Today, we have to have a very important chat because lately I’ve been seeing an increase of eCommerce store owners not utilizing email as well as they could be.
I think the main reason this is happening is because we’re all afraid to be too salesly. We don’t want to feel like we’re annoying our subscribers and always shouting buy my stuff.
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What You’re Getting Wrong About Your Emails
I’m a firm believer in non-salesy emails, I even have a podcast episode with 9 non-salesy eCommerce email ideas
Non-salesy emails can be really powerful. In fact, at my previous day job one of the highest revenue-generating emails I ever sent – other than sale emails – was a blog post email.
And I’ve repeatedly said that not every email has to be about the hard sell and that sometimes it’s just about being top of mind.
Those things are all still true. And that’s why being consistent with email is so important. If you don’t email, your people will forget about you.
But it would seem that in the attempt to create a connection and conversation with your subscribers, trying not to be too salesy, the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction.
The biggest issues I see pop up in weekly campaigns and even worse, your welcome series.
Weekly Campaigns
First, I want to give you the kick in the pants you need and the reminder that every email you send is an opportunity to make sales… but the mere act of sending an email isn’t always enough. In 99% of cases, you still need to ask for the sale.
Going back to that blog post email I sent. Interestingly, the email itself didn’t have any products in it. But the blog post I sent them to was crafted around specific products, so that is what ended up doing the selling for me.
In any non-salesy email, you still want to try and connect it back to your product whenever possible.
Does this mean you can NEVER send an email that doesn’t ask for the sale? No. But what I am seeing happen more often than not is of the 4 emails you send a month, only 1 of them will be about product is any way shape or form.
That’s where the problem lies. If anything, you need to flip that. With a max of 1 email per month having no product call to action. Even better, only 1 every other month.
And just because you’re talking about product in every email, it doesn’t have to be only about that product. It can be a story you tell that you tie your product into. It can be a behind-the-scenes of you creating your best seller and then featuring that item in the email. You can tie your product to the current astrological sun sign, go deep into the meaning of a particular gemstone you use in your jewelry, you can even just share what one of your favorite items is at the moment.
You can still provide a value-first email with your product being the secondary focus.
Over the next few weeks and especially moving into the busiest shopping season of the year, please make sure you’re being intentional about the content you’re sending and don’t forget to sell to product.
Welcome Series
I’m also seeing a lot of fluff in your welcome series. While it’s important to connect with your subscribers, and you want to tell them a bit about you, your story, and your business, you can’t let that information overshadow the amazing products that you sell and the reason why they need to buy it now.
Essentially, I’m seeing a lot of text-heavy emails with the call to action buried toward the bottom and barely visible.
The truth is, a lot of your subscribers, especially those who sign up through a pop-up form for a discount, are already likely to buy. Instead of bogging them down with a bunch of information they only sort of care about, let’s turn them into customers as quickly as possible.
The first email in your series should be 99% focused on delivering their discount and pointing them back to your website to shop.
Save the in-depth introduction to you and your brand for the second email in the series.
Now of course, there is no one size fits all welcome series. How much brand information vs. buy information is needed will depend on a few different factors.
For example:
Where did those subscribers come from? If there cold traffic from paid ads, they might need more information than someone who has been following you on Instagram.
If you have a higher priced product that requires more consideration, or for one reason or another it takes someone longer to make a buying decision – they’re gonna need more information than if you sell a candle or costume jewelry for $30.
I was actually having a conversation recently with a jewelry maker who has these super cute and fun earrings all in the 30-50 dollar range. I essentially told her, your subscribers don’t need to love you to buy your jewelry. Get them back to your website to buy as quiickly as possible.
Now, if you’re selling custom one-of-a-kind pieces for hundreds or thousands of dollars… that’s going to be a different story right? They are going to have to really trust you and the brand to make that kind of investment.
But the MOST important thing – and this is something that Katie Wight, a previous guest on the podcast said – they don’t need to know like and trust you… they need to know that you get them.
And look, it’s not to say the know, like a trust factor isn’t a thing. It definitely is. But ultimately, we’re getting so bogged down in our brand story that we’re forgetting that we need to make our customer the hero of our story… not ourselves.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you are selling a physical product… not yourself. And you need to make sure that you keep your product front and center 99% of the time. I want you to connect with and create a relationship with your email subscribers, social followers, customers, etc. But you are more than a personal brand and you have to show up like the product-based business that you are.
Now is the perfect time to get your email whipped into shape and set yourself up for the rest of the year. Making these changes shouldn’t take a ton of time and I promise it’s worth making them a priority. Honestly, email should always be a #1 priority in your business. So if that means you forego posting on Instagram for a day or two, so be it. Make the time to get it done.
Listen to the Episode
Resources
- 31. Non-Salesy eCommerce Email Ideas
- 85. Why You Might Be Doing Social Media Wrong & How to Do it Right with Katie Wight
- 143. Must-Have Email Automations
- Email Badassery: Create & Optimize a Suite of Automated Emails for eCommerce
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my eCommerce emails generating sales?
The most common reason is that too many of your emails don’t mention or link to your products at all. If only one out of four monthly emails includes a product call to action, your subscribers aren’t getting enough opportunities to buy. Flip that ratio — aim for product in every email, with a maximum of one no-product email per month.
How do I sell in my emails without being pushy?
You don’t have to make the entire email a sales pitch. Tell a story and tie your product into it, go behind the scenes on how you create a best seller, or connect a product to a seasonal theme or cultural moment. The product is the secondary focus while the email itself still leads with value.
What should the first email in my eCommerce welcome series include?
Your first welcome email should be 99% focused on delivering the discount or incentive they signed up for and pointing them straight to your website to shop. Save your brand story and personal introduction for the second email in the series.
How much brand story should I include in my welcome email series?
It depends on your price point and where subscribers came from. Cold traffic from paid ads or high-priced products that require more trust will need more brand-building content. But if you sell lower-priced impulse items like candles or costume jewelry, keep the brand info brief and get subscribers shopping as fast as possible.
How often should I send non-salesy emails to my eCommerce list?
At most once a month, and ideally only once every other month. Every email is a sales opportunity, so even your value-driven content should include a product tie-in. A blog post email, a behind-the-scenes story, or a personal favorite pick all count as non-salesy while still pointing to product.
Do my subscribers need to know my brand story before they’ll buy?
Not necessarily. What matters most is that they feel like you understand them — not that they know your entire backstory. Making the customer the hero of your messaging is more effective than leading with your own journey, especially for lower-priced products where purchase decisions happen quickly.
Should I prioritize email marketing over social media for my eCommerce store?
Yes. Email should be the number one priority in your business. If getting your email strategy in shape means skipping an Instagram post for a day or two, that’s the right trade-off. Email gives you a direct line to people who’ve already raised their hand and said they’re interested in what you sell.
