Dutch clothing chain Perfectly Basics is very active online. This should also include a strong email marketing strategy. And Perfectly Basics clearly thinks about what they send to their mailing lists.
Just like a physical store regularly promotes discounts, they do the same, only in email. In order to get the most out of discounts via email, you have to play by some standard rules. In this example we’ll find them all in the right way, with a good message. Let’s have a look!
1 Research shows that a sense of urgency almost always leads to a higher conversion. That’s because we are programmed to think that procrastination leads to us missing out on opportunities. It was a good idea to start with a time limit. You have 48 hours, not more, to enjoy this discount. They will definitely see an impact on their click-through rate.
2 And it’s not just some random discount. No sale where we put the ould daughters in the spotlight at a bargain price. No, it’s a ‘designer discount’; so don’t be shy to go check it out. Because it is a discount that targets your inner fashionista.
3 Clarity on the time pressure, nothing wrong with that. You can probably grasp the meaning of those 48 hours upon receipt of the email. But if you read that email a half hour or even half a day later, then that time period should be framed. Help, I’ve lost a lot of time. Respond before Monday, I have to be quick! Also, repetition is an important didactic principle. If it’s used in the classroom, why not in email marketing?
4 If you’re going to use a discount in your email message, make sure it’s worth it. Only offering 5 percent with urgency, no one is really going to hurry for that. If you’re saving a quarter of the bill, the urge to drop everything and to quickly click through suddenly becomes a lot bigger. That’s probably also the reason why the time pressure is that high: it’s only for a happy few. On the other hand this discount is important enough to, even if the time window has expired, click through out of curiosity. By the way, did you notice that they used big chocolate-like letters to graphically announce the 25% discount?
5 If there is small print – and that’s often the case with discounts – do make sure that it’s not only easy to comprehend, but that they also don’t have to look far to find it. In this email, they chose a spot close to the offer, and not at the bottom of the message. The star and the explanation stand side by side. Otherwise they first click through to notice afterwards that they missed the fine print. And you should never frustrate a contact who clicks (make that one of your commandments!)
6 Even though your subscribers know perfectly what you’re selling, it’s always better to show an example of the product you’re offering next to your discount. Recognition is one of the key elements that prompts contacts to take action. For that purpose they also exceptionally moved the logo to the bottom of this message. This discount with the corresponding model should indeed be the main focal point of this email. The model also looks happy and is looking towards the discount. That’s no coincidence either!
7 A clear CTA. People who missed that, wouldn’t respond to any CTA. Besides the discount you also get an additional offer in big letters. As an additional argument to click through, the shipping is free. The deadline is highlighted again, and at the end you can find a “buy now” tag with corresponding arrow that suggests movement. They also went for a striking color. That CTA really stands out. You can see that “standing out” doesn’t equal “loud and flashy” color. A fluorescent color wouldn’t fit here.
With these seven points, you create a powerful statement with the reader of the message. And because they really thought about the placement of every single element, you can grasp the message in a single glance. And there is hardly anything in the header. That means that the offer will almost entirely be visible in the preview panes of most email clients. For those who weren’t charmed by the offer, the e-marketer who created this message also included a secondary message. One to sharpen the fashion sense. With an equally clear button with a CTA!
