Tips for eCommerce – Email Marketing of iOgrapher
Since a lot of our customers are small business owners and entrepreneurs, I felt that it might be a good idea to share what other people are doing to market their products, because we all can learn a lot from other successful people.
One of the things I like to do is listen to business podcasts. My favorite podcast is the Unofficial Shopify Podcast, hosted by Kurt Elster. If your business runs on Shopify, there's no one better to learn from than Kurt. Even if you don't do Shopify and run any ecommerce site, Kurt's podcast is indispensable.
Last month, he interviewed Dave Basulto, who went from acting, to producing, to teaching, to being an entrepreneur. He is now owner of iOgrapher, a company that sells kits and accessories to turn your phone into a movie making powerhouse.
We have dabbled in videos and plan to produce more, so I treated myself to an iOgrapher starter kit on Black Friday. I wanted to share my thoughts on the "New Customer Series" of emails that came my way.
After I placed the order, I got not one, but two order confirmation emails. The first one had product pictures, and the second included a coupon code but no images. I think combining the two—pictures, item list, and coupon—would be more effective.
A follow-up email asked, “Did you order the correct case?” While well-intended, it felt unnecessary since the product said it fits all smartphones. That email would benefit from being more targeted—different for phone vs. tablet cases, since only the latter require model specificity.
I later received a shipping confirmation with a USPS tracking number, followed by a thank-you message from Dave Basulto himself. That email was a great personal touch and even included a video demo. It inspired me to make my own welcome videos.
However, I initially missed links to tutorials and the community Facebook page because they were buried at the end. It would help to highlight these earlier in the email, especially for first-time buyers.
I appreciated both emails, but would retitle the second one: “In case you missed it, here are our tutorials.” This would reduce perceived redundancy and clarify the purpose.
When my order arrived, I was so impressed I placed a second order for an anamorphic lens, tripod accessories, and LED lights. Tutorials comparing lens footage to standard iPhone video really helped seal the deal.
Just hours after ordering, I got another email offering 20% off lenses. I responded and asked for a price match, hoping they’d honor it given the quick follow-up order. To avoid customer frustration, iOgrapher might consider excluding very recent buyers from such promo blasts.
Finally, I received a text-only thank-you from Dave again. Overall, iOgrapher delivers a clear and customer-focused experience. Their emails made me feel welcome and excited to explore my new gear—and gave me ideas for improving our own follow-up series.
