Email Marketing for Retention

A study led by Dr. Sagar H. Mohite, Dr. Somanchi Hari Krishna, Dr. Pramod Goyal, Diljeet Kaur, and Dr. Dhanalakshmi explores the role of email marketing in customer retention — titled “Email marketing role in improving customer retention rates.” We’ve summarized the key insights so you don’t need to read the entire paper!

Study Overview

The research investigates user perceptions of the email channel: trust in emails, convenience of receiving them, and overall satisfaction.

Research Objectives

Assess the impact of email marketing on customer retention
Analyze marketing strategies that support retention
Identify factors influencing retention levels
Conduct a survey measuring customer satisfaction with email communication

Previous Research Insights

Earlier studies show that email marketing is effective thanks to clear and simple communication (Veleva & Tsvetanova, 2020). Email content successfully generates quality leads (Suleiman, 2020), and it fosters dialogue, shaping relationship dynamics and encouraging retention (Ištvanić et al., 2017). Additionally, email influences both emotional and rational behaviors by boosting engagement, due to its accessibility and security (Desai, 2019).

Methodology

Design: Field survey
Sample size: n = 60 (simple random sampling)
Key outcomes: Trust in email campaigns, channel convenience, overall satisfaction

Results (Numbers)

68.3% trust email campaigns
78.3% find email convenient
63.3% are satisfied overall

Takeaway: Email is perceived as a dependable, convenient channel that — when well-managed — can improve retention and drive repeat purchases.

Marketing Takeaways

Email remains a “trust channel” for transactional messages, service updates, and personalized recommendations
The irritation threshold is lower than for SMS and push notifications, so frequency and relevance must be carefully managed
Segmentation and personalization are crucial for increasing customer lifetime value (LTV) and reducing unsubscribe rates

Practical Launch Playbook (Step-by-step)

Collect Consent and Set Expectations: Use explicit opt-in, gather topic preferences, and determine sending frequency. Your database must be legally compliant. Ensure subscribers understand what they’re signing up for. For example, a children’s art festival might ask subscribers to choose relevant interests such as dance, vocals, instruments, or painting.
Welcome Flow (3–4 emails over 10 days): Introduce your brand values (how you benefit your clients), provide quick onboarding tips for your products/services, and share social proof like customer success stories.
Triggers: Use transactional emails (order confirmations, status updates), behavioral emails (interest or churn risk), and lifecycle series. Transactional emails reduce workload and customer inquiries while building loyalty. Recommendation engines support upselling, and automated reminders can prompt repurchases or restocks based on the product lifecycle.
Weekly Digest: Keep it short, with dynamic content blocks based on customer interests. Deliver only the essential information, maximizing personalization. Dynamic blocks are now a standard feature rather than just a trend.
Frequency Control: Send 2–3 emails per week per segment. Avoid cluttering inboxes. Write concisely and purposefully for maximum impact.

Metrics

Incremental open-to-purchase rate versus control groups
Repeat purchase share
Opt-out rate (<0.2%) and complaints (0.01–0.03%)
Cohort retention over 7, 30, and 90 days
Percentage receiving helpful triggers within the first 7 days

FAQ

Do we always need discounts? — Not necessarily; offering valuable content and excellent service often suffices.

How granular should segmentation be? — Start with 3–5 segments and refine over time.