On any given day, most of our email inboxes are flooded with a barrage of automated email newsletters that do little else besides giving us another task to do on our commutes to work — namely, marking them all as unread without reading or unsubscribing altogether.
It may not seem like a good idea to add to all the noise. However, according to Constant Contact, the average ROI for email marketing is $42 for every $1 spent. Needless to say, email is an important component of a marketing strategy, and its success relies largely on how well you craft your email campaigns.
In this post, we'll explore:
- What is an email marketing campaign?
- Effective Email Marketing Campaigns
- Best Email Marketing Campaign Examples
- How to Execute an Email Marketing Campaign
Let's get started.
What is an email marketing campaign?
An email marketing campaign is a scheduled series of emails used to nurture leads and current customers with the purpose of encouraging engagement and increasing sales. Each individual email leads to a specific call-to-action, i.e. getting users to sign up, book a call, continue reading, or add a product to their cart.
Email campaigns are an important part of inbound marketing, an ongoing process and philosophy coined by HubSpot where marketers meet buyers in whatever stage of the journey they're in.
Inbound marketing acknowledges that not everyone is ready to buy from you at this exact moment. That's why email is such an important channel.
Through email, you're able to stay top-of-mind by providing communication to their personal inbox, and you can do it at scale with marketing automation software. It's important that an email campaign's recipients have opted in to receive this content and that each piece offers something valuable.
Effective Email Marketing Campaigns
An email marketing campaign is as effective as its ultimate goal. Here are some examples of different purposes your email campaign may set out to accomplish:
1. Traffic Generation Email Marketing Campaigns
One of the biggest benefits of email marketing? Getting click-throughs to pages on your website. Not only does this boost your referral traffic, but it also drives visitors who’ve already shown an interest in your business, making it more likely that they’ll act once they get to your site.
Overall, email is an effective promotion channel for the high-value content you create on your website. It can help you drive qualified traffic to your product pages, blog posts, and web pages, consequently boosting conversions.
2. Awareness Email Marketing Campaigns
Not everyone who opts into your email list is ready to make a purchasing decision. You can use email marketing to stay top of mind while providing the educational content that is most relevant to them.
Indeed, brand awareness email campaigns help you solve for your readers and also establish yourself as a leader in your industry. If subscribers hear more from you than they do from your competitors, they’re more likely to rely on you when they need more information on a topic — or when they need a certain product.
3. Lead Nurturing Email Marketing Campaigns
As you stay top of mind, you may also consider ways to identify the leads with the highest purchase intent and provide conversion-focused content that"nurtures" them toward a sale [or at least toward becoming sales-ready].
In these emails, you can be more up-front about wanting recipients to buy. You can include shopping-centric calls-to-action, such as “Shop now,” “Buy now,” and “Add to cart.” However, it’s essential for recipients to have shown strong purchase intent. Adding items to their cart or having a purchase history are both strong indicators.
[Tip: You can find out behavioral and purchasing data using your ecommerce tool, CRM, or CMS.]
If you target these emails to casual visitors or first-time subscribers, you may be rushing them and inadvertently discouraging them from buying from you.
4. Revenue Generation Email Marketing Campaigns
You can create email marketing campaigns for your existing customers to promote upsell and cross-sell opportunities. You can also create campaigns to capture a sales conversion from leads who are close to a purchasing decision.
One example might be creating "abandon cart" campaigns for recovering lost sales conversions; or, like in the example above, promoting a flash sale to get users to upgrade. These types of campaigns are best reserved for subscribers at the bottom of the conversion funnel. In other words, they have shown unquestionable purchase intent by either visiting a checkout page or booking a call with your sales team.
Effective email marketing campaigns need to be cleverly written to attract attention in busy inboxes, but the options are endless. Check out these 10 email marketing tips in 60 seconds:
Now that you know the most effective campaigns you can create, grab some inspiration from the masterful email marketing campaigns below.
If you're reading this, you probably have an email address [or two, or three ...]. In fact, you've probably been sending and receiving emails for years, and you've definitely received some questionable deliveries in your inbox.
Whether they were unexpected, uninformative, or had a subject line tHaT wAs fOrmAtTeD liKe tHiS, we bet you didn't hesitate to direct them towards the trash, right?
While email has managed to stand the test of time, many marketers have failed to update their strategies since its inception. So to ensure you're sending modern emails that warrant some of your recipients' precious time and attention, we've compiled a list of effective email examples to inspire your next campaign.
1. ModCloth
Marketing Campaign: Email Preferences
Great companies are always evolving, and your customers expect to experience change. What they don't expect [because too many companies haven't lived up to this end of the bargain] is to be told about those changes.
That said, this email from ModCloth serves as a refreshing change of pace. If you're going to change the way you communicate with a lead or customer, give them clear, fair warning so, if they aren't on board, they can make the necessary adjustments to keep their inbox clean.
Why It Works
Small inclusions like the "Hi friend" greeting and the "You rock" closing makes the content feel welcoming and less aggressive.
6. Litmus
Marketing Campaign: Promotion
Here's another great example of animation being used to create a more interesting email marketing design. Unlike static text, the swipe motion used to provide recipients with a look "under the hood" of their email tool is eye-catching and encourages you to take a deeper dive into the rest of the content. Not to mention the header does an excellent job of explicitly stating what this email is about.
Why It Works
The animation is subtle, and it's executed in a way that serves to enhance the email's body copy. Even better, it works well with the design of the email, creating a matching but contrasting focal point before the reader dives into the rest of the copy below.
7. Loft
Marketing Campaign: Email Preferences
This email from Loft aims to demonstrate their understanding of your crazy, mixed-value inbox. In an effort to provide you with emails that you actually want to open, Loft asks that their recipients update their preferences to help them deliver a more personalized experience. This customer-focused email is super effective in making the recipient feel like their likes, dislikes, and opinions actually matter.
Why It Works
It centers the recipient's needs with the slogan "Happy Inbox, Happy Life." Paired with a low-friction CTA, the copy is simple and effective.
8. UncommonGoods
Marketing Campaign: Promotion
You've heard it a million times [and a few thousand of those times may have been from us]: You should create a sense of urgency with your calls-to-action. That's what makes a lead take action, right? Well, this email from UncommonGoods succeeds in creating a sense of urgency by focusing on the value of acting now.
Why It Works
Instead of saying, "Order your Mother's Day gift NOW before Preferred Shipping ends!", this email asks, "Don't you think Mom would've liked a faster delivery?" Why yes, she would. Thank you for reminding me before it's too late — I don't want to be in the dog house because my gift arrived after Mother's Day.
9. JetBlue
Marketing Campaign: Customer Delight
Confession: We have a serious email marketing crush on JetBlue. And they continue to deliver their lovable marketing in this cheeky email campaign that aims to humorously reengage customers. Every element from the header, to the three witty points, to the actionable, contrasting CTA work together to create a lovable campaign that's promotional without being pushy.
Why It Works
The button copy is a pattern interrupt that will prompt the recipient to pause and think if they want to take the action.
23. Paperless Post
Marketing Campaign: Promotion
When you think of "holiday email marketing," your mind might jump straight to Christmas, but there are other holidays sprinkled throughout the rest of the year that you can create campaigns around. [Download these email marketing planning templates to keep yourself organized throughout the year.]
Take the email below from Paperless Post, for example. I love the header of this email: It provides a clear CTA that includes a sense of urgency. Then, the subheader asks a question that forces recipients to think to themselves, "Wait, when is Mother's Day again? Did I buy Mom a card?"
Below this copy, the simple grid design is both easy to scan and quite visually appealing. Each card picture is a CTA in and of itself — click on any one of them, and you'll be taken to a purchase page.
Why It Works
It earns a positive sentiment by prompting the recipient to do something they may have forgotten [send a card]. This provides a solution and saves the recipient the pain of feeling guilty about forgetting Mother's Day.
24. Stitcher
Marketing Campaign: Engagement
I love on-demand podcast/radio show app Stitcher's "Recommended For You" emails. I tend to listen to episodes from the same podcast instead of branching out to new ones. But Stitcher wants me to discover [and subscribe to] all the other awesome content it has — and I probably wouldn't without this encouragement.
I think this email also makes quite a brilliant use of responsive design. The colors are bright, and it's not too hard to scroll and click — notice the CTAs are large enough for me to hit with my thumbs. Also, the mobile email actually has features that make sense for recipients who are on their mobile device. Check out the CTA at the bottom of the email, for example: The "Open Stitcher Radio" button prompts the app to open on your phone.
Why It Works
As humans, we tend to crave personalized experiences. So when emails appear to be created especially for you, you feel special — you’re not just getting what everyone else is getting. You might even feel like the company sending you the email knows you in some way, and that it cares about your preferences and making you happy.
25. RCN
Marketing Campaign: Update
Internet providers and bad weather are natural enemies. You'd think telecommunications companies wouldn't want to call attention to storm-induced power outages — the one thing that sets off customers' impatience. Then, there's RCN.
RCN, a cable and wireless internet service, turned this email marketing campaign into a weather forecast just for its customers. This "storm update" got the company out ahead of an event that threatened its service, while allowing its users to get the weather updates they need right from the company they count on for Wi-Fi.
As you can see below, the email even advises personal safety — a nice touch of care to go with the promise of responsive service. At the bottom of the email, RCN also took the opportunity to highlight its social media channels, which the company appropriately uses to keep users informed of network outages.
Why It Works
It simply offers an update. No promoting, no selling. The recipient's best interests are in mind, and they're setting expectations for something that they may imminently care about.
26. Trulia
Marketing Campaign: Newsletter
I'm a huge advocate of thought leadership. To me, some of the best companies gain customer loyalty by becoming the go-to source for expertise on a given topic. Trulia — a property search engine for buyers, sellers, and renters — is that expert in the real estate biz. How do I know? Just read their emails, much like the one below.
"Why aren't millennials moving?" The subject line of this email campaign reads before citing interesting data about relocation trends in the U.S. Trulia doesn't benefit from people who choose not to move, but the company does benefit from having its fingers on the pulse of the industry — and showing it cares which way the real estate winds are blowing.
Why It Works
It opens a loop by posing a question that the recipient needs to take action to get the answer to.
27. Her First $100K
Marketing Campaign: Promotion
This email marketing campaign crushes it, and for so many reasons.
While it is quite long, the list format works wonderfully in this email from financial education brand Her First $100K. First you're drawn in with the testimonial at the top, then you're presented with a list of reasons why you should join their Business Bootcamp — emphasizing the course is now 50% off.
Further down in the email, the details of the course are laid out, giving potential students a breakdown of what they can expect to learn. The language is friendly, succinct, and persuasive.
Why It Works
The email uses a friendly tone and a sense of urgency to entice customers to purchase the course. It harnesses the power of social proof to give an added layer of credibility.
These are just some of our favorite emails. Don't just follow best practices when it comes to your marketing emails. Every email you send from your work email address also can be optimized to convert with a little planning.
Want a quick refresher on how to master marketing email? Check out this helpful video:
Now that we've reviewed great examples, let's get into how to create an effective email marketing campaign of your own.
How to Execute an Email Marketing Campaign
- Use an email planning template.
- Identify your goal for the campaign.
- Understand who you're emailing.
- Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer persona.
- Build a targeted list and define enrollment criteria.
- Determine the timeline you want the campaign to run.
- Plan your emails and follow-ups.
- Write click-worthy subject lines.
- Write copy that's suited for them.
- Create your brand assets.
- Put it all together with a comprehensive email builder.
- Include clear calls to action.
- Include personalization elements.
- Always provide a way for them to opt out.
- Test your emails and make sure they work on all devices.
- Monitor your metrics.
1. Use an email planning template.
Download This Planning Template
It's imperative to make a plan before you start emailing your entire customer database. That's why HubSpot created this free email planning template to help you iron out who you're emailing, who you're suppressing from your contact list, and what the email's message is. Download the template now to get your email campaign planning organized.
2. Identify your goal for the campaign.
Figure out the outcome that you want:
- Is it to clean up your list?
- Promote a new product?
- Follow-up from an abandoned cart event?
- Stay top of mind with your audience?
Different email campaigns will have different outcomes, requiring different tactics to get there. Once you determine the purpose of your campaign, you can then create the targets you want to hit. Include specific metrics in your goal so that you can determine if your campaign was a success based on quantitative data.
3. Understand who you're emailing.
Have you ever heard the saying from Meredith Hill, "When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one"? What Hill is getting at here is that if you're watering down your message to apply to your entire audience, you're leaving opportunity on the table — opportunity for creating high-value, specific, relevant content that speaks directly to the recipient.
With this in mind, the key to a great email marketing campaign is identifying your audience and using email segmentation to ensure you're delivering to the right people at the right time. If you can accomplish this and build it into your strategy, you can get more creative and specific with your messaging.
4. Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer persona.
After you've identified the outcome and the goals you want to hit, you now need to strategize how to provide value to your buyer persona so that they convert, engage, or take the action you want them to take. Some things to ask yourself might include:
- How did they subscribe in the first place?
- What matters to them?
- What can I provide that will engage and delight them?
5. Build a targeted list and define enrollment criteria.
You know who you're targeting and what you want them to do. From there, you must build the segment. Thinking about your buyer persona, what properties do they all have in common? How does your CRM describe those properties?
Your software is smart, but it's not smart enough to automatically know which recipients you're sending to. Will the recipients receive the emails at the same time, or is there certain criteria they have to meet before they are enrolled in the sequence or campaign?
6. Determine the timeline you want the campaign to run.
You may be running a seasonal campaign that only requires one or two emails, or you might be building a long-term top-of-mind nurturing campaign. Tailor the length of your email sequence to the length of the buying cycle and stage the persona is at in the buyer's journey. In other words, deliver the right message at the right time.
7. Plan your emails and follow-ups.
Once you know who you're emailing and why, it's time to strategize how to move them from A [where they are] to B [where you want them to be, the goal of the campaign].
Over the course of the campaign's timeline, you may want multiple touchpoints. You may also even consider follow-ups based on the actions that each recipient takes. Plan these emails out, outlining the core message and take-away for each email.
Keep in mind that you can't expect a single email to do everything. Your email campaign can be made up of multiple emails, so consider taking your email recipients on a journey with each email serving a single purpose. This will increase the odds of each email being successful in its role toward reaching your goal.
For example, if you're doing a lead nurturing campaign, you might have a few educational emails to take them from the awareness stage to the consideration stage before providing more conversion-focused content.
The longer the buying process and sales cycle, the more emails you'll need.
8. Write click-worthy subject lines.
The subject line is the gatekeeper of the rest of your email. Your buyer persona will not be exposed to your content unless they first click the subject line. With that in mind, use this precious real estate for copy that compels them to read further. You can do that by:
- Piquing their interest
- Promising value
- Opening a loop [that will be closed in the body of the email]
- Using your unique voice to start the conversation
- Using personalization
9. Write copy that's suited for them.
Once you know the purpose of each email you're sending and you have the subject lines, you can write the copy that will engage your list. Consider where your audience is in their buying journey and provide the type of content that they'll find useful. For example, it doesn't make sense to promote products if you're emailing a segment of subscribers who are largely in the awareness stage of the buying journey.
10. Create your brand assets.
Few people want to read an email that simply gives them a wall of text. Visuals help your recipients quickly understand the point of the email. In fact, intentional and well-placed imagery can increase click-through rates, so put thought into not just what you want to say but how you want to say it, using visuals to support your message.
11. Put it all together with a comprehensive email builder.
Once you've written the copy for your emails, you'll want to build them out in the email software client you're intending to use.
There are several options depending on your needs, including HubSpot, MailChimp, Pabbly Email Marketing, and Constant Contact.
With a comprehensive email builder, you can create, optimize, and personalize your own email campaigns without needing any technical or graphic design experience.
12. Include clear calls to action.
Remember, if you're taking up your audience's time — and inbox space — with another email, your message must have a point to it. Consider what you want your email recipients to take away from the email.
In most cases, you'll want to add a call-to-action [CTA] for them to take further action.
Don't confuse your email contacts by providing too many options. For each email you send, there should be a single action that you want the reader to take. Then, instruct them to take that action and set expectations for what will happen when they do.
Your goal behind the CTA may vary depending on the audience's buyer's journey stage and what you want to accomplish with your email campaign. For example, you may simply want to engage them further with another piece of content, or you might want to get them to make a purchase.
Regardless of what it is, you should follow CTA best practices such as making the ask with clear language and emphasizing it with contrasting design elements.
13. Include personalization elements.
Consider the experience. Do your email recipients want to feel like one among hundreds of other people in your database? Or do they want a personalized experience as though you're talking directly with them?
Automation helps save time, but it should never be at the cost of the experience. Marketing emails need to be personalized to the reader and contain information that is relevant to them.
At the very least, swap out the "Dear Sir/Madam" in favor of their name using personalization tokens.
14. Always provide a way for them to opt out.
People who don't want to read your emails don't belong on your list. Keeping them only skews your open rates down and increases the number of people marketing your emails as spam. Besides, according to CAN-SPAM guidelines, you should always provide a way for them to opt out of email if they no longer want to receive communications from you. Typically, this opt-out link lives in the footer of each email you send.
15. Test your emails and make sure they work on all devices.
Once your emails are built out, check them over before hitting the send button. Effective email marketing campaigns are designed for all devices on which users can read their emails — desktop, tablet, and mobile. Consider sending them as a test to a colleague and checking them across multiple devices and email clients.
16. Monitor your metrics.
As the campaign runs, take notes. Are your open rates and click rates what you expected? What went well vs. not well? Are you on track to hitting your goals with the campaign?
The more you pay attention to the data, the more you can understand what's working and what's not for your audience, leading to more effective campaigns in the future.
Your Turn to Create Effective Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is a fantastic way to nurture leads, engage subscribers, and retain customers. The examples we shared above will help you brainstorm winning campaigns that drive sales and offer a high ROI. But to make the most out of your efforts, you should use a planning template to organize all of your campaigns in one place.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.