More often than not, the role of email marketing in digital marketing is underestimated. Unrightfully so!
It lets you reach your audience directly, delivering valuable messages straight to their inbox to nurture relationships and keep them engaged with your brand. And the best part? This marketing channel is only getting bigger and better each year.
That’s why this guide came to be. Together, we’ll break down everything you need to know about how email marketing works and the effective email marketing techniques that will make it work for you, including some email marketing examples and the best practices for email marketing.
What is Email Marketing?
Usually, the definition of email marketing explains it as the use of email to promote products or services. Businesses send commercial messages to groups of people via email to generate sales or leads. It’s a direct and personalized way to connect with potential and current customers.
Now, while some email marketing is like email advertising, where businesses send email ads to subscribers, there’s much more to uncover. Better think of email marketing as building a relationship. Businesses use targeted emails to connect with a target audience who want to hear from them.
These emails could share articles, remind you about something in your cart, or give you a heads-up on a sale – all personalized based on what you like! It’s about building trust over time so people stick around and become loyal customers.
Why Email Marketing is Important
In a world saturated with information, email marketing provides a direct line to your audience, allowing you to build lasting connections and drive conversions. This highlights the importance of email marketing as a dedicated space to share valuable content and personalized messages that resonate with your subscribers.
Email marketing explained: it’s a powerful tool for nurturing leads and guiding potential customers through their buying journey. You can turn subscribers into loyal customers by offering tailored communication and addressing their needs.
It’s also an effective way to announce new products, promote special offers, and keep your audience engaged with your brand, all essential elements of a successful email marketing campaign.
But don’t just trust us – see what the latest statistics are saying:
- Email marketing generates, on average, $36 for every dollar spent.
- The email marketing market was $12 billion in 2024, surpassing $7.5 billion in 2020.
- 41% of marketers admit that email is their most effective marketing channel.
- The average revenue per email will increase from 12.9 cents to 17 cents by 2026.
- 63% of marketers said they planned to increase their email program’s volumes in 2024.
Types of Email Marketing Campaign
Just like there are different types of conversations, there are different types of email campaigns. Each has a unique purpose, helping you craft the right message for the right moment.
Let’s explore the email marketing campaigns you’re most likely to encounter:
Promotional Emails (Flash Sales, Discounts)
Want to spark immediate action from existing customers? Promotional emails are your go-to! These are all about creating a sense of excitement and urgency, often featuring limited-time offers, shiny new product launches, or exclusive discounts that your subscribers won’t want to miss.
If you want to see the financial benefits of email marketing, these two types of promotional emails should make into your list:
- Discount emails. These emails offer a price reduction on your products or services, enticing subscribers to purchase.
- Flash sale emails. These emails create a sense of urgency by offering limited-time discounts and encouraging immediate action from your subscribers.
Looking at MeUndies’ email, you can see why flash emails are so effective – you get a great deal but only for a limited time, tempting you to go… no, to run to the online store:
Informational Emails (Newsletters, Product Updates)
Informational emails provide valuable information to subscribers, sharing industry insights, company news, or helpful tips related to your products or services. They are a fantastic way to stay top-of-mind and position yourself as a trusted resource within your industry.
These are the two most encountered informational emails:
- Email newsletters are regularly sent emails that deliver content, keeping subscribers informed and engaged.
- Product update emails are focused explicitly on announcing new products, features, or improvements to existing offerings.
For example, Miro always introduces its subscribers to product updates via email to ensure a constant stream of audience engagement:
Retention Emails (Loyalty Rewards, Re-Engagement Campaigns)
Building lasting relationships is key, and that’s where retention emails shine. These focus on showing your existing customers some love, whether through loyalty programs, exclusive content just for them, or re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive users.
Take these components of retention marketing into action:
- Re-engagement campaigns. These email series target subscribers who haven’t interacted with your brand recently, aiming to rekindle their interest with special offers or valuable content.
- Loyalty reward emails. These emails show appreciation to your most loyal customers by offering exclusive discounts, early access to new products, or other perks.
McDonald’s is particularly good at loyalty programs. Just look at their reward email! Wouldn’t you keep coming back for such an opportunity?
Transactional Emails (Order Confirmations, Shipping Updates)
Transactional emails are behind-the-scenes heroes triggered by specific customer actions like purchasing or creating an account.
These include order confirmations, shipping notifications, and those “reset your password” emails we all need sometimes. They’re essential for a smooth and enjoyable customer experience.
Let’s take a closer look at the two most common transactional emails:
- Order confirmation email. This email is automatically sent to customers after they place an order, confirming their purchase and providing order details.
- Shipping update email. This email is sent when an order has shipped, providing the customer with tracking information and an estimated delivery date.
Sure, an order confirmation email is fun. But you know what’s even better? Shipping update email when you know that the order is on its way! And Onyx Coffe Lab knows it perfectly:
The Benefits of Email Marketing
Why is email marketing so awesome? Let’s count the ways!
High ROI vs. Other Marketing Channels
Email marketing ROI (Return on Investment) is the most impressive compared to other marketing channels. You get more bang for your buck! A well-crafted email marketing strategy can result in a significant boost to your bottom line. This is one of the most important advantages of email communication.
Don’t believe us? Let’s compare the average ROIs of different marketing channels:
- Email marketing – $36 to $40 for every $1 spent;
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – $7.48 for every $1 spent;
- Influencer marketing – $5.78 for every $1 spent;
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising – $2 for every $1 spent;
- Video marketing – $1.3 for every $1 spent.
Direct and Personalized Communication
Email lets you speak directly to your audience in a way that other types of email campaigns don’t; even better, you can personalize these conversations.
By segmenting your email lists, you can tailor your messages based on demographics, interests, or past purchases. These are the components of a marketing email that make it so powerful.
Also read: Email Personalization Unlocked: 12 Strategies You Can’t Miss
Easy Customer Retention
Keeping your customers happy and coming back for more is easy with email marketing.
By nurturing those relationships through targeted content and exclusive offers, you increase their lifetime value and reduce churn rate (meaning fewer goodbyes!). The impact of email marketing for small businesses can be huge because of this.
More Sales
Want more sales? Don’t just hope for the best – use email marketing to make it happen! Email lets you connect directly with your audience, offering a personalized touch that generic advertising just can’t match.
One of the biggest advantages of email communication is building relationships that translate into sales. By sharing valuable content, showcasing your products in enticing ways, and offering exclusive deals, you encourage subscribers to become loyal customers.
Challenge the saying “You have to spend money to make money” with Sender! Create a free account and start emailing at absolutely no cost. Sender makes it incredibly easy to connect with your audience using an intuitive dashboard, human-friendly drag-and-drop email builder, and customizable templates.
Stronger Customer Loyalty
Imagine a world where your customers are your biggest fans. Email marketing makes it possible! By consistently providing value, addressing their needs, and rewarding their loyalty, you strengthen those customer relationships, leading to increased brand advocacy and repeat purchases.
Strong customer engagement is one of the biggest benefits of email marketing and one of the core principles of email marketing basics.
How to Start With Email Marketing
Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to start email marketing:
Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform
First things first, you’ll need the right tool for the job. Luckily, there are many great email marketing tools and email service providers available. When choosing email marketing software, consider factors like:
- Ease of use. Look for a platform with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating visually appealing emails.
- Email templates. Good email marketing platforms should offer pre-designed templates or customization options to simplify the email creation process.
- Automation capabilities. Choose a platform that allows you to automate email sequences based on subscriber behavior or triggers.
- Segmentation options. Ensure your chosen platform allows you to segment your audience based on demographics, interests, or purchase history.
- Analytics and reporting. Pick a platform that provides detailed insights into email opens, clicks, conversions, and other key metrics.
- Pricing. Each email service provider offers a range of pricing plans based on features and the number of subscribers.
Most email marketing services offer these features, but Sender remains the no. 1 email marketing tool, followed by Mailchimp, Omnisend, and Brevo.
Build Your Contact List
Focus on building a high-quality email list through ethical and effective strategies. There’s no other way to say it – subscriber management is crucial for success.
So, where do you start?
Add Signup Forms to Your Website
Strategically place signup forms throughout your website, offering tempting incentives like exclusive content or discounts in exchange for email addresses.
Think about high-traffic areas like your homepage, blog sidebar, or the end of your blog posts. Make sure the signup form is visually appealing and easy to use.
Use Lead Magnets
Everyone loves freebies! Offer valuable resources like ebooks, checklists, or webinars as lead magnets to entice website visitors to join your email list.
This is a great start for lead nurturing because it provides immediate value to potential customers while simultaneously allowing you to capture their contact information. This sets the stage for building relationships, sharing relevant content, and eventually guiding them towards purchasing.
When you enter Vesta Coffee’s website, you’re immediately met with a compelling signup form and an alluring discount on its products. Chances are you’ll subscribe even before scrolling down the page!
Write an Effective Marketing Email
Crafting engaging marketing emails is an art. Here’s how you master it:
Define Your Strategy
Before you start writing, think about the purpose of your email. Who are you talking to? What action do you want them to take? Having a clear goal will make your writing more focused and effective. Look at email marketing success stories for inspiration.
Optimize Open Rates (Subject Line, Preheader, Sender Name)
The subject line is the first, and often only, impression you make. Good email subject lines for emails can mean the difference between being opened and a trip straight to the trash folder.
Follow these subject line tips if you want to create short and impactful email titles:
- Use a catchy phrase that piques their curiosity and creates a sense of urgency;
- Keep it concise (under 50 characters is ideal) so it doesn’t get cut off on mobile devices;
- Personalize it with the recipient’s name or location to create eye-catching email subject lines;
- Ensure your sender name is recognizable and builds trust. Use your company or personal name if it’s familiar to your subscribers;
- Use the preheader text (that snippet of text after the subject line) to give them a sneak peek of what’s inside and entice them to open it.
Design and Write Compelling Email Copy
The content of your email is just as important as the subject line. Craft engaging and persuasive copy that resonates with your audience and drives conversions. Here’s how:
- Use a clear and concise writing style that’s easy to read and understand;
- Highlight the benefits of your product or service and how it solves the reader’s problems;
- Create a visually appealing layout: include elements like email headers and single columns, use whitespace effectively, choose legible fonts, and ensure your email is mobile-friendly;
- Use a strong call-to-action (CTA) – a button or link – to guide recipients toward the desired action, whether it’s visiting your website, making a purchase, or reading your latest blog post;
- Make sure your CTA button is visually prominent and uses action-oriented language.
Fly by Jing’s emails always tick all the boxes in an excellent email design and copy list. Starting with great email subject lines – in this case, “Recipes for RAD DADS 🤴.”
When to Send Your Emails
Timing is everything! Experiment with different days and times to see when your audience will most likely open and engage with your emails. You can also use your email marketing tool to schedule emails in advance.
All in all, here’s how you decide on the best timing:
- Analyze your email marketing data to see when your subscribers are most active;
- Consider time zones if you have a global audience;
- Test different send times and days to see what works best for your audience.
8 Email Marketing Strategies for Success
Want to take your email marketing to the next level? Try these proven strategies:
1. Never Buy Email Lists
Buying email lists might seem like a shortcut, but trust us, it’s a big no-no! Here’s why:
- It damages your sender reputation. Email providers frown upon purchased lists, and sending to them can hurt your deliverability rates, landing your emails in the spam folder;
- It violates privacy regulations. In many countries, sending unsolicited emails to purchased lists is illegal and can result in hefty fines;
- Leads to low engagement. People on purchased lists haven’t opted in to hear from you, so they’re more likely to mark your emails as spam or simply ignore them.
2. Use Double Opt-In Forms
Double opt-in forms require subscribers to confirm their subscription via email. It might seem like an extra step, but it’s worth it:
- Ensures genuine interest. Double opt-in confirms that subscribers really want to hear from you, reducing the chances of them later marking your emails as spam;
- Improves list quality. You’ll weed out fake email addresses or accidental signups, resulting in a cleaner and more engaged list;
- Strengthens sender reputation. Email providers see high engagement as a sign of a trustworthy sender, which can improve your deliverability rates.
3. Segment Your Audience
Don’t blast everyone with the same message! Instead, create segmented email lists based on demographics, interests, or purchase history.
This allows you to tailor your messages for maximum relevance, making your subscribers feel seen and understood – a key ingredient for successful personalization. In return, expect to:
- Increase relevance. By sending tailored content that resonates with their specific interests, you’re more likely to capture their attention and drive conversions;
- Reduce unsubscribe rates. When subscribers receive relevant content, they’re less likely to unsubscribe, leading to a healthier and more engaged email list;
- Improve campaign performance. Segmentation allows you to track the performance of your campaigns more effectively and identify areas for improvement.
4. Personalize Emails
Who doesn’t love a personal touch? Personalization in emails is key for engagement. Use your subscriber’s name in the email greeting and personalize content based on their past behavior or preferences. It shows you care and makes your messages more relevant.
Try this, and you’ll notice the positive difference:
- Use their name. Address your subscribers by name in the email greeting to create an instant connection;
- Recommend products. Suggest products or content based on their past purchases or browsing history;
- Tailor your messaging. Adjust your tone and messaging based on their demographics or interests.
5. Test Your Content
Test different email elements like subject lines, CTAs, and email designs to see what resonates best with your audience and make data-driven decisions.
Here’s how you analyze your email marketing metrics to see what’s working:
- Test one element at a time. To get accurate results, only change one element at a time (e.g., subject line or CTA button color);
- Test different versions. Create multiple versions of your email with different variations of the element you’re testing;
- Track your results. Use your email marketing platform’s A/B testing feature to track each version’s open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
6. Clean Your List
Over time, email lists can become outdated with inactive subscribers. Regularly clean your list by removing inactive subscribers to improve your deliverability rates and sender reputation.
Here’s a step-by-step how to do it best:
- Define inactivity. Determine what constitutes an inactive subscriber (e.g., haven’t opened an email in 6 months);
- Send re-engagement campaigns. Before removing inactive subscribers, try sending a re-engagement campaign to see if you can rekindle their interest;
- Remove inactive subscribers. If they remain inactive after your re-engagement efforts, it’s time to say goodbye and remove them from your list.
7. Follow Email Laws
No one likes spam! Familiarize yourself with regulations like CAN-SPAM (US) and GDPR (Europe) to ensure your email marketing practices comply.
This will help you avoid being marked as spammy bulk email marketing, which can hurt your sender score:
- Get permission. Always obtain explicit consent before sending marketing emails. Use opt-in forms and avoid adding people to your list without their permission;
- Honor unsubscribe requests. Make it easy for people to unsubscribe from your emails and process unsubscribe requests promptly;
- Provide your contact information. Include your physical address and contact information in every email.
8. Use Automation
Save time and email marketing efforts by streamlining your future campaigns with email automation. Imagine emails effortlessly triggered by specific actions or timelines, delivering the right message to the right people at precisely the right moment – all on autopilot:
- Welcome new subscribers. Create a series of automated emails to welcome new subscribers, introduce your brand, and showcase your best content or products;
- Nurture leads with drip campaigns. Use drip campaigns to send targeted emails over time, guiding leads through the sales funnel and providing valuable information;
- Recover abandoned carts. Send automated reminders to shoppers who left items in their cart without completing the purchase. Offer incentives or highlight product benefits to encourage them to return;
- Celebrate special occasions. Automate birthday emails, anniversary greetings, or holiday promotions to show your customers you care and encourage repeat purchases.
Mistakes to Avoid in Email Marketing
Even seasoned marketers make mistakes! Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:
Ignoring Mobile Users
You know how everyone’s always on their phones? Well, tons of people read emails on them, too – often more than on their computers! So, if your emails aren’t easy to read on a phone, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of your audience.
People will just delete them without a second glance, which means lower engagement, fewer clicks, and, ultimately, less business for you. No one wants that! So, here’s the fix:
- Use a responsive email template. Ensure your emails automatically adjust to different screen sizes for optimal viewing on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones;
- Keep it concise. Use a mobile-friendly font size and design with plenty of white space to make it easy to read on smaller screens;
- Optimize your CTA. Ensure your CTA button is large enough to tap easily on a touchscreen.
Sending Irrelevant Emails
Sending irrelevant content annoys your subscribers, damages your sender’s reputation, and can even land you in the spam folder. Think about it – if you constantly receive emails that don’t apply to you, are you likely to open future emails from that sender? Probably not.
Here’s how to make sure your emails hit the mark:
- Segment, segment, segment. Divide your email list into smaller, more targeted groups based on demographics, interests, and behaviors;
- Personalize your content. Use the data you have about your subscribers to tailor your messaging and make it more relevant to their needs;
- Ask for feedback. Include a question in your emails asking subscribers what content they want to receive.
Not Measuring Performance
Don’t fly blind with your email marketing! Simply sending emails and hoping for the best isn’t a sustainable strategy. To maximize your impact and achieve your marketing goals, you need to understand what’s working and what’s not.
Tracking key email marketing metrics is essential for gaining these insights and uncovering email optimization strategies. So, keep a close eye on metrics like:
- Open rates. This tells you how many people are opening your emails. A low open rate could indicate issues with your subject lines, sender name, or sending time;
- Click-through rates (CTRs). CTRs measure how many people are clicking on the links within your emails. This metric reflects the effectiveness of your email content, call-to-actions, and overall message;
- Conversion rates. This is the ultimate measure of success, showing how many recipients completed the desired action, whether purchasing, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a resource;
- Unsubscribe rates. While not always negative, a high unsubscribe rate can signal problems with your content relevance, sending frequency, or overall email strategy;
- Bounce rates. This measures the percentage of emails that weren’t delivered. High bounce rates can hurt your sender’s reputation and impact deliverability.
