Promotions and discounts are the bread and butter in the ecommerce world. Promoting is one thing but promoting in an engaging and non-salesy way is difficult, especially when you don't know where to start, is the tough part.
An easy fix for this is looking to other brands and your competitors for inspiration. We've made this even easier for you by compiling this list of discount and promotional email marketing ideas.
We know how much work it is to go hunting in the wild and signing up for a thousand different brands just to see what other brands are doing with discount promotions and other ways to make their products more attractive to their potential customers.
eCommerce promotions are special offers or discounts designed to encourage online shoppers to make a purchase.
We've used Panoramata to curate these terrific eCommerce email promotion ideas into the list below.
Here’s a quick look at some effective and time-tested eCommerce discount emails, promotional emails, emails for targeted customers, BFCM-specific emails, and more. Let's dive in.
Ideas for Engaging Discount and Promotional Emails for Ecommerce
- Best Discount Emails
- Early Access Black Friday/Cyber Monday
- Free Shipping
- VIP Members Only
- Gift Card Emails
- Quiz Emails
- Ask Me Anything (AMA) Emails
- Reviews, Social Proof, & “Featuring Customers” Emails
- Got Problems? Here’s a Fix
- Main Proposition & Your USP
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What are eCommerce promotions?
- What is the best strategy to increase eCommerce sales?
Best Discount Emails
Discounts never go out of fashion. No one gets tired of saving a dollar or two (or ten). Using discount emails at random or as a part of well-timed welcome email campaigns are a terrific way to push some sales for your eCommerce brand.
Here are some examples:
- 10% Off Your First Pack of Nuud by Nuud
- Save 10%, On Us by Ban.do
- Don’t Miss Out On 10% Off By All Plants
- Take 10% Off Your First Order by Made In
We’ve curated some of the best welcome emails and/or discount specific email ideas for you. Take a look at them here (including creatives, images, and copy).
Early Access Black Friday/Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are a golden season for eCommerce brands and for consumers alike. Clocking in several billions of dollars worldwide, BCFM is a critical season to get your email promotions right.
Here’s how a few brands do it:
- Black Friday Came Early by Javy Coffee
- Black Friday Week, Spring edition by Cocunat
- Black Friday! Shop Now. Save up to 40% by Dossier
- Black Friday Faves Are Ready to Ship By Our Place
See the actual emails -- along with subject lines, images, creatives, copy, and more & early access black friday emails.
Free Shipping
If it’s free, it’s taken. Or it’ll soon be taken. Free shipping is something that most brands can manage and it’s a great deal for customers. No one likes to pay for shipping (no matter how much consumers love and adore your products).
Add in Free shipping and watch your sales soar:
- Free Shipping This weekend By La Roche-Posay
- Free Shipping - 24 hours only by Nick’s Ice Creams
- It’s #FreeShipping Day by Stix
- Shipping Free | 48 hours by Organifi
These ideas are from actual emails we curated from leading eCommerce brands. See how they look like -- from subject lines to emojis; from product images to email copy.
VIP Members Only
We all love to be pampered. We want to feel exclusive. We’d like to know that we “belong” somewhere. Reward your regular customers or customers who purchased more than $XXX from you with a VIP tag.
Then, segment these customers and send out specific email campaigns tailored to them, just as these brands do:
- VIP Access: 30% Off by Crabtree & Evelyn
- Today Only! Exclusive VIP Sale by Snow Days
- VIP, It’s Secret Sale Time by Open Spaces
- VIP Early Access: 20% Off + Free Shipping by Dermaflash
Follow through with the idea of email messages making your customers feel important. See how eCommerce brands pamper their customers with the “VIP Idea”.
Gift Card Emails
Everyone loves gifts. The entire credit card industry globally runs on “gift vouchers”, “joining gifts”, and occasional “gift cards”. It’s been on for years, and It’ll continue to be.
Use gift cards as an occasional (or mildly regular) way to rope in customers to buy gift cards for themselves or to have them send gift cards (redeemable at your store) to others.
- Gift Cards are Here by Baboon To The Moon
- We’re Excited. Our New e-Gift Card Is Here! By Haleys
- Save $10 on *Digital Gift Cards* By Summersalt
- This Gift Card Will Make Her Day By Elemis
See how gift cards make for an incredibly effective way to get some action -- with sales and transactions -- along with the email creatives used.
Quiz Emails
You’ve heard about the power of segmentation, “knowing your customer”, and personalization. Those strategies only kick in when you have information. It stands to reason that you’d need to collect information first.
Try using simple quiz elements or questions within your email subject lines or as the focus of the entire email itself.
See how brands do it:
- What Snack Are You? By Bokksu
- Pop Quiz! Find Your Summer Routine By Lancome
- Quiz: Which Moisturizer is For You? By Frank Body
- The Quiz Your Skin Needs By 4.5.6 Skin
Ask thoughtful questions. Get feedback. Go smart. Talk to your customers hitting on exactly what they want to hear about, from your brand. Some more examples for inspiration.
Ask Me Anything (AMA) Emails
We do business with people. Period. Even brands need a face that customers can associate with.
Rolling out occasional “have questions, do ask” or “Ask Me Anything” with an actual person handling these questions is a remarkable and intuitive way to reassure your customers, answer questions they have, handle objections, provide more information, and more.
See what brands do, leading with questions:
- Jewelry Questions? Ask us By Gemvara
- Questions about Sunbeam? By Blume
- Your TikTok Questions, Answered By Stryx
- Any Questions? By Atoms
Take the stage and answer burning questions your customers have. See more examples.
Reviews, Social Proof, & “Featuring Customers” Emails
Social proof is huge. It’s a primary driver when it comes to decision-making. We know it. You know it.
How about pushing the envelope? What about adding funny reviews as the main angle for your email marketing campaigns? What happens when you feature your own customers within emails?
Some brands do push the boundaries when it comes to using reviews. See how
- Real Skin, Real Reviews By Glow Skin
- The Reviews Are In By Stix
- Checkout Kea’s Real Results By Sienna Naturals
- “Coziest Thing I’ve Ever Worn” By Parade
Move the needle by pulling up social proof to do what it does best. Allow customers to learn from others’ experiences. Learn how eCommerce brands leverage social proof or feature their customers.
Got Problems? Here’s a Fix
Nothing gets you to the “aha” moment faster than a fast solution to an epic problem your customers have. Your brand will sometimes benefit from going in straight for the “problem-fixing” mode.
Some email marketing campaigns are straight, concise, and aim for the fix. Here’s how some brands do it:
- Sleep Problems? Hello Casper 4D Sleep Technology By Casper
- Your Pest Problems, Solved By Sunday
- Stomach Problems? Not Anymore By Standard Dose
- Cryo Your Skin Problems Away By Dr. Jart
Talk straight. Build rapport. See how brands hit the sweet spot by trying to solve problems customers have.
Main Proposition & Your USP
Repetition leads to familiarity and brand recognition. There’s no denying the power of restating the “Big Why” (Thank you Simon Sinek, author of the bestseller Start With Why). Often, eCommerce brands send out email campaigns that emphasize their main promise and the primary USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
See how:
- Why Do People Love Neuro? By Neuro
- Why We Exist? By Ten Thousand
- Why Choose Flow? By Flow
- Our Mission Never Stops By Amp Human
Checkout more examples on positioning, branding, and USP.
Hungry for more ideas? See hundreds of promotional email examples and emails with discount ideas from our specially curated list(s), categorized by several common types of email promotion ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
What are eCommerce promotions?
eCommerce promotions are special offers or discounts designed to encourage online shoppers to make a purchase.
These can include sales, coupon codes, free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free deals, and limited-time offers that create urgency and boost sales.
What is the best strategy to increase eCommerce sales?
The best strategy to increase eCommerce sales involves a combination of personalized email marketing, social media advertising, and optimized product listings with clear, compelling descriptions and high-quality images.
Additionally, offering promotions, providing excellent customer service, and ensuring a seamless checkout process can significantly enhance the shopping experience and drive more sales.
