In the world of online commerce, every interaction with a customer is valuable. A click, an abandoned cart, an opened email: so many moments where the brand can create a link, guide a choice or remind us that it is there to help. Email marketing and retargeting are not just sales tools. They are levers for transforming transactions into human relationships, bringing meaning and value to each message.
Email marketing: the first human contact
When a customer subscribes to a newsletter, downloads a guide or validates a first purchase, they offer the brand a unique opportunity: to enter into a dialogue, not just to sell. But this opportunity requires delicacy and timing.
The key to effective email marketing is not to overwhelm the inbox. It’s about understanding the customer’s journey and supporting them in a relevant way. A personalized and warm welcome message creates a positive first impression. According to Campaign Monitor (2024), welcome emails generate on average 3 times more engagement than traditional emails.
For marketing teams, each email becomes a short story, a conversation in a few lines. The subject of the email, often the first contact, must be clear, concise and encourage opening without promising what will not be delivered. The body of the message must provide value: advice, recommendations, tailored offers, useful information. And each call-to-action must be intuitive, so that the customer feels that they can act easily, without pressure.
Retargeting: recall with relevance
Retargeting, or advertising retargeting, complements email marketing by following the customer’s journey on the web. It’s about staying present in your mind without being intrusive. An abandoned shopping cart on an e-commerce site, a product viewed but not purchased: so many signals that make it possible to offer a personalized reminder.
According to a SaleCycle study (2024), 70% of abandoned carts can be recovered with targeted reminder emails and consistent retargeting. But again, it’s not just about pushing people to buy. The most effective campaigns use retargeting to offer useful information, reassure about availability or delivery, and create a bond of trust.
A simple example: a customer left a basket with a Christmas gift. An email or retargeted ad can gently remind you that the product is still available and offer express delivery. The tone of the message is crucial: it should show care, not pressure.
Behind the scenes of a successful campaign
Building a successful email marketing and retargeting campaign requires anticipation and finesse. Marketing teams spend hours segmenting customers, personalizing messages and analyzing behavior in real time.
Segmentation is essential: a generic message is rarely effective. Customers are not all at the same stage of their purchasing journey, nor motivated by the same arguments. Some seek practicality, others are sensitive to promotions, some need to be reassured about quality or customer service. Fine segmentation allows you to send the right message, at the right time, in a relevant and human way.
Automation then facilitates execution. Tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp or HubSpot allow you to create complex scenarios: welcome emails, reminders after abandoned carts, personalized recommendations, seasonal reminders… But even automated, the messages must remain human, with a warm tone and consistent with the brand.
The power of data, but with humanity
Retargeting and email marketing are based on precise data: clicks, openings, visits, purchases. But behind every statistic, there is a person with needs, desires and a context. The real value of these tools lies not in the massive collection of data, but in the ability to transform it into relevant and respectful interactions.
For example, a customer who regularly opens emails about a specific product shows real interest. A simple reminder email or retargeting message that mentions this product, offers an alternative or provides advice, is perceived as a useful service, not as an intrusion.
Benefits for businesses
For e-commerce and retailers, the figures speak for themselves. According to Litmus (2024):
- Email marketing generates an average ROI of €36 for each euro spentmuch more than social advertising or classic display campaigns.
- Retargeting campaigns allow you to recover up to 25% of lost sales on abandoned carts.
- Brands that combine email marketing and retargeting see an average increase of 20% in turnover at the end of the yearespecially during busy periods such as Christmas or Black Friday.
But beyond the numbers, the main advantage is human: these tools make it possible to create a lasting relationship with the customer, based on attention, relevance and trust. A well-supported customer is more loyal, more satisfied and more likely to come back.
Best practices for human campaigns
- Personalize, but without excess : Use first name or recommendations based on purchase history, but avoid giving the impression of intrusive surveillance.
- Reassure and inform : remind you of delivery times, product availability, or offer assistance.
- Balancing frequency and relevance : an email or advertisement that is too frequent can irritate, a message that is too rare can miss the opportunity.
- Test and adjust : campaigns must evolve based on real behavior. A/B testing of objects and content allows you to optimize results without losing the humanity of the message.
- Stay consistent with the brand : the tone must reflect the personality of the company and reinforce trust.
