The Art of Selling CDs, Vinyl, and Merch via Email

Email marketing is by far a the most effective tool in your music career toolbox. No other forms of marketing gives you better return on your investment. And the best thing is that it can be automated, so once you've set it up, it runs itself.

An automated email sequence can nurture new subscribers, give them a taste of your music, and introduce them to your products in a way that feels natural and compelling.

There are three email sequences you can set up today to help you sell more CDs, vinyl and merch.

1. Create an Engaging Welcome Sequence

The welcome sequence is your chance to make a great first impression, introduce your music, and build excitement about supporting you as an independent artist. Here’s a step-by-step approach to setting up your welcome sequence:

Email 1: Warm Welcome and Freebie Offer

• As soon as someone signs up, thank them warmly and introduce yourself. Keep this email conversational and genuine.
• If you promised them a free track or any offer in the sign up form, this email needs to include the download link for that.
• To further deepen their commitment to the relationship, invite them to reply to you and you'll personally reply back. (This part can't be automated, so if you include this you have to be prepared to actually answer people's emails.)
• End this email with a teaser for the next email, so they'll be anticipating another email. Mention a bonus, a gift, or exclusive offer you will give them to incentivize them to be on the lookout for your next email.

Email 2: Your Story and Behind-the-Scenes Access

• Give them an exclusive offer like a free CD (with paid shipping) or a low cost CD. This low-cost offer serves as a tripwire, introducing them to your music while encouraging them to take a small action that could lead to a future purchase. Link this to a salespage where you'll have room to go into further detail.
• Mention that by staying on your list, they’ll get exclusive updates, access to new music first, behind-the-scenes access, and special offers.

Email 3: Add Extra Value with Bonus Offer

• In this email, make the offer more enticing. Include a bundle of products at a great price just for them since they signed up to your email ist. This could be a CD and vinyl, two CDs, CD and T-shirt, anything that is more value than the last offer.
• Add a personal story about why it’s special or how it was created, which can make it more compelling.

+ How to build your email list

You'll have to set up your automation so that if someone buys on the second email, they won't get the third email. Instead they will receive the next sequence of emails.

2. After Purchase Sequence

It might seem counter-intuitive but the best time to ask someone to buy something, is right after they just bought something.

Email 1: Order Confirmation

• Everyone expects an order confirmation email when buying anything online. This email should start with a genuine thank you for the order.
• It should contain the details about what they just bought (even if it was a free CD and they only paid for shipping.)
• It should include information on when they should expect the order to ship.
• You can include a teaser for the next email you'll send them which will include an exclusive offer.

Email 2: Something Extra and Shipping Information

• Hopefully you're able to ship orders within a day or two of receiving them. Once you've shipped the order send an email telling them it has shipped and give them the tracking number if you used a shipping method that is trackable. 
• Also include a free bonus to further delight the customer. This could be a download link to a song, a link to a music video, or some exclusive content that can't be found elsewhere.

Email 3: Request Feedback

• A couple of days after the order is expected to arrive send them an email asking if they've received it and if they like what they bought. 
• Ask them to reply with a picture or video of them with the CD, vinyl, T-shirt, or whatever they just bought. (You can use this in future marketing to show that you have happy customers and raving fans.)

Email 4: Follow-Up Offer

•  2-3 days after the previous email send them the last email in this sequence which should contain an offer for a complementary product. If they bought a CD, you can offer the same album on vinyl, or if they bought your first CD, you can offer them your second one, etc.
• Give them a great discount on this second purchase, and make it clear that this is the only way they can get this deal. (It could be applicable to only the product you're offering here or any item in your online store.)
• To seal the deal you can offer a unique bonus. It can be that you'll personally sign the CD or vinyl, it can be a handwritten note, a sticker, a photo, anything that makes it extra special and provides more value than if they were to just buy it from your online store.

3. Cart Abandonment Recovery

When someone goes to your website, adds something to the cart, but doesn't complete the checkout, it could mean that they just got distracted. To remind them and entice them back you can set up an email sequence. This could be one, two, or three emails. Keep an eye on the analytics after it has run for a while. How many completes a purchase, and how many unsubscribes from your list will help you make decisions on necessary adjustments.

How to set this up depends on which eCommerce or online store platform you're using. Shopify makes this fairly simple, so does WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, and many others. Check the support docs for your eCommerce platform.

Email 1: Quick Reminder

• This should just be a quick reminder that they abandoned their cart, you can use humor or your personalized tone to make it appealing.
• It needs to include the link back to the cart they abandoned.
• Thank them for their support.
• You can offer them a discount, but it can be saved for the second email.
• You can ask them if they had any trouble with the checkout or if they have questions. If so they can reply to the email and you'll reply back. (This again, is not automated, so you'll have to reply to any of these emails in a timely matter.)

Email 2: Second Reminder with Discount

• This email should again remind them of their abandoned cart.
• Include link back to that preloaded cart.
• Include a discount, free shipping or an additional free item.
• Tell them a story of what their support means to you and your career.
• Say thank you.

Email 3: Final Reminder

• If they haven't finished their checkout after the second reminder you can send them a final email promising that this will be the last one.
• Include a discount or extra offer that is better than the previous email.
• Thank them for the support.

With an abandoned cart recovery sequence it is important that you set it up so that any subscriber will be removed from this sequence if they complete a purchase.

In order to set this up, you'll need an eCommerce store and an email marketing platform. Some eCommerce stores, like Shopify, has email marketing built in as well. 

Here are a few, of many, options:

eCommerce platforms:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• Wix
• BigCommerce

Email Marketing Platforms:

• Shopify
• Maillchimp
• Drip
• Brevo

For much more in depth tutorials, workshops, courses and trainings on this and other marketing topics check out our partners at Indepreneur. We've even got discount codes for you:

Photo by KIT