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An Easy Guide to A/B Testing Email Marketing Campaigns

Vlad Falin on November 15, 2022

Email marketing is a great way to connect with your audience and promote your product or service. However, it can be difficult to know which approach will work best for your business. That’s where A/B testing your email marketing campaigns comes in!

Thorough A/B testing allows you to learn your subscribers’ preferences and deliver the best email campaigns optimized for results. Plus, you can use the results to guide your marketing team, eliminate opinion-based decisions, and grow your brand more effectively.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to improve your A/B testing strategy and catch the eyes (and dollars ) of your target audience.

Are you new to email marketing? Learn more by reading our guide on “How to Get Started in Email Marketing.”

What is A/B Testing, and How Does it Work?

Email A/B testing, sometimes called split testing, refers to experimenting with different email variations to determine what your subscribers respond to the best.

When you run A/B tests, you send two versions of one email to similarly-sized sample groups from your email subscribers list.

Then, you measure which version sees the most opens, click-throughs, and sales in your test batch. The winning version goes out to the rest of your subscriber list, where it hopefully collects eyeballs and drives conversions.

The goal of A/B split testing is to evaluate and compare changes to a single variable to drive more clicks and conversions. 

Over time, you can test almost every element, from subject lines to “From” names to call-to-action (CTA) buttons. As you perform more tests and compile your subscriber’s preferences, you can build an effective email campaign and drive more growth. Best of all, most modern email marketing tools offer at least basic A/B capabilities, which makes the testing process much more efficient!

Why is AB Testing Email Marketing Campaigns Important?

Nowadays, many marketers skip email A/B testing in their email campaigns. This happens for several reasons, such as not knowing what to test or relying on information generated by other marketers.

Unfortunately for those people, email marketing, like all marketing, requires knowing your audience – not another industry’s audience. 

Ultimately, your brand, products, and subscribers vary even from your competitors, which makes doing your own research vitally important.

A/B split testing allows you to find and capitalize on those differences. It’s one of the fastest, most efficient ways to connect with your audience and deliver them the content they want to engage with.

For most marketers, the results outweigh the cost and effort. For instance, Campaign Monitor found that improving their templates through A/B testing spiked click-throughs by 127% almost overnight. That’s just one metric – imagine how well you’d perform if you were optimized top to bottom!

7 Factors That You Should A/B Test

One benefit – and drawback – of A/B testing is that you can explore how dozens of variables impact your email marketing performance.

On one hand, that allows for unprecedented personalization, on the other, it requires a lot of testing to get right.

Here are seven factors to consider in email split testing.

1. “From” Name

Some marketers swear that what goes in the “From” field is the most important component of email marketing efforts. (Take your friends, for example. No matter what’s in the subject line, your open rates on their emails are probably 100%!)

As an email marketer, you can use your “From” name to build rapport. Tons of factors can impact your open rates based on your business and audience, such as:

  • Altering the level of formality (Mrs. Jones vs. Cecilia)
  • Whether you present as a person or company name (Fantastic Company A vs. Jenny)
  • And even including a greeting (Yo, it’s Jake!)

The key to success with your From field is selecting and sticking with the best version after you tested it.

Using one name, be it yours or your company name, consistently – allows your subscribers to recognize your emails in the future.  

2. Subject Lines

Your subject line is one of your readers’ first points of contact – it shows up right in the inbox. A compelling subject line makes all the difference in your campaign’s open rates.

Subject lines remain one of the most popular focus areas for A/B testing. They are right there “on the surface.” making the most critical impact. If nobody opens your emails, what is in them won’t matter.

Below, we’ll explore a few ways to maximize your email subject line potential.

Personalization

According to this study, the subscriber’s name is the single most impactful word in a subject line. Dynamically inserting your audiences’ names can add a feeling of connection and boost the open rate by 14%, leading to higher conversions.

For example, instead of saying “15% off sale!” you could say, “Janet, we’re giving you 15% off today!” This personalizes the subject line and gives the gift of savings simultaneously.

Word Order

The word order in email subject lines serves to frontload or backload information. For example, you could tell your audience:

Use this discount code for 15% off today!vs. Get 15% off today with this discount code!

In the second example, you immediately emphasize the reader’s benefit, potentially increasing open rates.

Question vs. Statement

For many people, leaving a question unanswered drives them crazy – use that to your advantage!

Throwing your audience a question inspires them to open your emails and find the answers your email campaign offers. Formats that catch your audience’s attention to keep them reading (and clicking) may start with:

  • Did you know…?
  • Do you want…?
  • Have you heard…?
  • Where can you…?

You can use A/B testing to see which type of questions work best – if at all.

Symbols or Numbers

Using characters like symbols, numbers, and emojis can capture your readers’ attention as they scroll through their inboxes. The key is to use characters that are catchy and relevant to your email.

You also want to avoid using emojis in every email; otherwise, the bright colors and faces lose their novelty.

Length

A recent study found that subject lines perform best around 41 characters or 7 words.

A shorter subject line length offers just enough information to draw readers in. In comparison, long subject lines may remove the “mystery” that draws your email recipients to click.

3. Email Template Layout

The best-performing email layout varies based on your industry, brand, audience, and the email’s purpose. You’ll also want to consider how much content you cram into each email.

Try switching between one- and two-column layouts or adding text over or through images. Use the responses to gauge whether your audience prefers their information quick and condensed or sprawling and easier to read.

Note: When you test layout, keep your content, subject line, and images the same. The goal is to test how your readers respond to rearranging, not changing, information.

4. Copy

The human attention span fell from 12 seconds to 8 seconds between 2000 and 2015. (You can thank smartphones for that!) Reduced attention spans mean that emphasizing great copy in your email body is more important than ever. 

If you can’t concisely and simply explain your point, product, or offer, you’ll struggle to build a successful conversion process and generate revenue.

Fortunately, you can use A/B testing to ascertain which facets of your copywriting work for your audience.

Length

One way to cater to shorter attention spans is by using fewer words. Minimizing language and maximizing value with short-form copy means sharing your story and offers while keeping subscribers’ attention.

However, this varies by demographic. For instance, older generations or industry professionals may prefer long-form copy that details your offer more thoroughly.

Personalization

Using your subscribers’ names, referencing their location, or even mentioning their company can improve the relevance and lead to more click-throughs.

Tone

Your copy’s tone makes a huge difference in how your audience perceives information. 

Incorporating positivity into your email has been found to engage readers’ brains more powerfully, encouraging them to understand – and act on – key messages.

5. Visuals and Images

Research suggests that human brains process imagery 60,000x faster than text. You can capitalize on this information by using images, graphics, and charts to:

  • Drive home your key message;
  • Encourage information absorption;
  • Increase engagement rates.

During the testing phase, you can examine how the type, color, placement, and quality of images drive conversions.  Adding text, moving GIFs, and even the activity level of subjects within the images can all impact engagement.

That said, images aren’t always successful.

Some marketers have reported that images actually decreased engagement rates because images detracted from their content. (Which is why A/B testing is so darn important!)

6. Your Call-to-Action (CTA)

CTAs are one of the most important parts of any email marketing campaign, especially when it comes to your click-through rate.

You can use your CTA to clarify your audience’s next step, such as:

  • Signing up for a webinar;
  • Purchasing a product;
  • Receiving a discount by acting now;
  • Learning more on your blog.

Of course, the tone and type of CTA matter to your audience. And optimizing your design for maximum clicks ensures that you drive as many conversions as possible.

You can generally choose from two basic CTA designs: adding colorful buttons or using hyperlinked texts. For some marketers, “loud” buttons improve click-through rates by catching readers’ attention.

For others, inserting simple text links right into the conversation better caters to a particular audience or product.

Color

We mentioned loud, right?

Colors can affect human mood and reactions. You can use this to influence your audience’s perception, emotion, and action. Then, apply it to your CTA (both buttons and hyperlinks) or build it into your established color palette.

Copy

Regardless of your CTA format, you should choose your copy carefully. Specific, action-oriented copy that drives a sense of urgency can increase your click-through rates more than generic text.

For example, switching from “Shop Here” to “Buy Now” probably won’t make a huge difference.

But moving from “Buy Now” to “I’m in, let’s do this!” or “Discover the secret to eternal youth here!” is almost guaranteed to increase your CTR. Don’t be afraid to speak directly to your readers’ desires and experiences!

Placement

Placing your CTA  helps direct your readers to take the actions you desire. If you hide a tiny CTA between images, randomly within the copy, or at the bottom of your email, your subscribers will struggle to find out.

However, if you make your CTA loud and place it strategically, you can guide your readers. 

Try embedding your CTA at the beginning of your copy, at the top of your email, or in product text.

Number

Why choose between the top and bottom of your email when you can put in two CTAs? 

For that matter, why limit yourself to buttons or hyperlinks when you can reap the increased click-through rates of both?

7. Delivery Times

While tons of data exists, it’s best to test this metric to see what works for your industry, brand, and subscribers. While you may never achieve 100% open rates, you’ll see more success some days and times than others.

 For example, people may be more likely to buy after lunch when they’re full than before lunch when they’re “hangry”.

This topic could be a separate post, so we wrote one! Check it out if you would like to learn more about the best times to send marketing emails.

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Types of A/B Testing

You can run four basic types of A/B tests. 

Single-Factor A/B Testing

Single-factor A/B testing involves testing just one factor across two variations of your email. (Such as only changing your CTA or subject line.) 

This type of A/B test requires a 50/50 split of your testing group. Using single-factor testing allows you to explore new ideas and gather intel one change at a time. 

As you test more factors, you can build on your database to make more informed decisions in future campaigns.

Multivariate Testing

Multivariable testing refers to testing multiple variables in a single A/B campaign. 

Generally, you move to multivariable testing once you’ve performed single-factor A/B tests on everything from your subject lines to your CTA. At this point, the goal is to determine the best combination of different elements rather than how a single factor performs. 

These more complicated tests allow you to build on winning elements from simpler prior tests.

The downside is that you can’t be sure if a single factor or multiple factors encouraged which reader behaviors.

Champion vs. Challenger Testing

Champion vs. challenger testing requires a long-term approach to improving the success of your email campaigns.

In this method, you use your winning variations as control groups against new ideas. (In other words, once you’ve found what works, you come back to test new ideas so you don’t fall into a marketing rut.)

Hold-Out Testing

Hold-out testing involves not sending some of your subscribers a particular email at all. Then, you can measure purchase rates to see if your marketing has any impact whatsoever.

Because this method involves a lack of promotion, it’s best performed rarely and in small groups.

8 Tips for Efficient A/B Testing Campaigns

Modern-day email marketing tools make A/B testing simple and quick. But before you dive in on your own, consider these strategic tips to increase your success.

1. Don’t Rely on Someone Else’s Results

Looking at where and how other marketers can provide valuable insights into your own potential. For instance, dozens of studies exist on the “right” way to write your email subject lines.

But ultimately, you’re running your own business and email campaigns with your own subscribers. Not to mention, marketing success varies widely between industries, brands, and demographics.

Running your own tests is crucial to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions from valid but irrelevant results.

2. Prioritize Which Factors to Test First

Picking between testing subject lines, button colors, and email template format isn’t always easy when you have lots of ideas. 

However, especially at first, you’ll want to prioritize the ideas most likely to drive better results with less effort.

To do so, ask yourself how:

  • …big of an impact each change could make;
  • …confident you are the impact will be positive;
  • …easily you can implement each test.

You can use the answers to these questions to rank your ideas in order of priority and improvement potential.  

3. Don’t Test Too Many Factors at Once

The main goal of A/B testing is to figure out how your subscribers respond to various changes in your marketing strategy. Testing too many variables at once removes your ability to determine what changes – if any – your audience prefers.

Plus, it’s often easier to measure the impacts of small or simple changes over large changes. (Think subject line or call-to-action versus template design.)

It’s best to wait on multivariable testing until you’ve compiled a solid database on individual variables. Then, you can start testing combination changes to build the best long-term strategy for your brand.

4. Identify Your Goal

Once you’ve found a factor to test, you’ll need to decide how you’ll measure your success. Open, click-through, and sales rates are all common email metrics. Consider how you want one primary metric to perform during the test (such as increasing conversions by 50%).

5. Form a Constructive Hypothesis

After you have a metric in mind, you can set up a  hypothesis. A simple “If I change X, then Y could happen” will help you think through your strategy. You’ll also avoid wasting time by making changes that aren’t likely to have a major impact.

At the same time, a well-formed hypothesis can encourage you to think outside the box.

6. Pick the Right Sample Size

When you run A/B tests, you pull out a section of your subscribers as your “guinea pigs.” Once you analyze the data from this smaller group, you can send the winning email to your remaining subscribers.

But determining the right sample size can be tricky.

When you have a smaller mailing list, you’ll need to have larger test groups percentage-wise to see substantial results. For instance, if you have only 500 subscribers, you may A/B test your entire list at once. Then, you can use the information to improve future email campaigns.

For brands with lists over 1,000 subscribers, the 80/20 rule can help. In marketing, this rule suggests that focusing on 20% of subscribers will produce 80% of your results.

So, if you have 1,000 subscribers, you’d use 200 of them for testing or two groups of 100 people. Once the data rolls in, you’d send the winner to the other 800 to drive results.  

7. Set the Right Timing Window

Aside from choosing the right sending time, you should carefully manage your testing timing window. Many marketers prefer to conduct A/B testing the same day the winning email goes out.

However, waiting up to 24 hours gives people more time to engage with (or ignore) emails, producing more accurate results.

On the other hand, if you’re dealing with time-sensitive information in a particular email campaign, you may want to send emails sooner.  

8. Don’t Forget to Act on Your Results

The goal of A/B testing is to find out what email marketing habits work best for your subscribers.

If one version performs better than the other, you have a winner.

If neither test version performs better, you’ve learned that that variable – or what you did to it – doesn’t matter to your audience. In A/B testing, even failed or inconclusive data can be valuable for future email campaigns.

Once you’ve gathered enough data on a single variable, it’s time to act on your newfound knowledge. 

While you don’t only have to stick with “winning” combinations (sometimes it’s nice to switch things up), knowing what increases engagement comes in mighty handy.

Key Takeaways for A/B Email Testing

  • A/B testing your email marketing campaigns can make all the difference between failed and successful email marketing campaigns.
  • Start with single factor testing, and keep putting the winner against contenders!  
  • Test everything, and make sure to take note of all the tests performed.
  • Once you’ve found what works, that’s not time to stop A/B testing. The process should be constant and ongoing to keep up with changing behaviors. 

FAQs

How Long Should A/B Testing Take?

The testing process can be nerve-wracking, but you need to allow for enough to gather clear data on what the most effective strategy was. Most experts say waiting at least a couple of hours to determine which is the winner for most opens, and it can take 12+ hours to determine which is the winner in terms of revenue.

What is the Goal of Email A/B Test Email Marketing?

The entire goal of email a/b testing is to determine which variation of your email campaign garners the best results. This can be a different definition of “best” based on your current business and marketing goals. Are you looking to increase revenue or grow your email list? These will help to determine the success of your a/b testing. 

Are there Tools to Help Automate A/B Email Campaigns?

There are many email marketing tools out there to help you create a successful a/b email campaign, including Tailwind’s Email Marketing!

Split testing your email marketing sounds intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! This guide teaches you to A/B test every detail of your emails with ease!

A Simple Guide to Ecommerce Email Marketing

Vlad Falin on October 28, 2022

If you’re like most eCommerce businesses, you’re investing in top-notch eCommerce email marketing strategies. 

A well-designed email campaign offers immense value, engagement opportunities, and increased lifetime sales. 

Not to mention, your email marketing campaign allows you to grow your reach and raise brand awareness.

If you’re not using email marketing in the modern age, then you might as well be burning your money. The same goes for marketers who don’t gear their email campaigns specifically for their eCommerce businesses.

eCommerce email marketing is its own kind of beast. It requires unique strategies, verbiage, timing, and of course, segmentation. Meeting customers where they’re at – in this case, their inbox – is a pretty intimate relationship. As such, you should handle every interaction with the care your subscribers deserve.

Want to learn more about email marketing? Read How to Get Started in Email Marketing!

What is eCommerce Email Marketing & How Is It Different?

eCommerce email marketing is an email marketing strategy designed to help online businesses engage with subscribers and customers.

Broadly speaking, email marketing has long proven to be a crucial component of business success. When running an online store, that’s doubly true!

Think about it this way: brick-and-mortar retailers have physical locations where customers convene, browse, and spend. But when your entire customer-facing business is an eCommerce store, maintaining a personal relationship is even more important.

After all, they can’t drive by your office or retail storefront driving down the road. To bring in business, you have to reach out to them first.

How to Effectively Use Email Marketing for eCommerce

Like many other email campaigns, you can use this email marketing strategy to:

  • Send welcome emails to make new subscribers feel at home
  • Highlight new product lines
  • Offer promotions and discounts
  • Or just thank your customers for being awesome

Employing this email marketing strategy in online businesses comes with immense benefits. You can develop brand awareness, build credibility, and establish lasting relationships. 

Plus, you can educate users on your brand’s value and “soft sell” yourself as an authority!

Ideas for ecommerce businesses to email their subscribers

Promotional vs. Transactional Emails: A Key Distinction

An eCommerce email marketing strategy varies slightly from regular email campaigns. Not only do you have normal promotional emails, but you’ll also take advantage of transactional emails.

Promotional emails are what you think of when you consider email marketing. These emails inform subscribers about products and offers, and maintain regular contact with customers.

Transactional emails have a few more “rules,” so to speak. Order confirmations, receipts, and delivery updates fall under this umbrella. 

While transactional emails are essential for maintaining customer relationships, they serve another purpose: protecting customers and online stores in the event that products are lost in transit.

Importantly, neither promotional nor email transactions are more important – you need both to run an eCommerce business.

Top Emails for Successful eCommerce Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing for eCommerce may play by slightly different rules. That said, just because you own an online store doesn’t mean you have to throw out the whole playbook. From welcome emails to post-purchase emails, here are the key components for a successful campaign.

Start With A Welcome Email

There’s no better way to welcome new subscribers and kick off your email campaigns than with an aptly-named welcome email.

You can use this first of many eCommerce marketing messages to make a good impression by making new customers feel noticed and appreciated.

Take a moment to set expectations, too, like how often you’ll reach out. Throwing in a little humor – without being obnoxious – also helps set the tone for your relationship with potential customers. Plus, it’s good for your brand.

33% of customers engage more with eCommerce businesses if they receive a welcome email first thing. And the return on investment with welcome emails can be up to three times higher than any other promotional campaign.

Cart Abandonment

Research shows that around 70% of all eCommerce visitors abandon their carts before purchase, resulting in lost sales!

Some 61% of visitors cite a lack of free shipping as the primary reason. Another 37% express frustration at online site sign-up requirements. 28% list a long or complicated checkout process as an additional barrier to purchase.

That makes abandoned cart emails some of the most important correspondence you’ll have (next to welcome emails). Studies show that they work: a well-timed abandoned cart email can recover nearly 22% of lost sales. In some cases, that number can be as high as 50%.

Post Purchase Emails (Order Confirmation Emails)

Post-purchase emails serve to thank customers for their orders, confirm transaction numbers, and send receipts. Moreover, post-purchase emails set expectations and simplify the shipping and return process later, should complications arise with your eCommerce store.

Here, too, research shows that these emails can benefit your online store. In one study, marketers found that post-purchase emails could add an additional 22 cents in revenue. That’s not a lot at first – but for every 1,000 receipts you send, that’s another $250 in your pocket.

You’re not limited to sending receipts, either. You can also upsell other products, build customer loyalty with a generous thank-you offer, or promote your referral program!

Are you enjoying learning about eCommerce email marketing and eCommerce email marketing strategies so far?

Learn more about how Tailwind can help you create the perfect emails speedily and simply.

Tailwind helps build emails in accordance with best practices for your email marketing campaigns. Not to mention, Tailwind combines your email marketing and social media marketing campaigns into one place for easy, effective execution.

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Cross Selling Emails

Upselling and cross-selling emails have a simple goal: to encourage customers to add extra (often related) items to their cart.

These emails can drive conversions, boost your profit margin, and build customer loyalty. Sure, you’re asking customers to spend money – but you’re also carefully curating a list of potentially helpful products.

One of the most effective ways to cross-sell products is by tacking them right on your post-purchase emails. Since digital receipts have some of the highest open rates out there, why not use them to get more eyeballs on your products?

Promotional Emails

Promotional emails are the bread and butter of eCommerce email marketing campaigns. You can offer discounts, announce exciting new product lines, or even promote a blog post!

With the right message, you can turn new subscribers into repeat customers, and from there, into loyal customers.

Given the value of customer loyalty to your eCommerce site, promotional emails are an investment worth making.

Seasonal Emails

Holidays, changing seasons, and even local events give you an excuse to reach out to your email subscribers. 

Put it this way: November and December alone account for a quarter of annual retail sales. Of that, online stores claim upwards of 15-30% of those sales, with email marketing driving the way.

That means online stores generate sales totaling $115 billion to $230 billion in just two months. All it takes is the right email marketing campaign to persuade customers your way.

Personalized Emails

Paying customers like to know that companies appreciate their business. What better way to generate sales and build customer loyalty than by sending out a special deal on special dates? 

From birthdays to wedding anniversaries to sign-up anniversaries, you should take every opportunity to remind customers that they’re always on your mind. Remember: eCommerce email marketing isn’t just about ensuring customers remember you. Sometimes, it’s about ensuring customers know you remember them!

Referral Program Emails

Inviting repeat customers to refer family and friends to your online store is a great way to capture leads. After all, 74% of consumers identify personal referrals as a key component of their spending decisions. And loyal customers are more likely to recommend brands they trust to their inner circle.

Setting up a good referral program – perhaps with a small discount or special offer – lets you capture those potential profits. (And rewards your loyal customers in the process.)

Customer Loyalty and Re-Engagement Emails

Customer loyalty and re-engagement emails do exactly what the name says. In either email marketing campaign, the goal is to strengthen your relationship with loyal customers. (Or, as the case may be, not-so-loyal customers.)

For instance, with customer loyalty emails, the goal is to encourage existing customers to remain that way. You might send out birthday emails, special offers for big spenders, or even a “Thank You for Your Loyalty” email to show appreciation.

With re-engagement email marketing campaigns, your task may be more difficult: rekindling waning relationships. Maybe customers have found a cheaper eCommerce site elsewhere. Perhaps they’ve just gotten busy. Sometimes, an email may have gotten stuck in a spam folder – it happens.

No matter the reason, a carefully-crafted email marketing campaign (let’s not forget the discounts!) can lure them back in.

Feedback Emails

One underutilized type of email marketing campaign is the feedback email.

Feedback emails provide opportunities to engage with customers on their level. More importantly (and frighteningly), they give your email subscribers a chance to say just what they think of you.

In turn, you can use this knowledge to better understand your customers’ desires and pain points, as well as any problems with your brand. 

Then, you can implement an email marketing strategy to address these points, whether you offer a discount or knowledge on how you plan to improve your product lines.

Paying customers – and your bottom line – will thank you!

eCommerce Email Marketing Campaign Tips

Personalization

Personalization is always important in email marketing, not just in eCommerce. Used delicately, personalization can improve open rates, clicks, and conversions. At the same time, you may avoid the email spam folder or server bans.

If you’re not personalizing emails, you’re missing a fantastic opportunity to personally engage with paying customers.

But it’s not just about using first names in the subject line; it’s about sprinkling your knowledge of your customers throughout your entire email marketing campaign.

Whether that’s using customers’ names, referencing their birthdays, or simply recommending the right products, a little knowledge goes a long way.

7 tips for eCommerce marketing campaigns, including personalization, proper segmentation, don't be boring, timing, drip campaigns and triggered emails, have a clear CTA and use the right tool.

Proper Segmentation

Personalization isn’t everything in a well-designed email marketing strategy. What’s the point of having all that customer information if you don’t put it to good use? By segmenting your list and sending emails based on customer behaviors and preferences, you can capture higher returns. Best of all, segmentation is easy to implement, especially with modern email automation.  

Don’t Be Boring

Many eCommerce brands could benefit from a more lighthearted approach to email marketing. Throwing in humor, referencing current events, and adding funny GIFs can brighten up your recipients’ inboxes. 

If you’d chuckle at a picture of a dog wearing a hat and monocle, your customers probably would too! Don’t be afraid to experiment a little.

Timing

In email marketing, timing is everything. (And no, we’re not just talking about not sending Christmas emails in July.) Customers want to know that your online business cares about them – without you bombarding their inbox until they block you!

Some companies balance these competing needs by sending a weekly newsletter and occasionally dropping in a special promotion. Alternatively, your email campaign may skip the newsletter entirely and stick with a monthly promotion, product release announcements, and post-purchase emails.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be pure guesswork. You can use A/B testing to gauge customer responses and determine the best schedule for your email marketing strategy. 

Feedback emails and surveys also provide unique insights that can significantly improve your business. 

Drip Campaigns and Triggered Emails

Automated drip campaigns and triggered emails let you keep in touch with email subscribers while gently ushering them down the sales funnel.

For instance, while welcome emails guide new customers in, abandoned cart emails help recover lost sales. And re-engagement emails can return a previously paying customer to a current paying customer.

And everyone – we do mean everyone – enjoys discounts, promotions, and “Just for You!” offers to brighten (or lighten) their wallets.

Have a Clear CTA

The average inbox receives upwards of 100 emails (or more) per day. Aside from the pressure of standing out, you have just a few seconds for customers to see and decide (or decline) your CTA.

Putting a big, bold call-to-action in every email makes your marketing messages clear and highlights your email marketing campaigns against the competition.

Use The Right Tool

Not only a solid email marketing tool is essential, but you must also make sure that you picked the right one.

Email marketing service comparisons go beyond this post, but there are just a couple of points that we would like to emphasize.

Make sure that the tools of your choice will have robust list management and funnel creation. You will need to tag subscribers based on their actions and send them different automated email campaigns based on their tags.

So look for email marketing software that will have these options and customizations.

Key Takeaways

  • Email marketing is an excellent way to keep in touch with email subscribers in general. But for eCommerce businesses and online stores, it’s absolutely crucial.
  • With the right email marketing strategy, you can sell your brand, build and maintain relationships, and drive sales. And by staying connected with your loyal customers, you can ensure that they return to you again and again.
  • Chose one of the email service providers that can connect to various eCommerce platforms. That way, you can set up a couple of optimizations to make your life a bit easier!
  • Light personalization, brevity, and consistency are key elements of email marketing performance in eCommerce.
  • Improvement never stops, AB testing should be a constant process, and subject lines can make the biggest impact.

FAQ

How does eCommerce use email marketing?

There are a number of ways that eCommerce businesses can use email marketing to drive sales and engage customers. For example, you can send out periodic newsletters with updates on new products, special offers, or other newsworthy items.

This helps to keep customers informed and up-to-date on what’s happening with the company and can encourage them to make further purchases.

Is email marketing part of eCommerce?

Email marketing is often used in conjunction with other types of marketing, such as social media or online advertising. However, it can also be a standalone tool to reach potential customers and encourage sales.

When used effectively, email marketing can be a powerful tool for driving traffic to your eCommerce website and increasing sales.

What is an eCommerce email?

An eCommerce email is a marketing message sent to customers or prospective customers with the intent of promoting a product or service. These messages can be sent as part of an email marketing campaign, or they can be sent on their own.

Ecommerce emails can take many different forms, but they all have one goal in common; to encourage the recipient to take action, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or taking some other desired action.

How do I write a good eCommerce email?

The best way to write an eCommerce email will vary depending on your goals and your audience. Pick one of the email campaign types from this post, and start experimenting!

Email marketing is one of the most profitable channels for eCommerce. We prepared a simple guide that will help you get started!

How to Repurpose Your Social Media Content in Email Campaigns

Hollie Youlden on October 21, 2022

Producing quality content takes time. And with businesses stretched thin, keeping up with the demands of running multiple campaigns across multiple channels can easily leave you feeling stressed and frustrated. 

But the great thing about content is that it can be repurposed. The content you produce for social media can work beautifully in your email marketing campaigns too. 

And we’re going to look at how content repurposing can make your email marketing even better.

Five ways to use your social media content in emails

 1. Showcase user-generated content (UGC)

Social media is a great place to find images created by your very own customers (known as user-generated content or UGC for short).  

If you sell a physical product, such as a clothing brand or homeware, there’s a good chance that loyal customers might photograph what they’ve bought from you and share the images on social media. 

You can encourage more customers to do this by asking recent purchasers to tag photos of your product on Instagram. It can also work on Facebook and Twitter too.

Offering an incentive or running a giveaway is one effective way to generate more user-generated content. For example, you could award vouchers to the best image tagged on Instagram. 

For a masterclass on how to use UGC, look at the marketing materials of the underwear brand MeUndies. They’ve grown an active community of over 406k followers on Instagram thanks to their fun and racy content.

But much of this content is user-generated – customers and influencers alike are posting thousands of selfies showing their MeUndies underwear. In fact, there are over 32,000 posts with #meundies on Instagram. 

Image source: Instagram

And MeUndies has put this user-generated content to extra use by including some of the most popular Instagram images in their email marketing campaigns.

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

The only images in this email are images created by customers and influencers on Instagram. This not only showcases the MeUndies products but also encourages subscribers to follow MeUndies on Instagram. 

Plus, featuring UGC is an effective form of social proof – potential customers see other happy customers wearing MeUndies underwear and that helps bring them closer to buying their own.

2. Use your social media feed and images in your email templates

Images are an important part of good email design. But producing high-quality images can be time-consuming and expensive. 

To save on time and cost, use images and link your feed from your social media accounts in your email templates. 

When you add your social media feed into your email, it encourages your subscribers to engage with your brand in multiple ways, as well as allows them to view your brand from new perspectives. Especially if you have a heavily visual type of business, such as jewelry.

Images from Instagram and Pinterest can be used to create newsletter headers. Here’s an example from the wellness brand Well + Good:

Images and takeaways from any webinars you are a part of are also great to add into your email template. By showing yourself in the light of leadership and community, you are positioning yourself in a trusting way while also providing visuals and value to your subscribers.

Well+Good used images from their Instagram account to form the header in their welcome email. The color palettes and subject matter of these images are typical of the images Well + Good posts on Instagram.

And this synchronicity between their social media and email marketing helps foster a stronger brand image and awareness – subscribers will more easily recognize content produced by Well + Good. 

Brand awareness – the degree to which consumers recognize your brand, product, or service – helps keep your business top-of-mind so that when consumers are ready to buy, they’ll think of you first. 

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

Creating a strong brand image across your various marketing channels will help your audience become even more familiar with your offering. 

But it’s not just the email header where you can use social media images – you can also use them in the email footer. The bottom of an email is the perfect place to mention your social media channels and encourage subscribers to become followers. And using content from your social media channels will show subscribers what they can look forward to when they follow you. 

Here’s an example from the women’s health brand Hers:

At the bottom of their email, they’ve included a grid of images taken from Instagram alongside a call-to-action of ‘follow us’. 

With headers and footers like these, you can create email templates so that you don’t have to start from scratch with each new campaign. 

Tailwind’s social media & email management platform helps you do email and social media marketing all-in-one, including free email templates to efficiently and seamlessly run your email marketing campaigns. Sign up for a FOREVER FREE plan below!

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

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3. Create an email from existing social media creative 

As well as using social media images to create headers and footers for your email templates, you can also use more elaborate social media content to design one entire email. 

Here’s an example from shaving brand Harry’s to illustrate the point:

This email promotes the three different scents available for Harry’s bar soap and body wash. And it’s done using eye-catching illustrations that are also featured on their Instagram account as animated GIFs.

A lot of work would have gone into designing the animated GIF for Instagram. So it makes sense to repurpose this content across other channels – not only does it save time, but it also saves money.

Rather than having to design fresh content for an email campaign, Harry’s has simply reformatted existing content to suit the format of the email. 

Another bonus of this is that it ensures this particular campaign reaches Harry’s audience wherever they might be – on Instagram or email.

In case followers missed the post on Instagram, they’ll receive an email promoting the same products as well. 

If you’ve ever found yourself looking at a blank template in your email marketing tool wondering what content to fill it with, take a look through your social media posts and steal your most attention-grabbing designs.  

 

Image source: Really Good Emails

4. Round up your most popular posts

If content is trending with your social media followers, there’s a good chance your email subscribers will appreciate the content too. So consider sharing your most popular social media posts in an email. 

Using the analytics in your social media accounts, such as Instagram and Pinterest, or in your scheduling tool, find the posts that are getting the most likes and comments. And then curate a collection in an email campaign. 

If you can theme the images, even better, as you can then link to related product pages on your website to drive sales. 

Here’s how clothing brand Urban Outfitters does it:

In this email Urban Outfitters has rounded up its most-liked Instagram posts. And each image shows off an Urban Outfitters product, from dresses to trainers. 

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

This is another example of using user-generated content and each image includes the handle of the Instagrammer that created the content. It has the added bonus of encouraging email subscribers to create more UGC – when they see that others have had their Instagram posts featured in an email campaign, they’ll be inspired to seek their own ‘five minutes of fame’ by submitting similar content for Urban Outfitters to feature in their next campaign. 

Though you don’t have to use UGC – you can round up your own social media content too. Urban Outfitters sent a similar email to their subscribers rounding up their most-pinned items on Pinterest. 

4. Share social media polls and survey results

Adding polls and surveys to social media posts is one surefire way to boost engagement. For example, you can use Instagram Polls to ask your followers about their preferences – it’s easy for them to respond, and it provides you with valuable insights into your customers’ wants and needs. 

But a social media poll’s usefulness doesn’t end there because you can use the results to create emails that evoke curiosity among your subscribers. 

Here’s another example from Hers:

In this email, Hers presents the results of a survey that tells their audience what’s popular and what was most voted for. Granted, the survey was most likely sent via email. But it’s a good example of how to use survey results to create an email. 

Social media polls can also give you insights into what’s popular with your audience.

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

Of course, you can also run social media polls as a survey via email and collect results across multiple channels. This will give you even more results to later share with your audience. 

6. Include social media testimonials

Including customer testimonials pulled from your social media accounts can provide that all-important social proof to help convert subscribers into customers. 

Here’s an example from deal finder site Scott’s Cheap Flights:

The goal of this email is to persuade the audience to sign up for a free trial of the premium membership. And by including a few customer testimonials from Twitter, Scott’s Cheap Flights assure potential trialists that they won’t regret the decision. 

Using testimonials like this is a great way to show off the benefits of your product or service, in the actual words of your customers. It helps build confidence among prospective customers who will take these testimonials as proof that your product or service is trustworthy. 

Image source: ReallyGoodEmails

And thankfully social media testimonials are easy to collect – simply search posts you’ve been tagged in and pick the most positive ones. If you’re low on social media testimonials, use one of these 25 proven ways to get more customer reviews on social media. 

Wrapping up

Constantly having to come up with new ideas for email marketing campaigns can be frustrating. But by repurposing existing social media content, you can save time, money, and your sanity. 

So when you’re next looking at a blank email template, wondering what to send to your subscribers, remember to:

  • Keep an eye on your most popular social media posts to better understand your audience and use these insights to decide what content to include in your emails. 
  • Collect user-generated content to give you a broader catalog of images and provide social proof to customers who might be sitting on the fence. 
  • Make your best social media content work harder by creating email templates and entire email campaigns from it – deliver the same message with consistent design across multiple channels to make sure it’s seen and heard. 

Repurposing content is just one way to integrate social media with your email marketing. And when done well, each channel feeds into the other, giving you greater reach, increased engagement, and more opportunities for conversions. 

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FAQ

What is content repurposing?

Content repurposing is a common marketing tool in which you take already existing content, such as your social media content, and recycle it into a new format suitable for another one of your business’s marketing channels, such as email!

Why repurpose your content for email?

Many marketers and business owners understand that “content is king”. However, having to constantly come up with and create new content for every marketing channel is extremely challenging and time-consuming. By repurposing your content you are saving yourself and your employees time and energy to use on other initiatives.

How do you write good email content from your social media content?

The important thing to remember is that your social media marketing and your email marketing are very different. You can’t simply copy and paste your social media content into an email template and call it good. The best way to write good email content from your social media content is to reformat it. This can be expanding on sections or shortening them, adding links, reworking or removing images, and trying to avoid copying all of the content verbatim, as your email list will likely notice.

Ever wondered if you could repurpose social media campaigns in your emails? The answer is yes - and here's how.

Your Guide to the Post Purchase Email Flow (with Examples!)

Vlad Falin on October 14, 2022

Many companies are neglecting post-purchase emails, which is a huge mistake!

It may seem that when a customer makes a purchase, that is the end of the customer journey.

In fact, it is only the beginning. It is a phase when a company has the opportunity to turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong customer, and that is when post-purchase emails come in!

What is a Post-Purchase Email?

A post-purchase email is sent to a customer after they have made a purchase. The purpose of these emails is to thank the customer for their purchase, provide them with information about their order, and give them information on how to use their product.

Most importantly, it gives you an opportunity to establish a relationship with your customers and turn them into repeat customers! 

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What are the Different Types of Post-Purchase Emails?

The types of post-purchase email may differ based on what you are selling. 

Before we continue to the detailed breakdown, here is the list of the high-level categories of post-purchase emails:

  • Confirmation emails – focus on thanking the customer for their purchase and providing information about their order.
  • Shipping notification emails – provide the customer with information about the shipment of their product, including tracking details and estimated delivery date.
  • Welcome email – welcome emails are an opportunity to thank them for their business and introduce them to your brand or personal background.
  • Sales emails – post-purchase is an opportunity to convert the customer into a repeat customer.

But apart from sending these types of post-purchase emails, there are many ways how you can leverage them to establish a deeper connection with your customer.

Why Is A Post-Purchase Follow-up Email Important?

Post-purchase emails are important for several reasons:

Brand loyalty – If customers have a positive post-purchase experience, they are more likely to be loyal to the brand and make future purchases.

Repeated order – post-purchase email campaigns allow you to sell complementary products to customers who have already shown an interest – with their wallets!

Customer engagement – these emails provide an opportunity to keep the customer engaged with your brand even after making a purchase.

Post-Purchase Experience – sending important information after a customer has purchased to maintain customer loyalty and create repeat business.

Most importantly, it allows you to keep the conversation with the customer going. The best way to leverage this conversation is through a post-purchase email flow.

Elements of a Post-Purchase Email Campaign

Statistics show that it can take around eight touchpoints before the sale is made. 

Sure, you have already sold your product to the customer, but do you know what is better than the first sale? 

A second sale!

Since the customer already bought your product, and you have their payment details and info – that second (third, fourth, etc.) sale may come much quicker than after the initial eight touchpoints.

Post-purchase email campaigns allow you to create additional touchpoints and turn your one-time buyers into loyal, returning customers.

Here is an example of a campaign with post-purchase email subject line ideas!

1. Purchase Confirmation

The first email in the post-purchase email flow is a confirmation that the transaction went through.

This email should include all the details about what the customer has purchased. 

The goal of this phase is to confirm to the customer that everything went smoothly and you are working on their order.

If you are providing a digital product – this would be your welcome email.

Purchase confirmation email subject lines:

  • Thank you for your purchase!
  • Yay, Order Went Through!
  • Thank You, and Welcome! (Digital Products)

2. Order Updates

The second email is an update on the order status, aka “Where is it?!” 

Here you would let the customer know that their order has shipped or if there are any delays.

Keeping customers informed prevents them from wondering what is going on with their purchase, builds trust, and makes your customer service representatives’ lives easier.

Order updates email subject lines:

  • We are working on it!
  • Order # Is On Its Way.
  • Sending Your Order.

3. Product Usage Tips

The third email contains tips on how to use the product.

This email can be very helpful for customers, especially if it’s their first time using your product.

Guides, How-To’s, and videos will help the customer get more of the purchase, and yet again, we are building more rapport for the last stage of the flow.

Product usage tips email subject lines:

  • Did you know…?
  • {name], Let us help!
  • {Product} User Guide 101

4. Feedback Request

The product was received, and the customer is educated and is using it. Now it is time for feedback.

This is a great opportunity to get some insights on what can be improved while also thanking the customer for their business.

If you are running a small operation, you may request personal feedback through email.

Alternatively, you could use a survey form or ask customers to review you on one of the review platforms. (Do not forget to provide the links.)

Feedback request email subject lines:

  • How did we do?
  • We want you to be happy!
  • Did everything go well?

5. Cross-Selling and Upselling

At this point, quite some time had passed since the initial purchase.

The rapport is established, the product delivered, and we are now positioned to use eCommerce email marketing strategies to upsell or cross-sell complementary products.

For example, if you sold a Nikon camera, you could offer a photo album to store the pictures, extra batteries, lenses, etc.

The danger here is to come on too strong. The main objective is to develop helpful suggestions that will benefit the customer experience.

Cross-selling and upselling email subject lines:

  • New products that match your purchase
  • You may also like…
  • Product Recommendations

6. Ending the Flow (Optional)

This will be the last email in the post-purchase campaign chain.

You may have separated the customers into those who made a repeated purchase and those who did not.

To the repeated buyers, you might send updates and news or prepare the ground for seasonal sales.

For the undecided buyers, this is a great chance to include a coupon for the next purchase.

The goal is to show your appreciation for their business and leave the door open for future purchases.

Ending the flow email subject lines:

  • We have some news…
  • Undecided? Here is a discount
  • Thank You For Choosing {Product}

Examples of Post-Purchase Emails

Let’s have a look at examples of the post-purchase email types and email subject line examples that we discussed in this post!

Purchase Confirmation Email

Clear, informative, and right to the point. Exactly the type of post-purchase email that you want to see in the inbox after you confirm the credit card details.

The main objective of this type of email is to provide confirmation that the payment was successful and that the order was placed.

Right after that, the order details should follow – so the customer has an email receipt of the things that they ordered and how much they paid for them.

Subject line: Thank You For Your Order.

At the bottom of the email, apart from the support details, you can see a careful attempt to get more business.

Notice that it is not a discount but rather a referral program. As if you were happy with the purchase, they have a shot at not only making you a repeat buyer but getting another customer for a CAC of $125.

Source

Shipping Confirmation Email

When money is paid, the customer likes to stay informed. After the order is processed, packed, and sent – make sure to let them know it happened!

This is a great example of an order update email from Food52. It informs the customer their order was shipped, provides the tracking link, and recaps what was sent in the package.

Subject line: Good News – Your Food52 order (#650050) has shipped!

In the lower section of the email, yet again, we can see a referral program. 

The great thing about the referral program is that, in contrast to discounts, you can run it all the time without devaluing your brand.

Source

Thank You Email

Notice how this email copy leverages the basic Thank You email to tell their story.

They include their origins, mention that they are family owned and even show that they are socially responsible!

Subject line: Thank You For Your Purchase!

Combined with the mention of simple return and Canadian origin – it makes for a perfect Thank you email.

Source

Feedback and Cross-Sell Email

When the customer has a chance to use the product, it is time for another round of relationship building.

The primary objective of this email is to get customer feedback on the product. The customer experience score is at the top, followed by a nudge to share on social media.

Subject line: Day 30. What’s happened so far?

At the lower part, you can see a cross-sell attempt.

If we follow the flow of this email, they lead customers to express their satisfaction and then offer another product without using discounts. 

Bellroy uses the excitement of the new product to sell more products!

Source

Tailwind is your email marketing team all-in-one tool! Sign up for the best small business email marketing offerings!

7 Tips for Your Post Purchase Email Sequences

Whether you are a service provider in eCommerce or selling digital products, below is a list of tips that will make your post-purchase emails stand out.

Be clear

This is the first email customers receive after they give you their payment details. Make sure to be ve clear about what they paid for. 

Order details, product names, the total amount paid – all of this should be in the email for your customer to check.

Keep it short

After the first purchase, nobody will read a wall of text. Keep your post-purchase email short and sweet. 

The idea is not to introduce your brand or hard-sell another product in the first email. This will come later in the post-purchase email campaign flow. 

Focus on the service

Make sure to focus on the service that the customer just received.

  • If they purchased a physical product, talk about how happy you are that they made this choice. 
  • If they signed up for a subscription, welcome them to the club.

Be personal

Whether you are a small business or a bigger company, do your best to keep the email personal. 

Always add the name and contacts of the company representative the customer can reach out to if they have any questions or problems.

Share your story

Since the purchase was already made, there is no need to over-sell yourself. But this might be a good opportunity to establish a deeper relationship. 

Tell them a little bit about yourself or your company’s story. This will help create a connection and build trust.

Include contacts

Make it easy for customers to get in touch if they need to. Include all relevant contact information and links to your social media channels. 

It can happen that after ordering, the customer needs to change something and nothing damages the relationship more than spending 15 minutes to find an info email.

Don’t rush it

You want to turn your existing customers into repeat customers. That is understandable. 

But sending all the emails from your post-purchase campaign at once won’t help. The timing in which you send emails is important!

Keep around four days between your emails. That is a sweet spot. You will still have the attention of your customer, but you are not irritating them.

Post-purchase emails are necessary to keep the customer informed, but most importantly – they are used to keep the conversation going and increase customer lifetime value.

Keep the email personal and ensure it is relevant to what they purchased. 

Following these tips, you can create post-purchase emails that will help your customers and encourage them to return for more.

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Post-Purchase Email FAQs

When should you send a post-purchase email?

Send a post-purchase email as soon as the customer has completed their purchase. This way, you can keep the conversation going and, most importantly, keep the customer informed of what will be happening next.

How do you write a post-purchase email?

Keep it short and sweet. Thank your customer for their order, and include the recap of what they just purchased, along with the next steps.

What does post-purchase mean?

“Post” is a prefix meaning “after”, so post-purchase literally means “after purchase.”

What is a post-purchase flow?

A post-purchase flow is a series of emails sent to customers after completing a purchase. These emails can include shipping updates, special offers, or even follow-ups to see how the customer is enjoying their purchase.

What should be included in a post-purchase email?

First and foremost it should include the details of the order and that it was successful! The type of product, the number of items, prices, whether it was paid, and when the estimated arrival date is.

In the case of digital products, it should include a thank-you note and access details.

How do you follow up with a customer after purchase?

There are a few different ways you can follow up with customers after they make a purchase. You can send shipping updates, special offers, or even follow-ups to see how the customer is enjoying their purchase.

How do you ask a customer for reorder?

You can send an email to existing customers, asking them if they need any more of the product they just bought. Include a special offer, referral bonus, or discount for reordering.

Why is post-purchase communication important?

It helps to build a relationship with the customer and improves customer retention. Also, it allows you to upsell or cross-sell other products or promote your referral program to attract new customers. Post-purchase marketing should always be incorporated in your email marketing strategy for even better customer engagement!

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Not only do post-purchase improve your customer service, they also create the opportunity for repeat orders. Find out what they are, and how to use them effectively in this guide!

9 Email Marketing Metrics you MUST Know (2022)

Kristen Dahlin on October 14, 2022

Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies there is. It helps you strengthen relationships with your customers while still being able to reach out and establish a connection with potential customers. The best part is that for every $1 you invest in email marketing, you can expect an average return of $42, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI.

Curious to learn more about the basics of email marketing? Check out our blog post: How to Get Started in Email Marketing!

However, to see such results, you must attract attention before you tell your story. So, how do you know if your email marketing campaigns are making an impact? Here are the top email campaign metrics to help with your email marketing strategy:

1.Open Rate

Open rate definition: Percentage of the subscribers who opened your email.

Open rate formula: 50 Opens/ 200 Emails delivered * 100 = 25%

Your email open click rate is one of the most reliable metrics when measuring your email marketing campaign’s performance. Email open rate refers to the number of people who opened the email you sent.

To calculate your email’s open rate, take the number of emails your recipients opened and divide it by the total number of emails sent then multiply by 100.

Email open rate by send date in Drip

Depending on your industry, a healthy open rate tends to range between 15% to 25%.

If your open rates are too low, you can try the following tricks to boost them.

Improve your email marketing subject lines

Your email subject line is the first thing your customer will see. It determines whether or not they will read your email. To be effective, your subject line must be catchy, clear, and coherent.

Time your emails

The best time to send a marketing email is 10:00 am on weekdays. Avoid sending emails on weekends and conduct A/B testing to determine the best time to send your emails.

Something important to note is that open rates, unfortunately, may become more and more unreliable as time goes on. Because of this, your email marketing efforts should not rely on open rates as the north star of success.

Jordan Douglas, our Lifecycle Manager (and email marketing aficionado) explains:

“iOS 15 has new privacy protections in it, specifically in the Mail app. Their Mail Privacy Protection option stops senders from using pixels to collect information about the user. It helps users prevent senders from knowing when they open an email and hides their IP address so it can’t be linked to other online activity or be used to see their location.

In other words, targeting people based on online activity, lead scoring, and retargeting are going to get harder. It will also remove the ability to track open rates, which has a ripple effect when it comes to cleaning up your email list. That’s usually based off of open rates, which won’t be accurate anymore.”

Jordan Douglas

Create top-notch content

Once you’ve timed your emails properly and used a catchy subject line, you need to keep your leads reading by giving them great email content. Try personalizing your content, add some storytelling and some mixed media, and don’t forget to include an effective CTA.

High-quality email content will ensure you get steady traffic. Remember, people are more likely to open your email if they liked the last one. Don’t waste their time – provide value!

Want to learn more about email marketing? Check out our library of email marketing below. You’ll find all kinds of content from the basics of B2B email marketing to writing welcome emails!

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2. Clickthrough Rate

Clickthrough rate definition: Percentage of people who click the links inside delivered emails.

Clickthrough rate formula: 50 Clicks/ 500 Emails Delivered * 100 = 10%

Once you’ve worked on ensuring your readers are opening your emails, it’s time to gauge their engagement. Your email click-through rate will help you track how well your emails are performing.

Your email click-through rate is the percentage of email recipients who clicked on a link in your email. To calculate your click-through rate, divide the number of clicks by the number of emails you sent and multiply by 100.

On average, the click-through rate for most campaigns is 4%.

Your click-through rate will help you determine which customers are genuinely interested in your brand or products.  It will also show you how engaging your content is and is a great tool for maximizing your conversion rates. So, if your click-through rate is not where it should be, try the following to improve it:

Personalize your emails

To engage your audience, you must send them content that resonates with them. For instance, you will not get much engagement from a vegan if you are sending them emails full of the benefits of red meat. Only send information that your audience is interested in.

You can also take personalization a step further by addressing your audience personally. Ensure that each person reading your email feels as if you wrote the email just for them. You can achieve this by using the reader’s name on the email subject line and writing as if you are having a face-to-face conversation with them.

Write engaging content

Your emails should be worth your readers’ time. They should be full of value and interesting enough that your audience looks forward to them. To make your emails more engaging, always proofread to remove errors, maintain a flow of information that is relevant to your audience, use the correct formatting and add a few GIFs.

Nail the preview text

After reading your email subject line, the preview text is the next thing your reader sees.  Your preview text affects your open rate as much as your subject line, so it helps to ace it.

The easiest and safest way to nail your preview text is to directly ask your reader a question. For instance, “Dear XYZ, would you like to boost your website traffic?” asking a question helps strike a conversation with your reader. It also intensifies their curiosity and makes them want to open and engage with your email.

3. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate definition: Percentage of people who completed the CTA, be it registration, purchase, download, or any other goal that you had.

Conversion rate formula: 20 CTA completed/ 500 Emails Delivered * 100 = 4%

Another email marketing analysis metric that is key to determining the success of your email marketing campaign is your conversion rate. Your conversion rate is the number of leads that have become actual customers after reading your emails.

Conversion is the ultimate goal of any email marketing campaign. You want people to open, click through, and engage with your content, but most importantly, you want them to become your loyal customers.

To calculate your conversion rate, divide the number of people that have converted with the total number of emails you sent and multiply by 100.

Here are some tips to help you increase your conversion rates:

Segment your email list

No matter how great your emails are, you will not see any conversion if you are targeting the wrong people.  Take time to divide up your email list depending on different factors such as age and geographical location among other factors. You’ll want to do this sooner rather than later, with the new updates to privacy protections coming from iOS.

Next, create different email content for different groups of people so you are sure you are sending the right message to the right people.

Ensure your content flows

Start your email with a catchy subject line, great preview text, engaging content, and lastly, a well-optimized CTA.  This is the flow that works for most bloggers and businesses. If you mix up your content, you won’t see many conversions.

Keep it short

There is no specific email length that works for everyone. That being said, no one has time to read unending ramblings in today’s fast world. Short and sweet is your best option.

4. Bounce Rate

Bounce Rate Definition: Percentage of emails that were not delivered.

Bounce Rate Formula: 5 Undelivered emails/ 100 Emails Sent *100 = 5%

All the email marketing metrics we have discussed so far won’t be of use to you if your emails are not reaching their intended recipients.  Your email bounce rate measures how many emails are not reaching your lead’s mailbox either because the Id is inactive or fake.

To calculate your bounce rate, divide the number of bounced emails by the total number of emails sent then multiply by 100.

A bounce rate of more than 2% means you need to take urgent steps such as:

Monitor your list

Go through your subscriber list and eliminate all fake-looking IDs and those with inactive domains.

You can also activate the double opt-in option so that people have to confirm before subscribing to your email list.  This is an excellent way of only enlisting people who are interested in your brand. It also helps you avoid adding emails from spambots.

A/B testing

With a/b testing emails, you can divide your subscribers into two groups and send each group a different email. This way, you can measure the bounce rate of each email and try to find out what caused a higher bounce rate in one group by determining what you did differently.

When measuring your bounce rates, it’s important to distinguish between a soft bounce and a hard bounce. A soft bounce happens when there is a temporary delay in sending emails. This can happen when the servers are overloaded and should not be a cause for concern. Eventually, the email will get to the recipient.

A hard bounce, on the other hand, is one where the mail comes back saying that the email ID is incorrect or the domain doesn’t exist. This is the king of bounce that you want to avoid.

5. Unsubscribe Rate

Unsubscribe rate definition: Percentage of people who unsubscribe from your email list.

Unsubscribe rate formula: 10 Unsubscribes / 500 Emails * 100 = 2%

There are a number of reasons why people might unsubscribe from your email list. It could be because they no longer find your content relevant, or they just entered their email to get the lead magnet that you were promoting.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to keep an eye on your unsubscribe rate so that you can make changes to improve it.

For example, you might just have one bad email blast or a small mistake in your email marketing process. Something in your copy triggered a higher level of unsubscribed than usual. This is nothing to worry about. Just make sure not to repeat that mistake in your next emails.

If you’re seeing a constantly high unsubscribe rate, it could indicate that you need to change up your content or offer more relevant information to your audience.

You want to get your unsubscribe rate as low as possible. Usually, it is around 1%, but the lower, the better.

The rate you see will also depend on how you built the list. If you have a highly interested audience and a relevant offer – the bounce rate will be really low.

If you’ve purchased a list or used very little personalization in your email – the unsubscribe rate will be higher.

Here are some tips to keep your unsubscribe rate low:

  1. Keep your content relevant to your audience.
  2. Make sure you’re offering value in every email.
  3. Personalize your emails.
  4. Build quality lists from the start.
  5. Have a clear From field.
  6. Don’t use clickbaity subject lines.

6. Subscribers Growth Rate

Subscribers growth rate definition: New subscribers that joined your email list in a set period of time.

Subscribers growth formula: 500 New subscribers / 1000 Original list size 100 = 50% or 2250 New list size / 1000 Original list size 100 = 225%

Your email list should always keep growing! A good subscriber growth rate depends on the size of your list. If you have a small list, a higher percentage may be attainable. The bigger your list size is, the smaller the percentage will get.

Emails in your list will decay naturally. Some subscribers will stop using that email, some will be receiving your message in their Promotion folder, and some will just unsubscribe.

In order to not “burn out” your email list, you must constantly feed the funnel with new leads.

Limited offers, discounts, and lead magnets – are all great ways how to interest new subscribers in joining.

Make sure your lead magnet is high quality and relevant to your target audience! If it’s not, you’ll have a hard time getting people to sign up and an even harder time keeping them as subscribers.

7. Email Sharing Rate

Email sharing rate definition: Number of times people forwarded or shared your email.

Email sharing rate formula: 10 Shares or Forwards / 220 Emails delivered * 100 = 4.4%

You want to keep an eye on your email sharing rate because a high number means that people love your content and are willing to share it with others. A low number could indicate that your email isn’t really hitting the right spot.

Not all emails need a high sharing rate. For example, an email with a purchase CTA would focus on the clickthrough rate. These types of emails are usually not shared.

On the other hand, a message with a referral offer or an infographic would benefit from forwards and shares.

When looking at your sharing rate, also consider the type of email you’re sending. If it’s a timely message or announcement, it may not have a long shelf-life and, therefore, won’t be shared as much as an evergreen piece that is tightly related to your topic.

8. ROI 

ROI definition: Return On Investment shows how much money you earned vs. how much you had to spend.

ROI Formula: $500 Earned / $100 Spent * 100 = 500%

You may wonder what would go into your Earnings. Any monetary value you received due to a CTA in your email campaign would count as earnings (or revenue). All the purchases and upgrades subscribers bought through the CTA link in your email would fall into this group.

On the other hand, Spending (costs) would include all the financial resources you spent to make this campaign happen. Cost of leads acquisition, email copywriter salary. email service subscription price – everything should be accounted for. Just make sure to calculate the final result proportionally.

Continuing on the financial topic, here are two other email marketing metrics that are worth following:

  • Revenue per subscriber – revenue calculated per each subscriber.
  • Subscriber lifetime value – total revenue that a subscriber brings in the “lifetime” on your list.

We also wanted to share a couple of tips on how to grow your ROI after the initial purchase.

Cross Selling

Cross-selling should always be a part of your email strategy. It’s a great way to increase the amount each customer spends. Selling your readers complementary products that are related to what they just bought from you.

For example, if someone buys a pair of shoes from you, you could cross-sell them with socks or shoe laces.

The point is, it is much easier (and cheaper) to sell to an existing customer than it is to find a new one, so make sure you are always looking for ways to increase the value of each customer.

The best way to do this is to focus on creating quality content that your readers will love and then gently introduce them to complementary products they may need.

Cross-selling is just a part of post-purchase email options. This type of email marketing campaign can significantly increase the ROI and the LTV of the subscribers, so make sure to give it a look!

9. Spam Rate

Spam rate definition: Percentage of users who marked your email as spam.

Spam rate formula: 2 Marked as spam / 1000 Emails delivered * 100 = 0.2%

In an ideal scenario, your spam complaint rate should be 0, but as your email list grows bigger, it will not be possible.

Still, 0.1% is roughly the maximum that your spam rate can be at any given time. Anything bigger is a major reason for concern. In the long run, high spam rate damages the sender’s reputation, lowers the number of delivered emails, and can even send them right into the spam folder, without the user even seeing them.

How to reduce your spam rate:

  1. Keep your email list clean.
  2. Consider double-optin.
  3. Have a clearly visible Unsubscribe button.
  4. Don’t use clickbait titles.
  5. Each email should have value.

For more tips on how to get higher deliverability and not fall victim to spam filters, check out this post.

Email Measurement Metrics & Analytics Tips

These are the main email engagement metrics you should be tracking. But depending on your business goals, there are other things you can track as well, but they are of lesser importance.

The main slogan here is “You can’t improve what you don’t measure”, so we wanted to share a couple of overall tips that will help you make your email marketing campaigns better.

Analyze The Outliers

It may happen that email campaign metrics on one of the emails will be off the charts. It can swing both ways, good and bad.

It can be caused by various factors. Sending time is one of the most frequent ones. It might be a slow day, a holiday, or other important events happening.

Pick A Good Platform

Make sure that you picked an email marketing service that is able to show you all the metrics and analytics that you might need.

Sure, all of the email marketing tools have some kind of dashboard and reporting – just make sure that it tracks and shows the data that is important for your line of business!

If you didn’t know, Tailwind brings social media management and email marketing into one unified marketing management platform — making it easy to make your separate marketing channels work together. Tailwind’s email marketing capabilities have built in best practices to ensure you meet the ideal numbers for all your email engagement metrics and not to mention, beautifully displays your key email campaign metrics in an easy-to understand way.

Experiment A Little

It goes without saying that digital marketing is built on A/B testing. We spoke about that in the prior section.

Apart from those tests, from time to time – do a bigger experiment. Completely change the hook or the offer in your email. Structure the pricing differently or just create a whole new funnel.

From time to time, you need a radical 180-degree change to discover new opportunities!

Final word

Email marketing is a cost-effective way of promoting your brand. However, it requires you to keep tracking and optimizing the key metrics we have discussed to increase your chances of success. 

If you are just starting your email endeavor, the metrics listed in this post could easily become your KPIs for email marketing! We hope this blog post helped you learn a little bit more about email marketing metrics.

In the case you need a free option to get started with email marketing, Tailwind is the best email marketing and social media marketing management platform combined into one. With built-in email marketing best practices and analytics to measure your email marketing campaign metrics, you’re sure to measure the success of your email campaigns in no time! Sign up for FREE below!

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With new user privacy protections in iOS 15, there's never been a better time to understand email marketing metrics and what (and what isn't) a solid indicator that your efforts are working. Check out our quick guide to learn the ins and outs!
 
 

Complete Guide to Email Marketing Campaigns (9 Easy Steps)

Vlad Falin on September 23, 2022

Learning how to create a successful email marketing campaign is one of the best ways to connect with your customers and promote your business.

It actually does it so well that it is one of the most profitable marketing strategies. ROI on email marketing can be around 36:1. Meaning that you will get $36 for every $1 spent. Hard to beat! 

But not all email marketing campaigns are that successful. There are many tweaks and tips that can make all the difference between a good campaign and a waste of resources.

In this post, we will explain how to create an email marketing campaign, provide you with actionable strategies, and make sure that your road to success is shorter (and easier) so you can learn how to do email marketing yourself, successfully!

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What is an Email Marketing Campaign?

An email marketing campaign is a set of messages sent at specific intervals with a commercial purpose.

The goal is to promote a product or service, engage customers, or drive traffic to your website.

A successful campaign requires proper planning, execution, and constant A/B testing. 

But enough of the introduction, let’s get to the action!

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Email Marketing Campaign Types

Depending on the goals that your email campaign has, there are several campaign structures and messaging styles that you can choose from.

The most common goals for email marketing campaigns are:

  • Selling a product or service
  • Sending news and updates
  • Reaching out to cold leads
  • Nurturing customers/subscribers
  • Building relationships
  • Providing customer support
  • Helping new users

Now that we have the most popular goals listed let’s have a look at the type of campaigns that you would use to achieve them.

A list of the most common types of email marketing campaigns- news and updates, activating cold leads, nurturing customers, relationship building, customer support and new user onboarding.

Outreach Email Campaigns

This campaign is sent to people who don’t know your company yet.

It serves as the introduction and usually contains a CTA to learn more or sign up for your product.

The main objective is to increase brand awareness and get new leads.

Lead Nurturing Campaigns

You would use this email campaign when you have already captured a lead, but they haven’t converted yet.

The goal is to build a relationship with the lead and move them further down your sales funnel.

Welcome Email Campaigns

Welcome campaign emails are sent to new customers. It’s a way to introduce your brand, build rapport, and make sure they start off on the right foot.

In this email, you would usually thank them for the purchase (or for their trust) and give them a quick overview of what they can expect from your product or service.

You might also want to include a CTA to get them started or learn more about your service.

Newsletter

An email newsletter is a great way to keep your customers updated on what’s new with your business and your industry.

This is a great opportunity to establish yourself as an authority in your niche and build trust.

While it can be used to promote special offers, product launches, new posts, or events – you can also send industry updates or just articles that piqued your interest.

Promotional Emails

Sure, all the emails you send to your customers are promotional. But while the others are “soft” promotions, this one is right-in-your-face.

This email is typically used to promote sales, discounts, or special offers. You don’t want to come across as being too “salesy” or spammy, so be sure to strike the right balance. 

Offer a great deal, be straightforward about it but at the same time keep the customer relationship in mind.

Seasonal Email Campaign

Whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any other holiday, it is a great time to pitch your seasonal offer to your audience.

You can use this type of email to promote anything from discounts and sales to competitions and giveaways.

Just find a way to tie your offer to the particular season or festivity – and you should see an increase in the results!

Reactivation Email Campaigns

Sometimes people just need a little reminder about your brand before they’re ready to buy from you.

You can use reactivation emails to reach out to those customers who haven’t interacted with you for a while and give them a nudge in the right direction.

Customer Retention Emails

It’s always cheaper to keep a customer than to find a new one. 

Make sure you’re doing everything you can to ensure that your customers stay happy and engaged with your brand.

If your service was not working, reach out to the affected customers. 

Or maybe you know they are about to receive your product – so ask them how they like it.

Every little bit of attention helps to achieve a lower churn rate. 

Product Announcements

Rolling out an update? Launching a new feature? Let your customers know!

Product announcements are a great way to keep your customers in the loop about what is going on with your business.

They also give you a reason to email your list and remind them about your brand!

Customer Support Campaigns

Email can be a great way to keep in touch with your customers and offer them support.

You can use email to answer frequently asked questions, give customer service updates, or even offer live chat support.

Cross-sell Campaigns

Do you have a product that goes great with another product? If so, let your customers know!

Cross-selling is a great way to increase order value and customer satisfaction. You can also use email to upsell or down-sell customers on different products from your offer.

E-Commerce Email Campaigns

Everything that we described above can be implemented in e-commerce, but there are some additional options.

For example, you can use email campaigns to send abandoned cart emails, order confirmation emails, and start a whole post-purchase email campaign!

How to Create an Effective Email Marketing Campaign

Let’s get into action. We will lead you through an example of a thought process when launching a new campaign.

Keep in mind that you have to edit it based on your business type and its goals, but the overall ideas will still remain.

1. Set clear goals

A bit cliche, but important nonetheless. You need to know exactly what you want to achieve with your campaign.

  • Getting more website visitors?
  • Increasing the number of leads?
  • Improving customer satisfaction?
  • Reducing churn rate?

Based on the desired outcome, you can better structure your message to the subscribers.

The worst is being indecisive and trying to achieve several goals at once. 

If you are sending an onboarding welcome email – it is too early for a discount!

2. Choose the right setup.

Technical aspects of email marketing go beyond the scope of this post, so we will just quickly run through some of the most critical tips.

  • Do not send from generic domains. Use a subdomain associated with your brand. So no gmails, outlooks, yahoos, or proton mail – it looks unprofessional.
  • If you are working with a big list and have not previously launched campaigns – consider using subdomains. It limits the risk of spam flags and blacklisting.

You will need to use one of the email marketing tools. There are plenty of email service providers that you can use – referred to as Autoresponders Tailwind being one of them!

Tailwind is your go-to social media and email marketing platform that helps you work more quickly and see your analytics all in one place. Tailwind’s email capabilities were built with email marketing best practices in mind to help you increase conversions and overall ROI on your email marketing campaigns. Get started for FREE below!

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3. Who is your client?

You have a list of emails, but who are those people? Who is your target audience?

Behind every subscriber is someone who decided to give you their email in exchange for something.

What are the decision-making triggers in your niche? The people on your list want to get value.

A major part of a successful email marketing strategy is to clarify the goals of your audience and create a campaign that will help them reach them.

4. Segment your audience

You have an extensive list, and you want to send everyone the same message. But not all subscribers are in the same stage of their buyer’s journey.

Better results can be achieved by segmenting your audience and sending them more targeted content.

There are many ways to segment your audience, for example, by:

  • Location
  • Gender
  • Age
  • Profession
  • Income
  • Interests
  • Purchase history

Or anything else that is important in your niche. 

Segmentation will allow you to target the customer profiles better. Your message will be more powerful, converting into better results.

5. Personalization vs. automatization

You are sending an email to thousands of people, but that does not mean there should be no personalization.

In many cases, generalization could be a conversion killer. 

Just mentioning the first name of the subscriber might already be enough. In case you have something else you can use, like the name of the company, city, or interests – consider how you can seamlessly inject it into the email body.

In case you are not sure if you are not getting too personal – you probably are. No need to congratulate them on their recent trip to Cabo that you scraped from Facebook.

6. Define a CTA

Each message in your email campaign should have a goal. Even the newsletters or welcome messages. 

They may seem like an on-off thing, but that would be incorrect. Everything should be a part of a wider strategy with an end goal in mind.

Each message should always have a clear call to action. Without it, people will not know what you want them to do, and your email campaign will have no real impact.

The CTA will depend on the type of email campaign. For example, it could be:

  • Visit the website
  • Read the blog post
  • Download the e-book
  • Give us your feedback

Conclude the email with an action request! 

7. Create a schedule

The best-performing email campaigns are those that are consistent. People like to know what to expect from you and when to expect it.

If they know that every Monday, they will get an email with the latest news in your niche, they are more likely to open it.

Also, do not forget about proper email timing. Do not expect people to open a “hobby” email on Monday morning. The same goes for sending a business niche email on Saturday.

Each niche has its own audience with its specific needs, so it is crucial to do your research and understand when people are most receptive to your message.

8. Keep it short

If you plan a campaign that will send emails every three days – keep the messages short and to the point.

On the other hand, if you are sending one email a month, you can make it longer. 

The main point is to keep the audience engaged with email copy that connects, at an appropriate length. If they receive 5 pages of text every second day, they will quickly lose interest.

You must find a balance between not boring the subscribers ( to the point that they stop opening your emails) and efficient monetization of your list, which is correlated with sending frequency.

9. A/B Testing

When your campaign is launched and running – pay attention to all the data that you will be receiving.

  • Which email subject line worked best?
  • What day and time has the best open rates?
  • Do images in email decrease delivery rates?
  • Which email copy brought the best results?

Take the top performer and test it against another option. Keep doing that. A/B testing stops only when you have 100% rates on everything that matters…so never. 

Better deliverability, slight improvements in open rates, and a bump in CTR – will do wonders for your bottom line.

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Tips to Create a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

In addition to the steps that we described in the previous section, here are some of the tips that you can try.

Experiment a bit

Don’t go crazy in every email campaign, but from time to time – do something unusual.

A weird subject line, crazy CTA, more personalized copy – you never know what will move the needle.

Email marketing is all about testing and experimenting. Don’t just test A/B test minuscule changes. Once every couple of emails – try to do something radical.

Don’t overspend

If you are working on a new domain, don’t start sending out 100 emails daily right from the bat.

That is the best way to get into the spam folder. 

There is a whole “science” behind warming up a new email address. Start sending 15 emails daily, and every 3-4 weeks, increase it by 5-10 per day.

If you already have an aged domain that is a “seasoned” email sender – this should not be an issue.

Platform choice

There are many email marketing software platforms to choose from. MailChimp, Constant Contact, and AWeber are some of the more popular ones.

Pick a reputable platform that allows plenty of personalization and, most importantly, automation features.

Look for the “if the user clicks X, then Y happens” type of funnel. It will allow you to quickly move subscribers through your funnel and provide deeper segmentation options.

Company info

Required by some regulations, and all in all, a good practice is to have the company’s address in the signature of your email.

In case the actual address is not available, at least some kind of company/brand information should be included.

Unsubscribe link

While it might be counterintuitive, make it easy for your subscribers to unsubscribe.

In case the unsubscribe link is not at the bottom of the email or it is hidden too well – some recipients may press the spam button, decreasing the overall deliverability of your domain.

Sure, it has to happen many times – but it compounds. If the user wants to leave, let them leave.

What are the Most Important Email Marketing Metrics?

We talked about the importance of analysis, testing, and comparison. Here are some of the main email metrics and what they mean to your campaign.

Open rate

This is the percentage of emails opened over those delivered. The optimal percentage will depend on your industry. 

To optimize this metric, you should try to send your emails at different times and days to find out which ones give you the best results.

A/B testing email subject lines can also lead to notable improvements in your open rates. So do not be afraid to experiment. 

Click-through rate

CTR is the percentage of clicks on the links in your email coming from recipients who have opened the email.

This metric lets you know how many customers are interacting with your email and if they are interested in the content you are sending.

It can be improved with better CTA and, of course, overall targeting.

Conversion rate

Percentage of purchases (or other goals) from the clicks that you got in your email campaign.

After a user has opened your email, the next step should be to convert them, that is, to carry out the action that you have set as a goal.

For example: buying a product or completing a form.

You cant deduct conversion rates from 10 clicks, so wait for at least 100 clicks to make any conclusions.

Bounce rate

The bounce rate is the percentage of emails that could not be delivered. 

That usually means that the email you were sending to does not exist.

Unsubscribe rate

This is the percentage of people who decided to stop receiving your future emails.

They may not be interested in the content you are offering, or it is not what they expected to get. 

You can try to retain them by customizing your unsubscribe page and adding some persuasive copy or an interesting offer.

Key Takeaways and FAQs

  • Successful Email Marketing Campaigns can bring one of the highest ROI among marketing strategies.
  • Be clear about the campaign goal, plan ahead and cater to the audience and the occasion.
  • Testing is a significant part of email marketing. Analyze the results and experiment with various tactics.

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FAQ

What is an email drip campaign?

An email drip campaign is an automated series of emails that are sent out over a period of time. The frequency and content of the emails can be customized according to your needs and goals.

Drip campaigns do not stop sending, even after the CTA was executed.

What is an email blast?

An email blast is a mass email that is sent out to a large group of people at once. The content of the email is usually the same for all recipients.

Email blasts are generally less targeted than drip campaigns and can result in a high number of unsubscriptions.

When should I send marketing emails?

The best time to send marketing emails depends on your audience and the type of email you’re sending. For example, if you’re sending a promotional email, you may want to send it on a day when people are more likely to be in a buying mood. If you’re sending an email newsletter, you may want to send it in the morning or at lunch break, to make sure that people have time to go through it.

How often should I send marketing emails?

The frequency of your email marketing campaigns will depend on your audience and the type of email you’re sending.

If you’re sending a promotional email, you may want to send it weekly, or monthly. If you’re sending an email newsletter, you may want to send it daily or weekly.

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A 9-step guide to launching successful email marketing campaigns, bringing you closer to 3,500% ROI and teaching how to create email marketing campaigns

Small Business Email Marketing Marketing: The Complete Guide

Vy La on September 23, 2022

Email is a marvel of the modern world. With a few quick strokes, you can communicate with nearly 4 billion email addresses around the globe in minutes!

Small business email marketing is especially powerful as it allows growing organizations to expand their brand with minimal investment. Plus, email marketing provides small business owners with another avenue to build lasting personal relationships with their clientele!

Still, it’s one thing to know you should send an email campaign; it’s another to know how to take advantage of email marketing for small businesses.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started, from building your strategy to choosing an email marketing software!

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Why is Small Business Email Marketing Important?

Let’s be honest: your own spam folder is probably full of bad email marketing campaigns. Glitchy pop-ups, mangled subject lines, and phishing scams run rampant and give the industry a bad name.

But that just means small business owners who master email marketing have better chances of success.

When used properly, email marketing delivers one of the greatest ROIs in the business: up to $43 returned for every $1 spent.

And with 73% of consumers preferring email marketing over other avenues, it’s clearly the way to go!

Remember: successful email marketing campaigns aren’t just about blasting promotions around. They’re about nurturing relationships. Sure, you push the lead down the marketing funnel, but more than that, you can create brand loyalty for a lifetime.

A well-designed email marketing strategy constructs a two-way highway wherein the customer participates. Bare-bones newsletters and transactional emails won’t cut it; you need to spend time cultivating lifelong bonds.

Open communications with your customers. Listen. Respond to concerns. Adapt your products and service to their needs. Show the humanity behind your small business with well-written subject lines, vibrant email templates, and witty jokes.

In return, you’ll be rewarded with customer loyalty – and dollars!

The only limit is your imagination…and your willingness to invest in the next email campaign.

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How to Start Your Small Business Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing for small business doesn't have to be a mystery! Our small business email marketing guide will help you get high ROIs from email campaigns.

Email marketing for small businesses isn’t just about designing the brightest email templates or using the weirdest fonts.

A successful email marketing strategy requires planning, consideration, and the help of a great email marketing service!

Here are some things to cross off your list as you develop your strategy.  

Design Your Client Avatar

You should start first and foremost with your client avatar – that is, a caricature of your target audience. This is also called a marketing persona!

If you don’t know who you’re marketing to, you’re shooting emails in the dark and hoping they land. Designing a client avatar and reeling in the right subscribers means that every campaign has a higher chance of success.

Once you’ve met this need, you can move on to the next step in your email marketing strategy. 

Need some help? Check out our post on creating an actionable marketing persona!

Find the Right Email Marketing Service

Sure, you can write your first email campaign from your Google account. But as your business grows, you’ll find that Google lacks key features that make email campaigns pack a punch.

Spend some time researching the best email marketing services that fit your needs. (Or, read our recommendations below!) A variety of email service providers await in the wide world, offering crucial infrastructure and email marketing tools like:

  • Vibrant, prebuilt email templates
  • Drag-and-drop editor functions to design emails with ease
  • Customer retention tools like promotional and re-engagement emails
  • Sales CRM abilities
  • Unlimited contact storage and contact list segmentation

Plus, many offer a free plan to start, so you can test the tools and upgrade as you grow. 

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Decide on Your Email Campaigns

Next, you have to decide which email campaigns you need for your business. While you’ll adapt your strategy and email marketing campaigns as you go, you may want to consider starting with:

  • Welcome emails to greet new subscribers, set expectations, and show visitors around
  • Promotional emails to spread the word about great deals and discounts
  • Abandoned cart emails to remind website visitors what they’ve left behind
  • Post-purchase emails to offer purchase upsells or additional discounts
  • Transactional emails to send receipts, track orders, and confirm delivery
  • Regular newsletters to share news about your industry, company, or products

You can also send emails on other occasions, such as to mark birthdays or holidays, update customers on your brand, or simply thank customers for their loyalty. Sometimes, it’s just nice to feel appreciated.

Sign Up for Email Marketing Courses

If you’re not sure where to begin, or you’re ready to take your email marketing strategy to the next level, consider an email marketing course. Many email marketing service providers offer free or paid plans to teach you the ins and outs of the industry.

Though each course differs, they generally cover basics like designing campaigns, segmenting lists, setting up automation, and reviewing analytics. Plus, you’ll learn which tactics have been proven to work – and which will drive customers away faster than a coyote on a cattle run! 

6 Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses

The best email marketing services for your business may not be the best for another business. Small business needs and wants vary greatly by industry, location, and owner preferences.

Fortunately, there are literally dozens of email marketing tools available. We’ve plucked out six of the best.

Tailwind

Tailwind’s marketing automation platform was built with small businesses in mind, which gives its email marketing tool a power boost!

Not only can you import and build your contact lists, use beautiful templates with easy editing functions, and build easy automation to simplify your email campaigns, you can easily manage your social platforms and email sends from the same easy-to-use calendar!

Tailwind’s email tool features:

  • Beautiful premade templates that are a cinch to edit and personalize to your brand
  • Built-in best practices so you can send campaigns that actually reach inboxes
  • One platform to stay organized with your marketing – email, social scheduler, design, and more- all in one place.
  • Create automations and campaigns in a simple, straightforward builder that won’t leave you confused
  • Advanced segmentation for your contact lists for targeted sends to your specific demographics
  • Custom form builders to embed on your sites to capture leads and grow your email list.
  • Easy deliverability and optimized send times to make sure your emails arrive on time.

Best of all, Tailwind’s email tool is available on all subscription plans, including the forever-free plan!

AWeber

AWeber is one of the most popular email marketing services for small businesses that require simplicity and power on a limited budget.

This email marketing tool works beautifully for beginners thanks to its prebuilt email templates, AI-powered design assistant, and drag-and-drop editor.

You can use AWeber’s built-in automation and campaign marketplace to simplify your email campaigns from start to finish.

Plus, with A/B testing and intuitive analytics, you can design, test, redesign, and track your performance as you grow.

And if you need them, AWeber offers integrations with apps like WordPress and more than one signup form and landing page builder.

AWeber’s free plan offers limited features for up to 500 subscribers, while the premium starts at just under $20/month. All plans come with live chat and phone support.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact is one of the best email marketing software available for small businesses, full stop.

The Constant Contact drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, while its automation is a cinch to use. With these, you can build beautiful, converting campaigns that rely on a host of other Constant Contact features like:

  • Quick and easy installation
  • Customizable email templates
  • Drip campaigns
  • Contact list segmentation
  • Advanced analytics reports

Best of all, you can sign up for a 30-day free account to test its tools before you commit. When you’re ready to upgrade to a paid plan, the premium starts at just $9.99 per month. 

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a great email marketing platform if you need a free plan that doesn’t skimp on features. You can start adding new subscribers with features like unlimited landing pages and a signup form embedding tool.

From there, you can harness its range of automation to design your email campaigns. A powerful drag-and-drop editor makes for functional – yet affordable – email design.

And of course, ConvertKit boasts a full range of segmentation and personalization opportunities to make reaching your target audience even easier.

ConvertKit’s free plan offers limited features for up to 300 subscribers. Premium plans start at just $9/month for more advanced features and more email sends.

Drip

Drip is a robust email marketing platform designed for eCommerce customers. This email service provider boasts several advanced email marketing tools like:

  • Smart marketing automation
  • Intelligent email segmentation
  • Social media and SMS integrations

Drip also includes basics like A/B testing, lead generation, signup forms, and premade workflows.

You can trigger Drip campaigns based on customer behaviors like first-time and returning website visitors, abandoned carts, and more.

Unlike the other email marketing platforms on our list, Drip doesn’t have a free plan.

Instead, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial, with paid plans starting at $39/month.

And with Drip, you’ll also have constant contact with customer service through live chat and a full range of online courses to learn email marketing inside-out.

Sendinblue

Sendinblue aims to straddle the line between cost and service for users with more advanced needs. This email marketing platform boasts features like:

  • A full sales CRM
  • SMS marketing abilities
  • Marketing automation
  • Integration capabilities
  • Contact list segmentations

These come alongside a comprehensive list of basic services, such as beautiful email templates, custom workflows, and triggered autoresponders. While small businesses may enjoy its range of options, the interface itself may be more complicated for beginners.  

Sendinblue offers a free plan to send up to 300 daily emails to unlimited contacts – great for growing small businesses. As you expand, you can upgrade to paid plans, starting at $25/month for 20,000 monthly sends and unlimited contacts.

9 Tips to Pick the Best Email Marketing Service

Small business email marketing is an art form all its own.

While email marketing services for small businesses abound, you need to know how to find the best one to boost your marketing campaigns to their full potential.

As a small business owner, here’s what to look for to ensure your email marketing efforts pay off.

A Free Account or Free Email Marketing Service Trial

Not every email marketing service offers a free plan or even a free trial. But those who provide a free account alongside their paid plans often rank among the best, as you can try before you buy. They also give marketers a chance to shop different email marketing tools to determine which suits your needs – and which wants to upsell you needlessly.

And did we mention that Tailwind’s email marketing tool is available on our forever-free plan? That means $0 for access to our email tool, our brand new Copilot marketing plan tool, and our social media creation, scheduling, and publishing tools!

Unlimited Contacts

Most top email marketing services limited the number of email sends per day based on your plan. But many free and paid plans alike offer unlimited contact storage, so you can start segmenting your contact list immediately.

Plenty of Email Campaign Options

Email marketers have a broad range of email campaigns to choose from, including welcome emails, transactional emails, and promotional emails. The types of emails you need most depend on your business and industry. Still, the best email marketing service will offer plenty of choices.

Email tools like Tailwind offer a template library easily sorted by your Industry, Usage (what is the email for?), and seasonal promotions and considerations.

A Handy Email Editor

A crucial component of the email campaign creation process is actually designing your emails.

With a handy email editor by your side, you can adjust prebuilt email templates to your exact needs. (Or throw out the rulebook and design your own.)

A good email editor also makes it easy to edit your branding in-house, so your colors, fonts, and images reflect your small business.

Tailwind’s email builder features drag-and-drop editing and easy-to-use editing features for your email elements.

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Marketing Automation Features

The best email marketing services for small businesses offer a range of automation tools to simplify the designing and sending processes. With automatic workflows, segmentations, personalization options, and triggered emails, building and sending your next campaign should be easy as 1-2-3.

A/B testing

A/B testing lets you test and compare how various pieces of your email marketing strategy perform.

For instance, you may test which subject line gets the most clicks, or which CTA button converts the most sales. All top email marketing services offer A/B testing nowadays – but if yours doesn’t, you may reconsider buying.

Tailwind features prebuilt automations and the ability to build your own!

Advanced Reporting

Your email campaign isn’t over just because you’ve hit “send.” Now, you have to determine the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

That’s where advanced reporting tools come in.

The best email marketing services offer advanced analytics to scrutinize your open, bounce, and click-through rates. You’ll also need these tools to determine your customer retention success and whether it’s time to readjust your email marketing strategy.

Sign-Up Forms and Landing Pages

For your email list to grow, your small business has to recruit new subscribers. To get those, you need at least one sign-up form on your website.

And as you build your list, you’ll want some landing pages scattered about to collect subscriber information and promote special offers, free eBooks, and more.

Together, these tools prove the benefits of joining your email marketing list and provide extra incentives to click on content. The best email marketing platforms will help you design and embed both signup forms and landing pages right into your website.

Website Builder

But what if you don’t have a website?

Well, some of the most advanced email marketing software boasts this ability, too.

Often, the extent of an email service provider’s website builder is somewhat limited. Still, you can use these tools to build your brand and start curating content like web pages or even a small blog.

And of course, let’s not forget tidbits like a signup form and landing pages to grow your contact list.

Building sign-up forms and lead-gen tools is a breeze with Tailwind’s email tool!

Key Takeaways: Small Business Email Marketing

  • As a small business owner, email marketing generates a huge bang for your buck.
  • With a few well-designed email campaigns, you can reach vast audiences and help your small business retain customers.
  • Each email marketing campaign is a chance to collect crucial data about your target audience and branding efforts.
  • Ultimately, all email marketing is merely a chance to build relationships that benefit both your customers and your brand.
  • With a solid business plan and the best email marketing software at your side, it’s easier than ever for small business owners to find success.

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Email marketing for small business doesn't have to be a mystery! Our small business email marketing guide will help you get high ROIs from email campaigns.

9 Best Shopify Email Marketing Apps

Vy La on September 22, 2022

Shopify email marketing apps are a dime a dozen. While that leaves you plenty of choices, it also means you have to spend time testing each one to find what works!

Or you could seek out the best Shopify email marketing apps on your own, or better yet – search for a guide!

Without further ado, here they are: the best email marketing campaign services to elevate your eCommerce business dreams.

Why is Email Important in Shopify?

Email marketing is one of the best methods to win new customers and nurture repeat buyers back through the sales cycle. But for Shopify merchants, it’s not just a luxury – it’s a necessity.

With the right Shopify email marketing app, you can:

  • Integrate your service start-to-finish with Shopify
  • Trigger automated emails based on customer behaviors
  • Simplify customer data gathering, tracking, and analyzing
  • Boost your long-term revenue potential

In other words, the right email marketing services make running, promoting, and capitalizing on your business a breeze.

What to Look for in the Best Shopify Email Marketing Apps

Before diving in, let’s review what the best email marketing apps offer, regardless of price:

  • eCommerce-specific features. Since you run an eCommerce business, naturally, your email client should make your job easier.
  • Integrations. Ideally, your Shopify email marketing app should integrate with – you guessed it! – Shopify.
  • Contact syncing. A crucial piece of the integration puzzle is your contact list. If your store’s contacts don’t move over automatically, that’s time out of your schedule.
  • Segmenting. Good apps segment customers based on activity, purchase history, and personal preference. The best email marketing apps create segments upon import.
  • Automatic email campaigns. An absolute must-have as a Shopify marketer is automated email campaigns, from abandoned cart campaigns to upselling promotions.
  • A/B testing. Never stop improving. A/B tests can do wonders for your campaigns no matter how successful they are. 
  • Reporting and analytics. Even basic email marketing apps should provide detailed metrics and analytics to help improve your marketing operations.
  • Ease of use. While email marketing apps often operate on a learning curve, beginner-friendly apps should be easy – even fun – to use.

Above all, your email marketing client should fit into your budget. While “affordability” varies based on business size and needs, most services offer tiered pricing to help clients scale in-house.

The Shopify Email Marketing App: Shopify Email

Shopify launched its in-house email marketing app in late 2019 to help eCommerce stores build their brands with:

  • Ready-made email templates implanted with your logo, store colors, and product details
  • Basic analytics
  • Manual segmentation abilities
  • Abandoned cart emails
  • Imported customer lists
  • 2,500 free emails monthly ($1 per every 1,000 above the limit)

While the Shopify email marketing app gets the job done, that’s about the extent of our praise.

The template library is minimal, as are your customization options.

For customers seeking automated segmentation, triggered email marketing campaigns, or advanced analytics, Shopify will recommend another email marketing app.

As such, Shopify’s in-house email campaign builder is best suited for small businesses or beginning marketers just breaking into the email game.

As you gain more experience, you may decide to graduate to an alternative email marketing platform.

Shopify Email Marketing App Alternatives

Picking the best email marketing software isn’t just about paying for the most features. Rather, it’s about finding the service that meets your needs, from marketing automation features to segmented contact lists.

1. GetResponse

GetResponse is a robust email marketing app that offers a bit more than the average service.

Features like webinars, landing pages, and a full-blown CRM make this service stand out. Plus, with its automated integration abilities, eCommerce stores can enjoy simple contact importation, segmentation, and tagging.

Unfortunately, some marketers find that the analytics aren’t in-depth enough for their needs.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Deep Data Shopify integrations
  • Wide range of email templates
  • Easy-to-build marketing automations
  • Triggered email campaigns for abandoned carts, promotions, and post-purchase emails
  • Easy-add personalized product recommendations

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 500 subscribers with limited abilities
  • Email Marketing: Starts at $15.58/month for up to 1,000 subscribers*
  • Marketing Automation: Starts at $48.38/month
  • eCommerce Marketing: Starts at $97.58/month

*Minimum pricing tier that offers Shopify integration

Who’s It Built For?

GetResponse is well-suited to larger eCommerce ventures that could benefit from advanced email marketing automation, added features like webinars, and the built-in CRM.

2. AWeber

AWeber is a well-known email marketing campaign manager that boasts the normal features like integrations, customizable email templates, analytics, and segmentation. They offer email marketing automation to simplify the process at almost every step of the way. Plus, you can track your performance anytime, anywhere with the mobile AWeber Stats app.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Over 700 customizable templates
  • Triggered automatic marketing campaigns, including newsletters
  • Customer tagging and segmentation based on opens, clicks, purchases, and location
  • Landing page builder
  • Built-in performance analyzer
  • Over 1,000 software integrations

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 500 subscribers with landing pages, web push notifications, and eCommerce abilities
  • Pro: Starts at $19.99/month for up to 500 subscribers

Who’s It Built For?

AWeber offers some impressive tools at a low price, but it does lack advanced features. Small-time Shopify store owners and beginning email marketers might find this platform an ideal jumping-off point.  

3. Mailchimp

Mailchimp offers a robust free service with up to 10,000 monthly emails, making this a popular email marketing app for beginners. Paid plans offer no watermarks, a direct integration with Shopify, and increased customer data analytics and access. You can also automate email marketing campaigns like abandoned carts, reorder reminders, and transactional emails.

However, Mailchimp’s email template library is sparsely-populated. And for scaling purposes, this email client may get pricey quickly.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Customizable email templates
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Content optimizer to make content more engaging
  • eCommerce features like pop-ups, scroll boxes, and ad retargeting

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 2,000 emails daily/10,000 monthly for limited abilities
  • Essentials: Starts at $11/month for additional features*
  • Standard: Starts at $17/month for advanced features
  • Premium: Starts at $299/month for full features

*Minimum pricing tier that offers Shopify integration

Who’s It Built For?

Mailchimp offers one of the best email marketing apps for store owners seeking a free service. However, as your business scales, you may require a more advanced platform.

4. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is another solid email marketing app that offers CRM functionality and Shopify compatibility. The service comes with plenty of marketing automation, customizations, and subscriber personalization opportunities. Plus, you can use its eCommerce abilities to push product recommendations and offer embeddable discounts.

That said, ActiveCampaign is notable for its steeper learning curve and (occasional) code-writing requirements.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Over 600 pre-built automation workflows
  • Deep Data platform integrations
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Dynamic segmenting and tagging
  • Triggered email campaigns
  • In-depth data gathering
  • Paid SMS marketing

Pricing

  • Lite: Starts at $29/month for up to 1,000 subscribers with limited abilities
  • Plus: Starts at $49/month with additional features*
  • Professional: Starts at $149/month with advanced features and personalization

*Minimum pricing tier that offers Shopify integration

Who’s It Built For?

Due to its pricing, steeper learning curve, and advanced abilities, ActiveCampaign works better for larger stores. The CRM also provides plenty of oomph for stores with more repeat customers.

5. Omnisend

Omnisend is unusual in that it offers SMS marketing, social media integrations, and push notifications alongside email campaigns.

With a range of automated workflows and segmentations, you can target customers based on browsing, abandonment, and search behaviors. You can even examine your sales metrics and campaign reports in the same dashboard.    

That said, while its email editor is quite intuitive, Omnisend’s template library leaves something to be desired.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Easy Shopify integrations and cross-sell features
  • Conversion-focused email marketing tools like scratch cards and “spin to win”
  • Detailed campaign and sales analytics
  • Multi-channel marketing abilities
  • Unlimited contact storage (though not unlimited sends)

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 500 emails/month for 250 subscribers
  • Standard: Starts at $16/month for up to 6,000 emails, 500 subscribers, and unlimited web pushes
  • Pro: Starts at $59/month for up to 500 subscribers, unlimited emails, and advanced features

Who’s It Built For?

Omnisend is ideal for marketers who want to take their multi-channel marketing communications to the next level. Plus, its affordability and added eCommerce features make it ideal for small- to medium-sized Shopify stores.

6. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a marketing software designed especially for eCommerce that boasts impressive returns for Shopify store owners on its website. Aside from advanced segmentation and marketing automation workflows, Klaviyo facilitates SMS marketing and A/B testing.

Overall, Klaviyo marks a solid email marketing service – though its prices can get steep for larger subscriber lists.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Easy Shopify store integrations
  • Extensive pre-built workflow automations
  • A/B testing
  • Triggered email campaigns
  • Modern email templates with dynamic blocks for personalization 

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 250 subscribers and 500 emails/month
  • $30/month: Up to 1,000 subscribers and 10,000 emails
  • $100/month: Up to 5,000 subscribers and 50,000 emails
  • $150/month: Up to 10,000 subscribers and 100,000 emails

Who’s It Built For?

Because of its focus on eCommerce email marketing and built-in CRM, Klaviyo is a good email marketing app for small- to medium-sized businesses. However, beginners may find the interface challenging at first, and larger businesses may find the price schedule prohibitive. 

7. Sendinblue

Sendinblue is a feature-rich email marketing service that aims to impress with marketing automation, landing pages, lead scoring, and even Facebook ads. It offers eCommerce marketing alongside email marketing, with features like conditional content, imported order data, and store product integrations.

These capabilities, alongside advanced features like SMS messaging, make Sendinblue one of the best Shopify email marketing apps available.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Customizable email templates
  • A/B testing for data-driven campaigns
  • Real-time reporting and analytics
  • Targeted segmentation
  • eCommerce marketing features to complete email campaigns

Pricing

  • Free: Up to 300 emails/day
  • Lite: $25/month for up to 20,000 emails and additional abilities*
  • Premium: $65/month for up to 20,000 emails and advanced automation

*Minimum pricing tier that offers Shopify integration

Who’s It Built For?

Sendinblue is a well-rounded service that works well for small- to medium-sized Shopify store owners. While it’s an efficient email marketing software, it’s also not always beginner-friendly, as some features require snippets of code. That said, Sendinblue’s Lite plan is also budget-friendly. 

8. Drip

Drip is an email marketing app for Shopify store owners who want to segment the heck out of their lists. You can divide emails based on the smallest actions, including products and brands viewed, browsing history, and more. And with its blended eCommerce-CRM abilities, Drip puts the emphasis on strong communication and customer guidance.

But watch out: if you exceed your subscriber capacity for your plan, Drip automatically bumps you up a notch. And unfortunately, Drip offers just a handful of pre-built email templates.

Email Marketing App Main Features:

  • Strong behavior-based marketing automation
  • Workflow split-testing and application
  • Robust analytics, including engagement and revenue metrics
  • Easy Shopify and Facebook Customer Audience integrations

Pricing

  • $39/month for up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends
  • $89/month for up to 5,000 subscribers and unlimited sends
  • $154/month for up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited sends

Drip also offers a 14-day free trial with all features included.

Who’s It Built For?

Due to Drip’s more advanced automation and segmentation abilities, this email marketing service may best serve more established businesses. With its subscriber-based pricing model, it offers full features at every tier, making it powerful at every price.

5 Tips To Pick The Best Shopify Email Tool

Below are some tips that can help you choose the right email marketing tool for you!

Integration

Goes without saying that you need your email marketing platform to integrate with Shopify. In case you are using any other tools to manage your clients – check if they will also integrate easily.

Ease of use

You want the tool to feel natural.  The main information should be right on the dashboard, and all the important features should be just a click away.

Automations & Segmentations

Run a  testing campaign and see how various automation and segmentation work. Can you tag subscribers based on their behavior? Can you separate them into A/B test groups?

Team management

Chances are that you will not be working alone. What options are there to manage access to your team? What is the pricing like for several seats?

Imports & Exports

Some email marketing services have strict policies on email imports. Make sure that importing your leads from another service will be simple and won’t take too much time!

Key Takeaways

Email marketing is essential for a Shopify store owner. But before you can succeed in your marketing endeavors, you must determine your business needs and goals. 

The email marketing app you choose should reflect your:

  • Required subscriber count
  • Desire for growth and expansion
  • And your budget

Ideally, the best email marketing app has the email marketing tools and pricing tiers needed to scale with you. (And many offer a 14-day free trial, so you can be sure an email marketing service checks all your boxes.)

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Wondering which email providers have Shopify integrations to support ecommerce? Here are 9 Shopify email marketing apps out there for your business!