The end-to-end process of creating and sending marketing emails on a regular basis can be time consuming, especially if you’re creating them from scratch. The solution to this is to create several templates that cover the different types of emails that you typically send. By implementing effective email templates, you’ll be able to connect with your audience easily at all of the important moments. Typically, the emails should be automatically triggered by an action that the subscriber takes, ensuring optimal timing for the message being received.

To help you get started, here are five email marketing templates you need:

1. Welcome email

A welcome email greets a new subscriber, customer or user of an app. It’s an introduction and serves as the best opportunity to show your new subscriber what your business is all about.

This is an example of a welcome email that is successful as it is short but effective, hitting on the human side of the brand Peloton. There’s a clear call to action which prompts the subscriber to take a quiz – a fun way for the brand to understand more about it’s customers. The company could then potentially personalise future emails based on the quiz results.

2. Educational

Sending out emails that aim to educate and inform can position your business as a trusted source and thought leader. Building authority in this way is often done in the world of B2B as a way of nurturing prospective customers and building trust. The example below from Treehouse explains how to use it’s tools and offers multiple options to learn more through video content.

3. Abandoned cart email

The abandoned cart email is a staple template for online retailers as it offers another chance for the user to purchase an item that they’re already shown significant interest in. Almost 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned which is why a well put together email is critical to increasing the chances of a sale. In the email example below, Dyson makes it clear that there is an offer on the item left in the basket but that it’s for a limited time only, instilling a sense of urgency to buy. The call to action is a large button that is clear and it’s used twice within the email, making it incredibly easy for the consumer to click on.

4. Promotional email

Promotional emails utilise a worthy offer to entice the subscriber. They can be used in both B2C and B2B industries to offer a discount, sale or any other promotional offer. The offer itself is likely to need careful consideration to ensure it’s compelling and fit for your audience. It’s best to send the most relevant offers to your customers through personalisation according to their actions and the information you hold on them. Otherwise, it can be annoying, for example, when a brand sends a special offer on a product to someone who recently purchased the item at full price. The brand Headspace introduces a compelling offer, making it clear through the large headline that you can get 40% off and providing a call to action button immediately below. The language used evokes emotion and talks about the real-world effects of using the app for mental wellbeing.

5. Thank you for the download

If a customer or prospect downloads a white paper, e-book or another type of guide from your website, it’s the perfect opportunity to thank them via email. Downloadable content is often used as a lead generation tool, so if they’re a new contact for your organisation, you’re going to want to nurture them.

A follow up email serves as a way to offer up other useful content or points of interest, such as products that are relevant to the content. Offer to answer any questions the audience may have about the content that was downloaded. It’s best to send the follow up email as quickly as possible after the download has taken place whilst it’s fresh in the user’s mind. The email below gives us a great example of pointing the user to another useful resource, providing more information about the brand and also a link to the download, as well as an opportunity to connect on social media.

> To learn more about email marketing, read our blog on five tips for effective email notifications.