Did you know that the global market for email marketing is expected to increase to 17.9 billion by 2027? It’s one of the most popular digital marketing channels available today, and for a good reason.

According to a study by DMA, marketers can get £42.24 for every pound they spend on email marketing, (that's approximately $55.30 for every $1.30). That means you can get an ROI of 4200%! Isn’t that awesome?

Of course, to get such results, you need to get your strategy right. You can’t just spam your subscriber list with generic marketing emails once every week and expect to get leads and sales. Want to know what it takes to create a successful email marketing campaign?

In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about email marketing. From what it is to the best practices for email marketing and the best tools, we’ll cover it all.

Let’s get started.

Disclosure: This content may contain a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).

Table of Contents

What Is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is the process of sending promotional or transactional messages to a group of subscribers via email. You can use it as a medium to stay in touch with customers or prospects, build relationships, and drive sales.

Since its initial days, email marketing has evolved to focus on consent, segmentation, and customization. In addition, email marketing has moved away from one-size-fits-all mass mailings.

It's more than just sending out a lot of emails. It necessitates thoughtful preparation and a thorough knowledge of your subscribers. It is also critical to deliver your communications at the optimum frequency and time of day.

An email marketing plan, when implemented appropriately, may assist you in developing long-term connections with your customers.

On the surface, it may seem like a lot of work. After all, customizing each email to suit the preferences of each individual is tedious. But the good news is that marketing automation is now available.

If you use advanced email marketing software programs, you can run your campaigns on autopilot. With them, you can also trigger emails based on specific customer actions.

For instance, if a customer abandons their shopping cart, your software can send them an email like this:

shopping cart abandonment email

Image via Really Good Emails

Similarly, you can also send welcome emails, discount offer emails, promotional updates, and more. We’ll talk more about different types of promotional emails that you can send later in this post. For now, let’s take a look at why you should leverage email marketing to grow your business.

Why Your Business Needs Email Marketing

Regardless of your industry or business size, email marketing can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. In this section, let’s talk about the biggest benefits that you can reap from email marketing:

1. Increase Brand Awareness

The ability to contact someone directly through email is one of the most amazing things about it. This is one-on-one communication at its finest. With this ease of accessibility, people no longer allow just anybody into their inbox these days. It's a curated zone for favorite companies and publications.

If you manage to reach out to the inbox of your target audience, you’ll get more visibility. It allows you to tell people about your brand and stay current in their minds. Plus, you can do it on a large scale.

You can send promotional emails to everyone on your subscriber list at once. This ensures that you’re reaching out to as many people as possible without spending too much time on outreach.

2. Boost Conversions

If you’re launching a new product or have a special sale coming soon, you can set up an email marketing campaign to boost your sales. Plus, you can also offer personalized coupons or offers on special occasions like anniversaries or birthdays.

happy birthday email

Image via Rejoiner

If your subscribers haven’t interacted with you in a while, you can also send them abandoned cart emails to get them to re-engage with you. This way, there is a higher chance of them going back and checking out.

3. Build Stronger Customer Relationships

Email marketing can help you build stronger customer relationships in several ways. First, by staying in touch with your customers and prospects on a regular basis, you can create a deeper connection with them.

Additionally, email marketing can help you keep your customers informed about your latest products and services, as well as any special offers or discounts you may be running.

What’s more, email marketing can also help you collect feedback from your customers to improve your business.

Specialized email marketing platforms allow you to track how many people are opening your emails and clicking on the links inside of them. This information can be used to improve future email campaigns so that more people open and click through them.

4. Reach Users on Multiple Devices

Email marketing is a great way to reach audiences on different devices. By creating email campaigns that are responsive to the various screen sizes and resolutions, you can ensure that your message will be seen by recipients no matter what device they are using.

This type of marketing also allows you to track how many people opened your email on their mobile devices, which can be helpful in understanding your audience's preferences.

5. Understand Your Target Audience’s Preferences

Email marketing is a great way to collect data about your target audience. By tracking who opens your emails and clicks on links, you can learn a lot about what they're interested in.

This information can be used to improve your future marketing campaigns and make them more targeted to your audience's needs.

6. Get A Space for Self-Promotion

It might be difficult to self-promote in locations where prospects haven't expressly opted in to receive information about your company.

Self-promotion, on the other hand, is one of the most effective techniques to acquire consumers. No one will buy from you if you can't promote yourself and sell your business.

You'll always have a way to promote yourself with email marketing campaigns, especially since clients opted-in. You can send emails about new goods, features, advantages, or fresh material. Customers enjoy hearing from you; this self-promotion isn't unpleasant or annoying.

7. You Can Own Your Contact Lists

You don't own your contact list or even the material you put on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The content and follower list are generally controlled by the social networking platform.

Just consider this: how many followers and clients would you lose if social media were to go away tomorrow? That's why email marketing is so important for marketers.

This is a list of contacts that you control, allowing you to communicate with them regardless of your email provider. You'll also keep ownership of any content created and sent using this method.

8. Boost Site Traffic

How do you get your content out to the people who see it? You probably send them an email. You'll boost your SEO with email marketing campaigns by sending visitors to your site. You'll also keep your audience engaged with your brand and website by using this method.

When designing an email that links to your material, bear in mind that each email should include a call-to-action (CTA) to drive people to your site.

9. Collect Feedback Easily

If you want your consumers to continue interacting, engaging, and buying from your business, keep an eye on the customer experience you’re providing. Email marketing can assist you in doing this.

For example, you can use email campaigns to deliver customer feedback surveys. This is one of the best methods to calculate your Net Promoter Score (NPS).

The score aids in determining whether customers are brand ambassadors or detractors. You can use this information to develop strategies for improving your client experience.

Here is an example of how Airbnb collects feedback via their email marketing campaigns:

airbnb email

Image via eDesk

10. Create Cost-Effective Campaigns

Email marketing campaigns are typically more cost-effective than other forms of campaign advertising, such as direct or print. You won't have to pay for photoshoots, location costs, printers, postage, or positioning.

All you need is a copywriter and graphic artist (if you aren't using stock images). Even a single person can write and design your emails.

Email marketing campaigns are also quick to create. You can complete an email in one day, which is considerably more cost-effective than a direct or print campaign, due to time and budget restrictions.

What Is the Biggest Challenge of Email Marketing?

Before you start, you should know that it’s not all roses and sunshine. You’ll face multiple challenges while trying to create a successful email campaign. Some of them include:

  • Ensuring your messages don't get caught in spam filters
  • Determining the right frequency to send emails
  • Crafting effective subject lines that grab attention
  • Creating content that is engaging and motivating for recipients to read
  • Optimizing messages for mobile devices
  • Measuring the success of email marketing campaigns and adjusting strategies accordingly.
  • Getting subscribers to engage with your emails

But despite these challenges, email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for reaching and engaging customers. So it's definitely worth taking the time to learn how to do it well!

What Are the Different Types of Email Campaigns That You Can Run?

Now that you know what email marketing is and why you should use it, let’s dive deeper into the subject.

Let’s say, after reading the previous sections of the post, you’re convinced that an email marketing campaign is worth your time and money. What kind of campaign would work best for you?

Here are some different types of email marketing campaigns you can run to get more leads, conversions, and revenue.

1. The Welcome Series

You've just added another subscriber to your list. It's only polite to say hello when you've got a new friend in real life.

This is precisely what this campaign is for. It's not a popular type, but it's a necessary one. You can become more acquainted with new subscribers by sending them—three, four, or five emails in a row.

While crafting a welcome email, you want to keep a few things in mind. Here are some tips to design well-crafted welcome emails:

  • Thank your subscribers for joining your email list or making a purchase. A word of gratitude is a great way to greet your subscribers and get their attention.
  • Introduce your brand and highlight your USP, values, work culture, and anything else that defines the work that you do.
  • You could also give them a special discount or a little gift to push them further along in the sales funnel.

Want some inspiration? Here is an example of a well-written welcome email:

huppy

Image via ConvertKit

2. The Event Promotion Campaign

Any major celebration can most certainly be used as an opportunity to start an email marketing campaign. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween – these are all occasions where you can promote your brand.

These initiatives typically start building up before the actual event and there’s a follow-up period once it’s over—giving you numerous chances to send emails. You can also provide discounts to drive conversions.

If you want your campaign to last a little longer, you can have an extended seasonal sale as well. Here’s an example:

hive

Image via Hive.co

3. The Triggered Campaign

You can use automated email marketing to trigger a sequence of tailored and relevant emails based on subscriber actions.

It's possible that users put things into their shopping cart but then moved to another site before checking out. This kind of action can trigger an abandoned cart email.

In some manner, their actions “triggered” the drip campaign they are now receiving. In such instances, you can send a personalized email that caters to their specific needs.

4. Newsletters

If you have a blog that you update on a regular basis, you can send your latest published posts via email. This can help you promote your brand and catch the interest of your subscribers. You may send such emails once or twice every month or on a weekly basis.

When written well, newsletters are not sales briefs that your subscribers are likely to grow weary of but rather helpful emails that can benefit them.

5. Updates for Subscription Renewal

Most people have a lot of subscriptions. Your subscribers might have a subscription to their favorite magazine, or a streaming service that they can't live without. But what happens when those subscriptions run out?

For most people, the answer is simple: they renew their subscriptions. But if they’ve got a hundred other things on their to-do list, they may just forget to renew the subscription or restock their product.

In such cases, a slight nudge can get them closer to making a purchase. With the use of a special AI program, you can calculate when a user’s product or subscription is likely to expire. Based on that, you can send a reminder email.

Here is an example of such an email:

face it

Image via Twitter

6. Reminders for Appointments

We’ve all got busy lives and sometimes even an important appointment can slip from our minds if we don’t get a reminder. Through email, you can make sure that your customers get a timely reminder just a day before their appointment.

This email campaign is especially helpful for businesses like salons, spas, dental clinics, car washes, and hospitals. This type of email doesn’t need to be too graphic or text-heavy. The purpose is to only remind your customers that they have an upcoming appointment.

Here is an example of such an email:

jobber

Image via Jobber

7. The Discount Offer Campaign

Discounts are a great way to entice customers. By offering a discount, you are essentially saying that the customer can save money by doing business with you. It can motivate people to take action. That’s why all businesses that want to increase their sales should plan this type of email campaign.

All you need to do is tell your customers that you have a special offer or a discount going on. To ensure that you get conversions, it is important to write enticing subject lines.

Along with an engaging subject line, make sure the email has eye-catching graphics. If you’re offering a discount on a particular line of products, make sure to add photos of those products.

20off

Image via Pinterest

8. The After-Purchase Email Campaign

This is an email series that isn't designed to sell your products, but rather as a follow-up step after a purchase.

Let's say you buy a new air conditioner. The AC company may use automated email marketing to send emails that both thank you and tell you more about the product.

Right after the purchase, you can send your customers emails on the status of their orders. Send them regular updates on shipping and the delivery status to make sure they know when to expect their order.

Here is an example of a post-purchase tracking email:

zembula

Image via Zembula

But what happens once the product is delivered?

For an after-purchase email campaign, you could also give tips and tricks on how to maintain the air conditioner and how often it should be serviced. Such informational emails add value to the customer experience and strengthen customer loyalty.

Here is an example of such an email:

getresponse

Image via GetResponse

9. Surveys and Feedback

Asking for customer feedback is one of the best ways to learn about what your customers want and how they feel about your company. It can also help you improve your products and services, and build better relationships with your customers.

It also shows them that you care about their opinion and are willing to make changes based on their suggestions. Asking for feedback doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. A few days after their purchase, you can send an email asking for their feedback and suggestions.

If you want to win over your customers’ trust and earn brand loyalty, this type of email campaign is a must. Of course, just asking for feedback isn’t the point. After you receive it, you should be willing to make changes based on what your customers say.

Here is an example of how you can design an email asking for feedback:

mailerlite

Image via MailerLite

10. The Re-Engagement Email Campaign

This email campaign’s goal is to get your subscribers interested in your content again. If they haven’t been opening or clicking on your emails, it’s time to give them a nudge and remind them why they subscribed in the first place.

Re-engagement campaigns can be highly effective, but they need to be done carefully. You don’t want to come across as desperate or spammy. The key is to offer value and give your subscribers a reason to engage with you again.

Here are a few tips for writing effective re-engagement emails:

  • Keep it short and to the point: No one wants to read a long, rambling email. Get straight to the point and tell your subscribers what you want them to do.
  • Use persuasive language: You need to convince your subscribers that it’s worth their time to engage with you again. Use strong language that speaks to their needs and interests.
  • Offer something of value: Whether it’s a discount, exclusive content, or early access to a new product, give your subscribers a reason to engage with you again.
  • Personalize your emails: Your subscribers are more likely to engage with an email that feels like it’s been written just for them. Use their name in the subject line and body of the email, and segment your list so you can send targeted messages.
  • Be creative: Stand out from the rest of the emails in their inboxes by being creative with your subject line and content. Use images, emojis, and anything else that will grab their attention.

Want some inspiration for writing an email that can re-engage inactive subscribers from your list? Here is an example you should check out:

designmodo

Image via Designmodo

11. The Social Campaign

A social campaign is one that goes from email to social. This is an email marketing initiative that seeks to pique people's curiosity in their newsfeeds. You can use such a campaign when you want more social media followers or engagement.

Now that you know the different types of emails and email campaigns you can use to promote your business, let’s take a step ahead. In the next section, let’s talk about how you can launch an email marketing campaign from scratch.

How to Launch Your First Email Marketing Campaign

If you are a new marketer who wants to try email marketing but isn’t sure how to get started, this section is for you. We’ll discuss all the important steps that you need to know to get started with email marketing.

1. Choose a Good Email Marketing Software Program

The first step in your email marketing journey is to arm yourself with the best email marketing software program. That brings us to the question: Which is the best email marketing software? Well, there isn’t one definitive answer.

The best email marketing software for your business will depend on your needs and requirements. There are hundreds of such solutions in the market. While picking the best option for you, it’s important to take into consideration the following factors:

  • Needs: Ask yourself which are the must-have features for your business in any email marketing software program.
  • Budget: Consider how much money you are willing to pay to use email marketing software per month. If you are on a limited budget, you should look for a program that has a free plan.
  • Email Volume: How often do you plan to send emails to your subscribers? Based on your expected email volume, you should pick a pricing plan that fits your requirements.
  • Design preference: Do you plan to design your emails from scratch? Or would you like to use ready-made templates and make some customizations to them? Select email marketing software based on your preferences.
  • Automation: If you plan to automate your email marketing campaigns, you should look for a program that has automation options.
  • Segmentation capabilities: Would you like to segment your lists to send more targeted emails? If so, you should look at the segmentation options in the email marketing software that you choose.
  • Customer support: Via which channel can you get customer support? Check this out before you invest in any email marketing software program.

2. Build an Email List

Email lists are a powerful tool for businesses. They provide a way to stay in touch with customers and prospects, promote new products and services, and drive sales. Building an email list is not difficult, but it does require some planning and effort.

To get started, you can simply embed a subscription form on your website. Most email tools have a special option that enables you to do this.

While designing a subscription form, your focus should be on clear communication. You want to convey why users should subscribe to your emails and what they will get out of your emails. Whatever it is that you promise, make sure you deliver.

For instance, if you promise to provide helpful tips, don’t write emails that are too promotional. Otherwise, you may lose the trust of your subscribers and eventually their subscriptions.

Here is an example of a subscription form to get more email subscribers:

enginemailer

Image via Enginemailer

To get more subscribers, the placement of the subscription form is important. Make sure you place it on your website where it is prominently displayed.

Typically, you can include a subscription form on your home page, contact page, and inside your blog posts. Even pop-ups can be a good idea provided they don’t spoil the user experience too much. For better reach, you can share these forms on your social media channels as well. If you run an ecommerce site, you can also add the subscription form during the checkout process.

Another strategy to get more subscribers is to give premium content in exchange for contact information. You can offer guarded content like well-researched reports, infographics, checklists, ebooks, and more. Additionally, you can also provide special discounts to get people on your email list.

3. Send a Well-Written Welcome Email

In the previous section, we already discussed what a welcome email is and why it is so important. So, you already know it is an important part of the lead nurturing process.

You should send a well-written welcome email to all your new subscribers telling them about your brand and products. You can also add a discount coupon or links to your latest blog posts to drive conversions and traffic.

4. Define Your Campaign Goal

Once you start building your list, you need to focus on what you want to achieve from your email campaign. If you want to build a successful email campaign, you need to be clear about your goal from the beginning.

Some common goals include getting more downloads, boosting sales, or promoting a new product. You can keep your goal as focused or broad as you want. Just be clear about it so you can tailor your email content accordingly.

5. Create Responsive Emails

Users may be using their phones, laptops, or even tablets while checking their emails. If you want to make sure that they can see your email design properly, you should create responsive emails. Such emails can fit the screen size of the device they are viewed on automatically.

Wondering if you need a professional graphic designer to create such emails? Not necessarily. Most email tools come with a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to create hassle-free designs easily. You can also use templates to create eye-catching email designs.

You can also customize these templates to incorporate your typeface, brand colors, and logo. To save time, you can save this template and reuse it whenever required.

There's no need to be overly concerned with creating beautiful, sophisticated emails. Instead, concentrate on creating an email that represents your company. You can always improve upon your designs after you've gained some experience.

6. Write Compelling Copy

Email is a direct channel to reach out to customers and prospects. When used correctly, it can be an incredibly effective way to drive conversions. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to write compelling email copy that engages recipients and encourages them to take action.

Here are four email marketing tips for writing email copy that will get results:

1. Add a CTA

Be clear about what you want recipients to do. Whether you want them to click through to your website, download a white paper, or attend an event, make sure your call-to-action (CTA) is front and center. And make it easy for recipients to take action by including a CTA button or hyperlink text.

godaddy

Image via GoDaddy

2. Be concise

Keep your message focused. Recipients are inundated with emails, so it’s important to make yours stand out by keeping the content focused on a single topic. Highlight what’s most important using headlines, subheads, and bulleted lists, and don’t forget to include images, videos, or infographics to break up the text and add visual interest.

3. Use strong subject lines

Your subject line is your email’s first impression, so make sure it’s attention-grabbing and relevant to the rest of your email content. Avoid using all caps or too many exclamation points, and steer clear of spammy words like “free” or “win.”

4. Personalize your emails

Email automation tools make it easy to personalize your emails with recipient names, company name, or other information. Adding a personal touch can help your email stand out in a crowded inbox and show recipients that you value their business.

6. Optimize your emails

Writing good email content isn’t enough. You also need to optimize your emails so that you get a high open rate. Here are some tips that will help you optimize your emails for better clicks and conversions:

Use a familiar sender name

The sender’s name is one of the first things that users look at when they receive an email. To boost brand recognition and trustworthiness, you should use an easily recognizable sender name.

You could use your company’s name, or your name along with the company’s name. If your company offers multiple products, you could specify the name of the product.

sendinblue

Image via Sendinblue

Keep in mind that it’s advisable to use the exact same sender’s name for all campaigns to increase recognition.

Use an intriguing subject line

An intriguing email subject line is essential if you want your email to be opened and read. In a world where we are bombarded with emails, the subject line is your one chance to make a good impression and stand out from the rest.

A well-written subject line will entice the reader to open the email and find out more. To get users to click on your email, you can use trigger words like “now” or “new.” You could also ask a question to pique their interest.

Another underused tactic is to use keywords like “unlock” or “discover” to make the readers find out more about what you have to offer them.

However, keep in mind that your aim should be to get their attention in only about 50 characters. In that much space, you need to appeal to your readers’ emotions.

Write a catchy preview text

You might be wondering why your business needs to bother with email preview text. After all, doesn't the subject line say it all? Actually, no.

The subject line is important, but it's not the only thing that determines whether or not someone will open your email. The preview text plays a role as well, especially when users are on mobile devices.

instiller

Image via Instiller

Think of the preview text as a mini-headline for your email. It's another chance to make a good first impression and convince people to open your message.

Here are some tips to write engaging preview texts:

  • Keep it short and sweet: Your preview text should be brief – just a few words or phrases. Longer preview text tends to get cut off, which can make it less effective.
  • Make it interesting: Just like your subject line, your preview text should be interesting and engaging. It should give people a reason to want to read your email.
  • Use keywords wisely: Choose your keywords carefully – they can help ensure that your email shows up in relevant search results.
  • Test, test, test: Try out different versions of your preview text to see what works best with your audience.

7. A/B test your email campaigns

Before you send your email, make sure to test it first. Even the tiniest of errors may go unnoticed and have a negative effect on your brand's reputation.🙅‍♂️

Keep a lookout for the following types of errors:

  • Typographical mistakes
  • Forgotten or incorrect links
  • Formatting issues

8. Schedule your emails

Most people open their emails first thing in the morning, which means that businesses need to send their promotional emails early in the day. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when scheduling promotional emails.

First, consider the time zone of your recipients. If most of them are in a different time zone than you, make sure to adjust the send time accordingly. Secondly, take into account what day of the week it is. weekends tend to be less busy for most people, so they may have more time to open and read your email.

Finally, think about what else is going on that day. If there's a major holiday or event happening, chances are people will be too busy to pay attention to your email. It may take a while for you to figure out which is the best time to send emails to your subscribers. Trial and error is the way to go.

9. Monitor your campaign results

You should monitor your email marketing campaign results for a number of reasons. First, you need to know if your campaign is actually reaching people. Second, you need to know if people are opening and clicking on the links in your emails.

Finally, you need to track conversions to see if your email marketing campaign is actually driving sales or leads. By monitoring your email marketing campaign results, you can make sure that your campaign is effective and making a positive impact on your business.

These are some of the metrics you should track on your analytics dashboard:

  • Open rate: This metric will tell you how many subscribers opened your email.
  • Unsubscribe rate: This metric measures the number of subscribers who unsubscribed from your mailing list.
  • Click-through rate: This metric is calculated by dividing the number of subscribers who clicked on an email link by the total number of email recipients.
  • Bounce rate: This metric tells you the number of emails that weren’t delivered due to either inactive email addresses or a subscriber’s inbox being full.

Which Are the Best Email Marketing Tools Out There?

The best email marketing tools can help you automate your email marketing campaigns and get better results. Here are the top email marketing tools that can you use to run your email campaigns:

1. Constant Contact

This email marketing tool is popular because it’s super easy to use. Using it, you can send emails in bulk to your entire subscriber list with just a few clicks.

Constant Contact also allows you to import user data from spreadsheets and email clients. Plus, you can personalize all sign-up forms and easily embed them on your website and Facebook.

It has real-time reporting so you can keep track of email opens, clicks, shares, and other important metrics easily.

Key Features

  • Ability to test subject lines
  • Easy-to-use list building tools
  • Smart segmentation option
  • Ability to resend emails automatically
  • Ability to create triggered workflows that are related to click events

Pros

  • Free trial available
  • Affordable pricing plans
  • User-friendly interface
  • Detailed reports

Cons

  • Limited control over email campaign permissions

Pricing Plans

  • Core plan: Starts at $9.99 approximately
  • Plus plan: Starts at $37 approximately
  • Free trial available

Tool Level

  • Intermediate

constantcontact

Image via Constant Contact

Pro Tip: Use Constant Contact’s click-tracking heat map to learn which email links get the highest number of clicks.

2. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a platform that helps you create and send newsletters, email campaigns, and automated emails. It's one of the most popular platforms for small businesses and startups.

You can use Mailchimp to create custom email newsletters, target your subscribers with tailored content, and track the results of your campaigns.

Key Features

  • Provides spam filter diagnostics
  • Offers an autoresponder
  • Ability to segment contact lists through time zones
  • Offers integration with over 300 apps

Pros

  • Easy-to-use interface
  • GDPR compliant
  • Offers scalable and affordable pricing plans

Cons

  • Offers support only with paid plans

Pricing Plan

  • Free plan available
  • Essential plan: Approximately $10 per month
  • Standard plan: Approximately $15 per month
  • Premium plan: Approximately $306 per month

Level

  • Advanced

mailchimp

Image via Mailchimp

Pro Tip: Use Mailchimp’s Subject Line Helper to get feedback on your subject lines. It also provides suggestions on how you can refine them.

3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

This intuitive marketing platform is designed so you can effectively communicate with your target audience, personalize your emails, and boost your conversions.

Plus, it also offers options for SMS marketing, CRM, and live chat. Using this tool, you can automate your email campaigns and build stronger relationships with your prospects.

Key Features

  • Provides multiple email templates
  • Option to dynamically add text for extra personalization
  • Ability to create groups of subscribers based on set criteria
  • Ability to create custom signup forms

Pros

  • Doesn’t have a daily sending limit for paid plans
  • Unlimited contact storage for all plans
  • Great customer support

Cons

  • Pricing plans may seem expensive for SMBs

Pricing Plan

  • Free plan available
  • Lite plan: Approximately $25 per month
  • Premium plan: Approximately $65 per month
  • Enterprise plan: Get in touch with their sales team

sendinblue

Image via Sendinblue

Pro Tip: If you run an ecommerce business, you should check out their special option to create transaction emails. It will save you a ton of time!

What Are the Most Common Email Marketing Mistakes That You Should Avoid?

Email marketing can be a great way to reach out to your customers and keep them updated on your business, but if it's not done correctly, it can end up doing more harm than good.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that you should avoid making with your email marketing strategy:

1. Writing Poor Subject Lines

When you’re crafting an email, the subject line is one of the most important elements. After all, it’s the first thing your recipient sees and it can determine whether they even open your message. So, it’s crucial that you put some thought into crafting a strong subject line.

Here are a few tips for avoiding penning poor subject lines:

  • Avoid using all caps or excessive punctuation: These can come across as spammy and make your email less likely to be opened.
  • Keep it concise: No one wants to read a long-winded subject line. Get to the point quickly so your recipient knows what the email is about.
  • Make sure the subject line accurately reflects the content of the email: If you’re sending a message about a meeting, for example, don’t use a subject line that says “Hi!”
  • Check your spelling and grammar: A mistake in the subject line can be indicative of sloppy work throughout the email.

Some email service providers have a special email subject line tester that gives you an idea about how effective your subject lines are. You can also check suggestions to make them more effective.

2. Not Using Preview Lines

When you are sending an email, it is important to make sure that the recipient knows what it is about as quickly as possible. This is why using email message previews can be so helpful.

If you are using a preview, make sure that it accurately represents the content of the email. You don't want to mislead your recipients into thinking that something is one thing when it's actually something else.

Additionally, be sure to keep your previews brief and concise – you don't want to take up too much space with them.

There are a few different ways to create email message previews. Some email clients, like Gmail, allow you to create them automatically using a feature called “auto-preview.”

If your email client doesn't have this feature, you can usually create a preview by adding text to the beginning of your email's subject line.

3. Not Allowing Your Subscribers to Reply

When you allow your subscribers to reply to your emails, you're opening up a two-way communication channel.

This allows you to build a better relationship with them, and it also gives you the opportunity to get feedback from them. Additionally, if someone has a question or needs help, they can easily contact you by email or via a web form.

starbucks

Image via Campaign Monitor

Make sure that you always respond to emails from your subscribers; this helps build trust and strengthens the relationship between you and them.

If someone takes the time to write to you, make sure that you take the time to write back!

Not only is this good customer service, but it also makes your subscribers feel appreciated.

By allowing your subscribers to reply to your emails, you're giving them a voice. This can be extremely valuable, as it allows them to feel like they're part of the process and that their opinion matters. Additionally, it can help you identify potential problems early on, before they become bigger issues.

Always allow your subscribers to reply to your emails – it's good for your business and it's good for your customers!

4. Using Hyperbole

Hyperbole can be a powerful tool when used correctly, but it's often misused in emails. Here are three reasons why you should avoid using hyperbole in your next email:

  • It can make you sound unprofessional.
  • It can make the recipient doubt your credibility.
  • It can lead to misunderstandings.

The next time you're tempted to use hyperbole in an email, try to find a more subtle way to get your point across. You'll be surprised at how much better your emails will sound!

When you are sending an email, it is important to use a professional tone. This means that you should use proper grammar and spelling, and make sure that your message is clear and concise.

It is also important to avoid using slang terms or informal language in emails. Doing so can make your message difficult to understand, and may cause the recipient to lose respect for you.

If you need to ask the recipient a question, be sure to use a polite tone of voice. And if you need to give them bad news, try to do so in a sensitive way.

By using a professional tone in your emails, you will create a positive impression with the recipient and increase the chances that they will take your request seriously.

5. Using Too Many Graphics

When it comes to email marketing, less is more. This means that you should avoid using too many graphics in your emails.

Too many graphics can slow down the loading time of your email, which can lead to subscribers abandoning your message before they even have a chance to read it.

In addition, many email clients block images by default, so if you rely too heavily on graphics, your message may not be seen by all of your subscribers.

One way to get around this is to use a tool like Email on Acid to test how your email will look in different email clients. This will help you determine whether or not you need to use fewer or more graphics in order to ensure that your message is properly displayed.

email testing

Image via EmailonAcid

6. Being Inconsistent With Email Frequency

If you're inconsistent with email frequency, you'll likely confuse and frustrate your subscribers. Some people might receive an email from you every day, while others might only hear from you once a month. This can cause people to lose trust in you and unsubscribe from your list.

To avoid this, try to be as consistent as possible with your email frequency. This will help keep your subscribers informed about what's going on with your business, and it will make them more likely to stick around.

Plus, being consistent will make it easier for people to know when they should expect an email from you.

If you're not sure how often to send emails, start by sending them once a week and see how that goes. You can always adjust your frequency later if needed. Just be sure to stick to whatever frequency you choose so that your subscribers know what to expect.

7. Not Monitoring Campaign Results

If you're not tracking the results of your email campaigns, you're missing out on a lot of valuable information.

By tracking how many people open your emails, click on links, and make purchases, you can get a better idea of what's working and what isn't. This allows you to tweak your campaigns to be more effective.

Plus, having clear goals in your email marketing strategies – such as increasing sales or getting more subscribers – tracking results will help you see how close you are to reaching that goal.

Without tracking data, it would be difficult to know whether your email marketing efforts are paying off or not.

8. Not Pruning Contact Lists

When you're sending out emails, it's important to make sure that your email list is as clean and healthy as possible. This means regularly pruning your list of subscribers who are no longer interested in hearing from you.

There are a few reasons why you should always prune your email lists:

  • First: Unsubscribes help keep your deliverability rate high. If too many people are marking your messages as spam, your email service provider will start to block them.
  • Second: Keeping your list trimmed ensures that only the most interested recipients are getting your messages. This helps improve open rates and reduce unsubscribe rates.
  • Finally: Pruning helps keep your database size down, which can save you money on storage fees.

How often should you prune your email lists? That depends on a few factors, such as the size of your list and how frequently you send messages.

We generally recommend pruning every three to six months. However, if you're experiencing high unsubscribe rates or low open rates, you may need to prune more often.

9. Not Designing Emails For Mobile Devices

When it comes to email design, you should always keep your mobile users in mind. Most people now access their email accounts through their phones, so your emails must be easy to read and navigate on a smaller screen.

Here are some tips for designing emails for mobile users:

  • Keep your layout simple. Use a limited number of fonts and colors, and avoid using too much text or images.
  • Make sure your buttons and links are easy to tap.
  • Use a large font size for the most important information.
  • Place essential information at the top of the email so it’s visible even when the phone is in portrait mode.

It's also important to test your emails on different devices and screen sizes to make sure they look good across all platforms.

10. Not Using an Effective CTA

When you’re sending out an email, it’s important to have a clear and effective CTA.

This is what will entice your readers to take the action that you want them to take, whether it’s clicking through to a landing page or buying a product. Without a strong CTA, your email may not be as successful as you hope.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating an effective CTA for your email campaign.

  • First: Make sure that your CTA is easily visible and stands out from the rest of the text. You don’t want it to be hidden among all of the other content in the email.
  • Second: Make sure that your CTA is clear and concise. Don’t make your readers guess what you want them to do.
  • Finally: Test different CTA buttons to see which ones work best for your campaign. Different colors and fonts may work better for different audiences. Try out a few different options and see which one gets the most clicks.

FAQs

1. What is email marketing and what are its benefits?

Email marketing is one of the oldest and most effective forms of online marketing. It's a communication channel that allows businesses to reach out to their customers and prospects with relevant information.

The benefits of email marketing include:

  • You can reach a large audience with minimal effort.
  • It is inexpensive compared to other forms of online marketing.
  • Your emails can be personalized for each recipient.
  • It helps keep your company on top of your customers’ minds.
  • Provides trackable results so you can see how well your campaigns are performing.

2. Which are the best tools for email marketing?

Some of the most popular tools for email marketing include Constant Contact, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), and Mailchimp. Check out the previous sections of this post for their key features, pros, cons, and pricing plans.

3. What are the challenges of email marketing?

Some of the main challenges of email marketing include:

  • Writing engaging subject lines
  • Making sure your emails don’t get stuck in spam filters
  • Determining the appropriate email frequency for your subscribers
  • Optimizing your emails for mobile devices
  • Getting engagement on your emails
  • Measuring the overall effectiveness of your campaigns

4. What are the different types of emails you can send in your marketing campaigns?

You can send different types of emails as a part of your marketing campaigns, including:

  • Welcome emails
  • Abandonment cart emails
  • Newsletters
  • Appointment reminders
  • Discount offer emails

… and others. To get inspiration for your email campaigns, check out the previous sections in this blog post.

5. Does email marketing still work in 2022?

Yes, email marketing can yield a high ROI if it's done correctly. To find out how to launch an email campaign from scratch, check out the above sections in this blog post.

Ready to Launch a Successful Email Marketing Campaign?

Email marketing is still a powerful way to reach your customers in 2022. Despite the rise of social media and other forms of online marketing, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to connect with your customers.

It’s convenient, it’s personal, and it’s affordable. So, if you're looking for a powerful way to connect with your customers, let me tell you that email marketing is still a great choice in 2022.

Do you have any questions about email marketing? Please feel free to write them in the comments section below.

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