As a business owner, one of the first things you learn is your target customer. You quickly discover who buys without hesitation and who needs more convincing. Beyond that, you learn that splitting your messaging is essential. Customers who've purchased before typically love and trust your brand far more than those who haven't. Obvious, right?
We're not just running you in circles, promise. The real question is: are you actually considering how you speak to these different customers over email? Or is your message the same throughout their entire experience with your brand? Trust us, it makes a difference:
Getting a beginner's how-to on your fifth order feels redundant, and a little like the brand isn't paying attention.
Split your message by purchase stage
That's why it's critical to alter your message based on where a customer is in their journey with you. The same email shouldn't greet a first-timer and a five-time regular:
Cover the frequently asked questions new customers have about your products, and help them get started.
Thank them for returning and ask for feedback. You might even include a discount to show your appreciation.
A simple thank you and "your order's on its way." They know the drill, so don't over-explain.
It may not seem like a big change, but it tells customers you're following their journey, which is exactly how longer-term loyalty is built.
Only offer discounts when you want to
Customers are savvier than ever. Many now use your own sales strategy against you to snag a discount. Seeing more and more abandoned-cart recoveries? That's often customers waiting for the 'come back' discount so they can save. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't become the norm, and splitting by purchase history is how:
They don't know your brand yet. A nudge to earn that first order makes sense.
They already trust your products. They shouldn't need a coupon to come back.
Hand a discount to every abandoned cart and you train loyal customers to wait for one. Reserve them for the shoppers who genuinely need convincing.
Improve the relevance of your content
Splitting isn't only about purchased-or-not. You can also split by how long someone's been in your database. If a customer has already had your welcome series and a run of campaigns, you might leave them out of product-information flows, your nurture series, or highly informative sends:
It stops long-time subscribers feeling 'over-fed' information they've already seen, which is a common driver of unsubscribes and spam complaints.
The same message to everyone tells no one that you noticed them. Splitting it does.
Let's tailor your message to every stage.
Wondering how to use message splitting to improve your flows and campaigns? The Email By Design team is always here to help. Book a free consultation to find out how.
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