Even with the variety of platforms or touchpoints to explore, email marketing remains a channel that delivers a significant return on investment (ROI) for businesses across sectors. Find out how to write a great email that engages and converts.

The Anatomy of an Effective Marketing Email

the-anatomy-of-an-effective-marketing-email

[[p]]Even with the variety&nbsp;of platforms or touchpoints to explore,&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-ultimate-email-marketing-guide-for-beginners" target="_blank"]]email marketing[[/a]] remains a channel that delivers a significant return on investment (ROI) for businesses across sectors.[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are some insights that prove the promotional power of email marketing:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Email marketing offers an average ROI of 3,800% - ExpressPigeon[[/li]]
	[[li]]The global email marketing market is currently valued at $9.5 billion - Statista[[/li]]
	[[li]]37% of brands are planning to increase their email budget - HubSpot[[/li]]
	[[li]]Personalized marketing emails generate up to 760% more revenue than generic brand communications - PrismReach[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s clear that email marketing is worth your time and investment. With this in mind, we&#39;ve done the hard work for you and researched what it is that defines a successful marketing email.[[/p]]

[[p]]In this blog, we&rsquo;ll cover:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_82048"]]How can you grow your email list?[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_21696"]]Set&nbsp;expectations and&nbsp;focus&nbsp;on the end goal[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_21700"]]What works in email&nbsp;and why?[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_21704"]]How to monitor&nbsp;your emails[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_62279"]]How&nbsp;to segment your audience[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_62281"]]How to sharpen&nbsp;your email copywriting[[/a]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

Example of email sign up from Litmus / Source: Litmus

[[p]]You should host signup forms on your website (using a tool like HotJar or Crazy Egg to refine this user journey), your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-social-media-channels-for-your-business" target="_blank"]]social media channels[[/a]] and anywhere you have an online presence.[[/p]]

[[p]]Many retail stores email receipts&nbsp;to grow their email lists while others offer samples or checkout discounts to those who sign up. Many brands will take dates of birth to send out birthday emails &ndash; many of which contain vouchers or discount codes.[[/p]]

[[p]]From there, it is important that an expectation is set &ndash; does the customer know what to expect from you? Let them know roughly how often you plan to email and what those emails will contain. Otherwise, you will not turn that email into an open, a click or a sale.[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s then important to monitor the [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/grow-your-email-marketing-database-in-a-day-the-loveable-inbound-way" target="_blank"]]growth of your list[[/a]] and the rate at which those emails are actually being delivered.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you don&rsquo;t know how fast your email list is growing, you cannot measure the success of your email marketing efforts.[[/p]]

[[p]]Likewise, it is pointless to gather email addresses that are going to old or unused accounts so&nbsp;make sure to monitor delivery rate and ensure that emails are going to live accounts.[[/p]]

[[p]]The key to good email marketing is deciding exactly what it is you are trying to achieve with your email marketing efforts.[[/p]]

[[p]]Or more importantly, what do you want the reader to do with the email? Some emails are purely focused on sales while others, like surveys are for customer data collection.[[/p]]

Example of different emails sent from Amazon

[[p]]Whatever yours is for, make sure the mail is focused on that.[[/p]]

[[p]]There are two halves: getting people to open it (open rate) and getting people to click. But the key is to stay focused on what you want the customer to do. The key is to test as much as possible such as using different [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/4-tips-for-crafting-the-perfect-email-subject-line" target="_blank"]]subject lines[[/a]], different images&nbsp;or call-to-action (CTA).[[/p]]

[[p]][[strong]]Top tip:[[/strong]] Focus on improving your key email metrics such as open rate, clickthrough rate (CTR) and conversion rate to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-optimize-your-email-campaigns" target="_blank"]]optimize&nbsp;campaigns[[/a]], but also hidden metrics that can give you an edge.[[/p]]

[[p]]While it&#39;s easy to send an email, it&#39;s not always easy to get a good response from your list. That&#39;s why it&#39;s worth looking at what works in email marketing and why.[[/p]]

[[p]]For example, take a look at this email from PayPal.&nbsp;Why does it work as an email?[[/p]]

[[p]]The image is striking, evocative but simple. [[a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-stats" target="_blank"]]Hubspot reports[[/a]] that emails with images offer an almost 10% boost in open rates. Providing your images are relevant and striking without diluting your messaging or causing navigational confusion, graphics and pictures will enhance your performance.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]As with all digital marketing, analytics play a key role and it&#39;s the little things that can make a big difference.[[/p]]

[[p]]According to a study from Moosend, the best time to send a marketing email is around 9am on a Thursday morning (based on an analysis of 10 million email engagements), closely followed by Tuesday mornings. But, by using an analytics tool, you will discover your brand&rsquo;s email marketing engagement sweet spot.[[/p]]

[[p]]Tools like MailChimp give email senders an incredible depth of data about the success of their campaigns. This allows you to test different strategies and work out what works for your customers.[[/p]]

[[p]]Ultimately you want to turn opens into clicks and clicks into conversions. So monitoring your emails can give you insight into what resonates with your audience so you can repeat any success and tick tactics that didn&#39;t work off your list.[[/p]]

[[p]]Here&#39;s [[a href="https://mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/" target="_blank"]]Mailchimp research[[/a]]&nbsp;that shows the average open rate, CTR and unsubscription rate by industry to get an idea of the benchmarks.&nbsp;[[/p]]

Mailchimp email benchmark metrics / Source: Mailchimp

[[p]]Marketers that use segmented campaigns drive 30% more opens and 50% more clickthroughs than unsegmented ones reports Hubspot.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In addition to taking an analytical approach to your email list and performance monitoring activities, (using relevant data to segment your email marketing customers into different audiences), you can send highly personalized, value-driven communications to the right people, at the right time.[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are some tried and tested ways to segment your audience and improve your email marketing performance:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]New subscribers:[[/strong]] Consumers you can target with an incentivized welcome email and offer (access to early bird deals, tailored discounts, product recommendations, and members-only content, for example).[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Inactivity or lapsed:[[/strong]] Dormant customers with active email accounts that haven&rsquo;t engaged with your emails for a while. Here, you can reach out with a personalized deal or incentive.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Location:[[/strong]] Consumers you can target with emails relevant to their locale, culture, and geographically-centric trends or news content.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Demographics:[[/strong]] Customers you can engage with content based on their age, sex, political orientation, vocation or occupation.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Interests:[[/strong]] Customers you can engage with content based on their personal preferences and interests.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Behaviors:[[/strong]] Customers you can craft personalized emails for based on their past purchases or brand engagements (connecting on social media, entering a contest, browsing specific product categories, etc.)[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Sales funnel position:[[/strong]] Segment target customers based on where they are in their sales journey and send them communications that suit their exact needs. For instance, if your customers are at the &lsquo;awareness&rsquo; stage of the funnel, you could send them a downloadable resource that offers relevant tips and advice. If your audience are &lsquo;sales ready&rsquo;, you could target them with a free demo or trial.[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]As with any marketing activity, you want to create content that engages your audience. Your copywriting efforts can make or break your email marketing &ndash; so sharpening up your word-based skills is important.[[/p]]

[[p]]Here are five quick email copywriting tips that will engage your recipients boost your performance:[[/p]]

[[ol]]
	[[li]]Make sure your [[strong]]subject lines[[/strong]] are clear, concise, and demonstrate personal value. Be direct and use marketing action words where possible.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Always [[strong]]add preview text[[/strong]] to elaborate on your email headline and inspire your recipient to click-through. You have between 35 to 140 characters here, so trim any words or phrases that don&#39;t offer the reader direct value or have no relevance to your subject line.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Use [[strong]]subheadings[[/strong]] to break up the email and keep your readers engaged in your content from start to finish. Avoid large blocks of text and make sure that your copy is conversational. Read it aloud and if it doesn&rsquo;t sound fit for human consumption, go back and make changes until your content reads naturally.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Steer clear of using [[strong]]CAPITAL letters&nbsp;or exclamation marks[[/strong]]! This will make your content appear shouty or spammy and put your readers off.[[/li]]
	[[li]]Create [[strong]]CTAs[[/strong]]&nbsp;that create a sense of urgency or provide a clear-cut incentive, such as:
	[[ul]]
		[[li]]Hurry. Offer Ends Soon.[[/li]]
		[[li]]Book Now &amp; Save.[[/li]]
		[[li]]Get My 10% Off.[[/li]]
		[[li]]Access Insider Stats and Insights[[/li]]
		[[li]]Grab My Early Bird Deal[[/li]]
		[[li]]Book Your Place Before It&rsquo;s Too Late[[/li]]
	[[/ul]]
	[[/li]]
[[/ol]]

[[p]]For more essential email content and&nbsp;copywriting insights, download our [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/toolkits/email-content-and-copywriting-checklist" target="_blank"]]email copywriting and content checklist[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Before you&nbsp;get started on sending out emails, you need someone to send them to &ndash; prospects that are most likely to engage with what you have to say, and offer.[[/p]]

[[p]]To that end, it is vital to push email signups and to make that process easy. Ideally, you&#39;ll provide a signup box that only requires a user&#39;s name and email address.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Here&rsquo;s a simple and clear example from Litmus on how to encourage website visitors to sign up.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Sometimes being a bit out there can affect the open rate. People generally aren&rsquo;t expecting an email from PayPal telling them how to split money in a social situation. Most people find that process uncomfortable, so it&rsquo;s a good way to make the email feel less about the product and more about the person.[[/p]]

[[p]]Even if this email is opened but not clicked through, the reader gains a measure of value. They are walked through the simplicity of the PayPal app and shown a potential use of the product, helping them to keep a lead warm even if they don&#39;t convert the first time. This can be done in many ways &ndash; show customers a new product, alert them to a potential saving or show them how to solve a common problem using your product.[[/p]]

[[p]]The top and tail of the email directs the reader to &#39;[[em]]Learn about Sending and Receiving Money&#39;[[/em]]. The email is designed to drive downloads of the app, but the call to action promises more than just that. They are clear and easily seen.[[/p]]

[[p]]To make the best possible first impression and increase the impact of your marketing efforts, read our guide to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/email-marketing-tips-examples" target="_blank"]]email marketing tips and examples[[/a]].&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]There&rsquo;s no better or faster way to break into the digital industry than with a digital marketing certification. DMI&rsquo;s certified and industry aligned [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/students/courses/professional-diploma-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing[[/a]] will teach you the fundamentals of digital marketing, show you how to leverage AI in your marketing activities and simple ways to cultivate soft skills. You&rsquo;ll also explore key channels such as email marketing, social media, SEO, content marketing, and display and video advertising to execute successful marketing campaigns in any industry.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you&#39;re serious about using email marketing to drive sales and signups you need to balance user design with what you&#39;re trying to achieve.[[/p]]

[[p]]Don&#39;t forget it&#39;s important to find the sweet spot between adding value and asking for something and a well-structured email campaign will deliver value to the customer as well as ROI for the business.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you&#39;re serious about [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/resources/ebooks/the-email-marketing-playbook" target="_blank"]]using email marketing[[/a]] to drive sales and signups you need to balance user design with what you&#39;re trying to achieve.[[/p]]

[[p]]Don&#39;t forget it&#39;s important to find the sweet spot between adding value and asking for something and a well-structured email campaign will deliver value to the customer as well as ROI for the business.[[/p]]

The Anatomy of an Effective Marketing Email

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