Andrew King highlights 5 great examples of developing engaging & value-add email content from brands such as Ben Sherman, Mr Porter, Aqua, Kitbag and John Lewis. Visit http://blog.lyris.com/ to accelerate your digital & email marketing campaigns.

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Email Inspiration: Five Good Examples of Engaging
Email Content
By Andrew King
Are you constantly bombarding your subscribers with discounts every week?
Are your open and click-through rates declining? Discounts are nice when you’re
ready to buy something. The problem is that your subscribers aren’t going to buy
from every email, and they’re going to become desensitized to your constant
promotions fairly quickly. So you need something else to keep them engaged in
the meantime. That’s where value-added content comes into play.
I think this type of content has a couple of other knock-on benefits:
Deliverability – A high level of engagement is key to getting into the inbox
these days. You will have a much higher level of engagement (opens / clicks) if
you include some value-added content within your emails.
Credibility – Value-added content shows your subscribers that you know who
they are, what they like, and how you can help them. This will keep you in the
customers’ frame of mind when they are ready to buy.
So here are five good examples of value-added content that I’ve seen in retail
emails recently.

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Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman Recommends is a weekly email that consists entirely of value-added content. For a fashion brand the
content is fairly eclectic, for example this email covers cabin porn, pictures of re-purposed items, and a recipe, among
other things.
This type of content may seem pointless to some people but I think it shows that Ben Sherman really knows its
audience and is providing a reason to open its email every week. The company is aligning itself with items/music/
events/general random stuff that it knows its subscribers would be interested in.

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Mr Porter
Mr Porter emails are usually fashion/product led but almost always incorporate some form of value-added content
to keep subscribers opening. This content often revolves around education (how to tie a bow tie/how to buy lingerie
for a lady), style icons (Paul Newman/Bob Dylan), weekend guides (what to wear, what to hear, what to attend) and
interviews with musicians and actors (Great Lake Swimmers/Mr Ben Whishaw). One thing that really stands out with
Mr Porter content is the quality and attention to detail that the company puts into it. It’s the type of content that you
would find in a magazine or expect to pay for! Check it out here – http://www.mrporter.com/journal

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Aqua
Aqua MIXTAPES is a value-added content email which features a new DJ every month and allows you to listen to
music via its website or Soundcloud. I like these emails because they aren’t trying to sell you anything and they show
that Aqua really knows its customers. I bet these emails actually drive a lot of traffic to the website, too.

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Kitbag.com
Here is some genuinely useful content from Kitbag.com. This email shows you how to find out which type of foot you
have (Normal/Flat/High Arched), tells you how your foot type affects your running style, and provides a link to the
type of shoes you should be wearing. Great information to have before you buy your next pair of running shoes.

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John Lewis
Playing on the detox craze which happens every January, John Lewis decided to send this “New Year, New Start”
email which is focused on fitness and healthy living. One thing that I like about John Lewis emails is that the company
always includes advice on its products from people who actually work there. This article, The Power of Three, was
written by Chris Husbands, who is a Fitness Advisor in John Lewis’ Oxford St store. It’s great to know that I could
actually go and talk to Chris in person if I wanted to!
Do you think that value-added content is worth the time and effort? Let us know your thoughts.
Keep up with the latest industry trends, developments and best practices for
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