SocialEmail marketing remains one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies available today, boasting an average return of $36 for every $1 spent. But not all email campaigns yield this level of success. The difference lies in how well your campaign is planned, personalized, and optimized.
At OptinMonster, we’ve helped more than 235,000 marketers build email campaigns that consistently drive conversions and long-term customer relationships. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do the same in 10 strategic steps.
Quick Overview:
To create an effective email marketing campaign, start with a well-built subscriber list and a clear goal. Segment your audience, craft valuable content, and use the right tools to automate and optimize every part of the journey—from the first email to conversion.
10 Steps to Build a Successful Email Campaign
1. Build a Targeted Email List
Start with quality over quantity. Use opt-in forms, popups, and lead magnets to grow a list of subscribers who genuinely want to hear from you.
OptinMonster’s features like welcome gates, exit-intent popups, and lightbox forms can help capture attention at just the right moment. For example, exit-intent popups can convert abandoning visitors into leads—recovering what would otherwise be lost traffic.
Related Case Studies:
- BrianTracy.com increased its email list by 150% with content upgrades.
- SnackNation adds 1,200 segmented leads weekly.
- Wild Water Adventures recovered $61,000 in sales.
2. Define Your Campaign Goals
Before you write a single email, get clear on what success looks like.
Common goals include:
- Welcoming new subscribers and introducing your brand
- Promoting events, sales, or content
- Re-engaging inactive users
- Driving conversions or repeat purchases
Clear goals guide the structure, tone, and timing of your entire campaign.
3. Segment and Understand Your Audience
Not every subscriber is at the same stage in their journey. Divide your list based on user behavior, demographics, or past engagement.
OptinMonster’s targeting features—such as Geo-Location Targeting and OnSite Retargeting®—allow you to segment visitors before they even sign up.
4. Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform
A robust email marketing platform should offer automation, templates, segmentation, and analytics.
Look for providers like:
- Mailchimp
- ActiveCampaign
- Constant Contact
- Brevo
OptinMonster integrates with over 70 top providers, ensuring your campaigns stay streamlined and synchronized.
5. Map Out Your Email Workflow
Plan your sequence in advance. Consider:
- Email frequency
- Type of content
- Desired action (e.g., sign-up, purchase, feedback)
A typical onboarding sequence may include a welcome message, helpful tips, product highlights, and a call to explore or purchase.
Tip: Ask subscribers how often they want to hear from you or allow them to “opt down” to a lighter email frequency.
6. Write an Attention-Grabbing Subject Line
Your subject line is your first impression. Keep it concise—ideally under 50 characters—and front-load key information for mobile users.
Best practices:
- Be clear, not clever (unless humor fits your brand)
- Use personalization
- Avoid spammy trigger words
Strong subject lines increase open rates and keep your emails out of the spam folder.
7. Craft Compelling Email Copy
Once opened, your email needs to deliver.
Key principles:
- Speak directly to the reader using a conversational tone
- Focus on one goal per email
- Include a strong hook and a clear CTA
Incorporate personal stories, relevant offers, or interactive elements like polls and videos to increase engagement. But keep it scannable with headings and white space.
8. Design Mobile-Friendly and Accessible Emails
More than half of email opens happen on mobile. Use responsive design, avoid image-only emails, and include alt text for visuals to improve accessibility and user experience.
Keep important messages in text, not images, and test how your design appears across devices.
9. A/B Test and Optimize
Email marketing is never “set and forget.” Regularly test different subject lines, CTAs, layouts, and send times. Use analytics to measure:
- Open rates
- Click-through rates
- Unsubscribes
- Conversion rates
Track your sender reputation as well. A poor sender score can hurt deliverability.
10. Launch and Monitor Performance
Once your campaign goes live, monitor performance in real time. Watch for unusual trends, delivery issues, or engagement drop-offs.
Use insights to retarget subscribers or trigger follow-up sequences automatically.
Types of Email Campaigns
1. Newsletter Campaigns
Keep subscribers updated with fresh content, news, and insights. Newsletters can be broad or targeted based on user behavior.
2. Promotional Campaigns
Drive sales with time-sensitive offers, product announcements, or discount alerts.
3. Welcome and Onboarding Campaigns
Introduce new subscribers to your brand and help them explore your products or services through an automated email series.
4. Abandoned Cart Campaigns
Recover lost sales by reminding users of what they left behind. Include incentives to nudge them toward checkout.
5. Re-engagement Campaigns
Win back inactive subscribers with offers, feedback surveys, or updates to your service or product line.
Examples of Effective Campaigns
- Dropbox: A clean, direct promotional email with strong visuals and a clear value proposition.
- TheSkimm: Newsletters that feel conversational, fun, and informative.
- Charity: Water: Emails that use storytelling to inspire and drive donations.
