How to create an email marketing strategy that works

When using email as a marketing tool, having a clear strategy helps you reach the right people with the right message at the right time. A solid email marketing plan sets goals, targets specific audiences, delivers value through thoughtful content and design, and follows email best practices and laws to respect your subscribers’ privacy.

To build an effective email marketing strategy, start by defining your goals and understanding your audience. Use those insights to grow your email list and plan the content. Automation helps maintain a consistent schedule and achieve better conversions when triggered by specific actions. Finally, keep testing and tracking to improve over time.

Here are the steps to create an effective email marketing strategy:

1. Decide what you want to achieve.
2. Understand your audience.
3. Build targeted email lists.
4. Craft effective email campaigns.
5. Automate email campaigns.
6. A/B test and analyze campaign performance.

Let’s break down each step in more detail.

1. Set clear email marketing goals

Setting clear, realistic goals gives your email strategies direction. Defining what you’re trying to achieve creates a foundation for your content and design while helping you track key email marketing metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Without them, you’ll end up sending emails that look good but don’t deliver real results.

Start by asking yourself, “What would success look like for this campaign?” The answer will shape every part of your email strategy ‒ from who you send to, to what you say, and when you send it.

Your goals can be simple, like:

• Grow your email list by 20% in three months.
• Drive 2,000 visits to a new product landing page in the first month.
• Get 100 sales of your new product within 30 days of launch.
• Raise your average open rate from 22% to 28% over the next four weeks.
• Re-engage inactive subscribers and win back at least 15% of them.

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience means knowing who they are, what they care about, and how your emails can help them. When your content speaks to their needs, they’re more likely to open, click, and stick around.

First, create personas representing your typical subscribers. Think of them like rough sketches that answer questions like:

• How old are they?
• Where do they live?
• What do they do for work?
• What problems do they need solving?
• How do they spend their free time?

Once you’ve outlined a few personas, use them to segment your audience into smaller, more actionable groups based on demographics, interests, or their stage in the customer journey. Segmentation makes it easier to tailor your emails to each group, helping you provide real value and giving people more reasons to stay subscribed.

Still not sure who your audience is? Lead generation tools, which are often built into your email marketing tool, help fill in the blanks. Sign-up forms, surveys, quizzes, and downloads that ask for preferences are a great way to learn more about your subscribers early on.

3. Build targeted email lists

An email list is a collection of contacts who’ve given you permission to send them updates, offers, or content. You want to grow it with people interested in what you offer to ensure your emails connect and convert.

Email marketing tools make it easy to grow your list with built-in features and integrations. Here are six proven email marketing tactics you can use to attract the right subscribers: 

• Make a dedicated landing page. A focused page is perfect for explaining what you’re offering and why it’s worth signing up.
• Add sign-up forms to your website. Place them in high-traffic, visible spots like your homepage, blog posts, or footer to grab visitors’ attention.
• Offer lead magnets. Give people a reason to join your list, like a free guide, a checklist, or a webinar that solves a specific problem.
• Use pop-ups and slide-ins. Make your call to action more visible by showing forms when someone scrolls down or is about to leave the page.
• Promote your newsletter on social media. Share highlights from your emails and invite followers to subscribe. Don’t forget to add sign-up links to your bio or profile.
• Collect emails at events or during checkout. If you’re selling in person or hosting events, ask attendees or customers if they’d like to stay in the loop.

Our digital marketing statistics show that email marketing is projected to drive around $18 billion in revenue by 2027. So, if you’re looking for inspiration, there’s plenty out there.

Take Spotify, for example. The popular streaming platform uses bold colors and a hover effect to make its sign-up form pop. With just one field, it’s super quick to fill out. They also place it on their newsroom site, making it easy for readers to join the platform’s mailing list.

On the other hand, Blundstone, a footwear brand, greets visitors with a pop-up sign-up form right on its homepage. In contrast to Spotify’s minimalistic approach, Blundstone includes a bit more detail, promising early access to sales, product launches, and exclusive offers.

Hostinger’s AI website builder has a wide range of website templates for different needs, including landing pages. Choose a template, customize it with the drag-and-drop editor, and you’ll be collecting emails in no time.

The best part? The website builder integrates with our email marketing tool, Hostinger Reach. Automatically sync new subscribers from your sign-up forms to simplify list management without any coding.

4. Craft effective email campaigns

When you’re ready to craft your campaign, start with a clean, mobile-friendly template that reflects your brand’s look and feel. A simple layout works best, as it keeps the focus on your message and ensures your email looks good on any device. Stick to your brand colors, fonts, and tone of voice so your communication feels familiar and trustworthy.

Next, fill your template with content that’s worth reading. Use a catchy subject line, engaging visuals, and a clear call to action that guides the reader to take the next step. Mix it up with different types of content ‒ educational tips, product updates, or even behind-the-scenes looks at your business ‒ to keep things fresh.

Your first attempt might not hit the bullseye, and that’s okay. Experiment with different subject lines, layouts, and send times, then track your results to see what clicks with your audience. Testing helps you fine-tune your email strategy based on real data.

Our tutorial on how to craft an impactful email newsletter breaks this step down further with helpful tips and best practices.

If you’re still looking for the right tool for the job, give Hostinger Reach email marketing platform a try. Powered by AI, it suggests content, writes CTAs, and even designs templates that match your website. All templates are automatically optimized for mobile, ensuring your designs look great on any screen.

5. Set up automated email campaigns

Automated emails go out on their own based on specific actions or timelines. They’re an essential part of any ecommerce email strategy, and they work no matter the size of your email list. Whether you have 50 subscribers or 5,000, automation helps you stay consistent and make sure every subscriber gets the right message at the right time.

What’s more, automation saves you a lot of time. Once the workflows are set, they run in the background, keeping your ecommerce email strategy on track and your brand top of mind.

There are different types of automated campaigns you can set up, depending on your goals. Most are triggered by specific actions, like signing up, clicking a link, or making a purchase. These are the most common:

• Welcome emails are sent when someone first joins your list. They’re a friendly way to introduce your brand and set expectations.
• Abandoned cart emails remind shoppers about items they left behind and help recover lost sales.
• Drip campaigns are a series of emails sent over time to educate, onboard, or guide subscribers toward a goal.
• Post-purchase emails let you thank customers, suggest related products, or ask for feedback after a sale.
• Re-engagement emails are a way to reach out to inactive subscribers and encourage them to reconnect.

Take inspiration from TheFutureParty. The media company sends new subscribers a welcome email that explains what to expect from their newsletter and how often it’ll land in their inboxes. The email also links to past issues so you can catch up and includes a starter question to get to know you better and spark a conversation.

6. A/B test and analyze your emails

Even the best strategy can be improved, and that’s where A/B testing helps. Also known as split testing, A/B testing involves sending two versions of an email to see which one performs better. It’s a simple way to figure out what actually resonates with your audience.

Most email marketing tools include A/B testing, making it easy to experiment. Choose one variable to test, and the platform will automatically split your audience, send both versions, and show you which one gets better results.

Here are some A/B testing ideas:

• Subject lines – personal vs urgent vs question format
• Send times – morning vs afternoon vs evening
• CTA buttons – “Shop now” vs “Add to cart” vs “Buy now”
• Email layout – image-heavy vs text-focused
• Personalization – with a first name vs without

To prioritize what to test first, you can use the Impact, Confidence, and Ease (ICE) scoring method. Impact shows how much a test could improve results. Confidence measures how likely the test is to succeed based on data or experience. Ease looks at how simple the test is to implement in terms of time and effort.

The ICE framework helps you determine how much value a test might bring, how confident you are in the outcome, and how easy it is to set up. This way, you can focus your efforts on the most impactful tests.

Once the test is done, review your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use your findings to improve future campaigns and continue optimizing your email strategy.

Types of email marketing strategies

There are two main email marketing strategies: inbound and outbound. You don’t always need to use both, as different business goals and audiences can benefit more from one approach over the other. However, when done right, combining the two helps you grow your list while building stronger relationships.

Inbound email marketing

Inbound email marketing focuses on sending content to people interested in your brand and opting in to stay informed. This permission-based approach is a great long-term strategy for building loyalty, increasing customer value, and boosting engagement.

Welcome emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns belong to this category. Here are other examples of inbound email marketing campaigns:

• Newsletters – share updates, tips, and curated content to keep your audience engaged.
• Educational email series – provide value through how-tos, tutorials, or product guides.
• Product or feature announcements – keep your audience informed about new updates or offerings.
• Event invitations or webinars – encourage subscribers to join live sessions or special events related to their interests.

Here’s an example of a re-engagement email from Todoist. Sent to a user who previously used the productivity tool, the message highlights features that may benefit them and includes exclusive deals to encourage them to resubscribe.

Meanwhile, WooCommerce keeps its subscribers in the loop with updates about its WordPress plugin and marketplace. This type of newsletter is especially helpful for current users, as it shares important changes that could affect their website or online business.

Outbound email marketing

Outbound email marketing involves reaching out to people who haven’t interacted with your brand yet. Unlike inbound, where contacts come to you, outbound emails are proactive and start the conversation. This approach is commonly used for lead generation, cold outreach, or pitching a specific product or service to a new audience.

Examples of outbound email campaigns include:

• Cold outreach emails – introduce your business to potential clients or partners.
• Sales prospecting – reach out to qualified leads to offer a product demo or consultation.
• Event invitations – send targeted invites to members of communities or forums who might be interested in a webinar, launch, or live event in a related industry.
• Press or PR pitches – contact media, bloggers, or influencers with news or stories about your business.

Outbound emails can be effective, but they do need a bit more care. Since you’re reaching out to people who haven’t heard from you before, your message has to be relevant and respectful to avoid coming across as spam.

There’s also less initial trust, so be clear about who you are and why you’re reaching out. And since you’re contacting people who didn’t opt in, make sure you’re following email compliance laws, like getting proper consent when needed and always including an easy way to unsubscribe.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my email marketing strategy?

You need to track the right metrics to assess whether your email marketing strategy is working. These numbers help you understand what’s resonating with your audience, what needs improvement, and whether your campaigns are meeting your goals.

The key email marketing metrics to monitor vary based on your goals. Open rates show how many subscribers value your emails, while click-through rates track link clicks. Conversion rates measure how many people complete your desired action, like making a purchase or signing up for an event. Other helpful metrics include bounce rates (undelivered emails) and unsubscribe rates (people opting out).

A solid benchmark for a well-performing email campaign is a 15-25% open rate, 2-5% click-through rate, and 2-5% conversion rate.

However, what counts as “good” can vary by industry, so make sure to compare your numbers with others in your space. What works for an ecommerce store looks very different from a nonprofit newsletter. Having this context helps you set realistic goals and measure progress more effectively.

What is the difference between an email marketing strategy and a campaign?

An email marketing strategy is a long-term plan that defines your goals, audience, and overall approach. On the other hand, a campaign is a series of emails sent to achieve one goal within that strategy, like promoting a new product or welcoming new subscribers.

Here are the differences between an email marketing strategy and a campaign:

Email marketing strategy	Email campaign
Long-term plan	Short-term action
Sets overall goals and direction	Targets a specific goal
Focuses on audience and content planning	Focuses on sending specific emails
Guides multiple campaigns	Part of the overall strategy
Ongoing and evolving	Has a clear start and end

For example, if your strategy is to grow your email list, you might run a giveaway campaign to attract new subscribers. Or, if your goal is to increase retention, a monthly tips newsletter can help keep your audience engaged.

In other words, an email campaign is a key part of your strategy. Your email marketing strategy sets the direction and goals for your campaigns.

Tips for successful email campaigns

Email marketing best practices start with the basics. Use a clear sender name and reply-to address so your audience knows who it’s from and can respond easily. Avoid spammy words in subject lines to improve deliverability. Also, include short, clear preview text to give subscribers a reason to open.

Personalization and segmentation take your emails to the next level. Set up dynamic content so that different subscribers see content tailored to them. Use behavior-triggered emails to respond to actions like purchases or page visits, and segment your list based on past behavior, interests, or preferences. The more relevant your emails feel, the more likely people are to interact with them.

Finally, don’t overlook design and content. Use responsive, mobile-friendly templates to ensure a smooth experience across all devices. Keep your copy short and scannable, and use branded visuals that match your overall look. Add alt text to images so your message still comes through, even if visuals don’t load.

Our guide on best email marketing practices dives into these tips and plenty more. Whether you’re new to email or ready to refine your strategy, it’s a great place to start.

How to use email marketing effectively? 

Before you hit send on any marketing email, make sure you have a clear strategy in place. A solid email marketing strategy helps you define goals, understand your audience, and create campaigns that deliver results instead of just cluttering inboxes.

The steps are straightforward: set clear goals, know your audience, build targeted lists, and start crafting compelling content. Automating your campaigns saves time, while analyzing performance gives you the insights you need to improve results.

When done right, your email strategy plan boosts your overall content marketing strategy. Whether through sharing exclusive content or repurposing marketing materials, it’s another way for customers to engage with your brand and strengthen their connection to it.

Don’t worry about getting it perfect from day one. Tools like Hostinger Reach make it easy to start, even without technical skills or a large team. Launch your first campaign, test what works, and improve as you go. Each send brings you closer to emails that truly connect. You’ve got this.

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