Inbox Insider: Transactional e-mails build loyalty

Transactional e-mails are a great way for marketers to keep up with their customers and build loyalty. Digital bill statements are a good example of this.

Instead of getting paper bills, I've subscribed to monthly e-mails from Time Warner and AT&T to remind me to pay my phone and Internet bills. These e-mails are helpful reminders to log into my online accounts and pay my monthly bills.

The e-mails are simple in their content — they do not include the latest phone offering or plan — but they do include a statement reminder and a link to log in and pay the bill, serving as a utility. Since it is imperative that these e-mails get delivered, not caught in spam traps, it is safe for these companies to approach it in this way.

After I get the e-mail and pay the bill, I get another e-mail as a receipt. This follow-up message includes information about product upgrades and services, such as automatic bill pay. This is a great way to confirm the transaction, let me know that the bill is paid and let me know about services and products that might interest me. While the e-mail includes a marketing message, it sticks to the point and focuses on items of interest to make sure that its content is relevant.