What is Email Marketing? Everything You Need to Know
When it comes to essential marketing strategies, email marketing should be at the top of your priority list. Why? Because pretty much everyone has an email account.
Email marketing can help you build relationships with your target audience, promote your services or products, and create active brand advocates.
The biggest thing you'll need to worry about is how to create emails that your target audience loves.
There's a LOT of competition out there, and that means your emails need to go beyond traditional strategies. Find out how to turn your emails into lead generation and money-making machines in this post.
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is a digital strategy that sends targeted emails to a group of recipients to inform, engage, or persuade. It’s a powerful tool for building customer relationships, promoting services, and driving conversions.
But email marketing isn't just about selling; it's about educating, entertaining, and informing your audience.
When executed correctly, email campaigns improve relationships with your target audience and can result in long-term loyalty.
Is Email Marketing Dead?
Some people say email marketing is dead but don't believe the hype. In fact, it's still one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies in 2025. BUT (and this is a big but), failing to leverage it correctly means you won't generate lasting results.
If you can offer genuine value through email marketing, people are more likely to invest in your product or service. Take a look at these statistics:
The Benefits of Email Marketing
When executed correctly, your email marketing efforts can result in long-term brand loyalty, higher sales, and an impressive ROI. Let's take a look at the many benefits of effective email marketing:
Affordability: You don't need to spend a fortune on email marketing to generate high returns. It's actually one of the most affordable marketing strategies.
Direct Communication: Personalised content is key to connecting with your target audience, but blogging and advertising can be challenging. However, email marketing lets you create a direct line of communication between your brand and its target audience.
Automation: Email marketing platforms often have automation features that can help you plan your campaigns in advance and trigger different emails based on the audience's behaviours.
Measurable Results: Email marketing platforms offer analytics features that let you analyse open, clickthrough and conversion rates. These metrics can enhance campaign performance.
What Are the Different Types of Email Marketing?
Before you get started with email marketing, it's essential to understand the different types of emails. Not only does this help you to tailor each campaign, but it also means that you can identify the right email for your target audience's preferences.
Welcome Emails: It's customary to send a welcome email when a customer makes a purchase or signs up for your email list.
Promotional Emails: Only 20% of your emails should be promotional, but they're ideal for showcasing discounts, special offers, and new product releases.
Newsletters: Newsletters are ideal for entertaining your audience and providing them with vital information about your industry. These emails are highly beneficial for building stronger relationships with your customers and ensuring higher engagement rates.
Re-engagement Emails: It's common for customers to lose interest in your emails at some point, but re-engagement emails can encourage interaction.
Cart Emails: In an ideal world, customers would add items to their carts and complete the check-out process. However, this isn't always the case. Abandoned cart emails are reminders for your customers to check out.
Examples of Email Marketing
Now that you know more about the different types of email marketing, it's time to look at some amazing examples.
These messages show how email marketing can help build better relationships with your target audience, generate interest in your products/services, and secure conversions.
Brooklinen's Announcement Email
Announcement emails are one of the most popular types of marketing emails, and Brooklinen knows how to make their announcements stand out. Take a look at this example:
Why it works
Many companies send emails announcing sales and promotions, making it difficult for any brand to stand out in the average recipient's inbox.
Brooklinen manages to create an air of curiosity and urgency with its emails, making them impossible to ignore.
Tuft & Needle's Cart Abandonment Email
Cart abandonment emails are incredibly challenging to navigate because you want them to speak directly to your audience without sounding too salesy. So, why not tell a story?
That's exactly what Tuft & Needle did, and it's one of the most impressive emails I've ever seen.
Why it works
An overtly promotional email may put people off, but offering valuable content and advice to people who aren't 100% sure they want to invest in a mattress can build stronger relationships and result in more conversions.
Holland & Barratt's Confirmation Email
This email shows that order confirmations don't need to be complex. It's a simple message from Holland & Barratt telling me that they've received my order. I also got a dispatch and delivery confirmation email.
Why it works
The best email marketers write for their audience, not the brand. This Holland & Barratt email is simple and informative, telling me the next steps.
Email Marketing Best Practices
So now you know what email marketing is and the types of emails available, it's time to reveal some best practices. The following email marketing tips will increase interest in your products and services, resulting in better conversion rates.
Never Buy Your List
Buying a list of email contacts might be tempting, but there are strict rules against this. The GDPR protects consumer data, and sending emails without express consent is now illegal.
Collecting email addresses can take time, but it's the best way to avoid having your emails flagged as spam. Instead of purchasing lists, focus on creating great content and offering lead magnets to your audience.
Activate Double-Opt Ins
Many people avoid using double opt-ins because they worry that it adds an extra hurdle for their audience, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
While your subscribers will have to take another step when signing up for your list, double opt-in ensures higher deliverability rates and avoids spam traps. It also shows that your subscriber has given their express consent.
Use Segmentation
Segmentation should be a key component of any email marketing strategy. It makes marketing automation easier and personalises content.
You can segment your list based on demographics, preferences, or purchase history, ensuring each email marketing campaign delivers the best possible results.
Personalise Each Email
Email personalisation lets your audience members know that they're not just faceless addresses; they matter to your brand. Think about when your audience is most active and what their preferences are.
You can also use each person's name in the subject line to ensure they know it's targeted towards them.
Focus On Email Deliverability
Your email campaign can only be successful if you optimise the account for deliverability. If the recipient's email service provider flags the email as potential spam, the success of your campaign can be impacted.
Clean your email list regularly to avoid low engagement rates and stay away from clickbait subject lines. Most importantly, always remember to add an unsubscribe option.
Use An Email Marketing Tool
Email marketing software ensures that you can build an email list, engage with your subscribers, and monitor engagement rates. The best email marketing tool for your needs depends on your budget and goals.
Email tools make it easier to track the impact of your email newsletter, send automated campaigns, or measure your conversions.
How Do I Comply With Email Marketing Regulations?
If you want to use email marketing to connect with a diverse audience and drive conversions, you'll need to consider European and International laws, including GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Remembering the following guidelines can ensure you align with regulations:
Obtain Consent: Use double opt-in methods to ensure explicit consent before sending out any emails.
Provide a Clear Unsubscribe Option: Always give your recipients an opportunity to unsubscribe from the list.
Identify Yourself: Clearly state your business name and contact details in every email.
Keep It Real: Use your subject lines and messaging to display authenticity and let your subscribers know what they can expect.
Secure Your Data: Protect subscriber data and ensure compliance with data protection laws.
Maintain Accurate Records: Keep detailed records of consent, including when and how it was obtained, to demonstrate compliance if needed.
Segment Your Audience: Tailor your messaging to different segments of your audience based on their preferences and behaviours.
Respect Privacy: Collect, use, and store personal data transparently. Create a privacy policy that outlines these practices and makes them easily accessible to your subscribers.
Limit Frequency: Avoid bombarding your subscribers with too many emails. Establish a reasonable frequency that keeps your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
Monitor Engagement: Regularly analyze metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. This data can help you refine your strategy and improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Provide Value: Ensure that your emails offer valuable content to your subscribers, whether it’s informative articles, exclusive offers, or helpful tips.
Test and Optimize: Continuously test different elements of your email campaigns, such as subject lines, layouts, and calls to action. Use A/B testing to determine what resonates best with your audience and make data-driven adjustments accordingly.
Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with changes in email marketing regulations and best practices. Laws and guidelines evolve, and being proactive can help you avoid potential pitfalls.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can create a robust email marketing strategy that complies with legal requirements and fosters trust and engagement with your subscribers.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're getting ready to send your first email or have a dedicated marketing channel, following the tips in this post will get you started with the process. However, email marketing is complex, and it has numerous aspects to explore.
In future posts, I'll cover email marketing in more detail, including top tips for creating stand-out campaigns, how to improve deliverability with compelling subject lines and email copywriting advice.
Remember, email isn't going anywhere soon. So, stick around to brush up on your skills and enjoy creating successful email marketing campaigns.
FAQs
What is the Ideal Frequency for Sending Marketing Emails?
That depends on your audience, their preferences, and the type of emails you send.
Remember, if you're planning on advertising new products and services, only 20% of your emails should be promotional, with the other 80% providing information and entertainment.
The following sending frequencies are beneficial if you want to avoid overwhelming your audience while still maintaining consistency:
B2C Emails: 2-4 times per month
B2B emails: 1-2 times per month
E-commerce Promotions: Weekly or bi-weekly
Newsletters: Monthly or bi-weekly
Are Unsubscribes A Bad Thing?
Every email campaign will encounter people who want to unsubscribe. It's a natural part of the process and nothing to worry about.
However, if you notice a massive surge in people removing themselves from your list, it might be time to reevaluate your marketing strategy.
The content you're creating might cause a disconnect, or you could be sending too many marketing emails and not enough valuable content.
What’s the best time to send marketing emails?
Depending on your audience's activity and habits, there's no standard time to send an email.
However, if you'd like a general idea of when to send an email, here are the advised times:
B2B Emails: These emails achieve the best results from Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm.
B2C Emails: Consumers are often more active during evenings and weekends due to their schedules.
ItB testing for different audience segments is always a good idea, as it can help you find the ideal time.
What is a good email marketing open rate?
Average open rates vary by industry and depend on the size of your audience. However, most email marketing experts view 20-30% of open rates as healthy.
Can small businesses use email marketing?
Absolutely! Email marketing is one of the most affordable ways for small businesses to connect with their audience and grow a loyal following.
Which tools do I need to get started with email marketing?
When you're getting started with email marketing, you'll need the following tools:
An Email Marketing Platform: Some email marketing platforms offer free features for individuals and small businesses, including MailerLite and Mailchimp.
Lead Magnets: You'll need to collect subscribers, which is easy when you have dedicated landing pages, sign-up forms, free eBooks, checklists, and other magnets.
Content Plan: Putting together a comprehensive content plan can help you plan your emails and segment audiences.
Automation: Email marketing platforms with automation features can help you create promotional sequences and transactional email
