To write a discount offer email, start with a clear subject line showing how much the discount is, personalize the email content, and use persuasive words for marketing the offer. Include eye-catching visuals with more information about the product/service and clear call-to-action buttons.
Discount offer emails drive sales, build customer loyalty, and grow a brand’s reputation. They give your customers a reason to purchase your product or service.
If you don’t know how to write an effective discount offer email, keep reading to find out!
This guide will cover valuable details for writing a result-driven discount offer email, including multiple templates.
We’ll start by explaining what discount offer emails are, their importance, and real-world examples of impressive emails. We’ll also include discount email strategies to help you generate results.
Let’s get started!
Discount offer email (meaning and importance)
Discount offer emails inform customers about special deals like percentage discounts, coupons, or promotions. These emails incentivize customers to purchase, increase sales, and grow their loyalty.
Why are discount offer emails essential to a business?
Discounts build customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. As a result, discount offer emails increase sales, conversion rates, and customer retention. Businesses use discount offer emails to target customer segments, offer adjustable incentives, and track the campaign’s performance.
As inflation continues to rise in many countries, more people are interested in opportunities to save money.
The 2022 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey found that 96% of over 9,000 consumers across 25 countries intend to save money in the coming months.
Unsurprisingly, a survey of 1,300 US adults found that 96% actively look for promo coupons before purchasing anything online.
And since most people check their emails at least once daily, discount offer emails are among the easiest ways to reach out to existing customers and leads.
Discount offer email examples
1. Uber Eats Promo Email
The discount offer email is short and precise, with a super clear offer (50% off). The email has about four CTAs, one at the very beginning (the clickable promo code) and others spread out over the page (Redeem now and two Order now buttons).
The email also has clear instructions on how to use the discount, “Add the promo code before you check out to claim your meal on us.”
Finally, the email has bold colors and captivating images and graphics.
The email’s subject line read: What’s better than food? FREE food!
2. WriterBuddy’s discount offer email
The discount offer email above addresses the recipient by name (personalization), and the offer is very clear (20% off forever). Importantly, the offer expires in 24 hours, prompting the recipient to act fast.
The entire banner is also clickable, leading to the checkout page. So if the recipient only reads the banner and clicks on it, the company has accomplished 99% of the mission.
The email’s subject line read: Get 20% Off Forever!
How to write the perfect discount offer email (& Tips)
When writing a discount offer email, start with a clear subject line, personalize the email, and ensure the offer is clear. Use persuasive language in the email, add visuals, and make your call-to-action visible. Finally, test different emails and optimize.
Start with a clear subject line
Your subject line is the first thing customers will see, so give them a reason to open the email. The easiest way is to mention the discount offer.
For example, “Get 20% off your next purchase!” or “Limited time offer: Save $100 now!”
Below’s an example of a straightforward and short email subject line:
Use these best practices to create your discount offer email subject line:
- Keep it short (about 40 characters)
- Lead with the offer (first 3 words) in case the recipient’s device truncates the subject line.
- Avoid including the recipient’s name – it’s a waste of character space
- You may include emojis, but use them at the end after providing the discount information
We have a free email subject line generator if you need help creating these subject lines. The AI tool will produce up to 10 subject lines at a time, so you can choose the one that conforms to the best practices above. You only need to describe the offer and get the subject lines in seconds.
Personalize your email content.
Personalization can increase your discount offer email’s open rate and make your campaign successful. Use the recipient’s name, location, or purchase history to tailor your email to their interests.
“Hey [Name], enjoy an exclusive discount on [Product]!” is a good example. But you can personalize your email content even further.
Check out Academia’s discount offer email below.
In the discount offer email above, Academia combines an event (the recipient was mentioned in a paper) and a discount (50% off) to entice the recipient to upgrade to their premium package to see who mentioned them. It’s the epitome of personalization in a discount offer email.
Make your offer clear.
Clearly state your offer, whether a discount, coupon, or special promotion and how much it is. Use bold text or high-contrast colours to make the offer stand out from the rest of the message. And include any restrictions, expiration dates, or other valuable details about the product or service.
For example, “Save 15% on your entire purchase. Offer expires on [Date]. Use coupon code: xyz123”
Check out Skillshare’s discount offer email below.
The email also includes the benefits of purchasing Skillshare’s membership.
Use persuasive language
Use language that motivates customers to take action. Highlight the benefits of the offer. For example, “limited time only” or “while supplies last.” Additionally, you could use “exclusive offer for our valued customers.”
Encourage customers to take advantage of the offer as soon as possible. For example, “Hurry! Don’t miss out on this amazing deal!”
Have a look at an example:
Use images and graphic illustrations
Including real-life photos and graphics can make your discount offer email more visually appealing and engaging. Use images relevant to your offer, such as product shots or graphics highlighting the discount.
Add enticing phrases to the images like, “Save big on [Product] – now only [Price].”
Make it easy to take action
Make it easy for customers to take advantage of your offer by having a clear call to action button. You can have multiple CTAs in the email – at the beginning, middle, and end. You can also link an entire banner to the checkout page.
Test and optimize
Finally, test different subject lines, offers, and formatting to see what works best. You can segment your email lists and send different offer emails to each group. Then, pick the subject line with the highest open rate and the email copy with the highest click-through rate. It’s A/B testing.
For example, an e-retailer, Evo, wanted to increase sales during a slow season. They tested which coupon worked best in emails between “$50-Off Coupon” and “15%-Off Coupon”. The test found that the “$50-Off Coupon” generated 170% more revenue.
The “$50-Off Coupon” also had a 72% higher conversion rate. They found that the dollar-off coupon performed better since the perceived value was higher. It eliminated the need for the customer to calculate their savings.
Discount offer email templates
Templates offer a starting point for crafting a well-written discount offer email, whether formal, casual or any other type.
Use the following discount offer email templates if you don’t want to write your email from scratch.
Formal discount offer email
A formal discount offer email is a professional and polished way to communicate discounts and offers to your customers. This type of email is often used by businesses that want to maintain a sophisticated tone.
When writing a formal discount offer email, use professional language while being brief and straightforward.
Here’s a template:
Casual discount offer email
A casual discount offer email is a more informal and relaxed way to inform your customers of special offers and promotions.
When writing a casual discount offer email, be friendly and conversational. Try to use layman’s terms and everyday language.
Here’s a template you can use as a starting point:
eCommerce discount email
E-commerce discount emails are used by online businesses to promote sales and increase customer loyalty. They typically offer a limited-time discount for specific products.
When writing an e-commerce discount email, you only need captivating product images. List them in a banner, each with a link to the product page. You can also show the discounted amount for each product to show the recipient how much they’d save.
SaaS (software as a service) discount email
Companies that sell software through a subscription model (like WriterBuddy) use a SaaS (Software as a Service) discount email. You can use the emails to incentivize potential customers to sign up for a trial or to convert trial users into paying customers.
When writing it, emphasize the software’s value and the discount’s benefits.
Here’s a template:
General discount code email
A general discount code email is a versatile type of offer email that you can use to promote a sale, launch a new product, or reward your loyal customers.
Clearly communicate the value of the discount and highlight the key benefits of your product or service.
Here’s a template:
Discount code after signing up for a newsletter
After signing up for a newsletter, a discount code is a great way to reward customers for their interest in your business and encourage them to purchase.
Here’s a template:
Limited time offer email
This type of email encourages customers to take advantage of the offer before it expires. When writing a limited-time offer email, clearly state the terms of the offer and the deadline for taking advantage of it.
Below is a template you can use as a starting point:
Abandoned cart discount
This discount email type reconnects with customers to boost sales. The personalized messages remind shoppers of unfinished purchases and incentivize them to complete the sale with a special offer or discount.
Use our abandoned cart recovery email generator to create the email quickly.
But if you want to write it from scratch, here’s a template:
Customer re-engagement discount
These emails are designed to bring back lost customers with tempting offers that are too good to refuse.
You can reignite a customer’s interest and drive sales by using a personalized touch, a well-crafted subject line, and a great discount.
Use this template below to reconnect with a lost customer:
Loyal customer discount
These powerful emails show appreciation for your loyal customers and encourage them to purchase.
Check out this template:
Product launch discount
These emails serve as an exclusive invitation to the launch of a new product. They offer a limited-time discount for early adopters.
With the right messaging and a compelling offer, product launch discount emails can drive excitement and anticipation. They could make your launch a huge success.
Here’s a template:
Seasonal sale discount
Use seasonal sale discount emails to offer your audience unbeatable deals on the products they love. Send them out during a flash sale for Black Friday, a holiday shopping extravaganza, or a mid-season clearance event.
Use the template below to craft a quality seasonal sale email:
Discount reminder
These emails remind customers of a special deal or promotion they may have missed. They encourage them to take advantage of the offer before it expires.
Below is a template:
Discount email strategies
A well-crafted discount email can drive conversions and help you build a strong relationship with your customers. To accomplish this, implement the following strategies.
Find the right sending time
Consider your subscribers’ time zones and when they are most likely to check their email. Sending emails on weekdays during regular working hours, around 10 am or 2 pm, can result in high open rates.
Additionally, consider sending follow-up emails to subscribers who didn’t open the original email at a different time to see if that changes their response.
Optimize for mobile
Ensure your discount offer emails look good on mobile devices as more people use them over computers. A study by Litmus found that mobile accounts for 43% of all email opens, which was more than any other environment.
Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts to the size of the screen and makes your text and CTA buttons easy to read and click on.
Use dynamic content for personalization
Dynamic content can help you personalize your discount offer emails and make them more engaging. For example, you might show different discount offers based on the subscriber’s location, purchase history, or other personal information.
Personalization makes your discount offer emails relevant, thus encouraging conversions.
Make it easy to claim the discount
It’s best to reduce the steps it takes to claim the offer. For example, you can have links that lead directly to the checkout page. And if using a discount code, you can still link it to the checkout page.
If you must use a discount code that the recipient must write directly before checking out, make it easy to remember.
Use A/B testing to identify the most converting emails
As aforementioned, A/B testing can help optimize your discount offer emails and find what works best for your audience. Test different elements of your emails, like the email content, call-to-action buttons, and sending time to see what results in the highest conversions.
For example, you might test different subject lines to see which offers the most click rates.
Follow-up unclaimed discounts
Following up with subscribers who should have taken advantage of your discount offer can increase conversions. Send a follow-up email to remind them about the offer and highlight its benefits.
You could also offer an additional incentive, such as a limited-time extension on the offer, to encourage conversions.
Segment your email list for personalization
Segmenting helps you target your discount offer emails to the right audience. For example, you might send a discount offer to new subscribers while sending a different offer to your loyal customers.
Segmenting your email list helps you tailor your discounts to the recipients.
Final thoughts: Discount offer emails
Discount emails are essential for businesses looking to increase sales and improve customer loyalty. You can create effective discount offer emails using product images, graphic illustrations, clear call-to-action buttons, personalized emails, and straightforward offers.
Additionally, including these offers in special holidays and weekly newsletters and having a clear subject line can further improve their success.
Remember that a successful discount offer email requires strategy, creativity, and effective writing techniques.
Discount offer emails are invaluable to your business’ success. Leverage them accordingly by incorporating effective strategies into your marketing campaign to reap the benefits.
If you require high-quality, AI-generated content, use our free writing tools. Our content generators are fast and super easy to use.
So don’t wait. Start crafting the perfect discount offer email for your business today!
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