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Customer acquisition is easy. It’s customer retention that’s hard.
You need to win over customers again and again, a process that entails a nuanced strategy. Customer loyalty and a high customer lifetime value don’t happen by accident.
“Customer retention is much more multidimensional than acquisition; retention demands you treat first-time, two-time, repeat, and loyal shoppers with nuance. And, the margin of error is that much smaller,” according to this customer loyalty and retention report.
The role email marketing plays in this is significant.
According to the same report, the majority of respondents said they would like to receive promotional information from a brand between purchases and the communication needs to be personalized and relevant.
An upsell email is one of the best tools to make the most out of every purchase and increase the lifetime value of each customer you get and retain.
In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of maximizing customer LTV and how email can be used to upsell and increase LTV.
We’ll also show best practices from brands that craft great upsell emails. We hope this gets your gears turning and shows you how to boost your revenue one email at a time.
What is Customer LTV?
Customer lifetime value, also called CLV, is the average value of a customer measured in total dollar value during a customer's lifetime associated with a business.
Customer retention is much more multidimensional than acquisition; retention demands you treat first-time, two-time, repeat, and loyal shoppers with nuance. And, the margin of error is that much smaller.
Let’s say you sell chocolate subscription boxes packed and shipped each month. Each customer pays you $19 each month for their subscription.
Your average customer stays on a subscription for 12 months before deciding to stay or quit.
That means the average customer LTV for your business is now at $19 multiplied by 12 for a total of $228.
For subscription businesses, the longer customers stay subscribed, the higher the average LTV is going to be.
How to Increase LTV with Email Marketing
Email marketing isn’t just for one-off sales; it’s also powerful to keep and sustain your customer pipeline (one-off product sales, subscriptions, and more).
The whole aspect of increasing average customers’ purchase ticket size or increasing the length of the average subscription isn’t just about email marketing. An array of related aspects do come into play.
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A few aspects outside of email marketing that could directly affect LTV are:
- The brand
- Your USP
- The perceived value of products or services
- Pricing
- Consistent delivery of value for the lifecycle of the customer
You can boost LTV through channels like email, social media, text, your website, and ads, to name a few.
For now, let’s focus on the email marketing aspect and explore how brands use email marketing for customer engagement, customer retention, and customer loyalty–all of which affect LTV.
Before we get into examples of emails focused on increasing customer LTV, a few basics:
Although customer LTV kicks in after a transaction is made, you’d need to work backward to the beginning, namely:
- the impressions you make
- the brand USP
- the onboarding experience
You need to set processes in place for personalization and segmentation. Customer loyalty is nurtured through different touch points and email can be one portion of this journey you craft to retain your customers.
Now, without further ado, let’s get to real examples from brands who know how to upsell right:
5 Upsell Emails That Boost Customer LTV
Javy: Due for a Top-up?
Consumables taken every day are relatively easy to upsell because once you hook customers, they’ll likely make repeat purchases.
More customers and more repeat purchases is a recipe for a healthy customer LTV.
The coffee brand Javy leans into upselling to give its revenue a boost. For every bottle, a customer can get a second bottle for a discount.
This email’s call-to-action is a great example of how to write unique CTAs.
Leaf Envy: Monthly surprises? Oh yes, Give it to me
Who doesn’t like surprises? The plant delivery brand Leaf Envy persuades their customers to subscribe by creating a mystery box subscription.
Each month, a subscriber receives a surprise plant, along with other subscription perks.
Their upsell email has a beautiful design and is filled with simple and effective copy.
When you encourage customers to opt into a subscription, you are well on your way to a higher customer LTV.
Sundays: Hassle-Free Feedings
If your target audience includes or is composed of fur parents and pet lovers, you can upsell using emotion.
They love their pets and want to give them the best they can, including top-of-the-line food. And if they can feed their pets hassle-free without having to order again and again, that’s a huge draw.
The pet food brand Sundays taps into this need. With their dog food subscription, pet owners can worry less about running out of dog food, and on top of that, they get a discount for subscribing.
Customer LTV? Check.
Fenty Beauty: Auto-Replenishment Genius
Fenty Beauty rolled out an email campaign about its "auto-replenishment and save program”– a smart move and an easy way to upsell customers.
It’s a win-win, not just for customers who love the product but also for Fenty Beauty, who are guaranteed a steady cash flow from brand loyalists.
They frame the offer as a way to “never run out of your faves again”. They give a ten percent discount for those who opt in.
The email doesn’t go into further detail but they have a “Subscribe Now” CTA button below the details of the benefits of the program.
There’s not much that you need to add on already stellar deal. Upselling doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as treating your customers and giving them a discount for staying loyal to your brand.
Autozone: Tank & Money, Both Can Go Further
Customer retention programs aren’t just for food, lifestyle, and flashy consumable products. It applies to every industry and niche you can think of.
The automotive brand Autozone sells its products in a typical ecommerce email campaign format but it’s squarely aimed at boosting average order count and customer LTV.
Maximizing LTV with Strategic Upsell Email Campaigns
Upsell emails are a proven way to increase customer lifetime value while fostering loyalty and engagement.
By leveraging personalization, smart design, and compelling offers, brands like Javy, Leaf Envy, and Fenty Beauty demonstrate how effective upsell campaigns can boost both revenue and customer satisfaction.
Whether it’s a subscription offer, auto-replenishment program, or a one-time discount, these strategies show that upselling doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be thoughtful.
Start crafting upsell emails that resonate with your audience and watch your customer relationships and LTV grow.
Need more upsell email examples?
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FAQs
1. What are upsell emails?
Upsell emails encourage customers to purchase higher-value products, add-ons, or subscriptions. They are designed to boost customer lifetime value by increasing spending and fostering loyalty.
2. How can I make my upsell emails effective?
Focus on personalization by using customer purchase history to suggest relevant products. Use clear and compelling calls-to-action and offer exclusive discounts or perks to entice customers.
3. Why are upsell emails important for LTV?
Upsell emails help maximize revenue by encouraging repeat purchases and higher-order values. They also strengthen customer relationships, leading to longer engagement and increased lifetime value.
