Case study: a bakery starts its first email list
This case study is about a bakery's first email list. The bakery has one shop and a small team, and it bakes a few new things each week. The owner wanted regulars to know about them without relying on social media, where few of her posts were seen.
The brief #
The owner's brief to us was a single line: "I want my regulars to know what is on the counter this weekend." We liked it, because it named the reader and the result.
How we set up the email list #
- Two ways to join. A small card at the till with a short web address, and a sign-up form on the website. Both say what the email list is for in one line.
- A welcome email. It comes from the owner by name, says the letter arrives each Thursday, and includes this week's bakes. It follows Clara's guide to welcome emails.
- A short weekly letter. A photo of the weekend's specials, a line about each, and the opening hours. It takes the owner a quarter of an hour to write each week.
We asked every person for clear consent at sign-up, as UK rules require. The overview of email marketing at Wikipedia covers the wider practice and its rules in other countries.
What changed #
The owner says regulars now mention the letter at the counter, and some come in on Friday to be sure of a loaf they read about. The letter also gives her a reason to plan the weekend's bakes on Thursday, and the email list belongs to the bakery, not to a social network.
About the author
Email and content lead at Kestrel & Lime
Experience Writes and sends the newsletters of a dozen local businesses each month, and trained as a copy editor
Clara writes the emails our clients send and the pages their customers read. She is the reason our posts use short sentences. She writes here about email lists, welcome emails and writing for people who are busy.
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