The ultimate goal for sending an email is to make a return on your investment so it’s only natural that the average email marketer would prefer sending a lead generation email over an email meant for branding purposes. With that said, it’s still crucial that we maintain a balance between the two if we want to achieve long-term success with email marketing. Below, we’ll be discussing the differences between branding and lead generation emails, highlighting the reasons to send emails for branding purposes, and finally what the expectations should be for the two.

Difference Between Lead Generation and Email Branding

The main difference between lead generation emails and branding emails is in terms of ROI. Lead generation emails often have a discount in them to persuade people into scheduling service. This often creates “bargain hunters” in your list, people who only schedule service if there is a discount involved. One of the issues with these type of clients is they are likely to use a competitor’s service if the incentive large enough.

On the other hand, branding emails often provide added value in the form of information. Customers who regularly open and read your branding emails slowly overtime become your true fans. These are customers who are looking for something beyond just a good deal and if you can earn their trust, you will see their repeat business for many years.

The 411 on Branding Emails

The problem with the branding email is that it often doesn’t give you an immediate ROI. It’s no wonder that most would want to send more lead generation emails than branding emails. But what would happen if you only sent lead generation emails? Those users who were actually hoping to receive tips, information and the latest news would most probably unsubscribe from your list. This creates an imbalance in your list between your “bargain hunters” and the true fans of your brand. By giving your customers valuable information that they can relate to, you create a positive memory for the customer making them more likely to remember you when a service need arises.

Setting the Expectations for Success

Ultimately whether you’re sending a lead generation email or a branding email, knowing what to expect from each will greatly help whether you view it as a success or not. Lead generation emails are a great way to get consistent leads. However, sending too many during a short period of time will not only burn out your list but it will also lower the amount of leads you get on average per email campaign. Branding emails on the other hand will not always generate leads. The key to branding emails is knowing who to send it to that will appreciate that information. Creating a segment for “active users” and only sending the branding emails to users who consistently open and read your emails will give you a higher probability of getting the valuable information to only the people who want to get it.

There is the right message for every customer on your list so there is no universal email that will spark everyone customer’s interest. At the end of the day, your marketing plan should include both branding as well as lead generation emails.