3 Types of Emails Every Business Should Be Sending

In a digital world that seems at times crowded, email marketing remains an effective method of reaching customers directly. For NZ SMEs in particular, email provides a low cost, high return channel that lets you provide value to your most engaged users without having to worry about software updates or the latest algorithms.

This post from the Adhesion team outlines the three most important email types every business should be sending to keep their customers tuned in. After all, email marketing still works, and is sure to continue evolving in 2025.

1. The Welcome Email

• When to send it: Immediately after someone signs up or becomes a customer.
  
  
• Why it matters: First impressions are important – this is your opportunity to make an impact. Your welcome email sets the tone for your brand and is the first step to establishing a lasting relationship with your customers.
  
  
• What to include:
  
  
  • A friendly introduction; this is a welcome, after all!
    
  • A brief value proposition to reaffirm your subscriber’s interest in your brand.
    
  • Let them know what they can expect from future emails – events, stories, promotional updates, etc. You can reinforce the value your emails will provide and establish how often they’ll be sent, e.g. a weekly wrap-up, a monthly newsletter, so your subscribers can be kept in the loop at all stages.
  • Optional: provide users with a discount code or special welcome offer to encourage them to jump straight into purchasing, showcasing the value of being on your email list from the outset.
    

2. Promotional Emails

• When to send it: During a promotional campaign, such as new product or service launches, seasonal or limited-time offers, or special announcements.
  
  
• Why it matters: Promotional emails are crucial for driving sales, bookings, or traffic to your site. While your content will depend on the precise context and goals of your campaign, keeping your messaging timely and engaging is key to driving these conversions.
  
  
• Tips for effectiveness:
  
  
  • Use eye-catching subject lines to quickly get your message across and maximise open rates.
    
  • Have a clear call-to-action (CTA) that underscores your conversion goal.
    
  • Provide strong visuals or offer details that resonate with your audience.

3. Re-engagement Emails

• When to send it: When a contact hasn’t opened your emails in a while.
  
  
• Why it matters: Re-engagement emails keep your list healthy and help you avoid the spam filter, as too many unengaged subscribers will harm the deliverability of your emails. By reaching out to these users, you’ll have a final opportunity to try to win them back before you suppress them from receiving future emails.
  
  
• Examples of content:
  
  
  • “We miss you!” messages; an emotional tone is typically leveraged in order to encourage engagement.
    
  • Incentives to return, such as discount codes or free shipping.
    
  • Reminders of value or updates they might have missed.
    
• Bonus tip: Let users easily update preferences or unsubscribe. In addition to being a user-friendly practice, this is actually a mandatory requirement for businesses in New Zealand. Unsubscribe links are typically placed in the email’s footer, where they’ll be present but not overly distracting.

Final Tip: Make It Easy

• With a wide variety of available platforms such as Klaviyo or Mailchimp, automating emails is easier than ever before.
• Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly and branded consistently, across different templates as well as your other channels, i.e. your website or social media.
• Always test and review your emails to see what works best for your audience.

Conclusion

The upside to email marketing? You likely won’t be sending every day. After all, the key is sending the right emails at the right time. By beginning with these three categories, you’re in the perfect position to start building stronger relationships with your customers and grow your business.

If you’re wondering how to tailor your email strategy to your company, or curious about which automation platform is right for you, Adhesion is here to help.

Reach out today to learn how to prime your business with powerful emails that keep your audience coming back for more.