PPC ads are a vital part of any eCommerce digital marketing strategy. However, it can be disheartening to spend time and money on Google Ads, only to find they’re not generating the traffic or sales you expected them to.

If you want to see better results from your Google Ads, you need to improve your CTR (click-through rate). But first, it helps to know what a good click-through rate is so you can accurately evaluate the performance of your ads.

In this article, we’ll share what is a good CTR rate for Google Ads. Plus, if you find your Google Ads CTR to be on the low side, we’ll share tips on how to improve it.

• Google Ads Click-Through Rate Basics
• What Is a Good CTR for Google Ads?
• Factors That Affect Your Google Ad CTR
• How to Improve CTR for Google Ads
• Make the Most of Your Google Ad Traffic

Google Ads Click-Through Rate Basics

Before we find out what click-through rate you should be aiming for, let’s start with the basics.

What Is a Click-Through Rate?

Click-through rate (CTR) is simply the ratio of people who click on your Google Ad when they see it.

You can calculate your CTR by taking the number of clicks that your Google Ad gets and dividing it by the number of times your ad is shown, like this:

For example, if your ad gets 5 clicks and 100 impressions, then your CTR would be 5%.

Related Content: How to Boost the ROI of PPC Campaigns With Targeted Optins

Figuring out your CTR is important because it lets you see how well your ads are performing. If your CTR is good, it shows that your Google Ads are helpful and relevant. But, if your click-through rates are low, then your time, money, and efforts are going to waste.

Here’s how to link Google Ads to Google Analytics to track your ad campaigns better.

Your CTR will vary depending on which networks you use to place your ads. There are 2 Google networks you can use to place ads. This article is going to mostly focus on ads for the Search Network, but I’ll briefly go over both.

The Search Network

With the Search Network, your ad shows when a user searches for terms related to your keywords.

For instance, if a user searches Google for “hiking boots,” ads with those keywords will display at the top of search results with a “Sponsored” label above each one:

Click-through rates for the Search Network are typically higher because your ads are relevant to what the user is searching for.

Related Content: Remarketing Lists for Search Ads: Custom Campaigns and Tailored Bids

The Display Network

On the other hand, with the Display Network, you can show ads on websites or apps that users are browsing, like in the image below.

These Display Ads can appear on any of the millions of websites that use Google AdSense for revenue. Users might see your ad on a particular website because the content is relevant to your keywords or because you’re retargeting previous visitors to your website.

Since these users aren’t actively searching for your keywords on the web, they’re less likely to click on a Display Network ad. Therefore, CTR is generally lower for the Display Network, as you’ll see below.

Related Content: Google Display Retargeting Ads: A Budget-Friendly Google Ads Option

Now that you’re more familiar with click-through rates for Google Ads, let’s find out what a good CTR rate is.

What Is a Good CTR for Google Ads?

A good click-through rate (CTR) for Google Ads typically ranges from 7% to 9%, depending on your industry. Let’s take a closer look.

According to WordStream/LocaliQ’s 2023 Google Ads Benchmarks (PDF) report, the average click-through rate for Google search ads is 6.11% across all industries.

The current CTR for Google display ads is more difficult to find, as LocaliQ no longer tracks that metric. Their 2018 data showed an average CTR of 0.46% for Google display ads, compared to 3.17% for search ads during that same year.

We can pull 2 important conclusions from this data:

• The CTR for Google search ads has increased drastically over the last 6 years.
• The CTR for Google display ads is much lower than for search ads.

What defines a good CTR for your industry? Here’s a breakdown of search ad CTR for 23 different industries in 2023:

The average CTR varies from 4.76% for Attorneys & Legal Services all the way to 11.78% for Arts & Entertainment.

However, different studies also show very different CTR averages. For instance, 2024 data from FirstPageSage says the average CTR for a #1-ranking search ad is 2-6%. They also list the average display ad CTR as 0.089%.

So, what is a good CTR for Google Ads? It’s complicated. If your click-through rate is well below the industry average, you have plenty of room for improvement.

And, even if you’re meeting industry standards, you can still take steps to get a higher CTR to generate even more leads and sales.

Want to boost your lead generation the quick and easy way? Sign up for OptinMonster today!

Before trying to improve click-through rate, let’s talk about the factors that affect it.

Factors That Affect Your Click-Through Rate

Your click-through rate isn’t up to chance. Instead, a number of elements help determine whether your ad gets a lot of clicks or whether it’s ignored.

Here are some of the factors that can affect it:

Ad Position

When a user searches on Google for their keywords, the search results will potentially include several relevant ads at the top of each page.

Since the #1 spot is the first ad that users see, it gets the most clicks out of them all. 2024 Google Ad data from FirstPageSage shows that the higher your ad is ranked in search engine results, the higher your CTR:

Headline and Copy

Your CTR also depends on the effectiveness of the messaging in your Google Ad. Your ad headline and copy need to stand out and encourage users to click.

Related Content: 21 Viral Headline Examples and How You Can Copy Their Success

To provide an example, I did a quick Google for “bridesmaid dresses” The top-ranking ad was from the bridal apparel company Azazie:

Their headline focuses on the affordability of their bridesmaid dresses, which start at $79. The descriptive text highlights their try-before-you-buy service and the 500+ styles available. Their ad also includes a photo of one of their dresses.

When you give users solid information about why they should choose your company, they’ll be more likely to click on your ad.

Ad Relevance

Users are more likely to click on an ad that’s relevant to their search queries and interests.

If you want your ad to reach users who are interested in your products, then you need to include relevant keywords in your ad.

An ad that has the users’ relevant keywords within the headline and copy will get more clicks than a generic ad.

How to Improve Click-Through Rate for Google Ads

If your click-through rate leaves something to be desired, check out these tips for getting a high CTR for your Google Ads.

1. Include a Special Deal in Your Headline

People are drawn to great deals like moths to a flame. So, if you want to improve a low CTR, add a special deal in your headline.

For instance, check out this Google Ad from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Users will be more likely to click on this ad that offers 70% off versus a similar ad that doesn’t offer any savings.

2. Write Higher-Converting Ad Copy

Now it’s time to bust out your writing skills. You need to start writing higher-converting ad copy to improve your CTR. Thankfully, you don’t have to be an expert writer. Instead, you just need to practice these simple tips.

Add a Strong Call-to-Action

You need to persuade users to click your ad by adding strong calls-to-action (CTAs) like “Buy Now,” “Learn More,” “Get Started,” etc.

Use Power Words:

Power words like “You,” “Now,” “Best,” and “Find” are good at convincing users to engage with your business.

Solve Customers’ Problems:

Think about the user’s point of view. When they search for your keywords, what problems are they hoping to solve? Clearly state how you can solve those problems, like Neutrogena does in this Google Ad:

I got this ad after searching for “acne treatment.” The ad uses phrases like “Tackle Your Acne Concerns” and “Less Acne Marks in 1 Week” to explicitly promise to address the customer’s problems.

3. Link Ads to Relevant Landing Pages

This tip can not only boost CTR but can also improve your conversion rates after users click your ad.

When someone clicks on your Google Ad, they should be taken to a page on your website that matches what they’re looking for.

Earlier, I showed you a Google Ad from Azazie. The ad was for their bridesmaid dresses, so when I clicked the link, I was taken specifically to the bridesmaid dress section of their site:

Azazie also sells wedding dresses, shoes, accessories, and other formal apparel. But this ad was targeted to people searching for “bridesmaid dresses.” Therefore, the ad needed to link to that section of their site, rather than just their homepage.

So, make sure your Google Ad leads to a relevant landing page, sales page, or product page, so youre target audience finds the exact products they’re seeking.

4. Use Detailed Audience Targeting

If your ad isn’t being seen by your target audience, it’s not going to get any clicks. That’s why it’s important to use detailed audience targeting for your Google Ads campaigns.

Detailed audience targeting lets you be more accurate when choosing who sees your ads. With Google Ads, you can target remarketing lists, custom combination lists, life events, and interest categories.

For instance, if you want to create a Google Ad for your personal training business, you can target users who are interested in fitness.

You can dramatically increase your CTR by putting your ads in front of the users that are most likely to buy from you.

6. Take Advantage of Ad Extensions

Google Ads are quite small, which means you don’t have a lot of space to try and sell your business. But, with Ad extensions, you can increase the size of your Google Ads and give yourself more room to work with. This means you can make your ads more relevant to users, and they’ll stand out from the crowd.

There are a number of different types of Ad extensions you can take advantage of, here are a few examples:

Location Extension:

The location extension lets you add an extra line at the bottom of your Google Ad that displays your business’s physical address.

Did you knowYou can target visitors to your site using OptinMonster’s geo-location targeting feature. Our customer Skates.co.uk increased daily sales by £2000 just by using geotargeting. Check it out!

Call Extensions:

With call extensions, you can show your business phone number on your Google Ad. On mobile, users can simply click on your ad to make a call to you.

Sitelink Extensions:

Sitelink extensions let you link people to other specific pages of your website. This lets you show the user more of what you offer, making the ad more relevant to their needs.

In the Zoho ad below, the company links to pages for their Forever Free Plan, their Features, and their Integrations:

Sitelinks are a great option if there are multiple pages that are relevant to the search query.

7. A/B Test Your Ads

You may have heard about A/B testing, also known as split testing, for websites and email marketing. These tests let you try out 2 or more different versions of a webpage or email campaign to see which version performs better.

In Google Ads, split tests are called custom experiments.

With these testing features, you can determine which headlines, copy, images, and extensions get the highest CTR. Then, you can end your experiment and run the most effective version of your ad.

8. Improve Your Quality Score

In your Google Ads account, you can view the Quality Score of your ad groups. Ultimately, this score plays a huge role in how your ad ranks.

If you’ve implemented all of the tips above, you should have a solid score. However, continue to refine and tweak your ads to see if you can bring it up even more.

Make the Most of Your Google Ad Traffic

What is a good CTR for Google Ads? A good Google Ads CTR is one that matches up with your industry’s benchmarks and succeeds in driving new leads to your website.

Of course, paid ads aren’t the only way to reach your target audience. You also need to focus on your website’s SEO (search engine optimization). Here are a few resources to help:

• Beginner’s SEO Guide: Learn the Basics & Most Important Tips
• Cracking the Code: Unveiling 10 Powerful SEO Ranking Factors
• 15 SEO Tips to Boost Your Traffic & Rankings
• White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO: How to NOT do SEO

Once you have all this new traffic coming to your site, you need to take advantage of it.

OptinMonster is the best tool available to convert your website traffic into leads and sales.

With our popups, floating bars, inline forms, and other onsite marketing campaigns, you can:

• Use lead magnets to grow your email list
• Offer relevant deals and offers to each visitor with page-level targeting
• Reduce cart abandonment with Exit-Intent® popups

And that’s just the beginning!

Shockbyte doubled their sales with a single, extremely simple exit popup from OptinMonster:

And PodBike converted 18.22% of visitors into email subscribers with geotargeted campaigns.

If you want to see these kinds of results for your business, try OptinMonster!

In this article, I’ll cover the definition of transactional emails and explain how they differ from marketing emails. I’ll share examples of how and when to send transactional emails and list some the best transactional email services.

• What Is Transactional Email?
• Transactional Emails Vs. Marketing Emails: What’s the Difference
• Transactional Email Examples: 4 Common Use Cases
• How to Send Transactional Emails: Use a Transactional Email Platform

What Is Transactional Email?

A transactional email is a type of automated email triggered by a website user’s specific action. That action is usually related to a purchase, registration, or other account activity on a website or app, and the emails are usually sent in real-time. Common transactional emails include:

• Order confirmations
• Shipping updates
• Password resets
• New device login notifications
• Notices about expiring subscriptions
• Account creation confirmation
• Invoices or receipts
• Payment failure notifications

Transactional emails are a vital aspect of eCommerce. Customers expect to get immediate notifications for these important transactions, and these notifications create a seamless user experience (UX) and help build trust in your brand.

For example, here’s a transactional email I received recently. It’s an order confirmation from the Art Institute of Chicago:

The email also included a receipt of my payment and a PDF attachment of my tickets. I received this email within seconds of purchasing admission tickets on their website. The email let me know that my purchase had gone through, and it also included everything I needed to visit the museum. With this one transactional email, the Art Insitute created an easy experience for me as a first-time customer.

Transactional Emails vs. Marketing Emails: What’s the Difference?

Your inbox likely contains plenty of transactional emails like the one above. However, the same brands probably send you even more marketing emails. So what’s the difference between transactional and marketing emails? The difference lies in how they’re sent and their primary goal.

How Transactional Vs. Marketing Emails Are Sent

The first difference between transactional and marketing emails is how they’re sent.

Transactional emails, by definition, are triggered by a user’s action or by activity on their account. Once the emails and triggers are set up, the messages are sent automatically. They’re sent one at a time, and they’re personalized to each user based on their account information. For instance, they often contain the details of a recent purchase, shipment tracking codes, or order numbers.

Marketing emails, on the other hand, are scheduled by the company’s marketing team. They’re usually sent in bulk, either to entire subscriber lists or to specific email segments. Marketing emails contain messages intended for a large number people, as opposed to sending specific information to individuals.

The Primary Goals of Transactional vs. Marketing Emails

Transactional emails are information-driven. Their primary goal is to improve UX by quickly delivering important information to users.

Marketing emails, on the other hand, are promotion-driven. Their primary goal is to get recipients to take an action, such as buying a product, visiting a blog post, or registering for an event. Marketing emails almost always contain at least one clickable call-to-action (CTA).

However, you may notice that I used the term “primary goal” rather “only goal.” That’s because both marketing and transactional emails can have multiple objectives. In fact, it’s a good idea to include a promotional CTA at the bottom of some transactional emails.

To illustrate this point, I’ll share examples of 2 different emails I recently received from the skincare brand Remedy.

First, here’s a marketing email I got from Remedy:

The goal of this email is clear: To encourage me to click that “Shop Now” button to buy one of their products.

Second, here’s a transactional email that also came from Remedy:

The primary goal of this email was to let me know that my order had shipped and to provide a tracking number.

However, when I scrolled down, the email also contained promotional messaging and links:

The second half of the email encourages customers to stay engaged with the brand by reading some of their blog posts. While the email’s main purpose is the shipping notification, Remedy used the opportunity to build brand loyalty and get customers to browse their site again. Remember, you can only add this sort of message if it’s legal in your country.

In short, transactional emails are focused on providing information and are triggered automatically by a user’s action. Marketing emails are primarily promotional and are sent in bulk to encourage subscribers to take a specific action.

Transactional Email Examples: 4 Common Use Cases

1. Account Confirmation Email From HubSpot

Let’s start with the basics. This is the transactional email HubSpot uses when you sign up for their free account. It has a professional and simple design, isn’t distracting, and has one goal: to get you to confirm your email address and complete the sign-up process.

2. Password Reset Email From Slack

Slack’s transactional email, like HubSpot’s from the first example, is super simple and stripped down. This email is triggered when the user tries to reset their password. All you need to do is click Choose a new password.

3. Order Confirmation Email from Amazon

I got this order confirmation email from Amazon after I purchased a melodica for my nephew’s birthday. The email not only confirmed my purchase but also gave me an estimated day for my order to arrive.

Of course, Amazon never misses an opportunity to encourage you to shop more. The bottom of the email featured links to 2 products I had recently viewed on their site:

This Amazon order confirmation is a perfect example of how marketing messages can be included in transactional emails in the United States. Just make sure that promotional links are secondary to the email’s most important information.

4. New Device Login Notification From Etsy

Here’s an example of a more advanced transactional email. This email was triggered when I signed in to my Etsy account from a new device. To keep my account protected, Etsy immediately notified me about the login, so I could change my password if necessary.

How to Send Transactional Emails: Use a Transactional Email Platform

It may sound complicated to set up all of these different emails to send out automatically. Thankfully, there are plenty of transactional email platforms to make the process simple.

For a full list of services, along with reviews of each one, check out this article:

9 Best SMTP Services for Reliable Transactional Emails

Here are 3 quick suggestions for transactional email services:

1. SendLayer: My top recommendation if you want a dedicated service for your transactional emails.
2. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): The best choice for an email marketing platform that can also handle your transactional emails.
3. WP Mail SMTP: If your site is built on WordPress, you’ll need an SMTP plugin so your transactional emails can work properly. This one will make sure all those important messages get delivered.

Grow Your Business Today!

Transactional emails are a required part of doing business online because they’re so pivotal to the customer experience. A few well-designed emails can keep your users informed throughout the customer journey.

Of course, one of the best ways to get users to make transactions in the first place is to send marketing emails. Here are some resources to help you succeed:

• Email Marketing: The Easiest Way to Grow Your Business
• How to Get More Email Subscribers (17 Proven Tips!)
• How to Create an Email Campaign (Step-by-Step Guide + Examples)
• Email Copywriting That Sells: 17 Genius Tips to Write Better Emails

If you want to build a better email list, OptinMonster is the very best way to do it. Learn how in this video:

Ready to get started? Sign up for OptinMonster with our 14-day money-back guarantee.

Customer testimonials are a powerful tool that every marketer should have in their arsenal.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the different types of testimonials – from crafting them effectively to designing impactful testimonial pages.

• What Is a Testimonial?
• Why Customer Testimonials Are So Effective?
• How To Write a Testimonial
• Testimonial Design Best Practices
• 10 Examples of Testimonials
• How to Boost Customer Testimonials

What Is a Testimonial?

Testimonials are authentic endorsements from satisfied customers, sharing their personal experiences with a product or service. They provide valuable social proof, helping potential customers make informed decisions by showcasing the real-world benefits and outcomes achieved.

When searching for the answer, shoppers almost always turn to other shoppers. This phenomenon is known as social proof: a psychological mechanism where people tend to follow the actions and behaviors of other people in an attempt to make the “right” choices.

Why Customer Testimonials Are So Effective?

Customer testimonials work like magic for several compelling reasons, deeply rooted in psychology and consumer behavior. Here are reasons why they are so effective:

Trust and Credibility

In a world flooded with marketing messages, consumers often view testimonials as more genuine and trustworthy than traditional advertising. Hearing or reading about someone else’s positive experience with a product or service reduces doubt and builds credibility.

Social Proof

Psychologically, people tend to do what they see others doing. This concept is known as social proof. Testimonials prove that others have not only purchased your product or service but are satisfied customers, encouraging prospective customers to follow suit.

Relatability and Empathy

Testimonials often include personal stories or specific scenarios in which a product or service has made a difference. This relatability allows potential customers to see themselves in the testimonial, creating an emotional connection and making the product or service more appealing.

Risk Reduction

Purchasing a product or service often comes with perceived risk, especially in online and high-value transactions. Testimonials help mitigate this risk by assuring others who have already made the purchase and are happy with their decision.

Real-World Proof

Unlike theoretical benefits listed in a sales pitch, testimonials offer real-world proof of a product’s or service’s effectiveness. They often include practical examples of how a product has solved a problem or improved someone’s life, which is more convincing than abstract claims.

Variety of Perspectives

Testimonials can offer a range of perspectives and experiences, catering to a diverse customer base. Different testimonials (written, video, or case studies) appeal to different people, making the overall content marketing strategy more inclusive and effective.

Enhanced Engagement

Testimonials are often more engaging than standard marketing copy, especially in video or story format. They can capture attention and maintain interest more effectively, leading to higher engagement rates.

SEO Benefits

From an online marketing perspective, testimonials can improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They often include relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers might use in search queries.

Building a Community

Testimonials can contribute to a sense of community around a brand. When customers see others praising a product or service, they feel part of a group of like-minded individuals, which can foster brand loyalty.

Feedback Loop

Testimonials attract new customers and provide valuable feedback for businesses. They can highlight strengths and areas for improvement, guiding future product development and marketing strategies.

In summary, customer testimonials work like magic because they leverage trust, social proof, emotional connection, and real customers evidence to influence consumer behavior, making them a potent tool in any marketing arsenal.

How To Write a Testimonial

Here’s a guide to copywriting a testimonial that’s both impactful and genuine:

1. Be Genuine

• Authenticity is Key: Your testimonial should reflect your experience. Authentic testimonials resonate more with the audience.
• Honest Feedback: Share what you genuinely liked about the product or service. If there were any downsides, it’s okay to mention them, as this adds to the credibility.

2. Be Specific

• Detail Your Experience: Instead of vague statements like “great product,” explain what made it great. Was it the customer service, the efficiency of the product, or something else?
• Highlight Unique Features: Mention specific features or aspects of the service that stood out to you and why they were important.

3. Keep it Concise

• Brevity is Effective: A concise testimonial is more likely to be read and remembered. Aim to deliver your message in a few impactful sentences.
• Focus on Key Points: Stick to the most critical aspects of your experience. Avoid going off on tangents.

4. Personal Touch

• Share Your Story: If the product or service significantly impacted you, share that success story. Did it solve a problem for you? How did it improve your life or work?
• Relatable Scenarios: Mention specific scenarios where the product or service made a tangible difference. This helps potential customers relate to your experience.

5. Clear Endorsement

• Recommend Confidently: If you’re happy with the product or service, clarify it. A straightforward endorsement can be very persuasive.
• Why You Recommend: Briefly state why you would recommend this product or service to others. Is it because of its quality, reliability, or something else?

Example of a Well-Written Testimonial:

“I recently purchased the XYZ software, which has transformed how I manage my business. The user-friendly interface and powerful analytics tools have saved me hours of work each week. What impressed me most was the customer support team, who were always available to help with my queries. I highly recommend XYZ for any small business owner looking for an efficient and reliable management tool.”

The best testimonial is the one that is compelling because it’s genuine, specific, concise, includes the customer’s story, and ends with an explicit endorsement. Remember, a well-crafted testimonial helps others make better choices and strengthens the credibility of the product or service you endorse.

Testimonial Design Best Practices

Brands tend to display their best testimonials on the homepage. But it is also recommended to have a dedicated testimonial landing page.

Creating a testimonial landing page that effectively showcases customer endorsements requires thoughtful design. Here are some best practices to ensure your testimonial page is as impactful as the testimonials themselves:

Layout and Visuals

• Clean and Engaging Design: Opt for an uncluttered and visually appealing layout. A well-organized page helps in drawing attention to the testimonials themselves.
• Visual Hierarchy: Use design elements like font size, color, and spacing to create a hierarchy, making the most important parts (like the testimonial text) stand out.
• Consistent Theme: Ensure the design theme is consistent with the rest of your website for a cohesive user experience.

Use of Multimedia

• Diverse Formats: Incorporate a mix of text, video, and audio testimonials. Testimonial videos can be engaging, showing real people and their emotions.
• Quality Matters: Ensure that all multimedia elements are of high quality. Poor-quality images or videos can detract from the credibility of the testimonials.
• Subtitles and Transcripts: For video and audio testimonials, provide subtitles or transcripts not only for accessibility but also for those who might browse in sound-sensitive environments.

Readability

• Clear Fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read. Avoid overly stylized fonts that might be difficult to decipher.
• Contrast and Color: Ensure sufficient contrast between the text and the background. Poor contrast can make reading difficult.
• Bite-Sized Chunks: Break up longer testimonials into shorter paragraphs or bullet points for easier consumption.

Branding

• Brand Alignment: The design of your testimonial page should align with your overall brand identity. This includes using your brand’s color scheme, fonts, and tone.
• Consistent Messaging: How testimonials are presented should reflect your brand’s voice and messaging. It should be consistent across the page, whether professional, casual, or playful.
• Brand Imagery: Use elements or imagery that resonate with your brand’s ethos. This could be anything from your logo to specific graphics or icons that are part of your brand’s visual language.

Additional Tips

• Navigation and Accessibility: Ensure the testimonial page is easy to navigate and accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
• Call to Action: Consider including a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging visitors to learn more about your products or services or to submit their own testimonials.
• Regular Updates: Keep the testimonial page updated with fresh content to show that those who use your product or service are happy customers.

A well-designed testimonial page showcases customer satisfaction and reinforces your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness. By following these best practices, you can create an effective testimonial page that supports your marketing efforts and resonates with your target audience.

10 Examples of Testimonials

The following are the 10 different types of customer testimonials examples that you can use on your website:

1. Quotes
2. Social Media Posts
3. Case Studies
4. Video Testimonials
5. Interview testimonials
6. Influencer Testimonials
7. Press Reviews
8. Peer Reviews
9. Image Testimonials 
10. Blog Testimonials/Reviews

1. Quotes

Quote testimonials are the most popular form of testimonials. They’re powerful, they’re credible, and, most importantly, they’re effective.

As the name suggests, these are testimonials simply pull a quote directly from a customer.

Here’s an example of using a customer quote from one of OptinMonster’s campaigns:

This example is highly effective for 2 reasons:

• It uses a testimonial with a photo to build credibility
• It’s displayed on a popup campaign

Popups have been proven to increase conversions. Especially when you add custom triggers to the campaign to attract visitors based on their behavior.

In fact, a simple popup with an exit-intent trigger is how Crossrope increased its email list by 900%.

Adding a customer quote only increases your chances of converting your site’s traffic. If you can, add a high-quality image of the customer providing the quote.

This adds extra credibility to your campaign and will boost your conversion rates for signups, pre-orders, revenue, and more!

Want to see more conversions on your site?

2. Social Media Posts

With the popularity of social media, getting customer testimonials is extremely convenient.

All you have to do is pull screenshots from a Facebook post or a Twitter update, and you have instant proof that your customers love your products.

No one questions the authenticity of these screenshot testimonials. Many of these social media posts are public, so if someone wants to check it out for themselves, they can usually do so.

Here’s an example of a very good testimonial pulled from Facebook:

To get social media testimonials like these, keep your customers engaged with your social media accounts by posting regularly yourself, and encourage them to tell you about their experience with your products.

And instead of taking screenshots, you can keep your website automatically updated with social media testimonials using a plugin like Smash Balloon.

With Smash Balloon, you can easily create a feed of tweets that mention your account or use your branded hashtag. Or, you can embed a feed of Facebook reviews on your website.

Here’s an example of a Twitter testimonials feed:

Setting up a feed is super simple, you can design the feed to match your brand, and you can control exactly what content is displayed in your feed.

3. Case Studies

Case studies can also serve as great testimonials when you take small sections of them.

For instance, you could take a full-blown case study and break it down into brief, digestible tidbits. Then, showcase these tidbits on a product page.

You can link back to the full case study so users can conduct a further investigation if they desire.

Here is an example of a case study for one of our customers, DealDoktor:

We used the full case study as a blog post and used just a small quote from it on our Testimonials page. Then we linked back to the full case study.

Here’s what that testimonial looks like:

4. Video Testimonials

Video testimonials have quickly gained popularity in recent years, and it’s become easier than ever to create and publish videos on your website.

The great thing about video testimonials is that they really stand out and make a big impression. There’s just something about seeing a talking head and hearing an actual voice that establishes likability and trust.

Timothy Sykes features his top student front and center in a lengthy video on his “Testimonials” page:

In fact, the entire page is filled with video testimonials.

5. Interview Testimonials

Interviews are especially effective because they help to get more details about the customer experience, painting a vivid picture in the minds of your prospects.

To get a great interview, make sure you ask questions that elicit a story about how and why your customer came to buy your product.

Here are some examples of questions to ask your customer in an interview (suggested by Sean D’Souza):

• What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying this product?
• Would you recommend this product? If so, why?
• What did you find as a result of buying this product?
• Is there a specific feature you liked most about this product?
• What would be three other benefits of this product?
• Is there anything you’d like to add?

6. Influencer Testimonials

Influencer testimonials are a powerful form of endorsement, leveraging the credibility and reach of influencers to promote products or services. These testimonials are particularly effective due to the influencer’s established trust and rapport with their audience.

One example is the YouTube sensation from Karachi, Pakistan, Irfan Junejo. Irfan often uploads testimonials as reels, videos, or posts. Brands then repurpose the testimonials in their marketing collaterals.

In the video above, he can be seen talking about the pizza place Famous O’s.

People tend to place a higher value on something when an authority figure approves of it. So if one or more of your customers are well-known or authorities, make sure to feature those people on your website.

These customers could be celebrities, well-known professionals in your industry, or people who have certain qualifications that make them authorities.

On our Testimonials page, we showcase our customers Michael Stelzner, Joost de Valk, Chris Brogan, Neil Patel, and many other high-profile authorities.

If you can’t get an actual testimonial, simply drop the names of your high profile customers.

Or, display the logos of high profile companies you’ve served like Neil Patel does on his “Consulting” page:

7. Press Reviews

Press reviews are persuasive because they come from sources who are professionally qualified to speak on the topic.

For example, new restaurants often try to get reviews from local restaurant critics. Here’s an example from the LA Times:

The key to getting press reviews is making real relationships with the right people.

Press reviews aren’t easy to come by, but when you do land one, it can make your brand popular in an instant!

8. Peer Reviews

Remember what we said about how people are influenced by the behaviors of other people like them? That’s why peer reviews–especially from people who resemble your customer profile–are so powerful.

Yelp is a great place to get peer reviews. You can use a screenshot to place these reviews on your website.

But there are a lot of other review sites and apps besides just Yelp. Here are a few:

• Bazaarvoice – for any kind of product or service
• Goodsnitch – for any kind of product or service
• TripAdvisor – for hotels and restaurants
• Foursquare – for local shops and restaurants
• UrbanSpoon – for restaurants
• Chefs Feed – for restaurants
• Chekplate – for restaurants
• GoodReads – for book reviews

9. Image Testimonials

You may have seen this type of testimonial in the past, and it’s usually limited to healthcare/fitness niches. That said, you can use these if your business has any kind of “Before/After” effect on your customers.

Here’s an example from the skincare company Bioclarity:

This can be one of the most powerful types of customer testimonials. It doesn’t require any commentary from the actual customers.

Instead, the images show the radical transformation your product or services can have.

It’s like they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

10. Blog Testimonials and Reviews

Finally, you might be lucky enough to have customers write blog posts or reviews about your products.

These can be incredibly effective at showcasing your product or services from a neutral point of view. Plus, these are fairly common types of posts.

You’ll see product reviews across most websites, including our own. Here’s an example of an OptinMonster review from the WPForms blog:

These are excellent resources for sharing across social media, using for social proof in your own blog posts, sending to your mailing list, and much more.

The customer testimonial examples shared above can be used in a variety of ways. You can add them to your website, embed them in blog posts, reshare them on social media, and much more.

We highly recommend trying to get each type of customer testimonial and leveraging this social proof to grow your business faster.

Now that we’ve seen customer testimonial examples, let’s quickly look at 3 ways you can increase your testimonials/reviews.

How to Boost Customer Testimonials

1. Leverage Social Proof Notifications

If you’re serious about getting more customer testimonials, then you’ll definitely want to add social proof notifications to your website.

These are small, non-intrusive messages that show your site’s traffic how others are engaging with your brand.

As a result, your site’s visitors get hit with a dose of FOMO (“fear of missing out”), and they’re more likely to take the same actions as others.

That means you can quickly create a notification for when someone leaves a review or testimonial on your site. And this will motivate more of your customers to do the same.

But how do you create customer testimonial notifications if you’re not a professional coder?

The easiest way is with a tool like TrustPulse:

TrustPulse is the BEST social proof software on the market and the easiest way to increase customer testimonials FAST.

That’s because TrustPulse gives you everything you need to create your notifications without requiring any technical skills.

Instead, you can design these notifications to suit your exact needs. That means you can change the image, text, link, and layout of your notification to match your brand’s unique style.

Then you can create a trigger to make the notification display, like when someone leaves you a review on Google My Business or Yelp.

So let’s say you want your site’s traffic to see when someone leaves your business a review on Google.

You create your notification and sync it with your Google My Business account through the TrustPulse Zapier integration.

Then when someone leaves you a review, the following message appears on your website:

When users click on the notification, they’ll be redirected to your Google review. As a result, they’ll be more likely to leave their own customer testimonial on your behalf.

You can even tailor the message to ask customers to leave a review, depending on where they are in their customer journey.

Social proof notifications are one of the easiest ways to get more customer testimonials in less time. And TrustPulse users have been shown to see an instant boost in sales by up to 15%.

Want to see it in action for yourself? Try out TrustPulse today 100% risk-free!

2. Reward Customers for Sharing Their Experiences

Offering a discount, coupon code, or extra product as an incentive to review your business’s products is one of the most effective ways to increase the number of reviews you receive.

Add an incentive at the checkout page to get the most reviews. If you can capture customers at the moment of their purchase, your brand will be fresh on their minds, and excitement for their new product will be high.

This is the perfect time to get them talking about your business through a review.

Or you can send an email thanking customers for their purchase and offering them an exclusive discount or coupon code for writing a review on your company.

This also gives users a chance to test your product before they leave a review, which sometimes might be necessary.

That said, the longer you wait to ask for a customer testimonial, the harder it will be to get users to give you one.

3. Segment Your Emails

Audience segmentation is the process of dividing a larger group into smaller groups (or “segments”) based on their similarities.

It’s a way to organize and categorize your audience, so you can target them more easily and know the types of content that will appeal to each of those groups.

Take this example: You’re a marketing manager for a popular food company, which makes and sells orange-flavored dog biscuits. Your job is to increase the number of sales from your current customer base by getting more online reviews.

First, you want to figure out which online groups of people are most likely to buy your product—let’s call these people your “market segments.”

So how do you go about doing this?

The first thing to do is look at who you already sell to. If the customers who have given a review tend to be older than those who haven’t, you might want to create a segment of your audience who are seniors.

If another segment is more likely to buy products directly from Amazon rather than from your company’s website, there may be a significant opportunity to build sales around that group specifically and drive them back to your business.

There are many ways you can segment your audience, but the most effective method is to figure out which parts of your audience have similarities in demographics and online behavior.

This will help you to determine what content they might respond to and increase your chances of getting more customer testimonials.

Looking for even more ways to increase customer testimonials? We’ve written an ultimate guide on how to ask for a testimonial including 7 tips from industry experts as well as templates.

Remember: testimonials are critical for making sales, so don’t delay. Choose one of the types of testimonials above and implement it on your website today!

And that’s all for today. These have been 10 types of customer testimonial examples, along with 3 concrete strategies for getting more.

We hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, you’ll definitely want to check out the following:

• Best Social Proof Software to Boost Sales
• 9 Ways to Get More Product Reviews and Increase Social Proof
• 5 Reasons You Need to Invest in Case Studies Right Now

These articles will have everything you need to improve social proof on your site so you can start generating higher sales today!

Harnessing the Power of Customer Testimonials with OptinMonster

From showcasing real-life experiences to leveraging the influential power of social proof, testimonials can dramatically transform how potential customers perceive your products or services.

But how do you effectively gather, manage, and display these powerful testimonials? This is where OptinMonster steps in.

OptinMonster isn’t just about creating stunning pop-ups and engaging lead forms; it’s a comprehensive tool that can help you harness the full potential of customer testimonials.

With OptinMonster, you can easily collect testimonials through targeted, well-designed forms and pop-ups.

Imagine capturing customer feedback right at the peak of their satisfaction – OptinMonster makes this a reality. But it doesn’t stop there. You can then strategically display these testimonials on your website, using OptinMonster’s templates and customization options to ensure they align perfectly with your brand and catch your visitors’ attention.

Moreover, OptinMonster’s A/B testing feature lets you see which testimonials resonate most with your audience, helping you refine your approach for maximum impact. And with detailed analytics, you’re always in the know about how your testimonial-driven campaigns are performing.

In a world where consumers are bombarded with choices, let OptinMonster be your partner in standing out.

Start your journey with OptinMonster today and transform your customer testimonials into a powerful driver of trust, engagement, and conversions.

In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about split testing.

By the end, you will know how to run split tests to improve your marketing efforts’ returns.

Table of Contents

• What Is Split Testing?
• Why Should You Run a Split Test?
• When to Use Split Testing?
• How to Conduct Split Testing
• Best Practices for Split Testing
• Advanced Split Testing Strategies
• Best Split Testing Tools

What Is Split Testing?

Split testing, also known as A/B testing, is a data-driven marketing technique that involves creating two or more variations of a marketing asset (e.g., a webpage, email, or ad) and showing them to different segments of your audience to measure which version performs better. This method helps optimize campaigns based on real-world user behavior and preferences.

While split testing compares two different versions, multivariate testing goes a step further by examining multiple variables simultaneously. Though both methods are invaluable, split testing is often the starting point for many due to its simplicity and effectiveness.

Key Components of Split Testing

• Control Group and Variation: The original version serves as the control, while the modified version is the variation.
• Metrics: These are the success indicators, such as conversion rate or click-through rate, that you’ll use to measure the outcome.

Why Should You Run a Split Test?

Here are some benefits that stand out:

Improved User Experience: By understanding what resonates with your target audience, you can tailor experiences that meet their needs and preferences, leading to a more engaging and satisfying interaction with your brand.

Increased Conversion Rates: One of my earliest successes with split testing involved tweaking a call-to-action button on the homepage. By changing its color and text, we saw a 20% increase in sign-ups. It was a small change with a significant impact, highlighting how minor adjustments can lead to significant improvements in conversion rates.

Enhanced Content Effectiveness: Split testing can reveal what types of content your audience prefers, allowing you to produce more of what works and less of what doesn’t, thereby maximizing your content marketing efforts.

Cost Efficiency: By making data-driven decisions, you minimize the risks associated with large-scale changes, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

When to Use Split Testing?

Split testing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s most effective when used under the right circumstances. Here are scenarios where split testing shines:

• Website Redesigns: Before overhauling your entire site, test page elements individually to understand their impact on user behavior.
• Landing Page Optimization: This is where I’ve seen the most dramatic results, as even minor tweaks can significantly affect conversion rates.
• Email Marketing Campaigns: From subject lines to email layouts, split testing can help you refine your approach for better engagement.

How to Conduct Split Testing

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to conduct split testing effectively:

Step 1. Define Your Objective

Start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your split test. Objectives can range from increasing email open rates, improving click-through rates on a webpage, to boosting conversion rates on a product page. Having a clear goal helps in designing the test and measuring success.

Step 2. Identify the Variable to Test

Choose one variable to test at a time to isolate its impact on your objective. This could be anything from a headline, call to action (CTA) button color, email subject line, or image placement. Testing one variable ensures that any changes in performance can be attributed to that specific modification.

Step 3. Create the Variations

Develop two versions of your asset: the control version (A), which is the current version, and the variation (B), which includes the change you’re testing. Ensure that the variations differ only in the variable being tested to maintain the integrity of the test.

Step 4. Segment Your Audience

Divide your sample size audience randomly into two equal groups to ensure that each group is statistically similar. One group will be exposed to the control version, while the other group will see the variation. This randomization helps eliminate biases and external factors that could skew the split test results.

Step 5. Choose the Right Tool

Select a split testing tool that fits your needs. Tools like Google Optimize, Optimizely, and VWO can help you set up, run, and analyze your tests with ease. Ensure the tool you choose integrates well with your website or marketing platform.

Step 6. Run the Test

Launch your test, allowing both versions to run simultaneously for a set period or until you have collected enough data to achieve statistical significance. The duration of the test can vary depending on your website’s traffic, the size of your email list, and the expected difference in performance between the two versions.

Step 7. Analyze the Test Results

After the test is complete, analyze the data to determine which version performed better in achieving your objective. Look for statistical significance in the results to ensure that the observed differences are not due to chance. Tools typically provide this analysis, showing you which version is the winner.

Step 8. Implement and Learn

If the variation outperforms the control, consider implementing the change permanently. If there’s no significant difference or the control performs better, use the insights gained to inform future tests. Every test, whether successful or not, provides valuable information about your audience’s preferences and behavior.

Step 9. Document and Share Insights

Document the testing process, results, and insights from your split test. Sharing these findings with your team can help inform broader marketing strategies and foster a culture of data-driven decision-making.

Step 10. Iterate

Split testing is an iterative process. Based on the insights gained from one test, you can develop new hypotheses and continue testing to optimize further and improve your marketing assets.

By following these steps, you can effectively conduct split testing to make data-driven decisions that enrich your marketing efforts and improve user experience.

Best Practices for Split Testing

Keep Tests Simple: Focus on one variable at a time to clearly understand its impact. Testing multiple variables simultaneously can muddy the waters, making it difficult to pinpoint what led to changes in user behavior.

Ensure Tests Run Long Enough: Patience is key. Running a test for a sufficient duration ensures that you collect enough data to make informed decisions. A test I ran on email send times took weeks to show clear trends, but the insights gained were invaluable for optimizing our email marketing strategy.

Avoid Common Pitfalls: Changing your test mid-way or not waiting for statistical significance can lead to misleading conclusions. It’s also important to avoid testing too many variables at once, as this can complicate the analysis.

Continuous Learning: Every test, whether successful or not, is a learning opportunity. Document your findings and use them to inform future tests and strategies.

Advanced Split Testing Strategies

Advanced split testing strategies provide deeper insights into user behavior and preferences. Here’s a concise overview of some sophisticated approaches:

1. Multivariate Testing

Test multiple variables and their combinations simultaneously to understand their collective impact on user behavior. Ideal for complex pages, requiring more traffic for statistical significance.

2. Sequential Testing

Run a series of tests one after the other, using insights from one test to inform the next. This methodical approach allows for deeper optimization over time.

3. Personalization Testing

Create tailored content for different audience segments based on behavior, demographics, or past interactions. Compare personalized messages against generic versions to drive better engagement.

4. Full Funnel Testing

Examine the entire user journey from engagement to conversion. Optimize the path to purchase by testing variations across multiple touchpoints.

5. Behavioral Email Segmentation

Segment your audience based on their behavior and test different messaging for each group. This strategy enhances the effectiveness of email campaigns.

6. AI and Machine Learning

Use AI and machine learning to predict successful variations, identify testing opportunities, and automate the optimization process.

7. Cross-Channel Testing

Test messaging consistency across different marketing channels (e.g., email, social media, PPC) to understand how they work together to drive conversions.

Implementing these advanced strategies requires a clear hypothesis, sufficient website traffic or data for significance, and the right tools for analysis. Prioritize user experience to ensure testing enhances rather than detracts from user satisfaction.

Best Split Testing Tools

Here’s a list of some of the best split testing tools available, each offering unique features to suit different needs:

1. Optimizely

Features: Optimizely is one of the most popular tools for A/B testing, offering a robust platform that supports multivariate testing, personalization, and mobile app testing. It’s designed for ease of use, allowing marketers to set up and run tests without needing deep technical knowledge.

2. VWO (Visual Website Optimizer)

Features: VWO provides a comprehensive suite of testing and optimization tools, including A/B testing, split URL testing, and multivariate testing. It also offers features for visitor behavior analysis, such as heatmaps and session recordings, to inform testing strategies.

3. Unbounce

Features: Unbounce specializes in landing page optimization and offers A/B testing as part of its platform. It’s particularly useful for marketers looking to boost conversion rates on landing pages with easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality.

4. Convert

Features: Convert offers advanced A/B testing and multivariate testing capabilities, with a focus on ease of use and data privacy. It’s known for its excellent customer support and GDPR compliance, making it a good choice for businesses concerned about user privacy.

Conclusion

Mastering split testing is crucial for optimizing your strategies and improving outcomes. OptinMonster emerges as a standout tool, offering a comprehensive suite of features for conversion optimization.

It simplifies creating engaging opt-ins and conducting A/B tests, helping you make data-driven decisions to enhance user experience and boost conversion rates.

With OptinMonster, you can easily personalize your campaigns and see real results. In essence, leveraging OptinMonster’s capabilities can significantly elevate your digital marketing efforts, ensuring you stay ahead in the game.

Here’s one of our favorite split testing case study:

Social Media Examiner split tested its opt-in forms regularly to increase its subscribers by 250,000, a 66% increase in daily subscriber signups. The site continued tweaking to see what other improvements it could engineer.

Join OptinMonster today!

More on Conversion Optimization:

• The Ultimate eCommerce Optimization Guide: 13 Steps to Instantly Boost Revenue
• What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)? Complete Beginner’s Guide
• Google Analytics 101: How to Track Your Conversions (Step-by-Step)
• 31 Call to Action Examples + How To Write an Effective CTA
• 11 Best Marketing Automation Software for Small Businesses
• 12 Tips to Reduce Bounce Rate and Boost Your Conversions
• SEO Made Easy—Ultimate Guide to Explode Your Traffic

I hear you’re in the market for a new lead generation tool — bummer about the whole Amped/Mailchimp situation, huh? I totally get it; sometimes, things just don’t work out. But guess what? My team and I at OptinMonster are here to save the day!

I’m Angie Meeker, General Manager at OptinMonster. I want to personally invite you to give us a try (and give you a special offer to make that choice easier). Think of us as the place where EVERYONE is welcome—no exclusive memberships needed, and no monkeying around!

Here’s why OptinMonster is the best Amped.io alternative

Switching platforms can be a pain in the neck. We’re here to make it as easy as possible so you never have to do it again. Let me break down why OptinMonster is about to become your new best friend:

We Play Nice with Everyone

Whether you’re on WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, or any other platform (including Single Page Apps), OptinMonster just works. We even have an optional WordPress plugin, and WooCommerce, EDD, MemberPress, and WPForms integrations to help extend that functionality even more.

We Integrate With Your Existing Tools

You’ve got the freedom to mix and match your favorite tools at OptinMonster. Using Mailchimp? No problem, we integrate beautifully with it. Not using Mailchimp? Cool, we have 50+ native integrations with the most popular ESPs, CRMs, apps and plugins.

And if we haven’t already built a native integration for yours, you can use our Form Embeds, Webhooks, Zapier, or Uncanny Automator integrations to make it happen. If all of that STILL doesn’t get you there, we have a public API you can pass to your developers and let them have at it.

At OptinMonster, we believe in putting you in the driver’s seat. Unlike some platforms (wink wink), we’re all about flexibility. If you ever need to change your ESP integration or website platform, it’s just a few clicks at OptinMonster to move your campaigns… no need to recreate all of your campaigns ever again. Doesn’t that sound like a future you want to be a part of?

We Have Templates Galore (700+ and counting!)

At OptinMonster, the number of pre-designed, easily customized, high-converting templates in our Template Library simply dwarfs Amped’s. We just passed 700+ unique templates for pop ups, floating bars, slide-ins, inlines, welcome mats, spin-a-wheel campaigns, and even Link-In-Bio templates… all searchable by industry, goals and features.

And just like our integrations, if you don’t find one to suit your needs, you can always build one from scratch using our easy Drag and Drop Builder.

We‘ve Got The Behavioral Targeting That Produces Results

You probably loved Amped.io. I did, too! It was a great product built by a great team. But let’s be real—there were a few things missing, right? We have dozens of Targeting and Personalization Solutions that let you laser-focus where, when and for whom your campaigns display.

My PERSONAL favorite is our MonsterChains, which let you trigger campaigns based on how the user interacted with another specific campaign or group of campaigns – great for creating entire funnels of offers.

And other solutions like Smart Scripts, Smart Tags, and Exit-Intent® Technology extend the power of OptinMonster EVEN further.

We Can Show You The Money!

It’s not enough to know how many times your campaigns were seen and converted.

Every lead gen software does that.

That’s table stakes these days.

But not many show you the View Through and Click Through Revenue of every campaign like we do with Revenue Attribution. Making informed bottom-line decisions should always be this simple. And our Google Analytics integration will let you deep-dive into any other data you need.

We’ll Make This Easy For You

We know moving your campaigns from Amped is a chore akin to packing up the house and moving across the country to an unknown land. That’s why our Customer Success team is ready to be your moving crew. Need help recreating your campaigns? Let’s work together to get it done. We’ll have real humans standing by, M-F, 24 hours a day, by email and live chat, ready to make sure this move is a success for you.

And once you’re here, join us for our live weekly webinars to learn your way around, and get access to OptinMonster University, at no extra cost.

We’re All About Helping the Underdog: Small Businesses

Our mission here at OptinMonster is simple: to help small businesses grow and compete with the big guys.

And just like you, we’re a small business… privately owned, profitable with no desire or need to join the big guys.

So, if you’re tired of feeling like caged in with no options, come hang around with us. We’ve got your back!

I’d love to have you join our community of smart, savvy marketers who are driven to succeed and refuse to be boxed in. I’m offering a special welcome package for Amped.io users that includes a guided tour of our platform and help setting up your first campaign. 

So, what do you say? Ready to turn your marketing up a notch?

Click here to get started today using the codeAMPEDto save an additional 20% off your first year. And if you need more information before making a decision or there is anything I personally can do for you, come find me on Twitter or shoot me an email.

Looking forward to helping you crush it,

Angie Meeker
General Manager
OptinMonster

P.S. – Still not convinced OptinMonster is the best choice for you? Check out our 80+ OptinMonster case studies, complete with winning stats, detailed strategies, plus the exact templates and copy you can steal from learn from to win, and win more often!

These marketing podcasts are well-established, popular, and full of great tips and information. But more importantly, I included podcasts that approach marketing from a variety of angles. That way, you can decide which marketing podcasts will help you reach your goals and that you’ll enjoy listening to.

1. The Digital Marketing Podcast
2. Online Marketing Made Easy
3. Social Media Marketing
4. The Mindful Marketing Podcast
5. Marketing Over Coffee
6. Duct Tape Marketing
7. Perpetual Traffic
8. Marketing School

8 Best Marketing Podcasts in 2024

1. The Digital Marketing Podcast with Ciaran Rogers, Louise Crossley, and Daniel Rowles

Best for: A broad range of digital marketing topics
Average episode length: 20-30 minutes
Episode frequency: Weekly

If you want a marketing podcast that will cover everything from SEO and AI to email marketing and social media, then The Digital Marketing Podcast is a great place to start. It’s created by Target Internet, which is a hub for online digital marketing courses. You have to pay to access the courses, but the podcast is completely free. And it’s ad-free!

Here are just a few of the topics that The Digital Marketing Podcast has covered in 2024:

• Crafting Killer Titles: Hook, Rank, and Convert
• The State of Email Marketing
• How to Start a Digital Marketing Career
• Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing
• GA4 News, Tips and Tricks

This is just a glimpse of the podcast’s breadth. You can find an episode on just about any digital marketing topic, and the hosts keep the tone conversational. It’s a great podcast for anyone in the marketing field, and it offers value to beginners and seasoned experts alike.

2. Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield

Best for: How-tos and actionable tips (especially for course creators)
Average episode length: 25-50 minutes
Episode frequency: Tuesdays and Thursdays

Amy Porterfield is an entrepreneur who has built a $100 million business offering digital courses for other entrepreneurs. How has she accomplished this? By being an expert marketer and a great teacher. These attributes make Online Marketing Made Easy a can’t-miss podcast for digital marketers. Porterfield is a top-notch digital course creator, and she uses those skills to walk podcast listeners through each episode’s topic.

Online Marketing Made Easy does skew heavily toward topics related to online courses, with episodes like “How to Deliver a Digital Course Your Audience REALLY Wants.” Even though I don’t sell online courses, I still learned helpful tips about conducting market research and understanding your target audience. Plus, episodes like “How to Have Emails EVERONE Opens (Which Means MORE Money!)” are extremely helpful for any marketer. Even if you don’t plan to listen to every episode, Porterfield’s podcast is worth having in your subscription feed.

3. Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner

Best for: The latest in social media marketing
Average episode length: 45 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Thursday

Host Michael Stelzner founded Social Media Examiner way back in 2009, and he’s been a leading voice in the digital marketing industry ever since. In each episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, Stelzer interviews a marketing expert on a different social media topic. If social is a major focus of your digital marketing strategy, then this is the podcast you should be tuning in to.

Episodes include social-specific topics such as “Using LinkedIn to Increase Your Sales” and “Leverage Emotions in Your Facebook Ads for Better Results.” However, many episodes are broader. For instance, “Embracing Humor in Your Writing: The Funny Side of Business” includes tips you can apply to copywriting for any marketing channel.

4. The Mindful Marketing Podcast with Andréa Jones

Best for: Thoughtful discussions about the realities of marketing
Average episode length: 30-60 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Tuesday

The Mindful Marketing Podcast used to be called the Savvy Social Podcast. Host Andréa Jones rebranded to reflect her primary focus: the real people doing the marketing and the real people you’re marketing to.

Here’s an example: In the episode “Ignite Your Marketing Curiosity with Emily Aborn,” Aborn says that “Marketing is relationships.” Jones agrees and adds, “It’s not about trying to push something on someone. It’s about helping them in some way.” The episode goes on to provide plenty of specific tips to evoke curiosity and nurture new leads. However, the tips focus on how real people respond to marketing rather that just providing cold data.

Another episode I particularly enjoyed is “Marketing Automation Secrets from the Experts.” Jones leads a discussion with 3 different marketers, who share stories about how automation helped their business and made their lives easier. If you want to hear how real marketers reach their goals and avoid burnout, then you should be listening toThe Mindful Marketing Podcast.

5. Marketing Over Coffee with John J. Wall & Christopther S. Penn

Best for: Laid-back rundown on the latest in marketing, plus expert guests
Average episode length: 20-30 minutes
Episode frequency: Every Thursday

Listening to Marketing Over Coffee feels like chatting with friends. That is, if your friends were marketing gurus who sometimes brought other experts with them to your coffee meet-up. Not only will you learn a ton of great information, but you’ll also enjoy it, as the hosts maintain a friendly, casual tone and an easy-to-follow pace.

Wall and Penn cover old-school marketing topics, along with the latest marketing tech. For example, one recent episode features Katie Robbert, CEO of Trust Insights, a data and analytics company. Robbert discusses the very traditional marketing topic of creating ideal customer profiles. However, she also shares how her company built a large language model (LLM) to help clients automate and improve the process. That intersection of old and new is common in Marketing Over Coffee.

6. Duct Tape Marketing with John Jantsch

Best for: Expert insights into running and marketing a small business
Average episode length: 10-25 minutes
Episode frequency: Wednesdays and Thursdays

John Jantsch has been advising small and medium-sized businesses for 30 years, and he’s hosted Duct Tape Marketing since 2005. In each episode, he interviews a marketer or entreprenuer on a different helpful topic. For example, in “How to Master Product Launches,” Jantsch interviews Jeff Walker, the author of the book Launch. Walker discusses his recently revised edition of the book and the changes he’s made to his product launch formula.

Jantsch asks interesting questions to make the most of his interviews. In the “Marketing for Supervillains” episode, Jessee Wroblewski encourages small business to see themselves as supervillains who need to differentiate themselves from the big-business superheroes. Jantsch helps Wroblewski connect his ideas to real-life brand examples for the audience. Episodes like this make Duct Tape Marketing one of the best marketing podcasts for small businesses.

7. Perpetual Traffic with Ralph Burns & Lauren Petrullo

Best for: Lead generation strategies, especially through paid traffic
Average episode length: 30-60 minutes
Episode frequency: Tuesdays and Fridays

The hosts of Perpetual Traffic are founders and CEOs of their own marketing agencies. That means they’ve helped a wide variety of clients improve their marketing, and they share that expertise in each episode. Perpetual Traffic focuses specifically on lead generation. While this is a narrower topic than many marketing podcasts, it’s an absolutely universal one. They also regularly interview expert guests.

I particularly like Perpetual Traffic‘s focus on strategy and outcomes over vanity metrics. For example, one recent episode is called “How to Hire a Bouncer For Your CRM & Make More Money (Not Get More Leads).” That may sound counterintuitive for a lead generation podcast. However, the episode helps you learn how to make sure your leads are high quality, and it gives tips on filtering out leads who will never buy from you. Burns and Petrullo’s advice keeps businesses from wasting time and money trying to market to bad leads.

8. Marketing School with Neil Patel & Eric Siu

Best for: Brief discussions on the very latest in digital marketing, SEO, and AI.
Average episode length: 15-20 minutes
Episode frequency: Almost daily

Neil Patel and Eric Siu are big names in digital marketing. They publish on a near-daily schedule, and each episode covers a few precise topics. Marketing School‘s quick production schedule means you get insights on the most important things happening right now in digital marketing.

I’ve noticed one major flaw in Marketing School‘s approach: the hosts often focus on flash-in-the-pan controversies and their personal opinions on them. This can feel a bit indulgent and isn’t helpful to listeners who want actionable marketing tips. I suggest looking through each week’s episodes to see if any topics are relevant to your business, rather than listening to each daily episode in its entirety. Regardless, Marketing School is the go-to podcast when you want immediate analysis of the latest digital marketing news.

Learn Even More About Marketing

The best marketing podcasts are easy to listen to, cover the topics you want to learn about, and help you improve your marketing strategy. While there are plenty more great options out there, these 8 marketing podcasts are a great place to start.

Of course, podcasts aren’t the only way to learn about digital marketing. Here at OptinMonster, our blog and email newsletter provide helpful marketing tips to help you get more traffic, leads, and sales.

Here are just a few of our posts that will help you nail your marketing strategy and grow your business:

• Ultimate Beginner’s Content Marketing Guide
• 8 Digital Marketing Best Practices
• SEO Ranking Factors: 10 Factors to Help You Rank in Search
• 11 Proven Ways to Generate Organic Leads and Increase Traffic
• Make Your Site POP: 11+ Website Popup Examples to Boost Conversions

If you’re already driving traffic to your website, the next step in your marketing plan is to convert those visitors into subscribers and customers. OptinMonster is the best lead generation software on the market, helping you grow your email list and move leads through the customer journey.

Using OptinMonster, Storyly increased conversions by 80% and grew their email list by 45%! Find out how in our Storyly case study.

When you’re ready to see those kinds of results, give OptinMonster a try, with our 14-day money-back guarantee.

This comprehensive guide will cover the 14 most important steps of a successful product launch plan. I’ll walk you through each stage, including steps like market research, product marketing, and post-launch analysis.

Whether you’re starting a brand new business or adding to your existing product line, this product launch checklist provides a clear path to success.

• What Is a Product Launch?
• Importance of Having a Product Launch Strategy
• Product Launch Checklist: 14 Steps to Successfully Launch a New Product
  • Pre-Launch Stage
  • Launch Stage
  • Post-Launch Stage

What Is a Product Launch?

A product launch is the introduction of a new product into the market. It involves strategic planning to fine-tune your messaging, gain maximum visibility, and build excitement among the target audience. A successful product launch drives initial sales, creates brand momentum, and sets the foundation for long-term success.

Overview of Product Launch Stages

To create a comprehensive product launch plan, you need to understand the 3 basic stages involved:

1. Pre-Launch: This stage involves market research, product development, and creating a launch strategy. Activities include identifying the target audience, setting goals, building buzz through marketing campaigns, and ensuring that all technical and operational aspects are in place.
2. Launch: The launch phase is when the product is officially introduced to the market. It includes executing marketing campaigns, engaging with potential customers, and monitoring the initial response. This stage builds brand awareness and generates sales momentum.
3. Post-Launch: After the product is launched, the focus shifts to customer feedback, analyzing performance metrics, and making necessary adjustments.

Importance of Having a Product Launch Strategy

When starting an online business, you don’t just make it up as you go along. Instead, you create an eCommerce business plan, as well as a digital marketing plan. You need a similar plan every time you launch a new product.

It’s not enough to simply create a great product. You have to introduce it to the market in a way that captures attention, generates interest, and drives sales. Without a clear strategy, even the most innovative products can fail to gain traction.

Successful Product Launch Example: Golden Monkey Gummies

For an example of a successful product launch, let’s look at NielsenIQ’s case study on Golden Monkey, a candy manufacturer. Using extensive market research, Golden Monkey decided to launch a new gummy candy product. Their team spent months identifying a target audience, developing the product, and planning a marketing strategy.

All this work paid off at launch time:

Over the course of six months, the 30-year-old manufacturer was able to identify a growth opportunity, develop a new product, and enter a new market. And the success of the new Gummy product was clear from the get-go, eventually achieving $1.4 million in sales in the first month after launch.

In short, if you want your new product to be profitable, you have to invest in research and planning well before your launch.

Benefits of a Strategic Product Launch

A strategic product launch offers numerous benefits, including:

• Increased visibility: A well-executed launch can create buzz around your product, ensuring it reaches a wide audience.
• Customer engagement: By engaging with your target audience through marketing campaigns, you create excitement for your product release, leading to higher conversion rates.
• Competitive advantage: A clear strategy lets you position your product effectively in the market. You can differentiate it from competitors and highlight its unique value proposition.
• Measurable goals: Your product launch strategy should be based on research and include measurable goals. That way, you can track your progress and make adjustments along the way.

Product Launch Checklist: 14 Steps to Successfully Launch a New Product

Now, I’m going to share the 14 steps involved in launching a product. Of course, every business and product is different, but this checklist will provide a basic template for your product launch strategy. I’ve separated the steps for the 3 stages of launching a product.

Pre-Launch Stage

1. Conduct Market Research & Product Testing
   • Identify Target Audience: Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups to define and understand your target market. This process will help you create buyer personas.
   • Analyze Competitors: Review competitor products and strategies to identify gaps and opportunities.
   • Validate Product-Market Fit: Test your product concept with potential customers to ensure it meets their needs.
     
2. Develop Marketing Messaging & Branding
   • Unique Value Proposition (UVP): Clearly articulate the unique benefits and value your product offers. Need some help? Check out our guide to writing value propositions.
   • Key Messaging: Develop consistent messaging that resonates with your target audience across all channels.
   • Branding Elements: Finalize product name, logo, and branding guidelines.
     
3. Define Goals & Success Metrics
   • Outcomes: Set goals for benchmarks such as marketing reach, pre-orders, and sales.
   • KPIs & Metrics: Define the key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ll track to measure the success of each launch stage. These could include web traffic, social media engagement, email list growth, revenue, and more.
     
4. Develop a Launch Timeline
   • Set Key Milestones: Outline major activities and deadlines leading up to the launch, including content creation, marketing campaigns, and internal training.
   • Assign Responsibilities: Designate team members for each task to ensure accountability and smooth execution.
     
5. Create Marketing Content
   • Website Popups: Use OptinMonster to create popups, floating bars, and other onsite campaigns to announce your new product to website visitors.
   • Landing Pages: Develop optimized landing pages with clear calls-to-action (CTAs). If you’re new to landing pages, check out our landing page how-to guide.
   • Email Campaigns: Draft and schedule pre-launch email campaigns to build anticipation. Email marketing is one of your most powerful tools for product promotion.
   • Blog Posts: Write announcement posts as part of your larger content marketing strategy.
   • Social Media Posts: Prepare posts for all of your social channels.
   • Videos: Create video announcements, tutorials, how-tos, and testimonials. Learn tips on creating videos in our complete video marketing guide.
   • Public Relations Assets: Create press releases and media kits to send to journalists and influencers.
     
6. Prepare Sales & Customer Support Teams
   • Training Sessions: Educate your sales and support teams on the product’s features, benefits, and key messaging.
   • Internal Documentation: Provide teams with detailed product guides and FAQs.
     
7. Generate Pre-Launch Leads
   • Grow Your Email List: Use website popups and special offers to grow your email list ahead of your product announcement.
   • Offer Early Access to Subscribers: Build excitement and FOMO (fear of missing out) by letting customers sign up for exclusive early access to your new product.

Need some help generating new leads for your product launch?

OptinMonster is the #1 tool for turning your website visitors into email subscribers and customers. You can use OptinMonster’s popups, floating bars, slide-in scroll boxes, and other campaigns to build excitement for your new product. You can even add features like countdown timers and coupon wheels to increase engagement.

OptinMonster has 700+ premade templates, which you can customize in our easy drag-and-drop builder. Here’s our basic product launch template, which you can edit to fit your product announcement:

Visitors who click the “Yes! I want early access” button will be prompted to enter their email address. Then, you can continue marketing to that new lead with your promotional email campaigns.

Launch Stage

8. Execute Marketing Campaigns
   • Email Blast: Send out launch announcement emails to your entire list.
   • Social Media Blitz: Launch coordinated social media campaigns across all platforms.
   • Paid Advertising: Place targeted ads on Google, social media, and relevant websites.
   • Influencer & Partner Promotions: Collaborate with influencers and partners to promote the product.
     
9. Engage With Media
   • Press Release Distribution: Send out your press release to media outlets and industry publications.
   • Media Interviews: Schedule interviews or guest appearances on relevant podcasts, webinars, or blogs.
     
10. Monitor & Respond to Customer Feedback
    • Social Listening: Monitor social media channels for customer reactions and feedback. The best social media management tools will make it easy to see what people are saying about your product.
    • Customer Support: Keep track of any questions and problems that come through to your customer support team.
    • Collect Customer Feedback: Ask customers to rate and review your new product. You can also use your website to collect customer feedback.

OptinMonster can help you with feedback collection. We offer multiple templates for customer feedback surveys, such as this one:

11. Track Early Performance
    • Real-Time Analytics: Monitor KPIs like website traffic, conversion rates, and sales figures.
    • Adjust Strategies: Be prepared to tweak marketing tactics based on initial performance data.

Post-Launch Stage

12. Evaluate Performance
    • KPI Assessment: Compare actual performance against your initial goals and KPIs.
    • Customer Feedback: Compile and analyze your customer surveys.
    • Sales & Support Processes: Identify any areas for improvement.
      
13. Continue Marketing & Engaging
    • Content Marketing: Continue publishing blog posts, videos, and case studies to maintain momentum.
    • Email Nurturing: Keep marketing to your email list to move subscribers through the customer journey.
    • Social Media Engagement: Keep the conversation going on social media with updates, user-generated content, and customer testimonials.
    • Special Offers on Your Website: Many website visitors won’t make a purchase the first time they visit. Use OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® Technology to show a special offer to visitors who abandon their online cart. You can also use OnSite Retargeting® to show new offers to returning visitors.

Here’s an example of an Exit-Intent® popup we’ve used on our own site:

OptinMonster’s Page-Level Targeting lets you show a cart abandonment popup just to visitors who exit your site from a cart or checkout page. Alternatively, you could also target a popup to visitors exiting from the product page for your newly-launched product. These visitors have shown a high level of interest in your product. A special discount might be enough to win that sale.

14. Plan for Future Launches
    • Post-Mortem Analysis: Conduct a detailed review meeting with your team to discuss what went well and what could be improved.
    • Document Findings: Compile insights and lessons learned into a report to guide future launches.
    • Plan Next Product Updates or Launches: Use your launch data to optimize the next phase of product development and marketing efforts.

Create a Product Launch Plan & Grow Your Business!

If you follow this 14-step product launch guide, you’ll be on the right track to meeting your business’s goals for your new product.

Want to learn even more about promoting new and existing products? Here are a few resources:

• Product Promotion: How to Market a Product to Get More Sales
• How to Market a Digital Product: 11 Proven Strategies
• WordPress Coming Soon Pages: Examples & How to Make One
• 17 Ingredients for High-Converting Product Pages

No matter what kind of product you’re launching, OptinMonster can help you convert more of your website visitors into customers. There’s no better way to build your email list, offer exclusive discounts, and build excitement for your new product.

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

Email marketing is a great way to share your brand’s message, connect with your customers, and turn leads into subscribers. But, it can be hard to keep coming up with fresh, exciting email content ideas for newsletter regularly.

Plus, after working hard to grow your email list, it can be disappointing and frustrating when your subscribers aren’t interacting with the email newsletters you are sending.

So, what to include in a newsletter? Don’t worry, as we’re here to help.

This article will share 29 newsletter ideas to keep subscribers engaged. With these newsletter topics and ideas, you can keep your newsletter content strategy exciting, and your subscribers will love seeing your new messages in their inboxes.

What Is an Email Newsletter?

Why Are Email Newsletters Important?

How To Write a Newsletter That Performs?

29 Engaging Newsletter Ideas

• Helpful Newsletter Ideas
• Promotional Newsletter Ideas
• Newsletters Ideas For Events
• Business Newsletter Ideas
• Interactive Newsletter Ideas
• Fun Newsletter Ideas

But before we jump to our list of newsletter ideas, let’s also uncover what an email newsletter is, its importance, and the best practices for writing one.

What Is an Email Newsletter?

An email newsletter is a regular email sent out to a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive updates, promotions, or other content from a particular individual or organization.

Email newsletters are typically sent out daily, weekly, or monthly. They include different newsletter ideas, such as news, articles, promotions, event announcements, and other updates related to the topic of interest.

They help build relationships with subscribers, share information about products or services, promote a brand, and engage with an audience.

Why Are Email Newsletters Important?

There are several reasons why email newsletters are so valuable:

Direct communication: Email newsletters allow businesses to communicate directly with their subscribers without the distractions and limitations of other marketing channels. This enables them to share news, promotions, and other updates with a receptive and interested audience and to build a loyal following of engaged subscribers.

Relationship building: By providing valuable information and keeping subscribers informed, email newsletters can help to build trust, establish authority, and strengthen relationships between business owners and their audience. This can increase loyalty, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Brand awareness: Email newsletters provide a valuable opportunity to promote your brand and raise awareness of your products or services. You can encourage subscribers to engage with your brand and share your newsletter content with their networks by featuring new products, promotions, and other updates.

Data collection: Email newsletters provide an effective means of collecting valuable data about your subscribers, including their interests, preferences, and behavior. This information can be used to refine your marketing strategy, improve your products or services, and better understand your target audience.

Overall, email newsletters are a powerful tool for connecting with your target audience, building your brand, and achieving your marketing goals.

By providing valuable newsletter content, promoting engagement, and building lasting relationships with your subscribers, you can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry and achieve long-term success.

How To Write a Newsletter That Performs?

To write a newsletter that gets opened and read, there are several best practices you can follow:

• Define your audience: Know your target audience and write for them. Tailor your newsletter ideas to their interests and needs.
• Choose a catchy subject line: Your subject line should grab the attention of your subscribers and make them want to open your newsletter.
• Keep it short and sweet: Keep your newsletter short. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and visuals to break up the text and make it easy to read.
• Provide valuable content: Offer your subscribers something of value, whether it’s news, insights, tips, or promotions. Make sure the newsletter content is relevant, engaging, and informative.
• Include a call-to-action: Encourage your subscribers to take action, whether visiting your website, making a purchase, or sharing your newsletter articles.
• Personalize your message: Use the recipient’s name, include personalized recommendations based on their interests, or tailor your newsletter content ideas to their location.
• Optimize for mobile devices: Make sure your newsletter is optimized for mobile devices, as over half of all emails are opened on mobile devices.
• A/B Test and analyze: Test different subject lines, layouts, and newsletter ideas to see what works best for your audience. Use data to analyze open and click-through rates and adjust as needed.
• By following these best practices, you can write a newsletter that captures the attention of your subscribers, provides value, and encourages engagement.

29 Engaging Newsletter Ideas

We have divided our list of 29 newsletter ideas into six categories to make it easier for our readers to navigate and find the content that is most relevant to their interests.

By organizing our newsletter ideas into these categories, we can ensure that our newsletter delivers diverse content that appeals to our entire audience.

Helpful Newsletter Ideas

• How-To Guides
• Share Blog Posts
• Create Blog Post Roundups
• Share Your YouTube Videos
• Share Templates
• Share Infographics

The best way to keep your subscribers around is by sending them newsletters that help them solve problems.

Let’s take a look at some ideas for newsletter that will help you bring value to your subscribers and let you promote your helpful content at the same time.

1. How-To Guides

Offer your subscribers step-by-step instructions on how to use your product or how to get something done by creating newsletters with how-to guides.

For example, Design Files sent this step-by-step video tutorial to their subscribers:

Creating a detailed video tutorial isn’t necessary for all businesses though.

For instance, if you make handmade scarves, you can show your subscribers ten different ways to wear them with photos. Or, if you’re a writing coach, you can create a text-based list that includes tips to help your subscribers improve their writing skills.

With how-to guides and tutorials, you can solve the biggest pain points of your target audience and easily demonstrate the value of your product/service.

2. Share Blog Posts

Want to get a lot of eyes on your latest blog post? Attaching them to your newsletter is a great email content idea.

Instead of waiting for your audience to check out your newest post, you can get them excited and drive traffic to your site by sharing it in a newsletter, as the blog Easy Cheesy Vegetarian does below:

Remember to encourage your subscribers to share the post on social media and make it easy for them by including share buttons in your newsletter.

3. Create Blog Post Roundups

Aside from sharing your latest blog posts one at a time, you can also create blog post roundups.

A blog post roundup offers your readers several of your company’s best blog posts. For example, you can create a blog post roundup of your most popular blog posts or pull together a best-of-the-best roundup of blogs on a particular topic.

This is the perfect way to introduce your new subscribers to some of your older blog posts.

4. Share Your YouTube Videos

Do you have a YouTube channel for your business? If you do, start sharing your YouTube videos in your newsletter.

Videos are super engaging. In fact, including a video in an email can lead to open rate increases of 6%!

It’s important to remember that your YouTube video will not necessarily play right inside an email. Email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and others don’t have the technical requirements to make that happen.

So, it’s best to add a static image of your YouTube video with a “play button” over the top and link the image to your video hosted on YouTube. That way, when subscribers click the play button on the image, it will open up the video on YouTube.

Here’s how Patagonia does it:

An obvious added bonus of sharing your videos with your newsletter subscribers is that it will help you get more YouTube subscribers and more views!

5. Share Templates

Offer your subscribers downloadable templates to help them with personal or professional tasks.

Whether it’s a planning calendar, a budget sheet, a workout plan, or a design template, providing something of tangible value can significantly boost engagement.

6. Share Infographics

Share visually appealing infographics that break complex information into easily digestible visual content.

Infographics can be about industry trends, how-to guides, statistical data, or any topic that your subscribers might find interesting.

Promotional Newsletter Ideas

• New Product Announcements
• Coupons and Promotions
• Gift Guides
• Refer-a-Friend Program
• Case Studies and Testimonials
• Show Off User-Generated Content

According to MarketingSherpa, about 60% of consumers subscribe to a brand’s list to get promotional messages. So, there’s nothing wrong with sending promotional emails to your subscribers occasionally.

Let’s dive into some promotional newsletter ideas that will generate sales

7. New Product Announcements

Before releasing a new product, you must excite your audience. One way to do that is by sending them a new product announcement newsletter.

In the newsletter, you can inform your audience about your new product and what day it’s being released.

A newsletter announcing your new product will create a buzz, and your subscribers will line up on launch day to purchase it.

8. Coupons and Promotions

Everyone loves a good deal, so your subscribers are sure to enjoy getting emails from you that contain awesome coupons and promotions.

To increase conversions, create urgency with limited-time offers. For example, take a look at this eye-catching 8-hour sale email from Virgin Airlines:

A limited-time offer like this will create a sense of urgency and have your customers rushing to the checkout.

You can increase urgency by adding a countdown timer to your newsletter to show the minutes ticking by.

Pair that with an OptinMonster sales countdown timer popup on your website, and your sales will skyrocket.

9. Gift Guides

For eCommerce businesses, gift guides are an excellent newsletter idea to promote your products and generate more sales around the holidays.

Plus, they help your customers finish their holiday shopping quickly and easily.

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to create a gift guide.

You can create gift guides for any occasion; Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Back-to-School, and so on.

10. Refer-a-Friend Program

Creating a refer-a-friend is another great newsletter idea, asking loyal subscribers to recommend your business to their family and friends.

You can have your subscribers forward the email to their contacts. Then, if someone signs up for your email list, you can reward the original subscriber with a special discount.

This is a great way to grow your email list and introduce your business to new, potential customers.

11. Case Studies and Testimonials

Case studies and testimonials act as social proof for your business. When a subscriber reads about a success story from one of your happy customers, it encourages them to become a customer too.

Social proof statistics show that 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and 70% will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.

So, craft newsletters to show off your business’ case studies, testimonials, and reviews like Eight Sleep does below:

12. Show Off User-Generated Content

Another effective form of social proof is user-generated content. User-generated content is any content, like images or videos, created by users and shared on online platforms like social media.

Businesses typically repost user-generated content on their social media feeds, but they can also serve as an excellent newsletter idea.

Here’s how Glossier did it:

Creating a newsletter to showcase user-generated content will show your subscribers how many loyal fans your business has and will help you boost sales too.

Newsletters Ideas For Events

• Event Invitations
• Event Recaps
• Webinars

Do you have an upcoming event you want to promote? Send a newsletter!

Take a look at these awesome newsletter ideas for events.

13. Event Invitations

Everyone loves getting a personal invitation to an exciting event.

So, if your business is holding an event for your customers and subscribers, send them an email invite.

Check out this gorgeous email invitation for a Loeffler Randall X Jenni Kayne pop-up shop:

Sending an email invite is a great way to remind subscribers about upcoming events and get a lot of attendees.

14. Event Recaps

You can also create event recap newsletters. Event recap newsletters let subscribers who couldn’t attend the event find out what happened: what was talked about, who attended, how much money was raised, and even what was on the menu.

This helps everyone feel included even though they couldn’t be there.

But event recaps can also help inspire FOMO (the fear of missing out) in your subscribers. When your newsletter subscribers see what they missed out on, they’ll be sure to RSVP for the next event.

15. Webinars

Webinar marketing is an effective lead generation strategy. With a webinar, you can provide free, valuable information to your target audience and turn them into email subscribers and, eventually, customers.

To promote your upcoming webinar, send an email about it to your newsletter subscribers.

Like in this webinar email from Mintel, be sure to provide the date and time of your webinar, details about what attendees can learn, and a link where they can register.

Business Newsletter Ideas

• Share Your Company Story
• Behind-The-Scenes Tour
• Employee of the Month
• Job Postings
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Industry News
• Interview an Expert

Use your newsletters to keep your audience up-to-date with what’s going on in your business.

Check out these business information newsletter ideas you can send subscribers to educate them about your business and brand.

16. Share Your Company Story

To connect with your audience and let them get to know the person behind the brand, share your company story.

This email newsletter example from CharityWater.org tells how their non-profit organization started with a little idea among friends and how it grew into what it is today.

A personal, relatable story like this helps readers connect to the organization more meaningfully.

This newsletter idea doesn’t only work for non-profits. You can share the story of how your business started and why you do what you do to connect with your subscribers.

When your subscribers get to know the person behind the brand, they’ll be more invested in the emails you send them.

17. Behind-The-Scenes Tour

Make your newsletter subscribers and your customers feel like VIPs by giving them a glimpse behind-the-scenes of your company.

Lush is famous for taking their audience behind the scenes of their company. In their behind-the-scenes videos, people can see exactly how their bath bombs, soaps, and body washes are made.

If you don’t create a product, your business can give your subscribers a tour of your office space or take them behind the scenes of a photo shoot.

18. Employee of the Month

Let your newsletter subscribers get to know the incredible people working at your company by sending an “Employee of the Month” email.

With your employee of the month, you can include a photo of the employee, their name, job title, and a brief description of them, what they do, and what makes them so great.

When your subscribers feel connected to your and your employees, it increases brand loyalty.

19. Job Postings

Is your business hiring? Let your newsletter subscribers know!

Here’s how the Pemberton & District Public Library lets its audience know they’re hiring:

You never know if one of your loyal subscribers could become your newest employee. Or, they could pass the opportunity along to one of their talented family members or friends.

20. Frequently Asked Questions

You can also use your newsletter to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). This is an easy way to help your subscribers learn more about your business.

Not sure what FAQs to answer?

Ask your customer support or sales team which questions they receive the most. That way, you can make sure your newsletter’s FAQs are relevant to your readers.

21. Industry News

Instead of only sharing news about your company in your newsletter, consider sharing news about your industry.

This won’t work for every business. For instance, if you own a pizza restaurant, your customers likely won’t be interested in hearing the news about the restaurant industry.

But, if your company is a B2B (business-to-business) digital marketing agency, your subscribers will be interested in digital marketing news. So, you can share the latest industry trends or news with them to keep them informed and up-to-date.

22. Interview an Expert

Another way to create an interesting newsletter for your subscribers is by interviewing an expert.

You can interview an important industry figure or someone on your company’s team.

You can also interview people your subscribers will relate to, like their peers. For example, Interface Lover, a magazine for creative professionals, regularly interviews designers that their readers can be inspired by.

To get the most engagement, provide a video of the interview in your newsletter and a link to a blog post with the full transcript.

Interactive Newsletter Ideas

• Ask for Feedback
• Run a Giveaway
• Quizzes

Have you ever heard of interactive content? Interactive content refers to content that lets the audience actively participate. So, users can click around and perform actions instead of passively reading or watching.

Here are some interactive newsletter content ideas you can use.

23. Ask for Feedback

People love sharing their thoughts and opinions. And interactive content like a poll or a survey does wonders for boosting engagement.

So, to keep subscribers engaged, ask them for their feedback with a survey!

Here’s how Lyft does it:

This triggered email asks customers to provide Lyft with feedback about the ride they’ve just taken.

Sending a triggered email survey right after a customer’s experience with your company is an effective way to gather feedback because the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind, making them more likely to take a few minutes to answer some questions.

Aside from triggered email surveys, you can also send out a survey periodically to get your customers’ opinions on your product or service.

You can easily create a survey using a tool like WPForms.

With WPForm’s drag-and-drop form builder, you can create a survey that fits your needs in minutes and embed it on a page, in a post, or to any part of your WordPress website.

Then, send an email to your subscribers asking them for their feedback and include a link to the survey.

Asking your subscribers for feedback is a great way to keep them engaged, but you can also gather valuable insights that will help you grow your business and keep your customers happy.

24. Run a Giveaway

Running a giveaway is another awesome way to keep subscribers engaged. Giveaways also help you drive more traffic to your site, grow your social media following, increase brand awareness, and more.

Giveaways work so well because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love winning a fabulous prize?

At OptinMonster, we recently ran a giveaway for a Macbook Pro that received over 60,000 entries!

Here’s the giveaway email we sent out:

When readers clicked on the green call-to-action in the email, they were sent to a distraction-free giveaway landing page we could easily create with the best WordPress giveaway and contest plugin, RafflePress.

Plus, using RafflePress, you can offer extra entries to users for completing bonus actions.

To enter your contest, you can ask your subscribers to follow you on Twitter or Pinterest, watch a YouTube video, share one of your Facebook posts, or visit a particular page on your website, all of which will help you keep your subscribers engaged.

25. Quizzes

Quizzes are super fun, and people love them. Just look at the success of the Buzzfeed website. Their silly quizzes, like “Build a sandwich, and we’ll tell you how old you are,” get a ton of engagement online.

Email content ideas of a newsletter with a quiz in it can get a similar amount of engagement.

But for the best results, instead of creating a silly Buzzfeed-esque quiz, create a quiz for your subscribers that’s relevant to them and your business.

Fun Newsletter Ideas

• Holiday Greetings
• Share Your Recommendations
• Inspirational Quotes
• Pet Pictures

Lastly, having a little fun with your email newsletters is important. So, let’s look at some “just for fun” ideas for newsletter.

26. Holiday Greetings

Bring your newsletter subscribers joy by sending them holiday greetings. A simple holiday greeting from your business will let your subscribers know you’re thinking of them on a special day.

For example, check out this email from Nordstrom, wishing their subscribers a Happy Thanksgiving.

Also, notice how they use a fun animation to let subscribers know that they’ll decorate their website for the holiday, which helps Nordstrom drive more traffic.

And remember, you don’t have to wait until a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas rolls around to send a cheerful greeting.

There are a ton of other fun marketing holidays you can whoop it up with your subscribers over, like:

• Science Fiction Day (January 2nd)
• National Pizza Day (February 9th)
• International Women’s Day (March 8th)
• National Best Friends Day (June 8th)
• And Many More

27. Share Your Recommendations

If you’ve recently listened to a great podcast, read a good book, or watched an awesome movie, share it with your subscribers!

Your subscribers will love learning about your interests and get some awesome new recommendations they can check out.

Aside from fun stuff like movies and TV shows, you can also recommend useful resources or tools to your audience. For instance, if you have a blog that helps others grow their blogs, you can recommend a cool WordPress plugin or content calendar tool you’ve been using.

28. Inspirational Quotes

When you find an inspirational quote meaningful to you, it can also be meaningful to your subscriber, hence an excellent newsletter idea.

Inspirational quotes will add more interest to your company newsletters, give your subscribers something to think about, give them something to relate to, and they can even help motivate them to reach their goals.

29. Pet Pictures

Talk about the safest newsletter idea. Everyone loves cute pet pictures, so why not share photos of your or employees’ pets in your email newsletter?

Here’s how Carhartt does it:

Sharing photos of adorable animals is a great way to skyrocket engagement, proven by the fact that animal photos are super popular on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook.

That’s a wrap!

With these 29 newsletter ideas to keep subscribers engaged, your newsletter content strategy won’t bore your subscribers. Instead, they’ll always be interested in your messages and eagerly awaiting your next email!

Need more subscribers to send all of your engaging content to? OptinMonster is hands down the best tool you can use to create beautiful lead capture forms and grow your email list.

Get started with OptinMonster today.

We hope you liked this article and if so, you may also be interested in:

• 5 Best WordPress Newsletter Plugins in 2023 for More Engagement

Sales promotion is a powerful tool that eCommerce businesses use to increase conversions, boost brand awareness, and generate leads.

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, sales promotions can help you achieve your marketing goals.

In this blog post, I will share 23 real-life sales promotion examples of successful campaigns with you and explain how you can copy those examples for your own sales promotions.

1. What Is Sales Promotion?
2. Importance of Sales Promotion
3. Types of Sales Promotion Strategies
4. Other Common Types of Sales Promotions
5. Sales Promotion Examples

What Is Sales Promotion?

Sales promotion is a strategic marketing tactic designed to boost short-term sales and encourage immediate consumer action by offering limited-time incentives, discounts, or special offers.

It is a popular marketing tactic because it create a sense of urgency (FOMO) and exclusivity, encouraging customers to take advantage of the offer before it expires.

Importance of Sales Promotion

Sales promotion is important for several reasons:

Stimulates sales: Sales promotion offers such as discounts, coupons, and free shipping can attract customers and encourage them to purchase. This can stimulate sales and increase revenue for a business.

Attracts new customers: Sales promotions can attract new customers who may not have been interested in the product or service before. A business can entice new customers to try their product or service by offering a discount or free trial.

Builds brand loyalty: By offering promotions to loyal customers, businesses can strengthen the bond between the customer and the brand. This can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth advertising.

Clears inventory: Sales promotions can help businesses to clear out old stock and make room for new products. This can reduce storage costs and generate revenue from products that may have been on the shelves for too long.

Creates a sense of urgency: Sales promotions are typically time-limited, creating a sense of urgency among customers to purchase before the offer expires. This can increase sales in the short term.

However, it’s important to use sales promotion strategically and not rely on it too heavily, as overuse can reduce the perceived value of a product or service.

Types of Sales Promotion Strategies

The following are, but not limited to, the most popular sales promotion strategies. Let’s look at each strategy with a classic sales promotion example for better understanding.

Discounts and Coupons

One of the most popular sales promotion strategies is offering discount codes and coupons.

One sales promotion example of a business using discount codes and coupons is the clothing retailer H&M. H&M is, a famous fashion brand that sells affordable and trendy clothing for men, women, and children.

H&M regularly offers discount codes and coupons to their customers through various channels. For example, they may offer a discount code to customers who sign up for their email newsletter or download their mobile app. The discount code can be used for a percentage off the customer’s next purchase or free shipping.

Buy One Get One (BOGO) Offers

BOGO offers are another effective sales promotion strategy.

An example of sales promotion using a Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) strategy is the online retailer Beauty Bay. Beauty Bay is a beauty and cosmetics retailer that operates exclusively online.

Beauty Bay frequently uses BOGO promotions to encourage customers to purchase and increase sales. For example, they may offer a free eyeshadow palette with the purchase of another eyeshadow palette or a free lipstick with the purchase of another lipstick.

Limited Time Offers

Limited-time offers create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging customers to take advantage of the offer before it expires.

Amazon is an example of a business using Limited Time Offers (LTOs) as a sales promotion strategy. Amazon is an eCommerce giant that sells a wide range of products, including electronics, home goods, books, and more.

Amazon frequently uses LTOs to promote products and increase sales. For example, they may offer a discount on a specific product for a limited time period, such as 20% off a popular tech gadget for a weekend only.

Free Shipping

Offering free shipping is an excellent way to attract customers and increase sales and the best example of it would be Zappos. Zappos is an online retailer specializing in shoes, clothing, and accessories.

Zappos offers free standard shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase requirement. Customers can purchase any item on the website and have it shipped to them for free, one of the most successful examples of sales promotion.

Cashback

Cashback offers are another popular sales promotion strategy.

An example of a business using cashback as a sales promotion strategy is Savyour. Savyour is an online marketplace that connects shoppers with retailers selling various products, including electronics, home goods, and more.

Savyour offers cashback to customers who make purchases through their platform. Customers can earn a percentage of their purchase amount back in cash, which is deposited into their account.

Referral Programs

Payoneer has an excellent referral program. It’s a payment platform for cross-border digital business.

Payoneer offers a referral program where users can invite friends to join Payoneer, and they both can earn money when their friend signup. The referral program incentivizes current customers to refer new customers to the platform, as you make 25$ just by telling your friends about Payoneer.

Contests and Sweepstakes

Contests and sweepstakes are an effective way to engage customers and create brand awareness.

Dove held a selfie contest, with the grand prize being a spa experience for two people.

Facebook Users were required to take a picture of themselves holding a Dove Beauty Bar. Then submit that picture in the comments section of the giveaway post.

Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs reward customers for their repeat business and encourage them to continue shopping with the company.

Sephora’s Beauty Insider program is an example of a sales promotion loyalty program.

It’s a tiered loyalty program that offers customers a variety of benefits, including access to exclusive products, birthday gifts, free beauty classes, and early access to sales.

Customers can become Beauty Insiders by signing up for the program on Sephora’s website or in-store. Once customers become members, they earn points for every dollar they spend on Sephora’s website or in-store, which they can redeem for various rewards.

Other Common Types of Sales Promotions

A few other types of sales promotion ideas that brands typically use are:

• Percentage or dollar discounts
• Redeemable vouchers
• Free gifts or giveaways
• Rebates
• Free samples
• Free Trial

Retailers also offer:

• Pre-launch or exclusive offers
• Bundles
• Seasonal offers
• Regular daily, weekly or monthly deals

Watch out for those offer types in the examples below.

Sales Promotion Examples

Now, let’s get to those sales promotion examples. If you like a particular campaign, you can easily recreate your own version with OptinMonster.

OptinMonster is the best conversion optimization tool. It allows you to create eye-catching popups for your sales promotions easily.

OptinMonster comes with multiple eCommerce campaign types, like fullscreen mat, lightbox popup, floating bar, and countdown timer.

You can use OptinMonster’s prebuilt sales promotion templates to:

• Share discount offers
• Reduce cart abandonment
• Promote flash sales

And more.

You’ll also get to choose from special eCommerce targeting to control when and where you show your sales promotion.

Just follow our instructions for creating your first campaign, then customize it at will!

1.Macy’s

Let’s start the ball rolling with this email sales promotion example from Macy’s. It’s pretty simple, but effective.

It uses information about the site visitor to show them sales promotions they’re more likely to be interested in. In this case, the site visitor has already viewed printed dresses.

You can do this in OptinMonster with our Smart Tags feature.

Here are some of the things you can use to personalize sales promotions on your website:

• Site visitor’s name
• Date
• Country
• City
• Previous pages visited

And more.

Copy this example:

Here’s how you can implement Smart Tags with OptinMonster.

You might also want to check out 5 creative ways to personalize your optins to boost conversions.

2. Christmas Lite Show

This coupon campaign is a great sales promotion idea from Christmas Lite Show.

The beautiful background evokes the atmosphere of the annual show, and the headline highlights the company’s experience. It all adds up to a compelling reason to click the button. When visitors do, they see a coupon code with a countdown timer.

Christmas Lite Show converted 30% of visitors with this campaign.

Copy this example:

To do the same, create a countdown popup in the OptinMonster campaign builder. Then use a MonsterLink to create a clickable link on your web page or in your menu.

3. Cosmetic Capital

Cosmetic Capital saw an 300% increase in leads daily, using this floating bar sales promotion. The free shipping offer immediately tackles one of the biggest reasons for cart abandonment.

The timer adds urgency, and the shopper knows they need to act soon if they want to grab this deal. The button includes the word “exclusive”, making the visitor curious about the offer.

Copy this example:

You could create something similar in OptinMonster by using the floating bar campaign type and editing the colors to match your branding. Here are some more floating bar examples to inspire you.

4. Chamaileon.io

Chamaileon.io was able to increase conversions by 200% using this sales promotion, and here’s the main reason why this example worked so well.

They included a Yes/No form, and these are proven to increase conversions by as much as 18%. Why are Yes/No forms so effective? They’re based on a psychological concept called the Zeigarnik Effect. The idea is that people are more likely to finish an action they’ve already started. So, once they click the Yes button, they’re more likely opt in.

Copy this example:

If you wanted to achieve this with OptinMonster, you could enable our Yes/No forms in the campaign builder, as shown in the video below.

Then you can redirect visitors to a signup form when they click the Yes button. Here are some more creative ways to use Yes/No forms.

5. Stays.net

Here’s another example of an effective two-step optin from Stays.net.

Stays.net increased monthly sales by 10% using an on-click sales promotion. So, once the site visitor clicks on the link, they’re presented with the popup to start a free trial.

Copy this example:

You could easily include the shareable MonsterLink I mentioned earlier. Include it anywhere on your site to trigger a popup when customers click.

6. Fastrack

Fastrack managed to recover 53% of abandoning visitors with a simple sales promotion idea. The lightbox popup is a white box with matching the brand colors. This puts the offer on center stage, making it a no-brainer for people to sign up.

Fastrack showed this sales promotion popup as visitors were leaving their site.

Copy this example:

You could easily recreate this in OptinMonster and follow Fastrack’s example by choosing when the popup appears. By default, OptinMonster popups appear after 5 seconds, but you can change it using the Exit-Intent® rule.

You could also change that so they appear after visitors have scrolled. To do that, go to Display Rules and set the condition If distance scrolled.

7. Win in Health

Next on our list of sales promotion examples is Win in Health. The retailer keeps it simple with a green and white popup, making it easy for visitors to focus on the 10% offer. It matches their website colors perfectly.

The copy is clear and straight to the point. Even though it’s not explicit, there’s a sense of urgency here. Adding the words “Today’s Promotion” tells the customer the deal isn’t going to be around forever.

Copy this example:

To create appealing campaign copy, check out our list of copywriting templates.

8. Scott Wyden Imagery

How do you know you’re showing your sales promotions on the right pages?

Scott Wyden Imagery only show this 2-step optin on the cart and checkout pages when the shopper tries to leave the site. It recovers 21.06% of abandoning carts.

Copy this example:

You can get similar attention for your OptinMonster popups by adding the Exit-Intent® and Page Targeting rule.

9. Kennedy Blue

Kennedy Blue is another example of the effective use of OptinMonster’s countdown timer theme. This floating bar picks up one of the logo colors while contrasting with the site as a whole. That makes it super visible and very effective, and that’s helped by the white countdown block and the yellow discount block. This popup helped Kennedy Blue increase sales by 50%.

Copy this example:

If you’re using OptinMonster, you can easily set the countdown from within the campaign builder. Click on the countdown timer in the live preview to bring up the editing tools, the set the desired end date and time.

10. KnivesShipFree

Even if you’re not into knives, you’ve gotta love this giveaway popup campaign from KnivesShipFree. I like it because both the pictures and text make it clear what you can win. Plus, the CTA is crystal clear. This campaign ran on both desktop and mobile, giving the company more than $10,000 in additional sales.

Copy this example:

You can easily create this by using one of OptinMonster’s templates, then edit the text and the CTA button to create your own offer.

11. Maca Team

Here’s an example of referral marketing, which eventually leads to more sales. I know that people trust recommendations from friends and influencers more than ads, so this is a smart move by the Maca Team.

Here’s what I like. The background image is of the source product, with an overlay showing the offer. Plus, they have made it easy by including a button so visitors can copy the referral link easily. I also like the inclusion of social sharing buttons.

Copy this example:

To do this with OptinMonster you could easily create your own custom campaign using the Canvas theme.

12. Nashville Pedal Tavern

Party bike company Nashville Pedal Tavern has a sales promotion example with a difference. They’re not offering discounts. In fact, this innovative campaign earned them $2300 in just two weeks, simply by promoting gift certificates. Here’s the campaign.

This campaign works because it’s helping people feel good about themselves by giving others a fun experience. Simple as that.

And the genius of it is the Nashville Pedal Tavern only showed it to people who were really interested in their site. They set it so only visitors who’d been there for 30 seconds or more could see the campaign.

Copy this example:

You could do the same by adjusting the timing as described earlier.

13. Padstows

In this example, the image of happy customers inside the restaurant makes for a winning combination for Padstows. The optin campaign is beautiful and inviting, and the voucher is an added bonus. One thing the company could do is experiment with split testing the call to action. More compelling button text such as “Enter to Win” may boost their conversions even more.

Copy this example:

If you’re using OptinMonster, you can change the image on any campaign simply by clicking the image button. That’ll help you make an appealing optin campaign for your visitors. Check out our list of free image sites to find the right image.

14. Baublebar

Baublebar’s sales promotion is bright and in your face, so visitors won’t ignore it. Plus, it’s offering a discount, which is another win.

Copy this example:

I’ve already mentioned how easy it is to change text and colors in the OptinMonster campaign builder. You could also follow our guide to get your CTA right.

15. AutoAnything

Here’s another discount promotion, this time from AutoAnything. The image clearly conveys the brand, and there’s no mistaking the bold 20% discount offer.

AutoAnything increased email revenue by 20% using this sales promotion.

Copy this example:

Want to do something similar with OptinMonster? Use our lightbox popup, and upload an image.

Then you can edit the text and set display rules as usual.

16. Spinsterz

This sales promotion is the first thing people see when they land on Spinsterz’s website. These colors also contrast so they stand out.

Copy this example:

You could create something similar with a custom welcome mat in OptinMonster. This’ll appear as visitors land on your site and is a great way to introduce them to what’s on offer. See the video below to learn more about welcome mats.

17. Skates

Sometimes you want to target people who aren’t doing much on your site, in the hope that they will. That’s exactly what Skates.co.uk did and it resulted in an extra £2000 in daily sales. The popup itself is simple. It’s red to match the brand colors, with white writing, and the discount code in black. They showed it to inactive users with OptinMonster’s InactivitySensor.

Copy this example:

You can enable InactivitySensor by going to Display Rules and setting the condition If visitor inactive time.

18. Snack Nation

More leads means more sales, right? The next in our list of sales promotion examples are focused on lead generation. SnackNation offered free sampler boxes to people who signed up. That resulted in 1200 new subscribers each week and 15-25 additional daily sales.

Copy this example:

Snack Nation used a fullscreen campaign with a yes/no form to achieve this. I described how to enable both of those earlier.

19. Sportique

This is a really attractive fullscreen optin. Sportique has used the screen space to include a stunning image that fits with its active mission. I also like the informative wording in the email field, plus the accurate CTA. Those who sign up will have no doubts about what they’re getting. This campaign converts 4.9% of visitors and helped the brand triple its email list.

Copy this example:

You can edit the fields in any OptinMonster campaign. Just click on the email field to bring up the editing tools.

20. Urban Southern

Who doesn’t love a handbag discount, am I right, ladies? Urban Southern used a stark black and white color palette to offer a 10% discount to people who signed up. This campaign uses our Coupon template, and all they did was change the colors. The result? A 400% increase in sales.

Copy this example:

You can keep it just as simple as Urban Southern did. Create a new campaign using the Coupon theme. Then change the colors as described earlier to match your own branding.

21. Crush Empire

Crush Empire generated 460 sales using this coupon sales promotion.

You can choose to deliver the discount at another URL or via OptinMonster’s Success theme.

Copy this example:

An easy way to do this in OptinMonster is to edit the success message that appears when people opt into a campaign. You can easily add a coupon link to the success theme itself, or simply redirect visitors to a new page with the coupon.

22. Logic Inbound

Finding the best sales promotions for your business might require some testing.

Let’s look at one example.

This is a free trial offer, this time from Logic Inbound and ATLAS workspace. The optin converted at 25.71%.

Before using the above sales promotion, Logic Inbound was showing the below offer. But it only converted at 2.67%.

Copy this example:

Identify your best performing sales promotions using split testing. With OptinMonster, you can find the best performing designs, offers, copy, targeting, and more.

23. Cracku

Cracku increased conversions 300% using countdown timers. Countdown timers add urgency and encourage your customer to make a purchasing decision.

Copy this example:

You can easily add a countdown timer to any sales promotion using OptinMonster.

That’s it!

Now you have lots of sales promotion examples to use to fuel your own creativity.

As we’ve explored various successful examples of sales promotion, one common thread emerges: the strategic use of tools to optimize these promotions.

OptinMonster stands out as a premier solution in this domain. With its diverse range of features, from eye-catching popups to countdown timers, it offers businesses a unique edge to craft compelling sales promotions.

Whether you’re looking to share discount offers, reduce cart abandonment, or promote flash sales, OptinMonster provides the flexibility and efficiency to achieve your goals.

In a world where capturing a customer’s attention is increasingly challenging, it’s tools like OptinMonster that can make the difference between a missed opportunity and a successful conversion.

Ready to create a sales promotion that will win you more customers? Get started with OptinMonster today. It’s risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee.

Also checkout: 

• Email Marketing Made Simple: A Step by Step Guide [+ Examples]
• 5 of the Best eCommerce Marketing Strategies to Explode Your Sales
• How to Create a Live Sales Notification for WooCommerce
• 12 Ways to Use OptinMonster Follow Ups to Boost Engagement and Sales

These are impressive email marketing statistics. So, if you are not writing a perfect welcome email series, now is the time.

In this article, we’ll explore 14 effective welcome email examples businesses can use to make a positive first-time impression and kickstart their customer journey on the right foot.

• What Is a Welcome Email?
• Key Elements of a Great Welcome Email
• Welcome Email Examples
• Welcome Email Mistakes To Avoid
• Welcome Email Templates

What Is a Welcome Email?

A welcome email is the first email communication sent by a business or organization to a new subscriber, customer, or member. It serves as an initial point of contact after someone signs up for a mailing list, makes a purchase, registers for a service, or joins a community.

The purpose of a welcome email is to introduce the recipient to the brand’s story, provide them with relevant information about their account or subscription, and thank them for choosing to engage with the business.

A well-crafted welcome email can also help set expectations, guide the recipient through the next steps, and encourage them to take further action, such as making that first purchase, filling out a profile, or joining a loyalty program.

Welcome emails are an important part of a business’s customer engagement strategy and can help build a strong relationship with potential customers from the outset.

Key Elements of a Great Welcome Email

1. Crafting the First Impression: Welcome Email Subject Line

Your subject line is your first, and sometimes only, chance to grab attention. Make it intriguing, clear, and aligned with your brand’s voice. A personal favorite of mine was a client’s email campaign that used, “Welcome Aboard, [First Name]! Your Adventure Begins Here.”

Recommended reading: 15 Best Practices for Email Subject Lines That Can Boost Open Rates

2. Personalization: Making Each Recipient Feel Special

Personalization goes beyond just using the recipient’s name. Tailor your email body content based on their interests or actions. For instance, if they signed up after downloading a guide from your site, reference that guide in your email.

Recommended reading: eCommerce Personalization: Strategies & Examples to Boost Sales

3. Clear and Engaging Content: Setting the Tone

Your welcome email should reflect your brand’s personality. Consistency is key, whether professional, quirky, or somewhere in between. Use a friendly, conversational tone to make your new email subscribers feel at ease.

4. Call-to-Action: Encouraging Immediate Engagement

Your CTA button should be clear and compelling. Whether it’s to check out your latest blog post, follow you on social media, a discount code or browse your products, make sure it’s relevant and easy to find.

Recommended reading: 130+ Email CTA Examples That Can Boost Your Conversion Rate

Welcome Email Examples

1. Google Adwords

Google AdWords sends a couple of welcome emails, which seems overkill if you ask us, but they serve two different purposes.

What we liked:

• It’s short, making it easy for people to read it quickly.
• It gives the recipients some steps to follow.
• It includes helpful resources.
• There’s a call to action (CTA).

What we didn’t:

• The subject line is bland.
• There’s no personalization, although Google almost certainly knows the recipient’s name.
• It’s too plain, looking like a wall of text at first glance.
• The no-reply email address means there’s no way for people to respond to the email.

The second email from Adwords is a contrast. We liked everything about it, including:

• The subject line draws recipients in about a task they’ll all want to complete.
• The email is branded, inspiring trust.
• A single CTA is repeated three times to sign in and complete the account setup.
• It’s more visually appealing.

2. Ancestry

The color scheme leaves no doubt about who this Ancestry email is from.

What we liked:

• The email includes a tutorial, clear list of steps to follow to get started with its services.
• The design also highlights the first step in a shaded box.
• There’s a clear CTA early in the email.
• It’s branded.

What we didn’t:

• Including a second, different CTA in the box below could be confusing and make recipients decide to do nothing.
• Repeating the signup information twice is unnecessary.
• There’s no clear unsubscribe link, which opens them up to spam complaints.

3. Asana

The design of this Asana welcome email example splits it into panels, each showing an icon and a short description of an Asana function.

What we liked:

• It looks like Asana, which is great for brand recognition and trust.
• The three-panel design works.
• There are links you can follow to complete different tasks in the app.
• The email would work even without the images.
• There’s a clear link to where subscribers can manage email preferences.

What we didn’t:

• We’re probably picky here, but the CTA could have been nearer to the top of the email.

4. Carbonite

With the company’s logo at the top of this welcome email example, there’s no mistaking who it comes from.

What we liked:

• The email is branded.
• It answers two common questions people have about using Carbonite for backup. That’s pretty useful and will likely reduce the number of support requests from new users.
• It includes social media links, which are a big trust factor.
• The icons help make the content easier to understand.

What we didn’t:

• The email should be shorter.
• There is a CTA once you reach the end of the email, which many people may not do.
• There’s no clear unsubscribe link, though there is a link where you can manage email communication preferences.

5. Envira Gallery

Let’s see how this welcome email example from Envira Gallery stacks up.

What we liked:

• Personalization: the email addresses the recipient by name.
• The product logo is included for brand recognition.
• The copy has a friendly tone.
• There’s a visible unsubscribe link.
• It comes from a real person.

We couldn’t find anything to dislike in this email. The social links are visible, and there’s a callout box showing how people subscribed and why they should remain on the list. That’s why the Envira welcome email is an example of good practice.

6. GSuite

You get this email after you activate a GSuite account, and you’d hardly know this came from the same company as the AdWords email above.

What we liked:

• The email has a clean, uncluttered design, keeping with Google’s branding.
• There are short descriptions of four things you can do with GSuite and helpful links.
• The combination of text and icons makes it visually appealing, and they still work even if people have images turned off.

What we didn’t:

• The “no-reply” email address feels impersonal.

There’s no unsubscribe link, but who’s likely to want to unsubscribe from their GSuite account?

7. LawTrades

This welcome email example from LawTrades came after signing up for a deal via a third-party deals provider.

What we liked:

• The subject line tells you what you’ve signed up for.
• The email is branded.
• There’s a link to the company so you can check them out. This inspires trust.
• The clean, three-panel design makes the email easy to read, and the text is short.
• Social media links and address info are included.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• There are two different CTAs at the top of the email, and the second one is arguably more useful to new readers, so it should be first.
• The early attempt to get people to book a strategy session feels rushed.
• Although there’s an image of the sender, he doesn’t sign the email.

8. NDash

NDash takes a two-in-one approach, combining welcome and onboarding process.

What we liked:

• One email does it all; helping people get started rather than sending two separate emails is a good approach.
• Social media links are there to build trust.
• You can take multiple actions next (which is also a problem, as you’ll soon see).
• The one-column template works for any device.
• It includes the logo and social links.
• A real person signs it.

What we didn’t:

• There are too many actions to take from the email.
• The no-reply email address feels impersonal.
• There’s no unsubscribe link.

9. PostPlanner

PostPlanner takes a kitchen sink approach with this welcome email example; they have thrown everything in. It just goes on:

and on:

and on:

What we liked:

• It’s branded.
• It comes from a real person.
• The CTA is near the start.
• There are social media links.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• This email is way too long. With images not displayed, it’s a little more reasonable, but many email clients now display them by default.

PostPlanner’s email is a complete walkthrough, and we wonder if this is the best way to do it. No doubt, they’ve tested, and this is what converts well for them, but to us, it’s a bit too much.

10. Powr

This email comes from WordPress plugin maker Powr.

What we liked:

• Links to some key areas are in the email header.
• The icons are eye-catching.
• Social media links are included.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• See that broken image icon? That means they were running a promotion at the time that has now ended. Anyone revisiting the email later won’t see anything, which is not good.
• There are too many things to do and CTAs.
• It doesn’t come from a real person.

11. Quuu

This welcome email example from Quuu is a bit unusual. That’s because it comes via the Intercom communication system.

What we liked:

• This email is short, easy to read and a minimalist design.
• It comes from a real person, with a photo and email address.
• It’s a little bit funny; see the “ThankQuuu” signoff
• It’s conversational in tone.

What we didn’t:

• If we’re being picky, we could point to multiple CTAs.
• You could say there are too many emojis, but that could be part of the brand’s personality.
• There’s no unsubscribe link; you get that in later emails.

12. Smarter Artist

Can you have too much of a good thing? We think you can, as this welcome email example from Sean Platt’s and Johnny Truant’s Smarter Artist shows.

What we liked:

• It’s from a real person.
• It’s got lots of personality and humor.
• There’s tons of social proof in the form of links to successful products.
• There are freebies.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• It is way too long, though at least it’s not boring.
• The freebies people signed up for are near the end. People usually want the incentive immediately.
• There are too many links.
• It’s a wall of text.

13. TNW Deals

When you sign up for a deals email, you’ve got to expect people to try to sell to you, but does this email from TNW Deals go too far?

What we liked:

• The initial welcome message is short and sweet.
• They deliver what people are asking for: deals, and lots of them.
• There are lots of images that make it visually appealing.
• There are social media links.

What we didn’t:

• This is another very long email.
• It’s busy; there’s too much going on.
• There’s no unsubscribe link.

14. WiseStamp

This WiseStamp welcome email arrived after an upgrade to its pro service:

What we liked:

• The headline is appealing, showcasing the value proposition right upfront.
• There’s a single CTA, repeated twice.
• There’s an image showing what your landing page could look like.
• The unsubscribe link is clear.
• Social media icons are included.
• It’s short.

What we didn’t:

• There was only one thing to dislike here. The email came from the team rather than a person.

Welcome Email Mistakes To Avoid

In these welcome email examples, we’ve seen some key mistakes that might send your subscribers straight to the unsubscribe button if they can find it. Things that confuse people include:

• Sending more than one welcome email, like Adwords.
• Sending ridiculously long emails, like PostPlanner.
• Not being clear about who’s sending the email.
• Including multiple CTAs.
• Poor design.
• Failing to include trust factors like social media links.
• Being overwhelming.

Other good practice tips for welcome emails include:

• Don’t make them all about you; consider the new subscriber’s needs.
• Though we didn’t see it in this roundup, some welcome emails include passwords in plain text. This is an unnecessary security risk.

Now let’s look at five welcome email templates you can use immediately.

Welcome Email Templates

1. Welcome Email Template for New Customers:

Dear [First Name],

Welcome to [Brand Name]! We are thrilled to have you as our new customer and look forward to providing you the best possible service.

We want to extend a warm welcome by offering you [Insert Offer Details], which you can redeem during your next purchase.

We are confident that you will enjoy your time with us, and we look forward to building a lasting relationship.

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope to serve you for years.

Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Welcome Email Template for a Newsletter Subscriber:

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for subscribing to the [Brand Name] newsletter! We’re excited to have you on board, and we can’t wait to share all our news and updates with you.

As a new subscriber, you’ll be the first to know about our latest products, promotions, and events. We’ll also send you exclusive content and special offers you won’t find anywhere else.

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [Insert Contact Details].

Thanks again for subscribing. We’re thrilled to have you on board!

Best, [Your Name]

3. Welcome Email Template for Trial User:

Dear [First Name],

Welcome to [Brand Name] trial! We are delighted to have you on board and look forward to helping you achieve your goals.

During your trial period, you will have access to all our features and tools, enabling you to test our product thoroughly. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at [Insert Contact Details].

After your trial period, we would love to hear your feedback and insights on our product, which will help us improve and provide you with better service.

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope you enjoy your trial period.

Best regards, [Your Name]

4. Welcome Email Template for App Download:

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for downloading the [Brand Name] app! We are thrilled to have you on board and look forward to providing you with an excellent mobile experience.

As a new user, we want to offer you [Insert Offer Details], which you can redeem within the app.

In the meantime, explore our app and check out its features. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [Insert Contact Details].

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope you enjoy using our app.

Best regards, [Your Name]

5. Welcome Email Template for Introducing Your Product:

Dear [Recipient Name],

We are thrilled to introduce you to [Product Name], the latest addition to [Company Name] product line.

[Product Name] is designed to help you solve [specific problem/need], and it will provide you with [unique benefit]. Our team has worked hard to ensure that [Product Name] is user-friendly and effective.

Thank you for choosing [Company Name]. We look forward to hearing your feedback and hope [Product Name] exceeds your expectations.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Company Name]

Using the welcome email examples above and our free templates, you can start thinking about what kind of emails you want to send your subscribers.

After that, see our guide to email marketing for more help with your email marketing strategy.

The success of your welcome email strategy is closely tied to the quality of your email subscriber list. If your email list lacks subscribers who have willingly opted in to receive your newsletters, your email marketing efforts are unlikely to yield the desired results.

If you want to populate your email list with subscribers who want to hear from you, it’s important to deploy an effective email opt-in tool on your website.

OptinMonster is an excellent choice, trusted by over 2 million businesses for its ability to grow email lists effectively.

Here’s How PodBike Gets 18.22% More Email Subscribers with OptinMonster’s GeoTargeting feature.

Want to start grow your email list fast?

More on Email Marketing:

• Best Marketing Automation Tools: Streamline Your Digital Campaigns
• 63 Lead Magnet Examples to Boost Your Email List Growth
• How to Create an Email Marketing Campaign (Step-by-Step Guide + Examples)