Love it or hate it, sending emails for your game store is a great way to stay connected to your customers and drive sales in store and online. Even if you think email is dead and you’re someone who unsubscribes from every email newsletter that finds it’s way into your inbox, your customers don’t feel the same way.
Statistically, building an email list and sending emails on a consistent basis has one of the highest ROI’s for your marketing dollar, so email is far from being a dead channel.
I’ve been banging this drum for years now, but one of the most common objections/questions I hear from store owners is “I don’t know what to write. What do I send people?”.
Sales have a bit of a stigma in the tabletop industry, but when used correctly they can be incredibly effective for moving products that need to get off your shelf to make room for new ones, and obviously they align great with email marketing.
Putting on a Black Friday/Christmas/Summer sale? Hit up your email list and let them know ahead of time!
Then email them again a week before, the day it goes live, and at least one more time on the last day of the sale.
Your customers are busy, with a million things vying for their attention every single day, so don’t be afraid to give them a nudge more than once.
And definitely don’t assume that your one Facebook post means every single customer and everyone in your area knows you’ve got a sale going on.
But those are sales. Sales are obvious fuel for the email marketing machine.
What about the other 48 or so weeks of the year? What should you be writing about then?
Here are several ideas you can use to spark some inspiration for your next email this week.
Powerful Non-Promotional Email Ideas
Ready to diversify your email content? Here’s how:
New Arrivals & Limited Drops
These are your go-to emails. People love new products and games, so tease, remind, and drip-feed these announcements to create anticipation and excitement.
Highlight new games that have landed on your shelves, preorders for products that are limited in quantity, and hot products that your customers are interested in.
Single Product Deep Dive
Take a best-seller and dive deep into its backstory. Explain what makes the product or game awesome, who it’s for, and what makes it tick.
Pain Point Framework
Structure your emails to address a common customer pain point:
- Highlight the pain point (e.g., how to get your kids away from the screen and engaged in something other than social media).
- State a common misconception (e.g., kids these days have no attention span).
- Reveal the true root cause (e.g., technology is creating habits that are hard to break and they need a routine that connects them with real people again).
- Present your solution clearly (e.g., family game nights with a rotating selection of super awesome board games!).
Crazy Testimonials
Share the extraordinary stories of your customers—whether it’s someone who made 35 purchases, met their significant other at one of your Commander nights, or a wild experience they had at your store.
Ask for reviews from your customers when they have had a great experience, and then use those reviews in your emails! The whole email doesn’t have to be about the review FYI. Adding some great testimonials and five star reviews at the bottom of a newsletter is a great way to highlight what people think of your store.
Us vs. Them
Engage your customers with comparative emails without directly referencing competitors. Highlight what sets you apart creatively.
FAQ Deep Dives
Turn frequently asked customer questions into emails. Not only useful but shows you’re attentive to customer needs.
Engagement Bait
Ask your audience to vote on future products or provide feedback. This makes customers feel valued and part of your brand journey.
Genuinely Useful Tips
Offer actionable, insightful tips—no generic fluff. Every tip should leave customers thinking, “Wow, I need to try that!”
Of-the-Month Highlights
Feature popular products, staff favorites, or customer picks each month. Customers trust peer and staff recommendations.
Once a month, ask your team what their favorite new game or title is and why. Create a section in store called staff picks, and then Boom! You’ve got a great piece of content for your email, blog, and social media!
Behind the Scenes (BTS)
Share truly engaging behind-the-scenes moments—like receiving a hot product, the struggles and realities of running a game store, or intriguing challenges your team faced. Avoid mundane content.
Moonshot Emails
Use email to create your own viral brand moment, similar to Duolingo’s recent campaign of resurrecting the owl from the dead.
Challenge the norms, think creatively, and inspire your audience.
Get Creative and Have Fun!
Every local game store can and should create engaging, exciting, and effective non-promotional emails. The key is knowing your audience and customers, experimenting with content, and, above all, having fun during the creative process.
Remember, the best emails make you feel genuinely excited as you hit “send.” If you’re struggling to gauge your content’s effectiveness, feel free to reach out. I’d love to help!
Now go make your next email your best one yet!