4 Steps to Successful Email Marketing

Do you really need email marketing? A few years ago, the answer would have been a definite yes. But today, as the internet is flooded with email marketing, our inboxes are overflowing with tons of newsletters, and our brains are so overloaded with unsolicited messages that it has become quite difficult to reach users through emails.
An email marketing campaign strategy can indeed yield great results. But achieving this requires effort, and understanding the cost of email marketing campaigns is essential for planning an effective strategy. Here we will give you some tips on successful email marketing campaigns. 

Email marketing campaign best practices include 4 steps:

Step 1: Why Send Emails?

Before starting, consider your goal and strategy: what exactly do you expect from the email campaign? This will determine its content.

Sales-oriented emails are aimed to:

• Drive visitors to your website.
• Increase sales volume.

They are supposed to encourage users to take the desired action (visit the website, place an order, sign up, call you, attend an event, read an article, etc.).

However, the success of an email campaign depends not on the number of subscribers but on how well-targeted your audience is.

Segment your audience based on past purchases ― thus you will improve engagement rates. A customer who previously bought running shoes may be interested in a follow-up email about athletic wear, leading to higher open and conversion rates. The more precisely your recipients are segmented and the more focused the content is, the better the effect. For example, customers who previously bought felt boots from you will likely need new overshoes next season. Sending them an email at the right moment describing your available overshoes will remind them about your store and increase the chance of making a sale. A week later, send another email to those who haven't purchased yet, offering them a discount or a limited-time special offer to drive additional sales.

Brand-building emails are used to:

• Build loyalty.
• Establish a specific brand image.
• Share company news.

They keep your audience engaged and build long-term relationships. These emails ensure that users recognize your company or product, associate it with certain products/services, and turn to you when needed. Good email campaign examples include newsletters that provide industry insights, success stories, and customer testimonials. For instance, a software company might send monthly updates on new features, customer success stories, and expert tips to keep users engaged and informed. 

Step 2: Whom to Send Emails To?

Never do buy or rent ready-made email lists, no matter how cheap they are. This is one of the most crucial email marketing campaign tips. Third-party databases don’t work. Most of the addresses might be of poor quality (inactive or non-existent), and you’ll never know how they were collected (or fabricated). That leads to low engagement rates and risk of getting blocked by email services. Furthermore, when you send emails to unverified recipients, you increase the risk of spam complaints, damage your sender reputation and deliverability. Even those recipients who will actually receive your email — will have never heard of you and will not be interested in your products or services. 

It is much better to build your own list. It may take time, but it’s much easier than you think.

Where to Find Subscribers?

• Your customers: Save the email addresses of everyone who has ever placed an order or pre-order with you. 
• Your website visitors: Offer them a subscription to your newsletter. Modern email services allow easy integration of a subscription form on your website. The subscription rate will increase significantly if you offer a clear benefit in return, such as special conditions, discounts, bonuses, or small gifts. 
• Other websites with a similar audience: Partner with other websites by sharing email lists, including messages in their newsletters, or placing your subscription form on their site.
• Offline sources: Collect email addresses from anyone interested in your products or services during personal interactions, at exhibitions, events, or physical stores.

Step 3: What to Send?

Your email campaign is a small battle for the attention of each recipient who receives it. You have only a few seconds to capture their interest amidst countless other tasks, emails, and thoughts. Therefore, your email must:

• (a) Be opened.
• (b) Drive the desired action based on your email’s objective.

Here’s a brief classification followed by tips to help you win this battle. Emails can be classified by content:

• Informational: Share useful content related to your industry, such as market analytics, recommended books, events, new trends, interesting articles, facts, or infographics. The most successful email campaigns examples involve content that extends beyond your business yet remains relevant to your audience's interests. This positions you as an expert and helps your readers grow. A good email campaign example is HubSpot’s email newsletter, which provides actionable marketing tips, industry insights, and case studies rather than just focusing on their CRM software. The result? A highly engaged audience that benefits from expert knowledge while remaining connected to the brand.
• Newsletters: Keep your audience informed about your company’s latest news, product updates, new projects, services, and developments. This showcases your company’s growth and continuous improvement for the benefit of customers. One of such successful email campaigns examples is Shopify’s newsletter, which provides e-commerce insights, case studies, and tips on scaling online businesses, helping merchants stay updated and engaged with the platform.
• Educational: Teach your audience by providing guides and recommendations on using your products or services. A great example is Mailchimp’s educational email series, which provides users with step-by-step guides, best practices, and case studies on improving their email marketing strategies.

Step 4: How to Send Emails?

Here are some useful services that offer various tools for email campaigns and analytics:

• Mailchimp – One of the most popular platforms for small to medium businesses, offering automation, analytics, and easy-to-use templates.
• Constant Contact – Known for its user-friendly interface and strong customer support, ideal for beginners.
• Sendinblue – Offers email marketing, SMS campaigns, and automation, suitable for businesses of all sizes.
• GetResponse – A powerful tool with landing pages, automation, and webinar integration.
• AWeber – Focused on small businesses, providing ready-to-use templates and automation features.
• Campaign Monitor – Great for visually appealing emails with a drag-and-drop editor.
• ActiveCampaign – Offers advanced automation, CRM integration, and detailed analytics.
• ConvertKit – Designed for creators and bloggers, emphasizing ease of use and audience segmentation.