Want to create an effective email marketing strategy for your business from scratch or refine your existing one?
Or you're looking for tried-and-true email marketing strategies that boost engagement and drive conversions?
This guide is packed with actionable tips to help you create your own email marketing strategy, along with proven strategies you can implement today.
So, without further ado, let's dive in!
Overview of Email Marketing Strategy
Email marketing is a powerful, impactful, and higher ROI-generating marketing method. It enables businesses to connect with their target audience directly, build brand awareness, promote products or services, and drive sales.
According to VentureBeat, Businesses earn a $38 return for every $1 they invest in email marketing.
Salecycle’s Research reported that 59% of people said marketing emails influenced their decision to buy.
So, email marketing is effective, right? But the truth is, no one can achieve better results through email marketing if they do it just randomly. Every successful email campaign has some strategies behind it.
Remember, strategies:
Provide a sense of purpose
Offer a clear roadmap
Prevent wasting time and effort
Streamline workflows
Break down long-term goals into achievable steps
Email marketing strategies are the techniques and guidelines that help you effectively run marketing campaigns via email.
Following these strategies makes it easier for you to reach, attract, and convert your target audience. And this ultimately leads to achieving your business goals.
Furthermore, the market is crowded. Every business is striving to grab attention and increase sales through email marketing. So, you need powerful, proven, and most importantly, creative email marketing strategies to stand out.
5 Steps to Build an Effective Email Marketing Strategy
Just like planning a trip, creating a successful email marketing strategy involves deciding where to go and how to get there.
To guide you in creating a winning email marketing strategy, we've outlined 5 essential steps. Take a look!
1. Set Clear Goals
Setting clear goals is the foundation of a successful email marketing strategy. It involves defining what you want to achieve with your email campaigns.
Clear goals guide decision-making. They help you focus on what matters most for your business. And this enables you to invest your resources wisely and get the most out of email marketing.
Setting goals also makes it easy for you to stay on track and motivated.
So, define and write down your email marketing goals based on the specific needs of your business at its current stage or the challenges it’s facing.
Additionally, remember to set goals that align with your overall marketing goals. Because email marketing doesn't exist in isolation. It's an integral part of your overall marketing strategy.
Some common email marketing goals:
Increasing brand awareness
Building customer relationship
Getting more website traffic
Promoting products or services
Driving more sales
Retaining current customers
Make your goals SMART.
S — Specific
M — Measurable
A — Achievable
R — Realistic
T — Time-bound
Let's make it simple.
General goal: Increase website traffic.
SMART goal: Increase monthly website traffic by 10% within the next 2 months.
See any difference?
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Email marketing demands a customer-centric strategy, not guesswork. Without a deep understanding of your audience, building a successful strategy is challenging.
So, conduct audience research and based on the data, create detailed buyer personas that represent your typical buyers.
Consider the following questions:
Who are your target audience?
Where do they live?
What is their age range?
Which industry do they work in?
What is their income level?
What are their needs?
What are their interests?
What problems are they facing?
How does your product or service contribute to solving these problems?
What features are most important to them in a product or service like yours?
What factors influence their buying decisions?
Why they may purchase your product or service?
Using CRM software makes data collection and analysis very easy for you. It also enables you to delve into the sales funnel. You can map out the customer journey from awareness to purchase and beyond.
Try to understand the decision-making process of your audience. Identify the touchpoints where, why, and how customers engage with your brand.
If you’ve collected customer feedback through surveys, review this data to gain insights into customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.
Finally, leverage all the findings to craft an effective strategy that will help you to better target, engage, and convert.
3. Conduct Competitive Analysis
You want your email marketing campaigns to perform better than your competitors, right? Well, conducting competitive analysis is a crucial step for you to achieve that goal.
Because the way your competitors present their emails reflects their marketing strategy. So, if you keenly observe and analyze the marketing emails they send, you’ll gain fantastic ideas to make your strategy more powerful.
This enables you to present your emails in a unique way, and differentiation sets you apart in a crowded space.
Here's how to do a competitive analysis:
Identify competitors in your industry or niche who offer similar products or services to your target audience. Subscribe to their email lists to receive promotional emails and newsletters.
Examine their email campaigns and analyze elements such as:
Email content variations
The value they add per email
Subject lines
Tone and style of body copy
Psychological triggers they use
Level of personalization
Engagement techniques
Design and layout
CTA type, copy, and placement
Sending frequency and timing
Dedicated Landing pages
Conduct a SWOT analysis based on your findings. It's an amazing method created by Albert Humphrey and his team at the Stanford Research Institute (resource). It’s extensively applied for competitive analysis in various fields.
Let's try using this method for email marketing strategy.
S — Strengths
Identify the strengths of your competitors. What aspects of their email campaigns are performing well?
W — Weaknesses
What are their weaknesses? Where do they underperform?
O — Opportunities
Evaluate areas where you have the potential to outperform your competitors. Identify issues they aren't addressing and you can solve them.
T — Threats
Consider any major gaps in your current approach that competitors have successfully filled.
4. Choose the Right Tools
To run email marketing campaigns, you need to use an email marketing tool. Many tools for email marketing are available in the market that suit your business needs.
You also need CRM software for data collection, storage, and to use the data whenever needed. If you're already using a CRM, you’ll need to integrate it with an email marketing tool.
Alternatively, to simplify everything, choose a CRM that includes email marketing features. These types of CRMs are often called Email Marketing CRMs. Using these CRMs, you can easily create data-driven email marketing strategies and launch campaigns.
Additionally, you can track the stages of every lead, prospect, and customer in the sales funnel. This helps you create a targeted email marketing strategy for each segment.
Want more info about Email Marketing CRM? Read this guide: Email Marketing CRM: The Ultimate Guide to Business Growth
Here’s a list of the leading CRM software that offers email marketing tools:
1. Hubspot
2. Brevo
3. ActiveCampaign
4. Insightly
5. Engagebay
6. Mailchimp
You can also check out Doplac CRM. It provides a user-friendly email marketing tool with a wide range of features at an affordable cost.
When choosing an Email Marketing CRM software, consider the following factors:
Ease of use — Ensure the CRM and its email marketing tool are easy to use.
Advanced features — Confirm if the CRM offers the specific features essential for your business and email marketing strategy.
Automation capabilities — Evaluate the level of automation the CRM offers for email marketing and other tasks.
Analytics and reporting — Consider the CRM's ability to provide detailed reports on email campaign performance for informed decision-making.
Cost and pricing structure — Evaluate the overall cost of using the Email Marketing CRM, including any additional fees.
Scalability — Consider the scalability of the CRM to accommodate your business growth and meet evolving marketing needs.
Integration capabilities — Check if the CRM integrates seamlessly with other business tools you use.
5. Create an Email Style Guide
Your brand elements reflect your brand identity. Using the brand elements consistently in emails helps your audience easily recognize and connect with your brand.
An email style guide is a set of guidelines and standards that ensures that your emails have a consistent look and feel. So, creating an email style guide will help your team maintain a professional brand image across all email campaigns.
Key Components of the Email Style Guide:
Logo Usage: Specify the size, placement, and variations of your logo within emails.
Color Palette: Clarify the primary and secondary colors that align with your brand.
Tone of Voice: Define whether the email tone should be formal, friendly, or another approach.
Typography: Specify the font style and font sizes to be used for headings, subheadings, and body text.
Visuals: Outline the types of visuals to include, such as images, illustrations, icons, etc. Additionally, define any specific filters or styles to maintain.
CTA Style: Define the format of your CTAs, including button design, color, size, and copy.
Email Signature: Specify the structure of the email signature, including the information to be included.
Layout: clarify the overall layout structure of your emails, including header, body, and footer.
Proven Email Marketing Strategies That Drive Conversion
Email List Building Strategies
To get started in email marketing, you need an email list. That’s why, an email list is the foundation of email marketing.
Here are some strategies to help you easily and effectively build a quality email list.
Create Lead Magnets
A lead magnet is an incentive offered to potential customers in exchange for their email addresses.
For example,
e-book
PDF
Checklist
Worksheets
Free trials
Free templates
Free tools
If your lead magnet provides value to them, they will be genuinely interested in sharing their email address with you. Because valuable, helpful, and useful freebies motivate people to sign up.
So, find out your target audience's needs, interests, and problems. Create lead magnets that address their needs, solve their problems, or help them in some way.
Set up a Sign-up form and write a catchy CTA (Call to Action) copy that highlights the value of the free asset. Encourage visitors to provide their email addresses to get access to it.
Place these lead magnets on high-traffic pages, blog posts, and other key locations on your website where it makes sense.
Offer discounts or exclusive deals
Discounts and deals represent a value exchange, an immediate benefit. They attract people and create a sense of urgency which encourages them to sign up.
So, plan a discount or deal and offer it to new subscribers in exchange for joining your mailing list. Ensure that the discount or deal is attractive enough to entice visitors to sign up.
Write compelling copy and promote the discount or deal across your website and social channels.
Use Pop-ups
Using pop-up forms is a popular way to collect email addresses. These forms pop up on the website and catch visitors' attention.
Sometimes, pop-ups are irritating and visitors close them immediately without looking closely. However, if your pop-ups are relevant and personalized, there's a better chance of capturing the visitor's interest.
Here are some common types of pop-ups:
Time-Based Popups — appear after a specific amount of time that a visitor spends on your website or a specific page.
Scroll-Based Popups — activate pop-ups when visitors scroll to a predefined point on a webpage.
Click-Based Popups — display when the user clicks on a specific link or button.
Exit Popups — appear when users are about to leave a webpage.
You can use pop-ups to display your lead magnets, discounts, deals, newsletters, and more. But be sure to give them enough time to get an idea of your website's products and content.
Host Webinars
When people register for a webinar, they typically provide their email addresses. And those who attend a webinar are genuinely interested in the specific niche that the webinar focuses on.
So, hosting webinars helps you build an email list of people who are interested in your offering. This is pretty cool!
Additionally, webinars enable you to showcase your expertise and build credibility.
Try Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is when you publish blogs on other websites. It lets you connect with a new audience.
If readers find your content valuable, they may be interested in learning more from you. So, if you include a newsletter sign-up link within your blog post and in the author bio section, they may subscribe to your email list.
So, if you want to give it a try:
Find websites relevant to your field that accept articles from guest writers. Research their content and writing style.
Send a pitch explaining how you can provide value to their readers. Once your pitch is accepted, create a high-quality, informative, and engaging blog post.
Include a CTA link within your guest post and in the bio that encourages readers to sign up for your email list.
Email Subject Line Strategies
Your subject line is the first thing people will see. Not only that. It determines whether your audience opens the email or sends it to the trash.
According to Invesp, 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone.
So, you need to write attention-grabbing subject lines that can instantly hook your audience and increase open rates. And to help you to do that, here are some strategies for you:
Ensure relevance
If your subject lines are not relevant to the recipients, there is a big problem that can pop up — your emails might just get ignored and remain unopened.
Because people do not open emails that display irrelevant subject lines. Making sure your email subject lines are relevant is super important.
So, understand your audience. Consider their needs, interests, and expectations. Tailor your subject lines to resonate with them.
Be specific and keep it short
When writing a subject line, focus on the main message of your email. Clearly mention what the recipients are going to receive. Your audience should be able to understand what the email is about only from the subject line.
Moreover, if your subject line is too long, it will be cut off, and the recipient may not see the whole thing. So, make it concise. Try to keep it around 50 characters or less.
Use power words and numbers
Using numbers like percentages or statistics in your email subject line adds value and catches the recipient's attention. It creates a psychological impact on the reader and sets clear expectations for the email's content.
Also, using power words is another effective technique to grab the attention of your audience. Here are some power words:
Improve
Increase
Proven
Best
Top
Must-try
Instant
Boost
Free
last chance
These words encourage them to explore what you have to offer.
For example: 10 Must-Try Winter Recipes.
It includes a specific number and power words that encourage recipients to explore exciting recipes for the season.
Highlight problems or benefits
When you receive a marketing email, you think about what's in it for you, right? Chances are high because the common question of everyone when receiving email is, 'What's in it for me?'
Similarly, when you send marketing emails to your target audience, they consider what the email can provide for them.
In subject lines, highlighting pain points that your audience has or benefits that your audience needs are fantastic ways to prompt them to open the email.
Email Body Copy Strategies
Nowadays, people's attention span is pretty short – just 8.25 seconds. This is even less than a goldfish which is about 9 seconds!
So, after your audience opens your email, holding their attention has become more challenging than ever. But the good news is that applying effective strategies can help you write email copy in a way that keeps them interested.
Personalize your email copy
Email personalization means customizing email copy based on specific data of each recipient. For example, using their names or other info, tailoring content to their interests, preferences, and behaviors.
But did you know?
Personalized emails have a 6x higher transaction rate than non-personalized emails. 71% of shoppers expect personalized marketing from brands, and 76% are frustrated if this expectation is not met.
So, instead of sending generic emails, you should send personalized emails.
Don’t worry. You don’t have to personalize emails manually one by one; you can automate this. We’ve discussed this in the email automation strategies section, so keep reading.
Write in a conversational way
Talking with a human and talking with ChatGPT is not the same, right? Because no matter how good an answer ChatGPT can provide, everyone knows it's a robot.
If your emails lack a conversational tone, they'll come off as robotic. But your audience wants emails that sound like a real human talking with them.
So, write your emails in a conversational way that feels genuine and authentic. A conversational tone makes emails more relatable and engaging.
Make it like a one-to-one conversation. Use 'you' and 'your' to directly address the reader. It creates a sense of personal connection and makes them feel valued and engaged.
Use contractions like 'you're,' 'you'll,' 'don't,' 'can't,' 'won't,' etc. Using these reflects the rhythm of natural speech. Also, try storytelling techniques to make your emails more engaging.
Draw attention to the benefits or solutions
People are naturally drawn to solutions that address their pain points and benefits that cater to their needs. So, instead of just discussing or listing features, highlight what the reader will get.
Focus on how your product or service can solve their problem, save their time, and improve their life. This will encourage them to continue reading.
Email CTA Strategies
The Call-to-Action (CTA) is a crucial element in your emails that guides your subscribers on what action to take next. However, not all CTAs work well. To drive the desired response from your audience, creating a better CTA is essential.
Here are some effective strategies for CTAs:
Ensure each email contains only one primary CTA.
Create a sense of urgency by including words like "Now" and "Today."
Clearly highlight the value proposition that recipients will gain by taking action. Example: Download Your Free Guide.
Position the CTA prominently within the email for easy visibility.
In the CTA button, use colors that stand out from the email background to draw attention.
Email Automation Strategies
Email marketing automation is a time-saving solution that helps you automatically send the right emails to the right people at the right time.
Not just that, it drives impressive results for your business.
With automation, 80% of users generated more leads, and 77% had increased conversions. (Invesp)
Automated emails drive a 320% higher revenue compared to non-automated emails. (Campaignmonitor)
Lead nurturing is crucial for building relationships with your audience and converting a potential customer into a paying customer. Email automation has made this process even easier and more effective.
You can create a series of emails in advance that will be sent at specific times. This way, you can easily nurture leads through their buying journey and engage them at various stages of the sales funnel.
Also, email automation helps you create highly targeted and effective email campaigns with its advanced capabilities.
Here are some email automation strategies:
Create welcome series
A welcome series is an automated email campaign that welcomes new subscribers and introduces them to your brand and its products, or services.
74% of consumers expect a welcome email as soon as they subscribe to a brand (Wordstream). Nearly 92% of people open welcome emails (Hive)
So, make the most of this chance to impress and engage your audience right from the start.
Express gratitude for their subscription.
Clearly outline the benefits they can expect to receive.
Introduce your brand, emphasizing what sets it apart from others.
Highlight key features that address common challenges faced by many users.
Encourage them to explore your website.
Offer a free trial or an exclusive discount for their first purchase.
Create follow-up series
Follow-up or Drip series are sent automatically when a subscriber takes a specific action, such as clicking on a particular link or making a purchase.
These series are designed for many purposes like
onboarding
nurturing relationships
guiding through the sales funnel
post-purchase follow-up
Onboarding series guides new customers through product features and benefits.
Lead nurturing series strategically moves subscribers from the awareness stage to making a purchase.
Post-purchase series provide them with updates, ask for feedback, and offer additional resources.
Overall, follow-up series ensures that your audience receives the right message at the right time, based on their previous interactions.
Create newsletter series
A newsletter series involves regularly scheduled automated emails that provide valuable, helpful, and useful content to your subscribers.
These emails include tips, how-to guides, solutions to problems, industry or niche-related updates, and more.
If your newsletter emails are high-quality and really helpful, they will keep your audience engaged and make them look forward to the next email.
Use Dynamic Content
Using the dynamic content feature provided by email marketing tools, you can automate your email personalization.
Dynamic content enables you to set up placeholders that automatically insert recipients' names and relevant information. It can tailor the copy based on specific criteria.
For example, you can show specific product recommendations to customers who have previously purchased items in a certain category.
Email Retargeting Strategies
Email retargeting involves sending emails to customers who've previously interacted with your brand but did not complete a desired action.
It also includes reaching out to those who've purchased something and suggesting complementary products or services to drive more sales.
Here are some retargeting strategies:
Send abandoned cart emails
Abandoned cart emails are sent to retarget users who added items to their shopping cart but did not complete the checkout process. Sending these emails helps recover potential sales.
So, send abandoned cart emails to those customers. Include a reminder of the items left in the cart with images, details, and encourage the customer to complete the purchase. You can also offer discounts or free shipping to motivate them.
Send cross-sell & upsell emails
Cross-selling and upselling emails help you to retarget your customers and drive more sales.
''Cross-selling' is recommending related products to your customers based on their previous purchase.
For example, if a customer buys a coffee machine, you can send emails suggesting complementary items like coffee beans or coffee mugs.
''Upselling'' is presenting upgraded versions of the products or services your customer recently purchased.
Imagine you provide a UI/UX design tool. If a user purchases a subscription for the basic version, you can send them an email suggesting an upgrade to the advanced version.
Send re-engagement emails
Acquiring a new customer costs 5 times more than retaining an existing one. Re-engagement/win-back emails help re-engage and retain customers who may have become disengaged and inactive.
These emails include personalized messages that remind customers of their past positive experiences and encourage them to re-engage.
The good news is that 45% of customers who open a win-back email will also open future emails you send them. So, well-crafted win-back emails can help you effectively re-engage inactive recipients and drive more sales.
Email A/B Testing Strategies
A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of an email to see which one performs better. This method helps to refine and improve email marketing campaigns.
Common A/B testing variables in email campaigns include subject lines, preview text, email copy, call-to-action buttons, images, sending times, etc.
Here are some strategies for conducting A/B testing in email marketing:
Test one element at a time
When you test many things together, it's hard to know which one is really making the difference in your results. On the other hand, if you test one variable at a time, you can see exactly how each element impacts the results.
Prioritize frequent emails
Frequently sent emails, such as follow-up emails, promotional emails, and newsletter emails, have a greater impact on your overall email marketing performance. So, when conducting A/B testing, focusing on these types of emails is more beneficial.
Test simultaneously
Timing matters. If you test one email version during office hours and another during off-peak hours, the timing difference will impact the overall performance.
Testing simultaneously means sending different versions of an email to different audience segments at the same time. It helps to ensure accurate comparisons of their performance.
Ending Remark
In this blog, we've provided a step-by-step guide to help you build an effective email marketing strategy. The guide highlights the importance of clear goal-setting, audience understanding, competitive analysis, tool selection, and style guide creation.
Proven strategies for email list-building, subject lines, body copy, CTAs, automation, retargeting, and A/B testing are covered.
Remember, an email marketing strategy is not something that you just implement and forget. You have to continuously test and optimize to get better results and achieve your business goals.
Good luck!
