Email marketing can be tough if you don’t have a dedicated marketing department. If you find yourself staring blankly at the keyboard, trying to decide what to email your customers this month, it might be time for you to develop a strategy that takes you from stumped to stoked.

Like any form of communication your business uses, email marketing will only find consistent success if it combines clear business goals with the needs and wants of the consumer. Finding value for both parties isn’t always easy, but it is the most stable path toward building the desired results. If you want to take your strategy to the next level, consider these six essential types of email that can help you woo clients while hitting your goals.

New Inventory

If you receive a shipment of something, tell your customers about it! The excitement of something new can generate enough interest that you don’t have to rely on a sale. If you sold out of a lotion, tell your subscribers that it’s back in stock, and use the opportunity to create urgency for customers to come get it before it’s gone again! When your salon brings in a new product, service or piece of equipment, create a visually impactful announcement and invite them to check it out or get more information on the website. Maybe you’re trying out a new sunless solution — let people know they can enjoy a brand new sunless experience at your salon. Even if you’re just changing your lamps, it’s newsworthy! People want to spend their money at a business that keeps on top of their game.

Promotions

Of course, the promotional email is a standby, but doing it right is important. Unless you’re combining all of these options into a monthly newsletter, don’t distract your customers from the main message. Short, sweet, and nice to look at — that’s all you need. Make sure to include all of the terms and restrictions for your offer, including the date of expiration. If your event is taking place outside the salon, make it clear when and where it’s happening. Linking to a Facebook Event, Eventbrite page, or other event-specific page can help your readers get the information they need without forcing them to trudge through an unnecessarily long email.

Education

There’s only so much time your customers spend at the front desk, so use your email as a tool for creating educated consumers through occasional tips, instructions and rules for tanning and any other service you provide. Something as simple as a walkthrough of pre-sunless preparations can dramatically affect the experience your customer has with the business. If you can approach the topics without coming off pushy or salesy, this can also be an effective method for explaining how using multiple levels of equipment and a full regimen of skin care can help them get their best tan. Again, no one wants to read an entire thesis on optimal tanning practices, so refine your topic as much as possible. Instead of sending an email about “How to Get a Great Tan,” pick a smaller topic like, “How to Know If You’re Ready for A Bronzing Lotion.”

Testimonials

Sometimes, your customers are holding back because they aren’t sure they are going to get the results they want from a service or product at your salon. Testimonial emails are a great way to ease their worries. Take high-quality pictures of customers and get a quote from them — about their overall experience with the salon, customer service, new products or equipment, or simply about their tan. Featuring real people and their real results could help your undecided customers pull the trigger. Linking to review sites like Yelp or Google Business pages can give them further reassurance and encourage more reviews.

Sales Cycle

Having an email for each phase of the sales cycle can help you make an impact even if there are no other promotions or events happening in the salon. Create a welcome email that automatically generates when a customer signs up for your email list. Send a note of appreciation and a special offer on their birthday and/or the anniversary of their enrollment. Recommend products customers might like based on their recent purchases. And if they haven’t come to the salon in a while, give them a little nudge and remind them that they’re missed.