Creating Messages

After defining your messaging plan (single/multiple sends), you need to draft the actual message(s). This is where you should test tone and copy to see which type of message your audience responds to best. Each audience will respond differently based on how messages are worded, the products being sold, and the timing. You might incorporate one or more of the following themes:

• Helpful, customer service-oriented
• Incentive-driven
• Sense of urgency (limited quantities, sale ending soon)
• How-to videos or product resources
• Benefit-oriented (Think losing weight and feeling good when selling treadmills)
• Customer reviews/testimonials/top-rated products
• Back in stock

While this is not an all-inclusive list, it is designed to get you thinking of ways you can differentiate your messaging. Some of these message themes may be dependent on whether you are sending a single message versus a series. No matter what, consider having different message layouts and themes. This is especially important if you allow contacts to receive more than one message. Here is an example of a two-message series sent one day apart.

Some noteworthy things about these messages:

• Notice the CTAs in both emails. They slowly back off by offering an option one level higher from where they are. For example, on the product-specific abandon, I also have a CTA that directs to other products in the category. In the category-specific message, I also have a CTA linking to all items on the site. They are allowing me to slowly step back, ensuring the email has value even if the specific focus is not precise enough.
• The bakeware product email includes several other suggestions (which make sense) but also highlights the specific product identified in message one. Nice job!

Subject Lines

While inserting the actual abandoned product in the subject line sounds like a great idea (and at times, it is), if you practice that with every single send, it can reduce the effectiveness of your messages. Consider this example:

While the first message might drive the open, the subsequent subject line is identical. From a consumer’s perspective, they may be able to visualize what the email looks like even before opening. This can lessen the likelihood of them opening the second email. Be sure to not only test subject lines but also use alternate ones for different messages.

Here is an example of two different category abandonment emails, and how they differ in their subject line approach.

Dress Shirt Abandonment Email: Quality is a Click Away
Sports Coats & Suits Abandonment Email: Invest in Quality – Shop Suits & Sport Coats

While the subject lines are similar, they are not identical. In fact, the first one is more ambiguous and doesn’t mention the category at all. Someone would not necessarily know these are both browser abandonment messages.

Personalization

I am not typically an advocate of using first name personalization in email, and I would avoid this type of personalization at all costs for these messages. For starters, it is just not genuine in this circumstance. The user took no direct action other than visiting your site. Secondly, it can be creepy or big brotherish. Remember, people simply viewed your site, and in this seemingly always-connected world, people want some assurance of privacy. The message can be effective and relevant without calling them by name.

Frequency Caps

Be sure to set frequency caps with these messages. You don’t want to inundate subscribers with email after email. This applies not only to these messages but promotional messages as well. Remember, these messages are relevant and targeted. If contacts are receiving these abandonment messages, be sure to suppress them from receiving standard marketing messages.

You will also want to think about how often subscribers can receive these messages. Will it be once per week, one per month or some other cadence? While testing will give you the ultimate answer, begin where you are comfortable and see how they respond. Otherwise, you provide a negative customer experience and wind up with something like this:

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Using Cross-Sells and Recommendations

Using cross-sells in your emails can be a great revenue-driving tool. When the consumer identified a general interest but maybe not a product-specific one, these messages can be a great way to push them further down the funnel. But be sure they make sense based on the message you are viewing.

Look at this example from Best Buy:

There are a couple of different things to point out. First, they used first name personalization in the subject line (James, it’s not too late. Still have your eye on this?). I don’t like this, nor did the James (he actually goes by Jim) who actually received this message.

And notice the cross-sells. To me, there is a disconnect with the overall message. Did people really purchase a GoPro, speakers AND a Roomba? Did they mount the GoPro to the Roomba to see what their floor looked like, and then listen to the video afterward on the speakers? This looks like a desperate attempt to try to sell product … any product! While these recommendations can make sense, sometimes it is better to simply focus on the primary call to action.

Don't Set It and Forget It

Finally, once your messages are sending, your job is not done. Analysis of these messages is essential! With all lifecycle messages, never set it and forget it. This is especially true here. With so many variables, such as timing, subject lines, message tone, graphics, number of messages, and cross-sells, you need to analyse the performance. Watch your unsubscribe rates carefully. Are you being big brother and turning people away, or are you striking the right chord? Be sure to analyze and adapt.

In Review

Browser abandonment messages are relevant, and can be great revenue drivers. They fill in the everyday email gap between landing on your site and carting products, and continue to push people further down the purchase funnel. So when crafting your strategy, be sure to:

• Define your products, categories & abandon criteria.
• Optimise your signup.
• Test timing, creative, tone (friendly vs. more assertive) and number of messages.
• Test cross-sells from the same category of products.
• Use frequency caps to prevent over-mailing.
• Use the data to segment your subscribers.
• Analyse and assess. Don’t set it and forget it!!!

One Bronto client who sends category abandonment messages sees an 890% lift in RPE over regular promotional sends. These messages account for 3% of their yearly email revenue, while accounting for only 0.3% of their email sends. These results are precisely what you want to see from targeted, lifecycle messages: high revenue and low volume of email sends.