subject lines for different emails. That way, your recipients will know what to expect when they open your message. And if you’re sending multiple emails on the same topic, using different subject lines will help to keep your messages from getting lost in the inbox.

So next time you sit down to write an email, take a moment to craft a unique and attention-grabbing subject line. It could make all the difference in whether or not your message gets read.

So what makes an effective subject line? Here are a few tips:

• Keep it short and to the point
• Include keywords that describe the content of the email
• Make it clear what’s inside
• Use symbols or emojis to add personality
• Use urgency without being too pushy
• Include a call-to-action
• Personalize it with the recipient

Some examples of effective subject lines include:

“You won’t believe what happened next!”

“I have some good news and some bad news”

“Introducing the newest member of our team”

“Time is running out!”

8) Include Complementary Images or Videos in Your Emails, But Don’t Overdo It

When it comes to email, black and white text is still the best way to communicate. Although adding images or videos can help to break up the text and make the email more visually appealing. But be cautious, because too many media files in your email can actually be counterproductive.

Images and videos can increase the size of your email, making it more difficult to download or view on a mobile device. In addition, they can also slow down the loading time of your email, causing recipient frustration. So when it comes to including images and videos in your email, less is definitely more. A few well-chosen images or videos can enhance your message without bogging it down.

9) Avoid Sending Too Many Emails

In addition, sending too many emails can make an impression of you spamming people’s inboxes and can even get your email account suspended. So it’s important to strike a balance when sending email messages. Sending too few can result in fewer people reading your messages, while sending too many can cause people to unsubscribe or mark your messages as spam.

The general rule of thumb is to send one email per week. This gives you enough time to craft a well-written email that includes valuable content without bombarding your subscribers’ inboxes. Of course, you may want to adjust this depending on the type of business you have and the relationship you have with your subscribers.

If you have a lot of information to share, you could increase the frequency to two or three emails per week. Just be sure to give your subscribers the option to opt out if they’re not interested in receiving that many emails.

One way to space out your emails is to segment your email list so that you only send a certain number of emails to each group every week. This will ensure that people are more likely to read and respond to your messages.

You can also use email scheduling tools such as Boomerang to space out your messages and ensure that they’re sent at a time when people are more likely to read them.

10) Don’t use spammy tactics

It’s important to avoid using spammy tactics that could damage your reputation and turn people off from your products or services. This includes things like:

• Sending unsolicited emails
• Using excessive bold or all caps text
• Including too many aggressive call-to-actions
• Using false or misleading subject lines
• Including excessive amounts of links or promotions in your messages

Instead of doing these things to get cheap SaaS leads, focus on creating quality email content that provides value to the reader and is relevant to your business. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your email marketing campaigns are both effective and professional.

Email Marketing Automation for SaaS Companies

As a SaaS founder, you should know how important it is to keep your existing customers engaged. After all, customer retention is essential to the success of your business. According to a study by Bain & Company, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to 25-95% increase in profits.

 One way to keep your customers engaged with your SaaS is by leveraging email marketing and the automation capabilities that it offers. Email marketing automation can help you stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated on your latest product offerings, updates, and changes. It can also help you boost sales and increase customer loyalty.

 Here are a few tips for using an email marketing automation tool for your SaaS company:

• Use it to onboard new customers with a series of welcome emails.
• Use it to send weekly or monthly newsletters.
• Use it to announce the latest product updates and features
• Use it to send survey invitations
• Use it to announce special offers or discounts
• Use it to improve customer support and answer common questions
• Use it to share valuable information, such as blog posts, guides, and how-to’s about your SaaS

You can use email marketing automation tools are Constant Contact, Drip, and MailChimp. These tools will help you automate your email marketing campaigns and make it easier to stay in touch with your customers.

 However, a disadvantage of using email marketing tools is that it can be expensive to use some of the more popular software like the ones mentioned above. So if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to consider using a less expensive tool.

 Despite these disadvantages, email marketing automation is still one of the most effective ways to keep your customers engaged with your SaaS company. So if you’re not using it, you should definitely consider doing so.

5 Most Common SaaS Email Marketing Campaigns

Below are five of the most common SaaS email marketing campaigns that can help boost conversion and engagement rates:

1) Abandoned Cart Recovery Email

An abandoned cart recovery email is a message sent to a customer who has added items to their online shopping cart but did not complete the purchase. These emails usually contain a link back to the shopping cart so that the customer can easily finish their purchase.

Abandoned cart recovery emails can be extremely effective in increasing sales and conversion rates. According to a study by Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is 69.99%. That means that nearly 7 out of 10 people who start the checkout process don’t end up buying anything! Sending a well-crafted abandoned cart email can recover some of those lost sales and boost your bottom line.

In the SaaS world, an abandoned cart email can be used to recover a free trial that was not converted into a paying subscription. For example, if someone signs up for a free trial of your software but doesn’t upgrade to a paid plan, you can send them an abandoned cart email to try and recover the sale.

To increase the chances of recovering the sale, you can offer a discount or an incentive for completing the purchase. For example, you could offer a 10% discount for upgrading to a paid subscription within 24 hours.

 So, How can you write an effective abandoned cart recovery email? Here are some tips:

• Make it personal: Address the customer by name and include a personal message. This makes the email feel more like a friendly reminder from a friend rather than a promotional message from a store.
• Be clear about what was left behind: Include a list of the items that were left in the shopping cart so that the customer knows exactly what they need to purchase.
• Include a strong call-to-action: Use persuasive language and a clear call-to-action button to encourage the customer to complete their purchase.
• Offer an incentive: Include a coupon code, a discount, or other incentive to encourage the customer to complete their purchase or subscription to your SaaS.
• Use urgency: Create a sense of urgency by including phrases like “limited time offer” or  “act now.” This will encourage the customer to take action quickly before the offer expires.
• Make it easy to finish the purchase: Include a direct link back to the shopping cart or checkout page so that the customer can easily complete their purchase. You may also want to include your SaaS company’s contact information in case they have any questions or need help with their subscription.

2) Welcome Emails

A series of welcome emails is a great way to engage new subscribers and build relationships with them. By sending a series of emails over a period of time, you can introduce your SaaS product, share valuable information that new users  will find helpful, and build trust with your subscribers.

When creating welcome emails, it’s important to keep the following things in mind

• Don’t overload new users with too much information: Keep your welcome emails short and to the point. You don’t want to overwhelm new users with too much information about your product all at once.
• Include a CTA: Each email in your welcome series should include a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages users to take a specific action, such as signing up for a free trial or downloading a white paper.
• Make it personal: Address each subscriber by name and include a personalized message
• Focus on value: Share valuable information that will help new users get the most out of your product. Include tips, tricks, and how-to articles that new users will find helpful.
• Include additional links to your website, social media accounts, and other resources

Welcome emails are a great way to engage new subscribers and get them interested in your SaaS product. By following the tips above, you can create a series of welcome emails that will help new users get started with your product and build trust with your brand.

3) Promotional Emails

Every SaaS company needs to promote their product in order to increase growth and conversions. But how do you go about promoting your SaaS product via email without coming across as spammy or sales-y?

The answer is simple: by writing promotional emails that are both informative and interesting. Here are some tips on how to write promotional emails that will get opened and clicked:

• Keep the subject line short, sweet, and to the point.
• Write a compelling opening sentence that will pique the reader’s curiosity.
• Get straight to the point – no fluff! Promotional emails should be clear and concise.
• Use images and videos to break up the text and add visual interest.
• Use strong call-to-actions (CTAs) throughout the email, such as “Download Now,” “Sign Up Today,” or “Get Started.”
• Include a trackable link back to your website or landing page so you can measure the success of your email campaign.
• Test, test, test! Always test different subject lines, content, images, and CTAs to see what works best with your audience.

Promotional emails work best when, for instance, you decide to offer a lifetime deal, run a contest, or announce a new feature.

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be well on your way to writing promotional emails that will get opened, clicked, and converted!

4) Thank-You Emails

Sending a thank-you email is a great way to show your appreciation for someone’s business or support. But thank-you emails can also be used as an opportunity to promote your SaaS product.

5) Customer Retention Email

SaaS businesses have to work hard to earn and keep customers. That’s why customer retention is so important, and email marketing can be a powerful tool for achieving it.

There are a few different types of customer retention emails you can send, each with its own purpose. Engagement emails are designed to get customers using your product more. Reactivation emails are for those who haven’t used your product in a while and need a reminder of its value. And upgrade emails encourage customers to buy more from you.

Each type of email has its own best practices, but there are some general tips that apply to all customer retention emails. First, always make sure your emails are relevant and targeted to the recipient. No one wants to receive generic messages, so take the time to segment your list and send personalized emails.

Second, focus on the customer’s needs, not your own. Your goal should be to provide value and help the customer achieve their goals, not to sell them something.

Third, keep the content fresh and engaging. No one wants to read a dull email, so make sure your copy is lively and interesting.

Fourth, include a call to action that encourages the customer to take the next step, whether that’s visiting your site or making a purchase.

Finally, keep your emails short and to the point. No one has time to read a novel, so make sure your message is clear and concise.

By following these tips, you can craft customer retention emails that will keep your business top of mind and help you build long-lasting relationships with your customers.

Final Thoughts About SaaS Email Marketing

SaaS email marketing can be a great way to reach out to potential and current customers. As a recap, here’s the top 3 things you should keep in mind when crafting your SaaS email strategy:

First, make sure your marketing emails are personal and relevant to the email recipient. Generic emails will not engage your readers and are more likely to be ignored or deleted.

Second, don’t overdo it with the sales pitch – nobody likes feeling like they’re being constantly sold to. Instead, focus on providing valuable content that will help your reader solve a problem or learn something new.

Last but not least, always include a call-to-action so recipients know what you want them to do next. If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to successful SaaS email marketing campaigns that generate leads and boost sales.

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