Transactional vs. marketing emails: the differences
Transactional and marketing are the two types of Email Marketing every business owner should know about. This article will explain the difference between them.
What is a Transactional Email?
It is an email sent to facilitate a transaction. You send it in response to an activity the recipient has initiated on your website or application. It’s an automated message triggered by the recipient’s action, for example, a confirmation message when a customer buys an item from an online store.
What is a Marketing Email?
It is an email sent to promote a product or service to the recipient. The recipient’s action does not trigger it; instead, it’s sent by a business seeking to promote an offer to the customers.
Marketing messages are usually sent in bulk, while transactional ones are mostly one-to-one communication.
Differences Between Marketing and Transactional Emails
The two types differ in many ways, the most prominent ones being:
1. Purpose
The purpose of a transactional email is to facilitate a transaction initiated by the recipient. It’s sent in response to an action the recipient already initiated with the sender.
Marketing emails are sent by businesses to promote their products and services to potential customers. Their primary objective is to convince the recipient to enter a transaction with the sender.
2. Permission
Transactional messages don’t require consent from the sender because they’re triggered by the recipient’s action. The recipient is already expecting your message to proceed with the transaction they’ve initiated.
In contrast, marketing emails require prior consent from the recipient. Sending an unconsented promotional message constitutes spam, which can cause email services to block your address and may potentially lead to lawsuits.
3. Frequency
Promotional messages usually come on a fixed schedule, e.g., daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The other type has no set schedule; transactional messages are sent only when the receiver takes an action requiring the email in response.
4. Call-To-Action Button
Promotional emails always come with a call-to-action button nudging the receiver to take a specific action, e.g., “Sign up,” “Buy now,” “Join our newsletter,” etc. Transactional messages don’t always have a call-to-action button; they could simply inform the user about their activity on a website or app, for example, a profile change.
5. Unsubscribe Link/Button
Placing an unsubscribe link or button in every promotional message is compulsory. It allows the receiver to opt out of receiving further messages from you. However, this practice is not required for transactional messages.
6. Optimization
Promotional emails are optimized for user conversions. The aim is to persuade recipients to engage with a brand and take specific actions.
A transactional email focuses on user experience. It aims to inform the user about a specific transaction and assist them with any actions that might be necessary. Clarity and functionality take the front seat in this type of message.
7. Length
Transactional messages are usually short and precise. They go straight to the point, passing across relevant information in as few words as possible.
In contrast, marketing emails can be quite lengthy. The sender puts a lot of effort into crafting an enticing message to convince the receiver to take a suggested action. This usually calls for a more creative approach as well.
Which One Should You Send?
Every business may send both types of emails, depending on the situation. You’ll send a transactional message when the receiver takes an action demanding one, e.g., signs up for your newsletter, creates an account on your website, orders an item from your online store, etc.
Businesses also send regular promotional emails to advertise their products and services. Both types of emails are necessary, and we’ve outlined their core differences.
