I just wrapped up a whirlwind California trip to the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium, where I was the winery email marketing expert on site. While I was there, I learned some things, met some people, reconnected with my faves, and you know what else?
I got some awesome email marketing questions asked of me in the “Ask the Experts” room (sponsored by WineGlass Marketing). Here were some of my favorite questions (and some of my favorite answers).
THE BEST QUESTIONS I WAS ASKED ABOUT WINERY EMAIL MARKETING
(and answers so you can take action, regardless of industry)
What are the most important journeys you would turn on for a business?
WELCOME. If your first impression in the inbox is an out-of-the-box double opt-in or worse, NOTHING, then you need these resources. If you have a triggered welcome email, it might be time to consider turning that into a welcome series. And from there, explore ways to nurture purchasers into loyalty or membership.
How do you feel about plain text emails?
I’m a fan of plain text emails as a way to pattern interrupt subscribers. Maybe once a quarter you inject a really simple, plain text email to the mix. You could use this for a survey email, a win-back campaign, or even just a simple thank you.
Aside from the Call to Action, what’s the most important part of an email when it comes to getting people to buy?
This is the question that inspired the title of this blog post… because my first answer was going to be “your strategy brief” but I knew the guy who asked the question really wanted to know what creative element of the email was going to inspire action. To make it actionable AND simple, the response I gave was basically, it’s the combination of your email subject line, preview text, and headline. If those three elements work well together to let your customer know what’s in it for them and how to take action, the next step is a click… and from there, the customer is one step closer to buying. Woop!
Why not just send to everybody?
You can, but you should not send the same version of a message to everybody on your list in many instances. For a wine brand specifically, your new release email could be one version for members – “your membership benefits apply” or “as a member, you’re first in line” – a second version for purchasers – “as a loyal supporter, we know you’re going to be excited about this new release” or “to save 20% on today’s purchase and even more amazing benefits, join our membership” – and yet another version for “lurkers” – “if you’ve been waiting for the perfect wine to dip your toes in the “OUR BRAND” waters, your day has arrived.
“I could go on. Do you want me to? This might be a great masterclass session or paid training as part of The Get Email Marketing Experience… you tell me. 😉
Which one is better for winery email marketing, Klaviyo or MailChimp?
Klaviyo was the buzz at DTCWS. New email marketing darling and obviously getting an investment in the wine space (there were reps from Klaviyo in attendance as well as an email marketing agency who is a certified Klaviyo partner aggressively roaming the halls), the next question was “well, is Klaviyo better than MailChimp?” I helped a winery make the transition at the end of last year and they went from NO online wine club signups to a handful a DAY thanks to some of the programming we were able to install because of the power of Klaviyo’s tools. But it isn’t for everybody, and it isn’t necessarily better than MailChimp. It’s just different. My friend Bodie from Digimatic breaks it down nicely in this article.
How many calls to action are too many?
You know this one. The strategy 1-2 punch is a philosophy I apply in email marketing, business, and in parenting sometimes, too. One goal. One measurable.
NOW, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE?
Shoot me an email at erica@ericawalterwrites.com to let me know your burning email question!