In this article, I’ll cover the definition of transactional emails and explain how they differ from marketing emails. I’ll share examples of how and when to send transactional emails and list some the best transactional email services.

• What Is Transactional Email?
• Transactional Emails Vs. Marketing Emails: What’s the Difference
• Transactional Email Examples: 4 Common Use Cases
• How to Send Transactional Emails: Use a Transactional Email Platform

What Is Transactional Email?

A transactional email is a type of automated email triggered by a website user’s specific action. That action is usually related to a purchase, registration, or other account activity on a website or app, and the emails are usually sent in real-time. Common transactional emails include:

• Order confirmations
• Shipping updates
• Password resets
• New device login notifications
• Notices about expiring subscriptions
• Account creation confirmation
• Invoices or receipts
• Payment failure notifications

Transactional emails are a vital aspect of eCommerce. Customers expect to get immediate notifications for these important transactions, and these notifications create a seamless user experience (UX) and help build trust in your brand.

For example, here’s a transactional email I received recently. It’s an order confirmation from the Art Institute of Chicago:

The email also included a receipt of my payment and a PDF attachment of my tickets. I received this email within seconds of purchasing admission tickets on their website. The email let me know that my purchase had gone through, and it also included everything I needed to visit the museum. With this one transactional email, the Art Insitute created an easy experience for me as a first-time customer.

Transactional Emails vs. Marketing Emails: What’s the Difference?

Your inbox likely contains plenty of transactional emails like the one above. However, the same brands probably send you even more marketing emails. So what’s the difference between transactional and marketing emails? The difference lies in how they’re sent and their primary goal.

How Transactional Vs. Marketing Emails Are Sent

The first difference between transactional and marketing emails is how they’re sent.

Transactional emails, by definition, are triggered by a user’s action or by activity on their account. Once the emails and triggers are set up, the messages are sent automatically. They’re sent one at a time, and they’re personalized to each user based on their account information. For instance, they often contain the details of a recent purchase, shipment tracking codes, or order numbers.

Marketing emails, on the other hand, are scheduled by the company’s marketing team. They’re usually sent in bulk, either to entire subscriber lists or to specific email segments. Marketing emails contain messages intended for a large number people, as opposed to sending specific information to individuals.

The Primary Goals of Transactional vs. Marketing Emails

Transactional emails are information-driven. Their primary goal is to improve UX by quickly delivering important information to users.

Marketing emails, on the other hand, are promotion-driven. Their primary goal is to get recipients to take an action, such as buying a product, visiting a blog post, or registering for an event. Marketing emails almost always contain at least one clickable call-to-action (CTA).

However, you may notice that I used the term “primary goal” rather “only goal.” That’s because both marketing and transactional emails can have multiple objectives. In fact, it’s a good idea to include a promotional CTA at the bottom of some transactional emails.

To illustrate this point, I’ll share examples of 2 different emails I recently received from the skincare brand Remedy.

First, here’s a marketing email I got from Remedy:

The goal of this email is clear: To encourage me to click that “Shop Now” button to buy one of their products.

Second, here’s a transactional email that also came from Remedy:

The primary goal of this email was to let me know that my order had shipped and to provide a tracking number.

However, when I scrolled down, the email also contained promotional messaging and links:

The second half of the email encourages customers to stay engaged with the brand by reading some of their blog posts. While the email’s main purpose is the shipping notification, Remedy used the opportunity to build brand loyalty and get customers to browse their site again. Remember, you can only add this sort of message if it’s legal in your country.

In short, transactional emails are focused on providing information and are triggered automatically by a user’s action. Marketing emails are primarily promotional and are sent in bulk to encourage subscribers to take a specific action.

Transactional Email Examples: 4 Common Use Cases

1. Account Confirmation Email From HubSpot

Let’s start with the basics. This is the transactional email HubSpot uses when you sign up for their free account. It has a professional and simple design, isn’t distracting, and has one goal: to get you to confirm your email address and complete the sign-up process.

2. Password Reset Email From Slack

Slack’s transactional email, like HubSpot’s from the first example, is super simple and stripped down. This email is triggered when the user tries to reset their password. All you need to do is click Choose a new password.

3. Order Confirmation Email from Amazon

I got this order confirmation email from Amazon after I purchased a melodica for my nephew’s birthday. The email not only confirmed my purchase but also gave me an estimated day for my order to arrive.

Of course, Amazon never misses an opportunity to encourage you to shop more. The bottom of the email featured links to 2 products I had recently viewed on their site:

This Amazon order confirmation is a perfect example of how marketing messages can be included in transactional emails in the United States. Just make sure that promotional links are secondary to the email’s most important information.

4. New Device Login Notification From Etsy

Here’s an example of a more advanced transactional email. This email was triggered when I signed in to my Etsy account from a new device. To keep my account protected, Etsy immediately notified me about the login, so I could change my password if necessary.

How to Send Transactional Emails: Use a Transactional Email Platform

It may sound complicated to set up all of these different emails to send out automatically. Thankfully, there are plenty of transactional email platforms to make the process simple.

For a full list of services, along with reviews of each one, check out this article:

9 Best SMTP Services for Reliable Transactional Emails

Here are 3 quick suggestions for transactional email services:

1. SendLayer: My top recommendation if you want a dedicated service for your transactional emails.
2. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): The best choice for an email marketing platform that can also handle your transactional emails.
3. WP Mail SMTP: If your site is built on WordPress, you’ll need an SMTP plugin so your transactional emails can work properly. This one will make sure all those important messages get delivered.

Grow Your Business Today!

Transactional emails are a required part of doing business online because they’re so pivotal to the customer experience. A few well-designed emails can keep your users informed throughout the customer journey.

Of course, one of the best ways to get users to make transactions in the first place is to send marketing emails. Here are some resources to help you succeed:

• Email Marketing: The Easiest Way to Grow Your Business
• How to Get More Email Subscribers (17 Proven Tips!)
• How to Create an Email Campaign (Step-by-Step Guide + Examples)
• Email Copywriting That Sells: 17 Genius Tips to Write Better Emails

If you want to build a better email list, OptinMonster is the very best way to do it. Learn how in this video:

Ready to get started? Sign up for OptinMonster with our 14-day money-back guarantee.

Email marketing is a great way to share your brand’s message, connect with your customers, and turn leads into subscribers. But, it can be hard to keep coming up with fresh, exciting email content ideas for newsletter regularly.

Plus, after working hard to grow your email list, it can be disappointing and frustrating when your subscribers aren’t interacting with the email newsletters you are sending.

So, what to include in a newsletter? Don’t worry, as we’re here to help.

This article will share 29 newsletter ideas to keep subscribers engaged. With these newsletter topics and ideas, you can keep your newsletter content strategy exciting, and your subscribers will love seeing your new messages in their inboxes.

What Is an Email Newsletter?

Why Are Email Newsletters Important?

How To Write a Newsletter That Performs?

29 Engaging Newsletter Ideas

• Helpful Newsletter Ideas
• Promotional Newsletter Ideas
• Newsletters Ideas For Events
• Business Newsletter Ideas
• Interactive Newsletter Ideas
• Fun Newsletter Ideas

But before we jump to our list of newsletter ideas, let’s also uncover what an email newsletter is, its importance, and the best practices for writing one.

What Is an Email Newsletter?

An email newsletter is a regular email sent out to a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive updates, promotions, or other content from a particular individual or organization.

Email newsletters are typically sent out daily, weekly, or monthly. They include different newsletter ideas, such as news, articles, promotions, event announcements, and other updates related to the topic of interest.

They help build relationships with subscribers, share information about products or services, promote a brand, and engage with an audience.

Why Are Email Newsletters Important?

There are several reasons why email newsletters are so valuable:

Direct communication: Email newsletters allow businesses to communicate directly with their subscribers without the distractions and limitations of other marketing channels. This enables them to share news, promotions, and other updates with a receptive and interested audience and to build a loyal following of engaged subscribers.

Relationship building: By providing valuable information and keeping subscribers informed, email newsletters can help to build trust, establish authority, and strengthen relationships between business owners and their audience. This can increase loyalty, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Brand awareness: Email newsletters provide a valuable opportunity to promote your brand and raise awareness of your products or services. You can encourage subscribers to engage with your brand and share your newsletter content with their networks by featuring new products, promotions, and other updates.

Data collection: Email newsletters provide an effective means of collecting valuable data about your subscribers, including their interests, preferences, and behavior. This information can be used to refine your marketing strategy, improve your products or services, and better understand your target audience.

Overall, email newsletters are a powerful tool for connecting with your target audience, building your brand, and achieving your marketing goals.

By providing valuable newsletter content, promoting engagement, and building lasting relationships with your subscribers, you can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry and achieve long-term success.

How To Write a Newsletter That Performs?

To write a newsletter that gets opened and read, there are several best practices you can follow:

• Define your audience: Know your target audience and write for them. Tailor your newsletter ideas to their interests and needs.
• Choose a catchy subject line: Your subject line should grab the attention of your subscribers and make them want to open your newsletter.
• Keep it short and sweet: Keep your newsletter short. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and visuals to break up the text and make it easy to read.
• Provide valuable content: Offer your subscribers something of value, whether it’s news, insights, tips, or promotions. Make sure the newsletter content is relevant, engaging, and informative.
• Include a call-to-action: Encourage your subscribers to take action, whether visiting your website, making a purchase, or sharing your newsletter articles.
• Personalize your message: Use the recipient’s name, include personalized recommendations based on their interests, or tailor your newsletter content ideas to their location.
• Optimize for mobile devices: Make sure your newsletter is optimized for mobile devices, as over half of all emails are opened on mobile devices.
• A/B Test and analyze: Test different subject lines, layouts, and newsletter ideas to see what works best for your audience. Use data to analyze open and click-through rates and adjust as needed.
• By following these best practices, you can write a newsletter that captures the attention of your subscribers, provides value, and encourages engagement.

29 Engaging Newsletter Ideas

We have divided our list of 29 newsletter ideas into six categories to make it easier for our readers to navigate and find the content that is most relevant to their interests.

By organizing our newsletter ideas into these categories, we can ensure that our newsletter delivers diverse content that appeals to our entire audience.

Helpful Newsletter Ideas

• How-To Guides
• Share Blog Posts
• Create Blog Post Roundups
• Share Your YouTube Videos
• Share Templates
• Share Infographics

The best way to keep your subscribers around is by sending them newsletters that help them solve problems.

Let’s take a look at some ideas for newsletter that will help you bring value to your subscribers and let you promote your helpful content at the same time.

1. How-To Guides

Offer your subscribers step-by-step instructions on how to use your product or how to get something done by creating newsletters with how-to guides.

For example, Design Files sent this step-by-step video tutorial to their subscribers:

Creating a detailed video tutorial isn’t necessary for all businesses though.

For instance, if you make handmade scarves, you can show your subscribers ten different ways to wear them with photos. Or, if you’re a writing coach, you can create a text-based list that includes tips to help your subscribers improve their writing skills.

With how-to guides and tutorials, you can solve the biggest pain points of your target audience and easily demonstrate the value of your product/service.

2. Share Blog Posts

Want to get a lot of eyes on your latest blog post? Attaching them to your newsletter is a great email content idea.

Instead of waiting for your audience to check out your newest post, you can get them excited and drive traffic to your site by sharing it in a newsletter, as the blog Easy Cheesy Vegetarian does below:

Remember to encourage your subscribers to share the post on social media and make it easy for them by including share buttons in your newsletter.

3. Create Blog Post Roundups

Aside from sharing your latest blog posts one at a time, you can also create blog post roundups.

A blog post roundup offers your readers several of your company’s best blog posts. For example, you can create a blog post roundup of your most popular blog posts or pull together a best-of-the-best roundup of blogs on a particular topic.

This is the perfect way to introduce your new subscribers to some of your older blog posts.

4. Share Your YouTube Videos

Do you have a YouTube channel for your business? If you do, start sharing your YouTube videos in your newsletter.

Videos are super engaging. In fact, including a video in an email can lead to open rate increases of 6%!

It’s important to remember that your YouTube video will not necessarily play right inside an email. Email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and others don’t have the technical requirements to make that happen.

So, it’s best to add a static image of your YouTube video with a “play button” over the top and link the image to your video hosted on YouTube. That way, when subscribers click the play button on the image, it will open up the video on YouTube.

Here’s how Patagonia does it:

An obvious added bonus of sharing your videos with your newsletter subscribers is that it will help you get more YouTube subscribers and more views!

5. Share Templates

Offer your subscribers downloadable templates to help them with personal or professional tasks.

Whether it’s a planning calendar, a budget sheet, a workout plan, or a design template, providing something of tangible value can significantly boost engagement.

6. Share Infographics

Share visually appealing infographics that break complex information into easily digestible visual content.

Infographics can be about industry trends, how-to guides, statistical data, or any topic that your subscribers might find interesting.

Promotional Newsletter Ideas

• New Product Announcements
• Coupons and Promotions
• Gift Guides
• Refer-a-Friend Program
• Case Studies and Testimonials
• Show Off User-Generated Content

According to MarketingSherpa, about 60% of consumers subscribe to a brand’s list to get promotional messages. So, there’s nothing wrong with sending promotional emails to your subscribers occasionally.

Let’s dive into some promotional newsletter ideas that will generate sales

7. New Product Announcements

Before releasing a new product, you must excite your audience. One way to do that is by sending them a new product announcement newsletter.

In the newsletter, you can inform your audience about your new product and what day it’s being released.

A newsletter announcing your new product will create a buzz, and your subscribers will line up on launch day to purchase it.

8. Coupons and Promotions

Everyone loves a good deal, so your subscribers are sure to enjoy getting emails from you that contain awesome coupons and promotions.

To increase conversions, create urgency with limited-time offers. For example, take a look at this eye-catching 8-hour sale email from Virgin Airlines:

A limited-time offer like this will create a sense of urgency and have your customers rushing to the checkout.

You can increase urgency by adding a countdown timer to your newsletter to show the minutes ticking by.

Pair that with an OptinMonster sales countdown timer popup on your website, and your sales will skyrocket.

9. Gift Guides

For eCommerce businesses, gift guides are an excellent newsletter idea to promote your products and generate more sales around the holidays.

Plus, they help your customers finish their holiday shopping quickly and easily.

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to create a gift guide.

You can create gift guides for any occasion; Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Back-to-School, and so on.

10. Refer-a-Friend Program

Creating a refer-a-friend is another great newsletter idea, asking loyal subscribers to recommend your business to their family and friends.

You can have your subscribers forward the email to their contacts. Then, if someone signs up for your email list, you can reward the original subscriber with a special discount.

This is a great way to grow your email list and introduce your business to new, potential customers.

11. Case Studies and Testimonials

Case studies and testimonials act as social proof for your business. When a subscriber reads about a success story from one of your happy customers, it encourages them to become a customer too.

Social proof statistics show that 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and 70% will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.

So, craft newsletters to show off your business’ case studies, testimonials, and reviews like Eight Sleep does below:

12. Show Off User-Generated Content

Another effective form of social proof is user-generated content. User-generated content is any content, like images or videos, created by users and shared on online platforms like social media.

Businesses typically repost user-generated content on their social media feeds, but they can also serve as an excellent newsletter idea.

Here’s how Glossier did it:

Creating a newsletter to showcase user-generated content will show your subscribers how many loyal fans your business has and will help you boost sales too.

Newsletters Ideas For Events

• Event Invitations
• Event Recaps
• Webinars

Do you have an upcoming event you want to promote? Send a newsletter!

Take a look at these awesome newsletter ideas for events.

13. Event Invitations

Everyone loves getting a personal invitation to an exciting event.

So, if your business is holding an event for your customers and subscribers, send them an email invite.

Check out this gorgeous email invitation for a Loeffler Randall X Jenni Kayne pop-up shop:

Sending an email invite is a great way to remind subscribers about upcoming events and get a lot of attendees.

14. Event Recaps

You can also create event recap newsletters. Event recap newsletters let subscribers who couldn’t attend the event find out what happened: what was talked about, who attended, how much money was raised, and even what was on the menu.

This helps everyone feel included even though they couldn’t be there.

But event recaps can also help inspire FOMO (the fear of missing out) in your subscribers. When your newsletter subscribers see what they missed out on, they’ll be sure to RSVP for the next event.

15. Webinars

Webinar marketing is an effective lead generation strategy. With a webinar, you can provide free, valuable information to your target audience and turn them into email subscribers and, eventually, customers.

To promote your upcoming webinar, send an email about it to your newsletter subscribers.

Like in this webinar email from Mintel, be sure to provide the date and time of your webinar, details about what attendees can learn, and a link where they can register.

Business Newsletter Ideas

• Share Your Company Story
• Behind-The-Scenes Tour
• Employee of the Month
• Job Postings
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Industry News
• Interview an Expert

Use your newsletters to keep your audience up-to-date with what’s going on in your business.

Check out these business information newsletter ideas you can send subscribers to educate them about your business and brand.

16. Share Your Company Story

To connect with your audience and let them get to know the person behind the brand, share your company story.

This email newsletter example from CharityWater.org tells how their non-profit organization started with a little idea among friends and how it grew into what it is today.

A personal, relatable story like this helps readers connect to the organization more meaningfully.

This newsletter idea doesn’t only work for non-profits. You can share the story of how your business started and why you do what you do to connect with your subscribers.

When your subscribers get to know the person behind the brand, they’ll be more invested in the emails you send them.

17. Behind-The-Scenes Tour

Make your newsletter subscribers and your customers feel like VIPs by giving them a glimpse behind-the-scenes of your company.

Lush is famous for taking their audience behind the scenes of their company. In their behind-the-scenes videos, people can see exactly how their bath bombs, soaps, and body washes are made.

If you don’t create a product, your business can give your subscribers a tour of your office space or take them behind the scenes of a photo shoot.

18. Employee of the Month

Let your newsletter subscribers get to know the incredible people working at your company by sending an “Employee of the Month” email.

With your employee of the month, you can include a photo of the employee, their name, job title, and a brief description of them, what they do, and what makes them so great.

When your subscribers feel connected to your and your employees, it increases brand loyalty.

19. Job Postings

Is your business hiring? Let your newsletter subscribers know!

Here’s how the Pemberton & District Public Library lets its audience know they’re hiring:

You never know if one of your loyal subscribers could become your newest employee. Or, they could pass the opportunity along to one of their talented family members or friends.

20. Frequently Asked Questions

You can also use your newsletter to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). This is an easy way to help your subscribers learn more about your business.

Not sure what FAQs to answer?

Ask your customer support or sales team which questions they receive the most. That way, you can make sure your newsletter’s FAQs are relevant to your readers.

21. Industry News

Instead of only sharing news about your company in your newsletter, consider sharing news about your industry.

This won’t work for every business. For instance, if you own a pizza restaurant, your customers likely won’t be interested in hearing the news about the restaurant industry.

But, if your company is a B2B (business-to-business) digital marketing agency, your subscribers will be interested in digital marketing news. So, you can share the latest industry trends or news with them to keep them informed and up-to-date.

22. Interview an Expert

Another way to create an interesting newsletter for your subscribers is by interviewing an expert.

You can interview an important industry figure or someone on your company’s team.

You can also interview people your subscribers will relate to, like their peers. For example, Interface Lover, a magazine for creative professionals, regularly interviews designers that their readers can be inspired by.

To get the most engagement, provide a video of the interview in your newsletter and a link to a blog post with the full transcript.

Interactive Newsletter Ideas

• Ask for Feedback
• Run a Giveaway
• Quizzes

Have you ever heard of interactive content? Interactive content refers to content that lets the audience actively participate. So, users can click around and perform actions instead of passively reading or watching.

Here are some interactive newsletter content ideas you can use.

23. Ask for Feedback

People love sharing their thoughts and opinions. And interactive content like a poll or a survey does wonders for boosting engagement.

So, to keep subscribers engaged, ask them for their feedback with a survey!

Here’s how Lyft does it:

This triggered email asks customers to provide Lyft with feedback about the ride they’ve just taken.

Sending a triggered email survey right after a customer’s experience with your company is an effective way to gather feedback because the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind, making them more likely to take a few minutes to answer some questions.

Aside from triggered email surveys, you can also send out a survey periodically to get your customers’ opinions on your product or service.

You can easily create a survey using a tool like WPForms.

With WPForm’s drag-and-drop form builder, you can create a survey that fits your needs in minutes and embed it on a page, in a post, or to any part of your WordPress website.

Then, send an email to your subscribers asking them for their feedback and include a link to the survey.

Asking your subscribers for feedback is a great way to keep them engaged, but you can also gather valuable insights that will help you grow your business and keep your customers happy.

24. Run a Giveaway

Running a giveaway is another awesome way to keep subscribers engaged. Giveaways also help you drive more traffic to your site, grow your social media following, increase brand awareness, and more.

Giveaways work so well because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love winning a fabulous prize?

At OptinMonster, we recently ran a giveaway for a Macbook Pro that received over 60,000 entries!

Here’s the giveaway email we sent out:

When readers clicked on the green call-to-action in the email, they were sent to a distraction-free giveaway landing page we could easily create with the best WordPress giveaway and contest plugin, RafflePress.

Plus, using RafflePress, you can offer extra entries to users for completing bonus actions.

To enter your contest, you can ask your subscribers to follow you on Twitter or Pinterest, watch a YouTube video, share one of your Facebook posts, or visit a particular page on your website, all of which will help you keep your subscribers engaged.

25. Quizzes

Quizzes are super fun, and people love them. Just look at the success of the Buzzfeed website. Their silly quizzes, like “Build a sandwich, and we’ll tell you how old you are,” get a ton of engagement online.

Email content ideas of a newsletter with a quiz in it can get a similar amount of engagement.

But for the best results, instead of creating a silly Buzzfeed-esque quiz, create a quiz for your subscribers that’s relevant to them and your business.

Fun Newsletter Ideas

• Holiday Greetings
• Share Your Recommendations
• Inspirational Quotes
• Pet Pictures

Lastly, having a little fun with your email newsletters is important. So, let’s look at some “just for fun” ideas for newsletter.

26. Holiday Greetings

Bring your newsletter subscribers joy by sending them holiday greetings. A simple holiday greeting from your business will let your subscribers know you’re thinking of them on a special day.

For example, check out this email from Nordstrom, wishing their subscribers a Happy Thanksgiving.

Also, notice how they use a fun animation to let subscribers know that they’ll decorate their website for the holiday, which helps Nordstrom drive more traffic.

And remember, you don’t have to wait until a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas rolls around to send a cheerful greeting.

There are a ton of other fun marketing holidays you can whoop it up with your subscribers over, like:

• Science Fiction Day (January 2nd)
• National Pizza Day (February 9th)
• International Women’s Day (March 8th)
• National Best Friends Day (June 8th)
• And Many More

27. Share Your Recommendations

If you’ve recently listened to a great podcast, read a good book, or watched an awesome movie, share it with your subscribers!

Your subscribers will love learning about your interests and get some awesome new recommendations they can check out.

Aside from fun stuff like movies and TV shows, you can also recommend useful resources or tools to your audience. For instance, if you have a blog that helps others grow their blogs, you can recommend a cool WordPress plugin or content calendar tool you’ve been using.

28. Inspirational Quotes

When you find an inspirational quote meaningful to you, it can also be meaningful to your subscriber, hence an excellent newsletter idea.

Inspirational quotes will add more interest to your company newsletters, give your subscribers something to think about, give them something to relate to, and they can even help motivate them to reach their goals.

29. Pet Pictures

Talk about the safest newsletter idea. Everyone loves cute pet pictures, so why not share photos of your or employees’ pets in your email newsletter?

Here’s how Carhartt does it:

Sharing photos of adorable animals is a great way to skyrocket engagement, proven by the fact that animal photos are super popular on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook.

That’s a wrap!

With these 29 newsletter ideas to keep subscribers engaged, your newsletter content strategy won’t bore your subscribers. Instead, they’ll always be interested in your messages and eagerly awaiting your next email!

Need more subscribers to send all of your engaging content to? OptinMonster is hands down the best tool you can use to create beautiful lead capture forms and grow your email list.

Get started with OptinMonster today.

We hope you liked this article and if so, you may also be interested in:

• 5 Best WordPress Newsletter Plugins in 2023 for More Engagement

These are impressive email marketing statistics. So, if you are not writing a perfect welcome email series, now is the time.

In this article, we’ll explore 14 effective welcome email examples businesses can use to make a positive first-time impression and kickstart their customer journey on the right foot.

• What Is a Welcome Email?
• Key Elements of a Great Welcome Email
• Welcome Email Examples
• Welcome Email Mistakes To Avoid
• Welcome Email Templates

What Is a Welcome Email?

A welcome email is the first email communication sent by a business or organization to a new subscriber, customer, or member. It serves as an initial point of contact after someone signs up for a mailing list, makes a purchase, registers for a service, or joins a community.

The purpose of a welcome email is to introduce the recipient to the brand’s story, provide them with relevant information about their account or subscription, and thank them for choosing to engage with the business.

A well-crafted welcome email can also help set expectations, guide the recipient through the next steps, and encourage them to take further action, such as making that first purchase, filling out a profile, or joining a loyalty program.

Welcome emails are an important part of a business’s customer engagement strategy and can help build a strong relationship with potential customers from the outset.

Key Elements of a Great Welcome Email

1. Crafting the First Impression: Welcome Email Subject Line

Your subject line is your first, and sometimes only, chance to grab attention. Make it intriguing, clear, and aligned with your brand’s voice. A personal favorite of mine was a client’s email campaign that used, “Welcome Aboard, [First Name]! Your Adventure Begins Here.”

Recommended reading: 15 Best Practices for Email Subject Lines That Can Boost Open Rates

2. Personalization: Making Each Recipient Feel Special

Personalization goes beyond just using the recipient’s name. Tailor your email body content based on their interests or actions. For instance, if they signed up after downloading a guide from your site, reference that guide in your email.

Recommended reading: eCommerce Personalization: Strategies & Examples to Boost Sales

3. Clear and Engaging Content: Setting the Tone

Your welcome email should reflect your brand’s personality. Consistency is key, whether professional, quirky, or somewhere in between. Use a friendly, conversational tone to make your new email subscribers feel at ease.

4. Call-to-Action: Encouraging Immediate Engagement

Your CTA button should be clear and compelling. Whether it’s to check out your latest blog post, follow you on social media, a discount code or browse your products, make sure it’s relevant and easy to find.

Recommended reading: 130+ Email CTA Examples That Can Boost Your Conversion Rate

Welcome Email Examples

1. Google Adwords

Google AdWords sends a couple of welcome emails, which seems overkill if you ask us, but they serve two different purposes.

What we liked:

• It’s short, making it easy for people to read it quickly.
• It gives the recipients some steps to follow.
• It includes helpful resources.
• There’s a call to action (CTA).

What we didn’t:

• The subject line is bland.
• There’s no personalization, although Google almost certainly knows the recipient’s name.
• It’s too plain, looking like a wall of text at first glance.
• The no-reply email address means there’s no way for people to respond to the email.

The second email from Adwords is a contrast. We liked everything about it, including:

• The subject line draws recipients in about a task they’ll all want to complete.
• The email is branded, inspiring trust.
• A single CTA is repeated three times to sign in and complete the account setup.
• It’s more visually appealing.

2. Ancestry

The color scheme leaves no doubt about who this Ancestry email is from.

What we liked:

• The email includes a tutorial, clear list of steps to follow to get started with its services.
• The design also highlights the first step in a shaded box.
• There’s a clear CTA early in the email.
• It’s branded.

What we didn’t:

• Including a second, different CTA in the box below could be confusing and make recipients decide to do nothing.
• Repeating the signup information twice is unnecessary.
• There’s no clear unsubscribe link, which opens them up to spam complaints.

3. Asana

The design of this Asana welcome email example splits it into panels, each showing an icon and a short description of an Asana function.

What we liked:

• It looks like Asana, which is great for brand recognition and trust.
• The three-panel design works.
• There are links you can follow to complete different tasks in the app.
• The email would work even without the images.
• There’s a clear link to where subscribers can manage email preferences.

What we didn’t:

• We’re probably picky here, but the CTA could have been nearer to the top of the email.

4. Carbonite

With the company’s logo at the top of this welcome email example, there’s no mistaking who it comes from.

What we liked:

• The email is branded.
• It answers two common questions people have about using Carbonite for backup. That’s pretty useful and will likely reduce the number of support requests from new users.
• It includes social media links, which are a big trust factor.
• The icons help make the content easier to understand.

What we didn’t:

• The email should be shorter.
• There is a CTA once you reach the end of the email, which many people may not do.
• There’s no clear unsubscribe link, though there is a link where you can manage email communication preferences.

5. Envira Gallery

Let’s see how this welcome email example from Envira Gallery stacks up.

What we liked:

• Personalization: the email addresses the recipient by name.
• The product logo is included for brand recognition.
• The copy has a friendly tone.
• There’s a visible unsubscribe link.
• It comes from a real person.

We couldn’t find anything to dislike in this email. The social links are visible, and there’s a callout box showing how people subscribed and why they should remain on the list. That’s why the Envira welcome email is an example of good practice.

6. GSuite

You get this email after you activate a GSuite account, and you’d hardly know this came from the same company as the AdWords email above.

What we liked:

• The email has a clean, uncluttered design, keeping with Google’s branding.
• There are short descriptions of four things you can do with GSuite and helpful links.
• The combination of text and icons makes it visually appealing, and they still work even if people have images turned off.

What we didn’t:

• The “no-reply” email address feels impersonal.

There’s no unsubscribe link, but who’s likely to want to unsubscribe from their GSuite account?

7. LawTrades

This welcome email example from LawTrades came after signing up for a deal via a third-party deals provider.

What we liked:

• The subject line tells you what you’ve signed up for.
• The email is branded.
• There’s a link to the company so you can check them out. This inspires trust.
• The clean, three-panel design makes the email easy to read, and the text is short.
• Social media links and address info are included.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• There are two different CTAs at the top of the email, and the second one is arguably more useful to new readers, so it should be first.
• The early attempt to get people to book a strategy session feels rushed.
• Although there’s an image of the sender, he doesn’t sign the email.

8. NDash

NDash takes a two-in-one approach, combining welcome and onboarding process.

What we liked:

• One email does it all; helping people get started rather than sending two separate emails is a good approach.
• Social media links are there to build trust.
• You can take multiple actions next (which is also a problem, as you’ll soon see).
• The one-column template works for any device.
• It includes the logo and social links.
• A real person signs it.

What we didn’t:

• There are too many actions to take from the email.
• The no-reply email address feels impersonal.
• There’s no unsubscribe link.

9. PostPlanner

PostPlanner takes a kitchen sink approach with this welcome email example; they have thrown everything in. It just goes on:

and on:

and on:

What we liked:

• It’s branded.
• It comes from a real person.
• The CTA is near the start.
• There are social media links.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• This email is way too long. With images not displayed, it’s a little more reasonable, but many email clients now display them by default.

PostPlanner’s email is a complete walkthrough, and we wonder if this is the best way to do it. No doubt, they’ve tested, and this is what converts well for them, but to us, it’s a bit too much.

10. Powr

This email comes from WordPress plugin maker Powr.

What we liked:

• Links to some key areas are in the email header.
• The icons are eye-catching.
• Social media links are included.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• See that broken image icon? That means they were running a promotion at the time that has now ended. Anyone revisiting the email later won’t see anything, which is not good.
• There are too many things to do and CTAs.
• It doesn’t come from a real person.

11. Quuu

This welcome email example from Quuu is a bit unusual. That’s because it comes via the Intercom communication system.

What we liked:

• This email is short, easy to read and a minimalist design.
• It comes from a real person, with a photo and email address.
• It’s a little bit funny; see the “ThankQuuu” signoff
• It’s conversational in tone.

What we didn’t:

• If we’re being picky, we could point to multiple CTAs.
• You could say there are too many emojis, but that could be part of the brand’s personality.
• There’s no unsubscribe link; you get that in later emails.

12. Smarter Artist

Can you have too much of a good thing? We think you can, as this welcome email example from Sean Platt’s and Johnny Truant’s Smarter Artist shows.

What we liked:

• It’s from a real person.
• It’s got lots of personality and humor.
• There’s tons of social proof in the form of links to successful products.
• There are freebies.
• There’s a clear unsubscribe link.

What we didn’t:

• It is way too long, though at least it’s not boring.
• The freebies people signed up for are near the end. People usually want the incentive immediately.
• There are too many links.
• It’s a wall of text.

13. TNW Deals

When you sign up for a deals email, you’ve got to expect people to try to sell to you, but does this email from TNW Deals go too far?

What we liked:

• The initial welcome message is short and sweet.
• They deliver what people are asking for: deals, and lots of them.
• There are lots of images that make it visually appealing.
• There are social media links.

What we didn’t:

• This is another very long email.
• It’s busy; there’s too much going on.
• There’s no unsubscribe link.

14. WiseStamp

This WiseStamp welcome email arrived after an upgrade to its pro service:

What we liked:

• The headline is appealing, showcasing the value proposition right upfront.
• There’s a single CTA, repeated twice.
• There’s an image showing what your landing page could look like.
• The unsubscribe link is clear.
• Social media icons are included.
• It’s short.

What we didn’t:

• There was only one thing to dislike here. The email came from the team rather than a person.

Welcome Email Mistakes To Avoid

In these welcome email examples, we’ve seen some key mistakes that might send your subscribers straight to the unsubscribe button if they can find it. Things that confuse people include:

• Sending more than one welcome email, like Adwords.
• Sending ridiculously long emails, like PostPlanner.
• Not being clear about who’s sending the email.
• Including multiple CTAs.
• Poor design.
• Failing to include trust factors like social media links.
• Being overwhelming.

Other good practice tips for welcome emails include:

• Don’t make them all about you; consider the new subscriber’s needs.
• Though we didn’t see it in this roundup, some welcome emails include passwords in plain text. This is an unnecessary security risk.

Now let’s look at five welcome email templates you can use immediately.

Welcome Email Templates

1. Welcome Email Template for New Customers:

Dear [First Name],

Welcome to [Brand Name]! We are thrilled to have you as our new customer and look forward to providing you the best possible service.

We want to extend a warm welcome by offering you [Insert Offer Details], which you can redeem during your next purchase.

We are confident that you will enjoy your time with us, and we look forward to building a lasting relationship.

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope to serve you for years.

Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Welcome Email Template for a Newsletter Subscriber:

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for subscribing to the [Brand Name] newsletter! We’re excited to have you on board, and we can’t wait to share all our news and updates with you.

As a new subscriber, you’ll be the first to know about our latest products, promotions, and events. We’ll also send you exclusive content and special offers you won’t find anywhere else.

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [Insert Contact Details].

Thanks again for subscribing. We’re thrilled to have you on board!

Best, [Your Name]

3. Welcome Email Template for Trial User:

Dear [First Name],

Welcome to [Brand Name] trial! We are delighted to have you on board and look forward to helping you achieve your goals.

During your trial period, you will have access to all our features and tools, enabling you to test our product thoroughly. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at [Insert Contact Details].

After your trial period, we would love to hear your feedback and insights on our product, which will help us improve and provide you with better service.

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope you enjoy your trial period.

Best regards, [Your Name]

4. Welcome Email Template for App Download:

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for downloading the [Brand Name] app! We are thrilled to have you on board and look forward to providing you with an excellent mobile experience.

As a new user, we want to offer you [Insert Offer Details], which you can redeem within the app.

In the meantime, explore our app and check out its features. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [Insert Contact Details].

Thank you for choosing [Brand Name], and we hope you enjoy using our app.

Best regards, [Your Name]

5. Welcome Email Template for Introducing Your Product:

Dear [Recipient Name],

We are thrilled to introduce you to [Product Name], the latest addition to [Company Name] product line.

[Product Name] is designed to help you solve [specific problem/need], and it will provide you with [unique benefit]. Our team has worked hard to ensure that [Product Name] is user-friendly and effective.

Thank you for choosing [Company Name]. We look forward to hearing your feedback and hope [Product Name] exceeds your expectations.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Company Name]

Using the welcome email examples above and our free templates, you can start thinking about what kind of emails you want to send your subscribers.

After that, see our guide to email marketing for more help with your email marketing strategy.

The success of your welcome email strategy is closely tied to the quality of your email subscriber list. If your email list lacks subscribers who have willingly opted in to receive your newsletters, your email marketing efforts are unlikely to yield the desired results.

If you want to populate your email list with subscribers who want to hear from you, it’s important to deploy an effective email opt-in tool on your website.

OptinMonster is an excellent choice, trusted by over 2 million businesses for its ability to grow email lists effectively.

Here’s How PodBike Gets 18.22% More Email Subscribers with OptinMonster’s GeoTargeting feature.

Want to start grow your email list fast?

More on Email Marketing:

• Best Marketing Automation Tools: Streamline Your Digital Campaigns
• 63 Lead Magnet Examples to Boost Your Email List Growth
• How to Create an Email Marketing Campaign (Step-by-Step Guide + Examples)

Unsubscribes are a fact of life for email marketers. They’re also a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, they give your email list a bit of self-cleaning, which is important for your deliverability, your open rates, and the overall strength of your list.

However, if your unsubscribe rate is too high, it makes it difficult to grow your email list so you can reach more leads, readers, or potential customers.

How can you know where your email unsubscribe rate stands? In this article, I’ll cover all the basics of unsubscribe rates, so you can understand how this metric affects your email marketing strategy.

• What Is an Email Unsubscribe Rate?
• How to Calculate Unsubscribe Rate
• What Is a Good Unsubscribe Rate?
• Reasons for a High Unsubscribe Rate
• How to Reduce Unsubscribe Rate

What Is an Email Unsubscribe Rate?

An email subscribe rate is the percentage of email campaign recipients who choose to opt out from receiving any more emails from that sender. Usually, the recipients opt out by clicking an unsubscribe link within the email campaign.

The unsubscribe rate is one of the most important email marketing metrics, alongside email open rates, deliverability rates, click rates, bounce rates, and conversion rates.

How to Calculate Unsubscribe Rate

Many marketing email service providers will provide your unsubscribe rate in each email campaign report. If not, most of them at least tell you the number of recipients who unsubscribed through that email’s unsubscribe button.

If you need to calculate your own metrics, here is the unsubscribe rate formula:

Number of subscribers who have opted out

divided by 

Number of messages delivered

Then, multiply that answer by 100

You can calculate an unsubscribe rate for any specific email campaign. Alternatively, you can calculate it for all campaigns sent over a specific period of time.

For example, let’s say you want to determine your email unsubscribe rate over a 3-month period.

You’ve sent out 13 email campaigns over the last 3 months. The total number of recipients for all 13 campaigns is 45,557.

During that same 3-month period, 273 subscribers have opted out of your email marketing list.

273 / 45,557 = 0.006

0.006 x 100 = 0.6%

Your average unsubscribe rate for those 3 months is therefore 0.6%.

What is a Good Unsubscribe Rate?

A good email unsubscribe rate is generally considered to be below 0.5%. Industry benchmarks suggest:

• Excellent: Below 0.2%
• Good: 0.2% – 0.5%
• Average: 0.5% – 1%
• Poor: Above 1%

These rates can vary by industry and audience type. For context, an unsubscribe rate of 0.5% means 5 out of every 1,000 email recipients opt out. 

Once you’ve figured out your email marketing’s unsubscribe rate, you’ll want to determine how it compares to the average unsubscribe rate in your industry and region.

Here are a few statistics and benchmarks to measure your unsubscriber rate against:

Data from Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

According to a 2023 report by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), the global unsubscribe rate across all industries is 0.15%.

Data from Benchmark

Benchmark’s unsubscribe data from 2023 is based on over 35,000 users across 21 global regions and 15 different industries.

These are their average unsubscribe rates for some of those regions:

• United States/Canada: 0.19%
• India: 0.13%
• Europe: 0.24%
• South America: 0.09%
• Middle East: 0.19%

And here are some of Benchmark’s findings on industry averages:

• Advertising/Marketing/PR/Media/Design: 0.17%
• Colleges/Universities/Continuing Ed: 0.12%
• Insurance: 0.09%
• Real Estate: 0.18%
• Wellness/Fitness: 0.20%

Data from Mailmodo

According to Mailmodo’s State of Email 2024, average unsubscribe rates vary between 0.0% and 0.3%, depending on the industry.

What Should You Strive For?

If you’re doing a deep dive on unsubscribe rates, you’ve probably seen sources state that anything under 0.5% is a good email unsubscribe rate. Given the most recent data, that is definitely a good starting point. If your rate is higher than 0.5%, you should look very closely at your email marketing strategy to determine why your subscribers are opting out.

If you truly want to be in line with most industry benchmarks, your ultimate goal is to bring your unsubscribe rate below 0.2%.

But here’s an important note:

If you’re a new small business with only a couple hundred email subscribers, your unsubscribe rate may vary widely. That’s because it only takes a few opt-outs to have a high average percentage. Therefore, it may not be possible to stay consistently under 0.5%, but you can still aim to minimize your number of unsubscriptions.

More Email Marketing Statistics40+ Email Marketing Statistics You Need to Know

Reasons for a High Unsubscribe Rate

Constant Contact asked 1400 consumers why they unsubscribe from email lists. These were their findings:

• 69% said they received too many emails from that sender
• 56% said the content was no longer relevant
• 51% said the content wasn’t what they expected

Let’s take a closer look at each of these reasons.

Too Many Emails

The top reason people unsubscribe is due to the number of emails they receive from your business. For instance, they might be ok with hearing from you in a weekly newsletter, but they might get frustrated at getting a sales pitch from you every day.

Emails That Are No Longer Relevant

Sometimes, subscribers just no longer need the information in your email campaigns. If you have physical locations, email subscribers are likely to opt out if they move to a city where you don’t have a location.

They also might have signed up to get a coupon for a specific order. If they don’t expect to make another purchase, they may unsubscribe.

Emails That Don’t Meet Subscribers’ Expectations

When someone signs up for your email list, they’re trusting you with a piece of personal information. They’re also giving you valuable real estate in their inboxes. In exchange, they have expectations about the types of emails they will receive.

For example, if they signed up because they wanted a newsletter of your recent blog content, they’ll be unhappy if they constantly get emails asking them to buy merch.

How to Reduce Your Unsubscribe Rate

In this section, I’ll walk you through 10 great ways to reduce unsubscribes and keep your email list thriving. Try to implement just 1 or 2 suggestions each week and have fun watching your number of unsubscribes drop.

1. Use a Combination of Double Optins and Single Optins

A good unsubscribe rate requires an email list full of leads who actively want to hear from you. That’s where double optins come in.

What’s the difference between a single optin and a double optin? It sounds a lot more complicated than it is.

A single optin just means the subscriber doesn’t have to confirm their subscription. With a double optin, the subscriber does have to confirm, usually by clicking a link emailed to them after the initial form sign-up was completed.

Single optins are easier for the user and the fastest way to build a list, but they’re also less respectful of your subscribers’ privacy. And when you don’t verify new signups, your email list could easily become cluttered with bad data, damaging your sender reputation and email deliverability.

A single optin might have a success message that looks like this:

There would be no follow-up email asking the subscriber to confirm their subscription.

Double optins offer better quality list protection and the opportunity to communicate with subscribers immediately via the confirmation email. On the downside, the double optin process results in slower list growth, and possibly in lost email addresses because some users may simply never complete the signup process.

The success message for a double optin would probably look a little different:

The subscriber would also receive an email shortly after submitting the optin form:

When you set up an email automation for a double opt-in, you’ll be able to validate every subscriber who signs up for emails on your website.

Learn MoreDouble Opt-In vs. Single Opt-in: Which Is Better for Conversions?

2. Segment Subscribers

The key to effective marketing is getting your message in front of the right people at the right time. Segmenting your email list can help you do that.

Email segmentation is when you divide your subscribers into categories, or segments, based on information you have about them. You can segment subscribers based on data such as:

• Demographics
• Geolocation
• Purchase history
• Email engagement level
• Which lead magnet they signed up for
• Sales funnel position

When you segment your list, you don’t simply blast every email campaign to all of your subscribers. Instead, you send different campaigns to each segment, so you can provide more relevant content.

The bottom line is that highly targeted campaigns work. According to segmentation data from Klaviyo, highly segmented emails perform better across the board. Klaviyo defines “highly segmented emails” as campaigns that are sent to less than 20% of your complete subscriber list.

Klaviyo found sending highly segmented emails can reduce your unsubscribe rate by 50%, compared to unsegmented lists

Additionally, highly segmented emails return 3x the average revenue per recipient than unsegmented campaigns.

To create actionable segments, define your segments by at least 2 conditions. The first condition should be related to a person’s behaviors like past purchase amounts, purchase frequency, or abandoned cart history. The second condition should be related to demographics.

There are so many ways to segment your email lists that it can become overwhelming. For some great ideas, have a look at this list of 50 ways to segment your list like a pro.

3. Create Useful and Relevant Content

Now that you have your segments, you need to send out emails that convert. To accomplish that, you’ll want to create the best email content possible. But, how do you begin?

Start with One Goal

Like most things in life, you start with a goal. What do you hope to achieve with this email? Are you trying to boost revenue? Do you want to increase social media shares?

Define Your Strategy

You know what your goal is, so what will get you there? If your goal is to boost revenue, do you have a specific sale or product in mind?

Decide Who Cares

You want to boost revenue and you have this awesome product to do it. Who cares? Perhaps a better question is this: What type of person cares? What else do they buy? How much do they spend? Where are they from?

Sounds an awful lot like segmenting, doesn’t it?

Craft Your Message

What’s your story? What’s your call to action?

There are so many marketing strategies out there, what will you choose? Will you use marketing for this product as a chance to push your brand, build a feeling of exclusivity or scarcity, offer free shipping? Have you already used this product with a test group and want to share their results using social proof?

Create your message around what will motivate your audience.

Deliver Your Message

Since we’re specifically talking email in this post, let’s assume you’re delivering your message through targeted emails. And, you’ll probably leverage other outlets like social media too.

Need more? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to running a successful email marketing campaign.

4. Craft Great Subject Lines

If you want to encourage users to stay subscribed, it’s important to use subject lines that entice subscribers to open your messages.

Here are a few quick tips to optimize your subject lines:

• Keep it the right length: The ideal subject line length is 4-7 words, with 30-50 characters
• Use urgency: Words like “Last Chance” and “Today Only” encourage subscribers to open your emails right away.
• Pique curiosity: Use your subject line to hint at your email’s content, but don’t give it all away. The inbox screenshot below shows examples of 2 subject lines that perfectly crafted to entice users to open.

Check out our list of 164 of the best email subject lines for more ideas and inspiration.

5. Personalize

To make your messages feel more personal, write them as though you’re writing to one person. How would the conversation feel if you were talking with your favorite customer?

You can use an optin campaign to get names and email addresses from your visitors to add to your email lists. These can then be used to personalize your email marketing efforts.

The email below includes the subscriber’s first name in both the subject line and the email body.

Bonus Tip: When you’ve collected your subscribers’ names, you can create subscriber targeted campaigns on your site as well.

Here’s how you use Smart Tags to personalize your optin popups with OptinMonster.

6. Email Frequency

There’s no hard, fast rule for email frequency. Too few and you may be forgotten, too many and you suddenly end up in users’ spam folders.

You can outright ask your subscribers how often they want to hear from you. You could even segment them based on their responses and set up your emails to go out at the requested frequencies.

Start with a frequency that you’ll be able to maintain, and be sure to set those expectations in your welcome email. When you’re able to produce more email marketing content, survey your subscribers to see if they’re interested in seeing increased content from you.

7. Optimize for Mobile

Exact statistics vary, but most studies show around half of all emails are opened on mobile devices. Those numbers are more likely to continue to skew in favor of mobile as time marches on.

Optimizing your emails for mobile is really easy:

Pay Attention to Preview Text

Your subject line is important on mobile, but you’ll also want to pay attention to the preview text that also appears in the inbox. You can use this text to highlight important information.

Keep Content Short

You only have a few seconds to grab the attention of a mobile user. That’s all it takes for them to decide whether or not they’re going to take you up on your call to action or delete your email.

Get to the point right away. Keep your call to action and important text “above the fold” so it’s all there for consumption. In other words, subscribers shouldn’t have to scroll to understand what your email is about. Make it easy for them to do what you want them to do.

Make Icons and Call to Action Buttons Touch-Friendly

Once again, we want to make it very easy for people to engage. This means that any call to action or clickable anything needs to be large enough to actually click without having to zoom in, including form fields. The standard minimum for touch-friendly buttons is 44×44 pixels.

Not sure how to create a call to action that makes readers want to click? Let us help you create the perfect call to action.

Keep Text Readable

You want your users to be able to read your emails without having to zoom in or out on their devices. Test out what your emails look like on mobile, and determine the minimum font sizes for your heading, subheading, and paragraph text.

8. Offer Discounts, Incentives, and Exclusive Content

Offer discounts just for your subscribers or create fun content just for them. Make them feel really special and like you appreciate them.

Email subscribers expect to receive value from your emails. If they don’t, they’re more likely to unsubscribe.

9. Ask for Feedback

Your subscribers have opinions, and they’d probably be pretty happy to tell you about them. If you ever have questions about whether subscribers like or don’t like something that you’re doing, don’t be afraid to ask them.

The same goes for those who unsubscribe. You can learn a lot by asking them why they’re leaving. You can also ask if anything would make them stay.

You can also set up a survey on your website to easily get the feedback you need.

Improve Your Email Marketing Today

Now that you have a better understanding of email unsubscribe rates, you can start optimizing multiple aspects of your email marketing strategy.

Here are a few resources to help:

• How to Increase Email Open Rate (With 10 Proven Tips!)
• 13 Ways to Boost Your Marketing Email Click-Through Rate
• How to Create a Winning Email Marketing Strategy
• Small Business Email Marketing: 7 Easy Tips for Growth

Would you like to build an email list full of highly-engaged leads? Subscribers who want to hear from you and are unlikely to unsubscribe?

That’s where OptinMonster comes in!

OptinMonster is the best lead generation software available.

With our software, you can collect email addresses through:

• Lightbox Popups
• Floating Bars
• Inline Forms
• Scroll Boxes
• Gamified Wheels

And you can show your email signup forms to the right people at the right time, using our robust triggering and targeting rules. These include:

• Exit-Intent® Technology
• Page-Level Targeting
• Geo-Location Targeting
• Referrer Detection
• and more!

Want to check out the amazing things that OptinMonster can do for your lead generation? Join us today!

Great email marketing is one of the best ways to improve conversion rates. However, it’s a lot more difficult than it seems. Even the most talented writers can struggle to perfect their email marketing copy.

If you want to send effective email campaigns, you need to learn how to write copy that sells. And we’re here to help!

At OptinMonster, we’ve spent the last 10 years helping businesses generate more leads. In fact, over 1.2 million users trust our marketing expertise.

In this article, we’ll share 17 strategies that email copywriters can start using right away. These tips will help you get more email opens, improve subscriber engagement, and make more sales.

Recommended Resources Need to jumpstart your content marketing results? Get more traffic and conversions with our Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in 2023. Or, check out this post on the most current email marketing statistics.

• What Is Email Copywriting?
• 17 Tips For Better Email Copy
  • 1. Optimize Your Subject Lines
  • 2. Use the Preview Text
  • 3. Write for the Web
  • 4. Write Like a Person
  • 5. Perfect Your CTA Copy
  • 6. Don’t Shout
  • 7. Know Your Audience
  • 8. Choose the Right Words
  • 9. Use Psychology
  • 10. Send Relevant Emails
  • 11. Choose 1 Goal
  • 12. Personalize Your Email Copy
  • 13. Let Readers Get to Know You
  • 14. Keep Your Promises
  • 15. Reward Subscribers
  • 16. Use A/B and Split Testing
  • 17. Steal Great Ideas

What Is Email Copywriting?

Email copywriting is the craft of carefully writing the words for your email marketing campaigns. Great email copywriters optimize every part of their email messages.

Email copy is the written content of an email, designed to engage recipients, persuade them to take action, and achieve marketing objectives. It’s a crucial component of effective email marketing campaigns.

There are 4 main elements of email copy:

1. Subject line
2. Preview text
3. Email body copy
4. Call-to-action (CTA) button text

This list will show you how to improve all 4 of these copy elements, so you can send high-converting email campaigns. We’ll also share some effective email copywriting examples that you can use for inspiration.

Let’s get started!

17 Email Copywriting Tips to Get More Conversions

1. Write a Killer Subject Line

If you’re wondering how to do email marketing right, the best place to start is with the email subject line. In fact, perfecting your subject lines is the single most important way to increase your email open rates.

Compelling subject lines can be the difference between recipients opening your email, deleting it, or, even worse, reporting it as spam.

People open your emails if they feel they will benefit, if they’re worried about missing out, or if you present compelling evidence about why they should.

The subject lines in the sales emails above are all benefits-focused. Recipients immediately know that if they open these emails, they’ll see a special offer or product launch announcement. For people who’ve subscribed to these email newsletters, this is exactly what they signed up for.

Here are a few more tips for subject lines:

• Create a sense of urgency with phrases like “Today Only!” or “Final Hours.”
• Experiment with using emojis, but only if they’re relevant.
• Preview what recipients will find inside the email, but leave a bit of mystery to pique curiosity.
• Use A/B testing to find out what types of subject lines your specific audience prefers.

Sure, it’s a lot to ask from a single email subject line. But with a bit of thought and practice, you can start crafting subject lines that will really catch each reader’s attention.

For more on improving email subject lines, check out these resources:

• 15 Best Email Subject Line Best Practices
• Email Subject Line Statistics to Maximize Open Rates
• 184 Best Email Subject Lines and Why They Work!

2. Nail the Preview Text

With modern email clients, it’s not just the subject line that convinces people to open your messages. Your email subscribers also see the preview text. That’s the piece of text that tells subscribers more about the content of your email.

With personal emails, the preview text is pulled from the first line of the email body.

However, most email marketing services, such as Constant Contact, let you customize your preview text.

Let’s take a look at the preview text for the 3 subject lines we showed you in the last tip.

In this screenshot of a Gmail mobile inbox, you can see that the preview text is especially visible:

• Old Navy uses the preview text to feature another special deal that users will find inside the email.
• EyeBuyDirect gives more details about their offer in the preview text.
• Blenko Glass Company uses the preview text to show that they’re running a sale, in addition to the product launch they announce in the subject line.

In short, preview text gives you another chance to prove the value of your email and encourage subscribers to open it.

3. Write for the Web

Now we’ll start exploring how to get your email body copy just right.

Writing email marketing copy is similar to writing web copy. That means it’s important to:

• Follow a logical structure.
• Keep paragraphs short.
• Include one main idea per paragraph.
• Use headings, bullets, white space, and divider lines for scannability.

Above is an email from the meditation app Calm. It is optimized perfectly for web scanning.

There are no large blocks of text. Instead, there is made of short sections:

• A brief introduction with a CTA button
• A relevant call-out quote about mindfulness
• A chart of the week’s meditation schedule, with another CTA button
• A footer with social media links and contact information

In between these sections, there are dividing lines and plenty of white space.

Calm combines these elements to provide the information subscribers want without overwhelming them.

See more examples in 10 Killer eCommerce Email Examples With Exciting Email Copy

4. Write Like a Person Talking to Another Person

If you really want readers to click, then you have to sound like a real person. Avoid marketing speak and be conversational. Write as though you’re talking to someone who’s sitting across the table from you.

Here is an example of a Black Friday email campaign from OptinMonster.

Let’s go over the features that make this email feel personal:

• The subject line sounds like it could come from a friend or colleague, rather than a company.
• The sender name is “Angie at OptinMonster,” rather than just the company’s name.
• The email greeting uses my first name. You can use personalized tags, also known as merge tags, to include your subscriber’s name in the email body or subject line. We’ll talk more about personalized tags later.
• The email body text is casual and written in the first person.

Every company has a different brand voice, so your emails probably won’t look exactly like ours. But you can try out some of these strategies to see what works best for you.

The bottom line? Don’t be boring. There’s no rule that says emails from a business have to be dry. Use your emails to stir readers’ imagination. Consider sharing an insider’s view of your company, customer stories, or even a personal anecdote. When your subscribers can imagine themselves in your shoes, you’ll start to build a relationship with them.

5. Promote Action With Your CTA Button Copy

The subject line and preview text convince subscribers to open your emails. A well-crafted, scannable email body encourages readers to read through your entire message.

The next step is getting them to click your call to action (CTA).

A CTA in email marketing is a button or prominent link that you want your subscribers to click. CTAs may ask readers to:

• Activate a coupon code
• View a product page or place an order
• Sign up for a webinar
• Listen to a podcast
• Read your latest blog post
• Leave a review on a recently purchased product

The next email example is a fun one from online florist Farmgirl Flowers:

Farmgirl Flowers sent this email the week of Thanksgiving in the United States. This section of the email lets subscribers know when they need to order if they want flowers delivered in time for the holiday.

The bold, black CTA button says “Gobble It Up.” This CTA copy certainly catches users’ attention more than a simple “Order now.” The button’s link goes to the business’s “Thanksgiving Shop” page. There, users will find the bouquets and floral centerpieces that Farmgirl Flowers is promoting for the holiday.

Here are a few best practices for email CTA copy:

• Keep it concise.
• Use action words that encourage users to click.
• Try writing in the first person. Instead of “Start Your Free Trial,” use “Start My Free Trial.”
• When possible, be creative and light-hearted, like the example above.

Learn more in-depth advice with 130+ Email CTA Examples That Can Boost Your Conversion Rate.

6. Don’t Shout (It Makes You Look Like Spam)

Avoid all caps and multiple exclamation marks in both the subject line and body of the email. Not only are all caps the equivalent of shouting online, but overusing them screams spammy email marketing. That’ll hurt your email open rate. And if enough subscribers report you, it could also hurt your email deliverability. Or worse, get you blacklisted by your email newsletter service.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. In fact, the Old Navy example from earlier used all caps in its subject line. Their brand is well-established enough that subscribers know their emails aren’t spam.

If you know your subscribers have a high level of confidence in your brand, then you can occasionally experiment with all caps and multiple exclamation marks. Just don’t do it for every email.

7. Know Your Audience

When you understand your target audience, you’re better able to write email marketing copy that meets their needs. Your email copywriting should convince your target audience that you have the products or content they need.

When you know your audience and hone your writing to them, your conversion rates will climb higher and higher.

Analyze your web and social media analytics and your interactions with customers. Then use that data to build your buyer personas or customer avatars. When you know your customers, it’s easy to write email marketing copy that makes them want to click.

8. Choose the Right Words

When you look at the best email copy examples, one thing stands out. Word choice is crucial to make sure that reading your email a great experience. Since most emails are short, every word counts.

You want to stir readers’ imagination, appeal to their emotions, and get them to take action. These techniques can help:

• Use analogies, repetition, and other literary techniques.
• Seed your email marketing copy with sensory words to help them see and feel the picture you’re painting with your words. In an ideal world, you’ll evoke touch and taste, too.
• Energize your readers and convey action by using power words in your subject line, email body, and CTA copy.

Using these types of words can help you craft more engaging emails.

Additionally, what you don’t say is also important for building trust. Avoid making false promises and other sleazy marketing tactics, or you risk losing subscribers forever.

9. Use Psychology in Email Marketing Strategy

As human beings, our brains are wired to react in predictable ways to certain types of input. That’s why psychology can help you create more successful, high-converting email marketing campaigns.

Some factors that make subscribers read and click include:

• Fear of missing out (FOMO), because we never want to feel left out. That’s why time-limited discounts work so well. Evoke scarcity, urgency, and curiosity in your email, and more people will click.
• CTA color choice, so your action buttons stand out. Your excellent CTA copy won’t matter if readers don’t notice your buttons.
• Photos of faces, because they can elicit the emotions shown on those faces. The direction of the person’s eyes can also direct the user’s gaze towards a CTA.
• Social proof, as a way to show readers that their peers like your company. This makes them more inclined to read your emails.

Check out our guide to using psychology in email marketing for more help.

10. Be Relevant (Take Advantage of Your List Segmentation!)

One of the smartest strategies in email marketing is email list segmentation. Segmentation is when you divide your list by data points, such as purchase history, geolocation, sales funnel position, or email engagement level. You can even target emails to customers who have abandoned their carts!

Make the most of your emails by writing copy that specifically targets the people you’re emailing. Avoid generic marketing writing in favor of specificity. For instance, you don’t want to send the same email to a new subscriber as you send to a repeat customer.

A new subscriber should receive an email welcome series. Loyal customers should get notifications about products they’ve shown interest in.

Sending relevant emails improves open and clickthrough rates, so segmentation is essential.

Thankfully, OptinMonster makes segmentation easy!

Our email optin popups let you collect segmentation data from every new subscriber. Then, you can craft your copywriting based on:

• Which popup campaign the subscriber signed up through
• The user’s geolocation
• Referral detection, or what website or link brought new subscribers to your page.

This video will show you more about how OptinMonster can help you with segmentation:

11. Know Your Goal (And Just Have 1)

On the subject of targeting, it’s best to have a single goal for each email marketing campaign. In other words, each email should focus on 1 thing you want to achieve.

Doing so will help you focus your marketing copy and CTAs. Having a single goal also makes it easier to track the success of each email campaign.

For instance, if your goal is to increase sales of a particular product, that’s easy to track. Just monitor sales before and after the email goes out.

The email above is from the movie theater chain AMC. The entire email is focused on 1 goal: selling tickets for the upcoming film Wish.

As subscribers scroll through the full email, all of the images, copywriting, and CTAs drive readers to that goal.

Remember, if you have multiple goals, you don’t really have a goal at all. When planning your emails, focus on the key action you want readers to take. Then build your email content around that action.

However, not every email needs to have the goal of selling something, especially for new subscribers. Other goals may include directing users to a specific blog post, building a relationship with potential customers, or moving through the onboarding process for your service.

12. Use Technology to Personalize Your Email Copywriting

In tip #4, we touched on personalizing your email copy. Let’s discuss this idea more in-depth.

Read any advice on writing email marketing copy that works, and it’ll include a tip about personalization. In addition to writing in a personal style, technology can also help you better target your email marketing.

There are 2 main ways that you can use technology to personalize your emails:

1. Use personalization tags to include your user’s name in your subject lines and email copy. You can also use tags to mention the city or state your subscriber lives in.
2. Use segmentation to create hyper-focused email campaigns that tempt subscribers with offers you know they’ll love.

Using people’s names in subject lines and email marketing copy gets their attention. When people are getting dozens of promotional emails every day, personalization tags give your campaigns a leg up on catching people’s eye.

We talked earlier about segmentation. Well, that affects personalization, too, because each segment is looking for something different from your emails. You can send different emails depending on the age, gender, and location of your audience. You can tailor your emails for people making personal purchases vs. business purchases.

Here’s another example from AMC. This is a highly personalized email I received from them recently.

I got this email through segmentation and email automation because I had purchased a ticket for the film The Marvels. My name is included in the subject line and throughout the email body.

There are more personalized details, such as the name of the theater my showing was at, my ticket confirmation number, and the QR code for my ticket. (I’ve blurred these details).

Every detail of this email is specifically for me. It improved my user experience (UX) because it gave me all the details I needed to attend my screening. The extremely targeted copy guaranteed that I would open the email and use it as intended.

The best email copywriters know how to use personalization and segmentation technology to make their copy as precise as possible.

Bonus Tip You can get more subscribers when you personalize the email signup forms on your website. Check out our guide to using OptinMonster’s Smart Tags to personalize your popups. 

13. Let Readers Get to Know You

Another aspect of personalization is letting subscribers know who you are. As we mentioned in tip #4, you can use a person’s name as your email sender name. This is especially smart if you have a specific “face” of your company. But even if that’s not the case, you can use:

• The names of customer support staff members. This can make users feel more comfortable asking for help.
• The names of some of your most popular content writers.
• The names of customers giving testimonials.

Perform some A/B tests to see which sender names your subscribers respond to best.

To introduce yourself even further, consider adding a photo of the person your email is coming from. You can also include personalized letters or introductions with a handwritten signature.

When you take this approach, it’ll help subscribers form a connection with you, which is the first step in winning conversions.

14. Keep Your Promises and Stay Consistent

Your email copy should deliver on the promise of the subject line. Your emails should also deliver on the promise of the optin form or landing page where subscribers signed up.

For example, if you’re delivering a lead magnet ebook, you’ll probably have a picture of the book on both the optin form and the landing page. When you send the confirmation email, you should include the ebook title and image again. The tone of the copy should also stay the same.

This consistency reassures readers that they’re getting what they signed up for. You’re laying the groundwork for trust.

Want to learn more about ebook lead magnets? Check out this post on how to make an ebook popup to get even more leads from your ebook.

15. Reward Your Readers

Any guide to email marketing best practices will advise you to reward readers for opening your email. Special offers are key to making sure subscribers stay on your list and keep opening your emails.

But to cement this, you’ll need the copy to clearly illustrate the benefits of being a subscriber.

It can be as simple as providing an extra free gift to thank them for subscribing, like in this email from OptinMonster:

This email has recently been part of our onboarding welcome series for new customers. It provides 2 valuable rewards:

1. A free popup campaign, created by our design team.
2. A free t-shirt for users who approve the campaign quickly.

This email shows new customers that OptinMonster will provide them will value. It also rewards users for using our software and getting started quickly.

Most importantly, the email demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers succeed.

You already know that your products and content are valuable. When you use your email copy to provide rewards, customers will see that value, too

Bonus tip: Provide proof of your reward’s benefits. For instance, your emails can include statistics or testimonials. You can also link to a case study. These strategies let readers know they were right to subscribe, and it gives them another reason to stay on your list.

16. Monitor Data and Perform A/B Tests

As you work toward optimizing your email copywriting, you don’t have to guess. If you really want to boost conversions, you’re going to need data. And there are plenty of tools to help you along the way.

Before you send emails, check subject lines for effectiveness with the WPBeginner Headline Analyzer or the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer.

Next, collect data on email marketing performance from your email marketing service provider so you can figure out how you can improve performance.

Finally, it’s time to test. We’ve mentioned A/B testing, also known as split testing, a couple of times already. Now let’s explore this strategy more closely.

Start by split testing your optin forms, which is easy to do with OptinMonster.

Then use A/B testing to compare your emails’ subject lines, copy, CTAs, and more.

Most email service providers (ESPs) allow for A/B testing. This feature lets you try out 2 different variations in your email campaign.

For instance, you can test 2 different subject lines for the same email campaign. Your ESP will send your email to a small portion of your list, with half of those subscribers seeing each of the 2 subject line variations.

Whichever subject line performs the best will then be used for the full email campaign.

As you monitor the results of these split tests, you’ll learn the preferences of your subscribers.

Read our guide to split testing to learn how testing can help you get more conversions with your marketing efforts.

17. Steal Great Ideas

Don’t worry, this kind of stealing is perfectly legal.

Need some inspiration for high-converting emails? Subscribe to your competitors’ email newsletters or any other newsletters that interest you. By doing so, you can see what strategies they’re using to get each reader’s attention. Add these to your own writing toolbox so you can adapt them to suit your brand’s email marketing strategy.

Other places to find good ideas are sites like Quora, Reddit or Answer the Public. These sites lets you you can explore the topics people are talking about or searching for. Use these as inspiration to craft emails that address key issues for your target audience.

Below is an example of a search term chart from Answer the Public.

You can also use headline generators to come up with titles as a starting point for winning subject lines. Tools to try include:

• Portent’s Idea Generator
• Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator
• ImpactBND’s Blog Title Generator
• SEOPressor’s Blog Title Generator

Build a Great List for Your Email Copywriting

Now you know the secrets to writing email marketing copy to boost conversions and sales.

But even the best email copywriting won’t matter if you don’t have a strong email subscriber list.

OptinMonster can help!

OptinMonster is the best lead generation software in the world. We help businesses create high-converting email signup forms with our lightbox popups, floating bars, inline campaigns, and more.

With our robust triggering and targeting features, you can show the perfect optin offer to each website visitor. And they’ll see those optins at just the right time.

That means you’ll convert more visitors into subscribers, and you’ll have the data you need to segment your list.

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

FAQs on Email Copywriting

1. Is Email Marketing Copywriting?

Yes, email marketing copywriting involves writing compelling and persuasive content for email campaigns. The goal is to engage recipients, encourage them to take action and build a relationship with the audience. Effective email marketing copywriting includes crafting attention-grabbing subject lines, engaging body content, and clear calls to action.

2. How to Write an Email Copy?

1. Understand Your Audience:
   • Research your audience’s demographics, preferences, and pain points.
   • Segment your email list to tailor messages to different groups.
2. Craft a Compelling Subject Line:
   • Keep it short and attention-grabbing.
   • Use personalization, such as the recipient’s name.
   • Create a sense of urgency or curiosity.
3. Write an Engaging Opening:
   • Start with a strong hook that relates to the subject line.
   • Address the reader directly and make them feel understood.
4. Focus on a Clear Message:
   • Keep your email concise and to the point.
   • Highlight the main benefit or offer early in the email.
5. Use Persuasive Language:
   • Highlight the benefits, not just features.
   • Use action-oriented words and phrases.
   • Create a sense of urgency or scarcity where appropriate.
6. Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA):
   • Make it clear what you want the reader to do next.
   • Use contrasting colors or buttons to make the CTA stand out.
   • Repeat the CTA if the email is long.
7. Optimize for Mobile:
   • Ensure your email is easy to read on mobile devices.
   • Use a single-column layout and larger fonts.
8. Test and Iterate:
   • A/B test different subject lines, content, and CTAs.
   • Analyze open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to improve future emails.

3. How to Become an Email Copywriter?

1. Develop Strong Writing Skills:
   • Practice writing regularly and seek feedback.
   • Read extensively to understand different writing styles.
2. Learn the Basics of Marketing:
   • Understand key marketing concepts and strategies.
   • Familiarize yourself with different types of marketing campaigns.
3. Study Email Marketing Best Practices:
   • Learn about email marketing platforms and tools.
   • Stay updated on the latest trends and strategies in email marketing.
4. Build a Portfolio:
   • Create sample emails for fictional or real products and services.
   • Showcase your writing skills, creativity, and ability to drive results.
5. Gain Practical Experience:
   • Offer your services to small businesses, startups, or non-profits.
   • Consider internships or freelance opportunities.
6. Network and Connect with Industry Professionals:
   • Join marketing and copywriting groups on social media.
   • Attend webinars, workshops, and conferences.
7. Continuously Improve:
   • Seek feedback from clients and peers.
   • Take online courses or certifications in email marketing and copywriting.
8. Stay Updated:
   • Follow industry blogs, podcasts, and influencers.
   • Continuously test and refine your techniques based on data and feedback.

Emails are pivotal in keeping us connected. However, not all emails are the same. There are various types of emails, each serving a unique purpose and audience.

From promotional emails that boost marketing efforts to transactional emails that facilitate business operations and personal emails that keep us connected with loved ones, understanding the types of emails can enhance your communication skills and ensure you’re using the right approach for your message.

This blog will dive into the diverse world of emails, exploring the different email types and their specific uses. Let’s go!

Different Types of Emails With Examples

Here are 13 types of emails you can send to your subscribers, along with examples to inspire your email marketing efforts:

1. The Welcome Email
2. The Offer Email
3. The Survey Email
4. The Request Email
5. The Newsletter Email
6. The Free Gift Email
7. The Value Email
8. The We’re Hiring Email
9. The New Product Email
10. The Reorder Email
11. The Abandoned Cart Email
12. The Announcement Email
13. The Anniversary Email

1. The Welcome Email

Your welcome email is the email you send a subscriber within 24 hours after they opt in to your list. It’s a simple email that tells them how happy you are that they’ve subscribed, and then lays out some of the things they can expect to receive in their inbox.

In MacPaw’s welcome email, they let you know to expect a monthly newsletter with information about their products, special offers, updates, etc. By setting the expectations from the get-go, their new subscribers won’t get any unpleasant surprises in their inbox.

You may also consider sending a discount or special offer in your welcome email. Poppin includes a $10 OFF discount code (plus, notice the bullet points of what to “get psyched for”).

If you have a SAAS product, your welcome email should include onboarding information with a call to action to get started using your app.

Here’s an example from Sellfy. Notice how they remind you of what you can do with their software, and the green call to action button to “Start selling”.

For more inspiration, see these highly effective welcome email examples.

2. The Offer Email

This email includes a discount, coupon, or some other special deal that you send out to subscribers as a “thank you” for being on your VIP list. Offer emails typically have high open rates.

Whether or not your business model includes offering sales and discounts, it’s a good idea to send out some sort of special offer just for your subscribers every now and then. This shows your appreciation, and drives sales.

Here’s an example of an offer email from Old Navy. These emails are very important because they are the exact reason that their subscribers have signed up to be on their list: to hear about the sales before everyone else.

Not in retail? Don’t worry, you don’t have to slash prices right and left. You can still offer free shipping, like Teavana. The other great thing about Teavana’s offer email is the value added by the recipe at the bottom!

Even if you don’t have a physical product at all, you can still send offer emails. Here’s an example where Zapier offers a free live training session on their software. It makes their subscribers happy because it gives them access to something they probably wouldn’t have known about if they hadn’t been on the list, but it also moves their subscribers further along their sales funnel.

3. The Survey Email

A really good email marketing campaign isn’t a monologue… it’s a dialogue. You can’t expect to shower your subscribers with emails without ever asking them for their input.

That’s where the survey email comes into play. It’s a simple email (typically sent within the first couple weeks) that asks them to respond to certain questions around topics relevant to your product. You can then use this information to better tailor your marketing efforts to their needs.

Here’s an example of a survey email from Dropbox: just a simple request to take a 10 minute survey and give some feedback. You’d be surprised how many people really enjoy filling these out!

Your survey, however, doesn’t need to be a lengthy 10 minute questionnaire. You could simply ask your subscribers to rate their willingness to recommend you to a friend, like Medium.

If your subscribers need a bit more incentive to fill out a survey, offer them a gift. Frye’s subject line for this survey email is “$50 for your thoughts”.

4. The Request Email

After you’ve delivered on your promises, you’ve earned the right to ask for a little something in return. This email can be used to ask for a favor, such as a testimonial or review on a particular site.

Since online testimonials are essentially currency in many industries, this is a high returning email.

Casper (a company that sells mattresses) asks their customers to review their product with the subject line, “How did you sleep?”.

TradeGecko uses a very cute mascot in their email to entice their subscribers to leave them a rating and review.

5. The Newsletter Email

While the newsletter email gets a lot of focus in email marketing circles, don’t fall into the trap of sending boring or uneventful newsletters just for the sake of sending a newsletter. This is a surefire way to make your followers hit the “unsubscribe” button.

Always make sure that your newsletters contain important, intriguing, or helpful information. If you don’t have anything important to say this week, skip it.

eROI’s monthly newsletter is a stellar example on so many levels. The first few paragraphs include an entertaining introduction to the topic of the newsletter. Then, they include four “insider tips”, which include “read more” buttons to the blog post on their site. But the best part of this newsletter is the interactive element at the bottom: they used working radio buttons to allow subscribers to vote for next month’s theme! How cool is that?

Learn how to create an email newsletter in 3 easy steps right now!

6. The Free Gift Email

Did you know that the average office worker receives 121 emails per day? Furthermore, open rates for marketing emails hover right around 18 percent. So, if you want your email to be one of the few that’s actually opened, you need to give free value now and again.

An exclusive, free gift email sprinkled in to your email marketing campaign will work like magic to keep your subscribers engaged and, well, subscribed.

So what kind of a free gift should you send? An easy way to start is with something downloadable. For example, Slides sends out a huge pack of free design resources to download.

Here’s another example of a free download email from Font Fabric, who offers a limited time opportunity to download some of their fonts for free (this adds an element of scarcity, which further trains their subscribers to promptly open their emails).

Death to the Stock Photo sends out free gift emails on a monthly basis with their downloadable photo packs.

7. The Value Email

There doesn’t have to be some direct conversion goal behind every email you send. In fact, if you want your conversion focused emails to be effective, you have to first earn your subscriber’s trust.

A value email is where you simply provide value with no strings attached. It could be a blog post, a dose of inspiration, or a simple tip. These emails are where you really start to build a relationship with your audience, and they are an absolutely critical component to a high-converting email marketing campaign.

FiveThirtyEight gives incredible value with their daily digest email. They have curated all of the interesting news stories for the day, and get right to the bottom line so their subscribers don’t have to read all of the stories themselves in order to sound smart when discussing current events with their friends and colleagues.

Every Monday, Noon Pacific gives their subscribers a mixtape of the 10 best songs of the week.

Here’s another example of a great value email from the Trunk Club: here, they offer a summer office style guide to help you look professional without being unbearably hot and sweaty in your suit.

8. The We’re Hiring Email

Subscribers want to feel like they’re special. When you have a job opening, send out an email asking them to nominate people who they believe would be a good fit (or apply themselves).

This shows that you really value their input, plus, your subscribers are your biggest fans… why not give them the first shot at working for your company?

Here’s an example of a we’re hiring email from Thoughtwire Media.

9. The New Product Email

When you launch a product or new inventory comes in, your subscribers should be the first to know.

You already know that these are your most engaged customers, so it’s a fantastic way to jumpstart your sales.

Here’s a beautiful example of a new product email from Rifle Paper Co. It doesn’t need a whole lot of words… the pictures say it all.

As Design Disruptors knows, you don’t actually have to wait until the product launches to send a new product email. In fact, it’s a really good idea to build up the anticipation beforehand. In this case, they sent out a teaser trailer for their upcoming documentary.

Noun Project builds anticipation for their new tool by giving subscribers the option to subscribe to a special segment and be the first to know about it.

Don’t forget to check out 8 Product Recommendation Email Examples to Drive Sales.

10. The Reorder Email

Especially if you run a subscription service, or sell consumable goods that are ordered in regular intervals, a simple reorder email can be an effective way to retain customers.

The Dollar Shave Club knows that immediately after you make a purchase is the time to offer you more. In fact, they offer to toss more products in before they ship your existing order.

11. The Abandoned Cart Email

If you have the right site tracking tools in place and customers are logged into their accounts, you can tell when they add an item to their shopping cart and abandon it before completing the purchase.

Sending a nice email reminding them that they haven’t checked out is a very effective way to recover those lost sales.

Casper has a lot of fun with their abandoned cart email, with the subject line, “Did you forget something?” and the headline, “Come back to bed.”

Bonobos sends an abandoned cart email roughly 48 hours after the abandonment. The subject line reads, “Everything cool with your transaction?”

See our list of great abandoned cart email examples for more inspiration.

12. The Announcement Email

It’s worth repeating that email subscribers like to feel valued and special. Whenever you’re launching a new product or announcing an event, send a simple email to your subscribers to let them know and make them a part of your growing brand.

This email takes very little time, and is an effective way to conjure up excitement.

Chick-fil-A really does a great job of grabbing your attention and creating a sense of mystery and excitement in their announcement email.

Haworth uses a beautiful photo to announce their new line of chairs. It doesn’t feel like they are announcing a mundane chair, but rather that they are starting a “new movement” with these revolutionary products.

13. The Anniversary Email

Many marketers like to send out an anniversary email to thank subscribers for being a part of their list.

You could celebrate the 1-year anniversary of a subscriber joining your list, or you could celebrate a big milestone for your list in general.

For example, when Trello hit 10 million users, they gave away some free “Trello Gold” as a thank you.

Grabyo celebrated their 1 billion impressions milestone with a thank you email (and they also share how they did it).

P.S. For the best bulk email services to help you reach a wider target audience, check out the Top 10 Best Bulk Emails Services.

How to Build Your Email List

Before we dive into the types of emails you need to be sending, it’s important to have an engaged email list in the first place.

Now, there are different ways to build your email list but not all of them are effective. Some of them even lead to an inflated list of fake or abandoned emails.

Lists like these don’t do much for the growth of your business. And in some cases, they can even get you flagged and blacklisted as a spammer.

The best way to build your list fast with genuine leads is by using OptinMonster.

OptinMonster is the most powerful lead generation tool and has helped several businesses grow their email list and improve conversions.

Check out how Adam Enfroy added 11,300 subscribers to his email list and continues to add 3,000 subscribers every month.

Want the same results? Here’s what you can use OptinMonster for:

• Create lead generation campaigns like lightbox popups, slide-ins, banners, and more
• Use Exit-Intent® technology to detect when visitors are leaving your site and trigger a campaign to capture leads
• Run flash sales, offers, and promotions with countdown timers
• Create gamified wheels to make lead generation more interesting to visitors
• Display campaigns to targeted audiences

OptinMonster has a built-in lead verification tool called TruLead®. This keeps out the fake emails and spam and makes sure only genuine emails are collected.

Plus, OptinMonster integrates with all the popular email marketing services like Constant Contact, MailChimp, and Aweber.

So you can combine your lead generation campaigns with your email strategy to seamlessly convert visitors into subscribers and customers.

Want to learn how to create campaigns to build your email list right away? See our guide to Grow Your List With OptinMonster.

Why You Need Different Types of Emails

The problem with many ineffective email marketing campaigns isn’t that they send emails too frequently or infrequently. It’s that the content they’re sending isn’t differentiated enough.

If you’re simply sending out the same old weekly newsletter over and over again, your subscribers will stop being interested in your emails before they have a chance to convert.

The other problem with ineffective email marketing campaigns is that they don’t include a good mix of “value” based emails versus “selling” emails. If you are constantly sending either one or the other type of email, you’ll either turn your subscribers off or you’ll never sell anything.

Be willing to mix things up. Your subscribers will appreciate it, and you’ll enjoy the benefit of higher open and click through rates, leading to increased sales.

To get you started, let’s review some of the different types of emails you absolutely need to be sending your list…

Conclusion

Deciding where to expend your energy and spend your time is a major challenge for email marketers. Do you spend time generating new subscribers, or is it better to focus on writing different types of emails to convert your subscribers into paying customers?

Well, the truth is that you need both subscribers and effective emails in order to make email marketing work for your business.

With OptinMonster, you don’t have to spend hours of your week focusing on lead capture strategies. Our unique lead generation software features an intuitive drag and drop builder, powerful A/B testing features, page level targeting, and exit intent technology – all of which work together and allow you to focus on what really matters: crafting influential emails that engage your subscribers.

Get started with OptinMonster today, and start converting more website visitors into subscribers and customers!

More on Email Marketing

• 14 Common Email Marketing Mistakes You Need to Avoid
• 40+ Email Marketing Statistics You Need to Know
• Email Marketing: The #1 Ridiculously Easy Way To Grow Your Business
• How to Create a Winning Email Marketing Strategy
• What Is Email Automation? A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing Automation

Email segmentation can drastically improve the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

Statistically speaking, segmented campaigns average 46% higher open rates, and segmented, targeted, and personalized emails generate 58% of all revenue.

Smart marketers know the value of email list segmentation, but many need help to use it effectively.

Therefore, in this guide, you’re about to learn how to segment your email list and get a huge leg up on your competitors as we share 50 email marketing segmentation strategies that the pros use to create targeted email lists.

So whether you’re starting to use email list segmentation or would like to use it more effectively, we have 50 email segmentation ideas for you.

• What Is Email Segmentation?
• Benefits of Email Segmentation
• How To Segment Email Lists
• Email Segmentation Tools and Software
• Email Marketing Segmentation Strategies

Let’s start with answering the question: what is email segmentation?

What Is Email Segmentation?

Email segmentation is the practice of dividing email subscribers into groups or segments based on specific characteristics, such as demographics, interests, or behavior. This allows for more targeted and personalized email marketing campaigns and significantly increases conversions.

The difference in tactics is like how a shotgun and a sniper rifle operate. The former blasts away broadly and blindly hopes a few pellets hit. The latter tracks, targets, and precisely hits it.

You want your marketing campaign to be as precise as possible so the right message can hit the right people at the right time. For this, email segmentation is an absolute must.

Now that we have answered what email segmentation is, let’s look at the benefits of email segmentation in more detail.

Benefits of Email Segmentation

Why is segmentation important in email marketing?

Email list segmentation offers numerous benefits for both the sender and the recipient. Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Increased Relevance: By segmenting your list, you can send more targeted content relevant to a specific group of subscribers. This relevance can lead to higher engagement rates as the content resonates more with the recipients.
2. Improved Open and Click-Through Rates: Segmented email campaigns have higher open and click-through rates than non-segmented campaigns. This is because the content is tailored to the interests and needs of the segment.
3. Better Conversion Rates: With more relevant content, recipients are more likely to take the desired action, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or following a call to action (CTA).
4. Decreased Unsubscribe Rates: People are less likely to unsubscribe when emails are relevant. Segmentation ensures that you are not sending the same generic message to everyone, which can be a turn-off for many subscribers.
5. Enhanced Customer Retention: Personalized and relevant emails can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Customers feel valued when receiving content catering to their interests and behaviors.
6. Efficient Use of Resources: By focusing on more likely-to-convert segments, you can allocate your marketing resources more efficiently, ensuring you’re wisely using your time and money on more interested parties.
7. A/B Testing and Optimization: Segmentation allows you to test different strategies with different groups to see what works best. This can help you optimize your overall email marketing strategy.
8. Better Data and Insights: Segmented email campaigns can provide valuable data on the preferences and behaviors of different groups within your audience. This data can inform future marketing strategies and content creation.
9. Compliance with Regulations: With data protection regulations like GDPR, it’s important to send relevant and wanted emails by the recipients. Segmentation helps ensure compliance by targeting only those most likely to be interested in your content.
10. Increased Sales: Ultimately, all the above benefits lead to the most important advantage: increased sales. By sending the right message to the right people at the right time, you’re more likely to see a positive impact on your bottom line.

Email Segmentation can be based on various criteria, such as demographics, past purchase behavioral data, engagement levels, position in the sales funnel, and more. The key is to collect and utilize customer data effectively to create segments that will respond positively to your campaigns.

Let’s explore the various methods for segmenting your email list.

How To Segment Email Lists

Here are several ways you can segment your email list to tailor your messaging and offers:

1. Demographic Segmentation

This is based on demographic information such as age, gender, income level, education, occupation, etc. For instance, you might send different emails to students and retirees because their interests and needs are likely different.

2. Geographic Segmentation

Segmenting by location can be particularly useful for local businesses or when your product/service has regional relevance. You can also tailor your content to cultural events or weather patterns in specific areas.

3. Behavioral Segmentation

This involves segmenting your list based on consumer behavior, such as purchase history, product usage, and previous interactions with your website or emails. For example, you could segment users who frequently purchase a particular product and send them information on related products.

4. Email Engagement Level

Segmenting by engagement involves examining how subscribers interact with your emails. You might have a segment for those who open and click through most of your emails and another for those who rarely engage.

5. Purchase History

Segmenting by purchase history can be very effective. You can target customers who have purchased within a specific timeframe, are frequent buyers, or last purchased a while ago.

6. Sales Funnel Position

Depending on where a subscriber is in the sales funnel, you might want to send different information or offers. New leads might get educational content, while those closer to purchasing might get a demo or a discount code.

7. Customer Loyalty

Loyal customers can be segmented into a VIP list that receives special offers, loyalty discounts, or early access to new products.

8. Abandoned Cart

For e-commerce, segmenting users who have left items in their cart without completing the purchase can be a way to send targeted reminders or offers to encourage them to finish their purchase.

9. Email Preferences

Some subscribers prefer daily emails, others weekly or monthly. Segmenting by preference respects the subscriber’s wishes and can reduce unsubscribe rates.

10. Lead Magnet

If you offer various lead magnets (free content in exchange for an email address), you can segment your list based on the specific lead magnets downloaded. This indicates the subscriber’s interests.

11. Survey Responses

If you’ve conducted surveys or collected feedback, you can segment your list based on the responses, targeting specific concerns or interests.

12. Membership or Subscription Type

If you offer different levels of membership or subscription services, you can segment your list accordingly to send the most relevant information about each service level.

13. Seasonal Purchasing Behavior

Some customers may only purchase during certain times of the year, like holidays or back-to-school season. Segmenting these customers can help you target them at the right time.

14. Event Attendance

For those who have attended your webinars, conferences, or other events, you can create a segment to follow up, provide additional resources, or promote future events.

15. Technology Usage

Segmenting by the type of device used to open emails (mobile vs desktop) or the email client can help optimize the email design for better readability and engagement.

Remember, the more data you have on your subscribers, the more effectively you can segment your list.

Next are the tools that we recommend for the job.

Email Segmentation Tools and Software

You’ll need an email service provider that allows you to segment your list. You’ll also need a tool that will enable you to create targeted email optin forms and add them to the appropriate email segments.

The email service providers we recommend are:

• Constant Contact
• Drip
• Brevo
• AWeber
• ConvertKit
• GetResponse
• ActiveCampaign
• InfusionSoft
• HubSpot

For your optin forms, OptinMonster is by far the most powerful solution.

OptinMonster’s page level targeting module allows you to display unique optin offers based on the visitor’s location and interaction on your website.

For instance, if you want to show a specific lead magnet only to visitors reading blog posts from a specific category, you can do that.

Once you’ve captured their email address with a high-converting lightbox popup or another OptinMonster campaign, OptinMonster integrates with your email service provider to add new subscribers to the appropriate segment(s).

For the best bulk email services to reach a wider target audience, check out the Top 10 Best Bulk Emails Services.

Are you ready to start segmenting your email list?

Email Marketing Segmentation Strategies

Here are 50 email marketing segmentation strategies that the pros use:

1. New Subscribers

Don’t neglect your brand new subscribers by taking their email addresses and leaving them in the cold. Instead, give them a warm welcome with a welcome email.

Simply add an exit-intent popup to convert abandoning website visitors into email subscribers. Then engage with them to convert them into customers.

Lululemon uses their welcome email to remind you of the benefits of being a subscriber: you’ll be the first to see the new gear. They also set expectations by telling you that they’ll be emailing you once per week, and they introduce you to their blog.

Crayon’s welcome email helps you to get started with an article for new users. They also recommend some fellow Crayon marketers to follow.

But why stop at just one welcome email? You could even send a series of emails to all new subscribers with the best of your blog content, or show your new app users how to take the first step, and then the next, and the next.

Whatever you decide to do with your welcome email or welcome sequence, make sure that you’re introducing your new subscribers to your best stuff, so you can begin to grow that relationship with them.

For more inspiration, check out these highly effective welcome email examples.

2. Preferences

Amy Gesenhues, a reporter for Marketing Land says, “One area where brands continue to fail is marketing to customers based on their preferences.”

Ask your customers how often they wish to receive your emails, and give them the option to select the type of emails they want to receive. Do they want blog posts updates, discounts, important updates, or all of the above?

Bonobos give their subscribers a chance to update their frequency preferences when they click “unsubscribe” in an email. As a result, Bonobos retains 25% of those subscribers who would have otherwise opted out.

3. Interests

Use your data on your subscriber’s interests to curate content that you know they’ll love.

Rdio uses their data on what music you listen to in order to create targeted emails that recommend more music by your favorite artists.

After signing up for their email list, Skillshare sends you opportunities to enroll in courses that match the criteria you specified when you signed up.

4. Geographical Location

Unless people travel across the country or the world to attend your events, you probably don’t want to blast your entire email list every time you have an in-person event in a particular city.

Instead, use your subscriber’s location to send targeted emails to let them know about upcoming events in their area.

5. Open Rate

Use information about your subscriber’s open rate to segment subscribers who frequently engage with your emails vs. those who engage less frequently.

For example, you could reward your more engaged subscribers by giving them special opportunities, like beta access to your new program before anyone else even hears about it.

6. Inactivity

If your subscribers have been inactive for a little while, remind them of the next step that you want them to take.

The Proctor Gallagher Institute segments subscribers who opted in for a free coaching appointment but still haven’t followed through after two weeks.

Webflow uses social proof to draw inactive users back to their platform. They let you know how many new users they’ve had since your last engagement, so you’ll get on the ball for fear of missing out on what everyone else is doing.

For subscribers who have been inactive for a longer period of time, you may want to send out a targeted email to see if they still want to hear from you, or if they’d rather unsubscribe. And at a certain point, you may want to remove subscribers who have been inactive for a long time.

This way, you keep your list fresh.

7. Lead Magnet

Segment your subscribers by the specific lead magnet that they opted in for.

You can do this by creating lists specifically for your lead magnets with your email service provider. Then, you can design your campaigns in OptinMonster and send subscribers directly to that list:

Or you can go directly to your email service provider to add tags to certain email segments of your list. Here’s what that would look like in Constant Contact:

You can add tags to certain email segments of your list depending on which campaign they opted into. Manually adding these tags may seem a bit cumbersome at first, but it will pay off in a big way.

Plus, once your tags are created, you can add them to your OptinMonster campaigns to easily add leads to just the right segment.

Kobo does a good job at lead segmentation. After downloading a free preview of an eBook, they send you an email inviting you to purchase the full version.

This is a highly targeted email because it is going to people who have already expressed interest in the product.

8. Lead Magnet Type

Everyone learns in different ways. Some subscribers may prefer to attend your live webinars, others prefer to read your summarized PDF reports.

When you segment your subscribers based on the type of lead magnet that they initially opted in for (and any additional types they opted in for later), you can continue to give them the type of content they like best.

9. Opt-in Frequency

Some of your subscribers opt-in for one of your lead magnets, while others may opt-in for multiple lead magnets.

Create a segment of subscribers who opted in for more than one lead magnet, and you’ll know who is most likely to want to hear about any new lead magnets that you have coming out. Then, you can notify that segment about your new lead magnets without pestering your other subscribers.

Image via Flywheel

10. Abandoned Form

How about targeting visitors who started to fill out a form on your website, but never completed it?

For example, you may have a web app with a free trial that requires a signup. A certain percentage of your visitors are going to start to sign up and then either change their minds or get distracted. You can recover those signups by sending them an email reminding them to finish the process.

Just make sure that the first step in your signup form is to ask visitors to submit their email address, or use the WPForms Form Abandonment Addon to automate capturing emails even if they never hit “submit.”

11. Abandoned Shopping Cart

Shopping cart abandonment is a common issue for eCommerce sites. Thankfully, you can use win back email campaign to re-engage those shoppers.

Here is a fun example from Bonobos. The main call-to-action in this email is to “Finish the Job” (finish checking out). The secondary call-to-action is to reply and talk to a “customer service Ninja” with any questions or if you need help.

For more inspiration, see our roundup of the best abandoned cart email examples.

12. Didn’t Buy

Perhaps your visitor missed out on an opportunity to buy something altogether. For instance, you may have launched a product for a limited time, and now they’ve missed the window of opportunity to buy.

What is the next step for these subscribers? The first thing you may want to do is send them some really valuable free content, to remind them of why they wanted to follow your brand in the first place. Maybe they didn’t buy because they don’t know your brand well enough, or they don’t have enough trust for you yet.

Build a stronger relationship with these subscribers, and the next time you have something to offer they will be much more likely to buy.

13. Purchase History

Use your customer’s purchase history to offer cross-sells or up-sells.

For example, the Dollar Shave Club sends you an email before the box you ordered is set to ship, while you still have a chance to add on more items. Why not toss in a few more while you’re at it?

14. Amount of Purchase

Segmenting your customers by the amount of their purchase allows you to offer them an appropriate up-sell on the backend.

You can also give special treatment to customers with especially large purchase amounts by offering them a free “thank you” gift, or some other bonus that will reinforce in their minds that they made a good decision by buying from you.

15. Type of Purchase

Especially if you offer a lot of different types of products, segmenting your customers by purchase type is a great way to determine what their interests are so you can offer curated products that you know they’ll love.

Here’s an example of a curated email from Fab, an accessory shop.

If you want to learn more, read 8 Product Recommendation Email Examples to Drive Sales.

16. Purchase Frequency

Reward your frequent shoppers with a special coupon just for 3rd time buyers, or an invitation to join your loyalty program.

On the flip side, you use targeted email marketing to encourage one-time customers to come back for seconds.

17. Buyer Satisfaction Level

When you get a new customer, do you ask them the following loyalty question: “On a scale from 0-10, how likely is it that you’d recommend us to a friend or colleague?”

You can use their answers to segment your list based on Net Promoter Score (NPS), or those who have a high score between 9-10 (“Promoters”), a medium score between 7-8 (“Passives”) and a low score between 0-6 (“Detractors”).

18. Purchase Cycle

Certain purchases have a cycle: they are seasonal, or they occur at certain times. Knowing where your customers are in their unique purchase cycle can guide your email marketing campaigns.

For instance, let’s say you sell diapers, and one pack usually lasts for one month. When the customer is probably starting to run out of diapers (say, 21 days after their purchase), you might send them a friendly reminder email asking them if they’re ready for a new shipment.

19. Stage in Sales Funnel

Each subscriber’s stage in your sales funnel should determine what email they receive next.

New subscribers need to be nurtured. Warm leads need to be primed for the sale and eventually sold. Customers need to be presented with cross-sells or upsells. Every stage should have its own unique email marketing campaign.

20. Change in Engagement

Sometimes people simply get busy and they stop engaging with your emails like they used to. This can happen no matter what you do. However, if you don’t do anything to re-engage those subscribers, you could lose them forever.

Duolingo is sensitive to the fact that you’ve probably been busy, so when you haven’t logged in for a while they send you a targeted email with the call-to-action to take a 5-minute lesson to get back on track. Anyone can spare 5 minutes, right?

21. Change in Purchase Behavior

Particularly if you offer a monthly subscription, or you have a product that needs to be re-purchased on a regular basis, you should check in with customers when they change their purchase behavior.

If a customer cancels their subscription, you might want to send them an email to ask them why. Even if you don’t get that customer back, their answer will help you to improve the experience for future customers.

22. Mobile vs. Desktop

Online consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices for eCommerce. And while you may be optimizing your content for mobile, are you segmenting your email list for it?

If the answer is “no,” you may want to rethink your current email segmentation strategy. The email reading experience is completely different depending on whether you’re reading on your mobile phone or your desktop.

Most email statistics point to the growing trend of accessing inbox from mobile devices. EmailMonday sources several stats backing this up, showing that 61.9% of email opens occurred on mobile in 2019.

This trend is expected to continue, meaning that responsive email design will be more important than ever, so make sure you’re segmenting your list based on your subscriber’s device. And don’t forget, you should target your popups and opt-in forms to your mobile audience as well!

Here’s an example of an email campaign by Domino’s. The desktop version is on the left, and the mobile version is on the right:

Image source Selligent

23. Type of Email Account

If you want to refine your email design more, you can segment by the different email clients that your subscribers use.

Perhaps an even better use of this segmentation, however, is to interpolate what other services your subscribers have along with their email provider. For instance, HubSpot suggests asking everyone who has a Gmail address to add your blog to their Google Reader.

24. Affiliates

Do you have an affiliate program? Don’t forget about your affiliates! Nurturing that relationship will really pay off, so make sure you have specific email campaigns just for them.

For example, you could run a contest for your affiliates and offer a big prize to whoever has the most sales over the next 30 days. You can even send email updates to your affiliates as the contest progresses, showing off the “leaderboard” of affiliates who are currently in the Top 10.

25. Subscribers Who Referred You

Maybe you don’t have an affiliate program, but you do have subscribers who referred you to their friends. These are highly valuable subscribers who should be treated with special care, so give those people a special tag.

Once tagged, you can give these evangelist subscribers a special “thank you” gift, an exclusive discount, or VIP access that no one else gets. Let them know how much you appreciate them for spreading the word about your brand, and they will show you undying loyalty.

26. Customers Who Haven’t Left a Review

Your customers can be your best brand advocates, but only if they take action by sharing their experience.

Customers who haven’t left a review yet can be sent a targeted email with a friendly request to leave a review. TradeGecko does an excellent job of this by first complimenting the customer, then making their request to leave a review, and closing the email with another compliment.

27. Brick-and-Mortar Customers

If you have both a brick-and-mortar plus an online shop, segment your customers by where they shop. That way, you can provide specific information to your brick-and-mortar customers about in-store only promotions.

28. Customer Lifetime Value

Do you have different customer profiles who are worth more or less over their lifetime as a customer? Be sure to segment those out so that you can really focus in on those customers who are worth the most over the long-term.

For example, you might have one segment of consulting customers who hire you to give them advice, and another segment who hires you to provide them with high-end, done-for-you services. The done-for-you customers have a much higher lifetime value, so you may want to give them some special treatment.

29. Website Activity

Monitor your subscriber’s activity on your website so you know exactly what they are looking for.

For example, Canopy takes your personalized data collected from their website to curate very specific items for you. Not only that, but they tell you the exact criteria they used. It’s like they read your mind!

30. Website Inactivity

You can also use website inactivity to segment your email list and get those users back on task.

Handy flags users who got a free credit, but never actually claimed it on their website.

And Dropbox sends you an email when you sign up for their service but don’t follow through with the install.

31. Web Store Visit History

Use your website visit data to send targeted email campaigns to subscribers who visited your web store or your sales page but didn’t purchase.

For example, you could let them know that the offer is about to expire. Or, you could offer them free shipping or a free bonus to sweeten the deal.

32. Buyer Persona

Most businesses have more than one buyer persona. These personas usually have different needs and respond to different copy, so why not send targeted campaigns to each?

You can create targeted email lists by separating your subscribers into various buyer personas by looking at what they’ve opted in to, what they’ve clicked on inside your email campaigns, and their behavior on your website. Use that collective info to create email segments for each of your customer profiles.

OptinMonster’s page level targeting makes it easy to segment by buyer persona. You can use display rules to target specific buyer personas with a specific opt-in form, and then automatically add those subscribers to a segment on your email list.

33. Job Title

What does your subscriber do for a living? Are they a designer or an art director? Are they a salesperson or a customer service representative?

Each job title has different pain points which can be addressed separately with email segmentation.

34. Seniority

When it comes to making the decision to purchase your product or service, your subscriber’s seniority in their company often plays an important role.

For example, a busy manager may want to know that your solution is something that they can delegate to their employees. On the other hand, the employee will need to have compelling reasons to give their manager for making the purchase, since their primary motive is to make their manager happy.

35. Skill Level

How skilled is your subscriber at the discipline you’re trying to help them with? Are they a complete beginner or fairly proficient? Or are they already advanced, and looking to take their skills to an even higher level?

The content you send to your subscribers can vary greatly depending on the skill level of your audience. So knowing what level to speak to them can be extremely helpful for your campaigns.

36. Birthday

Segmenting by birthday is a nice thing to do for your subscribers, and it makes them feel special.

By sending them targeted emails with special offers, or even just a simple “happy birthday” note, you can connect with them on a much more personal level.

As you can see in this example from Facebook, you don’t necessarily have to give them anything except a friendly greeting. After all, who doesn’t like to be remembered on their birthday?

37. Weather

Does weather play a role in your subscriber’s behavior? Use what you know about the weather in their area to entice them to take the action you want.

For example, Airbnb sent the following email to a segment of their subscribers who live in parts of the United States that they knew were experiencing chilly weather. The email entices subscribers to take a trip with copy that reads, “Woke up on the wrong side of the cold front? Jack Frost is back. Skip town soon.”

38. Psychographics

What can you deduce about your subscriber’s psychographics from your data?

Psychographics are traits like personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. If you know what makes your subscribers “tick,” targeting emails to them will be so much easier and more effective.

You can collect your data from lead magnets downloaded to clicks and website activity to “profile” your subscribers by psychographics and send them targeted emails that focus on just what they need from you.

39. Event Attendance

Use your data on who attended your events to send segmented campaigns.

For example, you could keep track of people who attended your webinar vs. those who registered but never showed up.

Or, you could have a segment of subscribers who attended your in-person event so you can send them photos from the event and notify them about the next one you have coming up.

40. Business Industry

If you collect industry information about your subscribers, you can tailor your email content so it is highly relevant to them.

Perhaps you have written a blog post about how to market your business. When promoting that blog post to your email list, you could send one email to your real estate subscribers that explains how this blog post will help them get more clients. You could send another email to your restaurant owners that explains how your blog post will help them get more customers through the door, and so on.

41. Business Type

If your subscribers have their own business, you can segment by the type of business they own.

Are they an eCommerce or a brick and mortar, a franchise or a non-profit, or an enterprise or a small business?

Each business type has its own unique needs that you can specifically address by segmenting.

42. Survey Respondents

If you sent out a survey, send something special to those who participated.

They will be glad to know that you respect and appreciate the time they took out of their day to help you out!

Image Source: ConvertKit

43. Membership Expiration

Is your subscriber’s free trial about to expire? How about their membership that’s almost up? Let them know that it’s time to upgrade or renew.

Here’s an example from Apple Music. They make it super easy for you by allowing you to “Turn On Automatic Renewal.”

44. Webinar Attendance

Segment subscribers who registered for a webinar by whether or not they attended. That way, you can re-engage those who didn’t attend with an opportunity to register for the encore. Or you can simply give them a brief summary of what they missed.

You can also segment your webinar attendees by how long they stayed on the call. Those who stay for the entire presentation might get a special bonus download, whereas those who drop off early might receive a survey about why they had to go, or what caused them to lose interest.

45. VIPs

Reward the top 1% of your email list in terms of engagement and purchase activity with something exclusive, just for them.

Muzli makes their subscribers feel special with an exclusive sneak preview and early bird registration, before the official launch (which doesn’t happen until the following week):

And yes, you can segment your email list by demographics too…

46. Gender

If you have different offerings for men and women, go ahead and segment your subscribers by gender.

Adidas sends out two completely different email campaigns. You’ll get one or the other depending on whether you’re male or female.

47. Age

Sometimes segmenting by your subscriber’s age can be important in relating to them better.

For example, Derek Halpern segments his subscribers by age when they take his Entrepreneur Assessment Tool. Then, they get an email with a story about a like-minded entrepreneur who is also close to them in age:

48. Income

Segmenting your subscribers by income can be helpful.

For instance, some subscribers need different information depending on their current income. If your subscribers are small business owners, one segment may want to learn from you about how to grow their 5-figure business to 6-figures. Another segment might want to know how to scale from 6-figures to 7-figures. Yet another segment may just want to know how to make their first 2K month.

49. Level of Education

In some cases, it may make sense to segment based on the level of education.

For example, if you’re an educational institute, you may need to send different content and promotions to subscribers whose highest level of education is a High School diploma, versus those who have earned their Bachelor’s degree and are looking to get their Master’s.

50. Employment

If you’re a career coach or a recruiter, you may need to segment based on employment. Your groups might look something like this: 1) subscribers who want to change careers, 2) subscribers who are unemployed and looking for employment, 3) subscribers who simply want to “climb the corporate ladder.”

That’s it!

50 smart ways to segment your email list. If this list seems overwhelming, don’t worry: you don’t need to use all of these ideas. Just choose one or two to start. You can keep referring back to this list as your needs grow and your email marketing campaigns become more sophisticated.

But as you grow and start to segment your audience, you may want to add a small twist to your current marketing strategy to gather information on your leads.

Email Segmentation x OptinMonster

In conclusion, the power of email list segmentation cannot be overstated. It’s the cornerstone of a successful email marketing strategy, allowing you to deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.

But to truly harness the potential of email segmentation, you need the right tools. This is where OptinMonster shines.

With its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, OptinMonster empowers you to create targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience segments.

Whether you’re looking to convert visitors into subscribers or turn casual browsers into loyal customers, OptinMonster’s email segmentation capabilities can help you achieve your goals and celebrate the wins with your growing audience.

Remember, in email marketing, one size does not fit all. Embrace the art of email segmentation with OptinMonster, and watch as your email marketing campaigns transform into personalized conversations that lead to more celebrations of success.

Get started with OptinMonster today and take the first step towards smarter email marketing and a brighter business future.

Promotional emails are powerful marketing tools for eCommerce businesses. They let you communicate your offerings, increase sales, and build customer relationships.

In this blog, we’ll explore the world of promotional emails and delve into best practices for creating impactful campaigns.

Furthermore, we’ll provide real-life promotional email examples and templates to inspire your own marketing efforts.

• What Are Promotional Emails?
• What Is Email Promotion?
• Why Are Promotional Emails Important?
• How to Write Promotional Emails
• Promotional Email Examples
• Promotional Emails Best Practices
• Promotional Email Template Samples

Promotional emails and email promotions essentially refer to the same concept. They are emails sent to potential or current customers to promote a company’s products, services, or events. Here’s a bit more about them:

What Are Promotional Emails?

Promotional emails are marketing messages sent to customers or potential customers to highlight special offers, discounts, new products, or upcoming events. The aim to encourage the recipient to take action, like making a purchase, registering for an event, or visiting a website.

The best promotional emails use persuasive content, eye-catching visual design, and strategic calls to action (CTAs) to engage their audience, boost brand awareness, and drive conversions.

What Is Email Promotion?

Email promotion is a marketing strategy that involves sending emails with the purpose of promoting a business’s offerings. This could be part of a larger email marketing campaign, which strategically sends emails over a period to nurture leads and convert them into customers.

Email promotions are highly effective for reaching a large audience directly and can be personalized to increase relevance and engagement.

Both terms focus on using email as a tool for marketing communications to boost business activities by directly connecting with the audience.

Why Are Promotional Emails Important?

There are many reasons why you should send promotional emails. Here are the top 3 benefits:

1. Promotional Emails Build Trust & Engage Customers

Email promotions build trust with your customers by providing them with real value. That value can be a coupon, free information, or a limited-time offer. When you send helpful and valuable emails, you’ll convert more of your subscribers into loyal customers, who are excited to purchase from you again and again.

Promotional emails also build engagement by giving people an incentive to engage with your content. In fact, promotional emails that contain both content and incentives (like lead magnets) can increase your click-through rates (CTR), conversions, and customer loyalty.

2. Email Promotions Save Money

Promo emails are cost-effective because they target an existing audience that has chosen to learn more about your company. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be quite expensive, as you’re paying a premium to reach interested users.

To send promotional emails, you need only 2 types of software:

•  Lead generation software to build your subscriber lists
• An email service provider to schedule and send your email offers

These types of services generally have reasonable fees. This lower cost means that even small businesses, nonprofits, and startups can afford to send promotional emails.

3. Email Offers Boost Your ROI

Since promotional emails are targeted toward audiences that have already shown interest in your business or products, promotional emails have the highest return on investment (ROI) of all promotional tools.

This is because promotional emails provide real value to the recipient, giving them a greater sense of trust and appreciation for your business.

How to Write Promotional Emails: 6 Essential Strategies

There are many different types of promotional emails, and they can have a wide variety of goals. Popular uses include:

• Emails that promote a flash sale
• Product launch emails
• Special holiday emails for Christmas or other special occasions
• Emails that promote a webinar or demo
• Birthday emails with coupon codes or special deals
• Email offers for a free ebook or PDF guide

These are just a few examples of promotional email uses. With so many possibilities, there isn’t a single right way to write an email promotion.

However, the best promotional emails share some essential qualities. And you can turn these qualities into strategies for your own email marketing.

To send successful promotional email campaigns, your strategies should include:

• Having a clear, singular goal
• Establishing positive relationships
• Offering something of value
• Capturing the audience’s attention
• Knowing your audience
• Making your emails easy to read

Let’s take a look at the first objective of a good promotional email.

1. Have a Goal for Your Email Promotion

The first step to sending any promotional email is knowing your goal. Having a specific goal lets you:

• Tailor your email to that goal
• Measure the results of your email campaign
• Adjust your goals and approaches for future email promotions

Common goals include:

• Selling a specific product
• Encouraging subscribers to shop during your sale
• Selling tickets to your event
• Getting donations for your nonprofit
• Promoting giveaways or contests
• Driving traffic to your website
• Getting more followers on social media

Whenever possible, your emails should have a strong primary CTA that helps you reach your goal.

The sale email example above is from the delivery service DoorDash. This email has 1 goal: to encourage subscribers to place DoorDash orders from select Halloween and party stores.

This email is tailored for this singular goal. It explains the sale offer simply and includes a CTA button. It also includes a deadline to create a sense of urgency.

Not every promotional email can have 1 primary CTA, but it should still have a goal.

This event promo email comes from the Orpheum Theatre. Below the “Coming Soon” header, the email has a chronological list of upcoming events. Each event has its own CTA button to purchase tickets.

Although there are multiple CTAs, the email still has 1 goal: informing subscribers of upcoming events they can attend. The email concludes with a CTA button to see the full events calendar on the theatre’s website.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few of the benefits of setting goals for your email promotional messages:

• You can include a clear CTA for your subscribers.
• Subscribers will understand exactly what your email is offering.
• You can track CTRs and conversion rates to measure whether your email succeeded in your goal.
• Your overall marketing campaign will become more strategic and data-driven.

2. Establish Positive Relationships With Email Subscribers

Congratulations! You just got a new email subscriber. Now it’s time to establish a relationship with them.

And what is every great relationship built on? Trust. Trust should be 1 of your main goals when crafting your promotional emails.

Here at OptinMonster, we work hard to establish positive relationships with subscribers right from the very beginning:

When you first sign up for OptinMonster’s newsletter, you receive a welcome email from “Angie at OptinMonster,” our product manager.

The tone of the email copy further supports a personal feeling by being cordial yet professional. The email feels like it’s coming from a knowledgeable friend who is interested in helping you.

Later in the promo message, Angie points out that OptinMonster’s promotional newsletter is free, even though it provides information many businesses pay for. This adds unexpected value to the customer journey.

This welcome email example introduces the brand and establishes a strong groundwork for a relationship with the reader. With trust established, subscribers are more likely to pay attention to your sales pitches down the road.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few ways you can write a stellar email similar to OptinMonster’s:

• For a personal touch, use your name.
• Thank your reader for their time.
• Set expectations and stick to them.
• Make promises and follow up.
• Offer value to your new customers early and often. Show them the benefits they can expect from this new relationship

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3. Offer Something of Value in Each Email

When someone signs up for your email newsletter, they have offered you precious real estate in their inbox. You have to continue to earn that real estate by offering value with your email promotions.

Valuable offers help your email campaigns:

• Catch and hold users’ attention
• Endear them to your brand
• Encourage them to purchase your product or visit your website

Thankfully, value is easy to add because you’ve already created a product, a service, or content. Simply offer discounts on your merchandise or services, or promote some of your best blog posts.

Here’s a promotional email example by Walgreens that does this really well:

Offering your audience a valuable discount can convert unsure readers into faithful customers. In the example above, Walgreens speaks to the bargain hunter in each of us by offering a 20% coupon.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few ways to make your promo emails more valuable for your readers:

• Don’t simply try to sell. Instead, share free content you’ve produced.
• Explain how your content will benefit your reader by solving a need.
• Offer your reader valuable coupons or discounts.

4. Use Subject Lines that Capture the Audience’s Attention

You can create a well-written and beautiful promo email, but it won’t matter if subscribers don’t open it.

That’s why email subject lines are so important.

You have a limited number of characters to catch your reader’s attention, so make them count!

While your audience has already shown interest by subscribing to your list, you can’t become complacent. With each new email you send, you need to recapture their attention and entice them to stay engaged with you.

You should title your emails to address a specific need of your audience or entice them with a special offer inside.

The screenshot above shows a mobile email inbox. It includes 2 promotional emails that use different tactics in their subject lines:

• Jimmy John’s subject line presents a problem that the company can solve: your need for a sweet treat. The cookie emoji lets users know that the offer inside will involve a cookie from the restaurant. This subject line example shows the perfect use of a highly relevant emoji that will catch users’ attention. And make them hungry!
• Land’s End‘s subject line focuses primarily on creating a sense of urgency by including “today only.” It also leverages the fear of missing out (FOMO) by calling the promotion a “mystery sale” that subscribers can only learn about by opening the email.

These email subject lines give just enough information to pique the audience’s interest without giving away the whole story. If users want to get the cookie offer or find out about the mystery sale, they have to open the email. These subject lines also inform subscribers that they’ll find something valuable when they open the email.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few subject line tips to increase your chances of readers opening your emails:

• Present a problem the email seeks to solve.
• Make the subject short and impactful.
• Lead with the value you’re offering your reader.
• Use urgent language.
• Avoid fluff.

Get more ideas with our list of best email subject lines.

5. Know Your Audience and What They Expect from Your Brand

Depending on what you’re promoting, your audience will expect different things from your emails. Your subscribers joined your list for a reason, so you should work to meet their expectations.

When crafting your promotional sales emails, consider the image you want to present. That is, what do you want your audience to feel and think when they see an email from your brand?

Take this sales email example from the pizza chain Papa Murphy’s:

The audience for this email is likely people who like quality pizza that’s not too expensive. The promotional email is perfectly suited for this audience.

It has a large, quality image of 1 of their signature pizzas. The second largest element here is the price, $12.

And there’s a very simple and bold CTA button to place an order.

This promotional email example is uncluttered, focuses on a specific sale, and speaks directly to the target audience.

Key Takeaways

Here are some take-home points that can help you create an email that meshes well with your audience:

• Have a strong concept of the image you want to present for your company.
• Know that just because something works for 1 company doesn’t mean it will work for yours.
• Guide your promotional email decisions by the established expectations for your brand.
• Be consistent so you don’t alienate your audience

6. Send Emails That Are Easy to Read

Many readers skim emails looking for interesting and relevant information.

If your email is difficult to read, disorganized, or doesn’t compel them to read further, then it’s dead on arrival.

The following email from IKEA is easy to skim:

It uses clear images, different colored text, and bold titles to break up sections. Notice that the text and images alternate from left to right. This zig-zag style creates visual interest and encourages the reader to continue scanning the email.

The main messages the company wants to get across are front and center: the purpose of the promotion, the sale they’re advertising, and the prices they believe their customers want to see.

Additional information is in smaller print for customers who want more details.

The email piques the reader’s interest while still leaving much to be explored on the company’s website. Call-to-action buttons instruct the reader to click through for more information.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few ways that you can learn from IKEA and make your own emails more compelling:

• Make emails easy to skim.
• Emphasize the most important points so they stand out from the rest of the email.
• Break emails up with pictures, specific sections, and paragraph breaks to keep the email clean and simple.
• Tempt your viewer to click through by keeping some information on your site and not in the email.
• Make your call-to-action links and buttons clear and easy to find.

Now that we’ve seen some common qualities for promotional emails, let’s turn our attention to 9 promotional email examples you can use for inspiration today!

Promotional Email Examples (That Any Business Can Learn From)

The following promotional email examples were taken from some of the biggest names on the web.

However, the strategies they use are available to any business, no matter how small. You don’t need a huge marketing team or budget to apply the same concepts to your own marketing.

Click on any of the example images to see a scrolling GIF of the full promotional email.

Let’s dive into our list:

1. Text Promotional Email from OptinMonster

At OptinMonster, we send different types of email campaigns. But often, we’ll use plain text promotional emails rather than HTML-based emails with images.

Text emails can boost deliverability, meaning your emails are less likely to end up in spam folders. Also, one A/B testing study compared how many conversions came from HTML vs. text emails. The test showed that 63% of converting existing customers and 49% of converting non-customers clicked from the text-based campaign.

What can you learn from these numbers? That you can succeed with text-only emails and that it’s a good idea to experiment with them.

For OptinMonster, these emails let us connect with our audience through storytelling. Plus, we can embed CTA links throughout the message to improve our click-through rates.

Bonus tip: You can send successful promo campaigns even if you don’t have a designer on your team! If you enjoy writing but aren’t great with graphics and layout, try using plain text for your sales emails.

2. A Focused and Attractive Email From Bose

The audio brand Bose has a great promotional email with lots of appealing visuals. It features various products with multiple CTA buttons throughout.

Notice that the email is easy to read and features plenty of negative space. The background is color-blocked, alternating between black and white. This visual style improves scannability and makes the photos pop.

Bonus tip: Send promotional emails with a specific focus or theme. Bose’s email is designed to appeal to athletes and people who listen to music while working out. All of the photos depict athletes, and the CTAs are for Bluetooth speakers and earbuds. The email’s heading, “Bose sound keeps you moving,” tells athletic readers exactly how they’ll benefit from using Bose products.

3. A Single-Goal Email From Netflix

Netflix has a simple but effective email campaign.

Netflix sends emails asking for ratings for their most popular shows. You may even receive an email for a show you haven’t watched yet. When you rate the show, you’re taken to your Netflix account, where you can continue watching or start the series.

This is a great way to expose people to popular shows on the streaming platform. Plus, Netflix gets valuable data on your likes and dislikes, helping them improve the user experience.

Bonus tip: Offer a strong, simple, and obvious CTA.  In this email, Netflix only asks 1 thing: whether you liked a specific show. Users won’t get distracted or bogged down in other information. They just click the thumbs up or thumbs down.

4. An Informative Email From Formidable Forms

Formidable Forms has a very informative promotional email.

They provide multiple links to various pages on their site, giving users a lot of ways to interact with the brand. The email is mostly text-based, but they use emojis to spice up the promotional message. The email includes a lot of information, but it’s broken up with headings, white space, and divider lines for scannability.

Bonus tip: Try this format if you have a lot of updates and features to showcase. For instance, Software as a Service (SaaS) companies can use this combination of headings, paragraphs, CTAs, and emojis to keep users updated without overwhelming them.

5. A Strong Incentive From PayPal

PayPal leads their promotional email with a strong incentive: get $30 off a future purchase when you’re approved for a PayPal credit card.

It’s a straightforward email that’s well-designed and easy to read. The incentive and the “Apply Now” CTA are prominent at the top of the email. As the user scrolls, they learn more of the benefits of having a PayPal credit card. Then, the incentive and CTA are repeated at the bottom of the email.

Bonus tip: When you need to provide more details about your offer, repeat your CTA at the end of your email. This way, your action button is immediately available after the reader has learned more about your offer.

6. A Heavily-Branded Email From Amazon

Amazon gives us another promotional email example that leads with an incentive: you can save $5 by using a pickup location, rather than having your packages delivered.

While there are prettier email templates out there, Amazon has done an incredible job of consistently branding these emails. You can usually tell the message is from Amazon before ever reading the company name.

Bonus tip: If your company has a recognizable logo, take advantage of it! And if it’s not recognizable just yet, your email designs can help your subscribers become more familiar with it.

7. Promotional Newsletter Example From Medium

Medium Daily Digest is a promotional newsletter for the blogging site Medium. Each email provides subscribers with links to multiple blog posts, based on their interests.

This is a great promotional email example because the content is personalized to the user. Each reader chooses categories of interest when they subscribe. Because of this relevant content, these emails will have higher open rates and click-through rates.

Bonus tip: As you become more advanced in your promotional email marketing, try out list segmentation and email automation. Both of these tools will help you provide your subscribers with more relevant content and offers.

8. A Seasonal Email From Best Buy

Electronics retailer Best Buy has a stylish and professional promotional email campaign that’s perfect for summer.

It shows products that go well with the season, such as a stand-up paddleboard. The background’s blue sky and streaming sunlight add to the email’s summer vibes.

Their CTA buttons also stand out with a bright yellow color, making them incredibly easy to find and click.

Bonus tip: Take advantage of the excitement of changing seasons. Whether it’s for summer, fall, or the holiday season, get your emails out early. During seasonal transitions, consumers are ready for change and are looking to buy products to prepare for shifting weather.

9. Bold Letters and Message From Constant Contact

Constant Contact has a great promotional email with big, bold letters to grab your attention.

As you scroll down, there are various links and CTAs that the target audience would find valuable. Then, there’s a section specifically designed to provide users with a link to call for support.

This is an excellent strategy for connecting with your audience and getting more people to engage with your support and sales team

Bonus tip: Check your open rate statistics to determine how many of your subscribers read your emails on mobile. That information will help you decide if a “click to call” button makes sense for you.

Promotional Emails Best Practices

Successful email marketing requires careful planning and execution. Before we wrap up this post, let’s review how you can write effective promotional emails that will drive sales and create a loyal customer base.

By following industry best practices, you can maximize the impact of your campaigns. Here are some key strategies to consider:

1. Define Your Goals and Target Audience

Identify the objectives of your promotional email campaign and define the specific audience you want to reach. This will let you tailor your content and offers accordingly.

2. Craft Compelling Subject Lines

Capture your recipients’ attention with concise and engaging subject lines. Avoid spammy language and aim for clarity and relevance. Put your incentive front and center to entice recipients to open the email.

3. Personalize and Segment Your Emails

Leverage customer data to personalize your emails. Segment your audience based on demographics, purchase history, or behavior to deliver targeted content that resonates with each group.

4. Create Compelling Email Content

Keep your email content concise, engaging, and visually appealing. Use persuasive copy, high-quality images, and clear CTAs to convey the value of your offer and encourage recipients to take action.

5. Optimize for Mobile Devices

What percentage of emails are opened on mobile? The number varies widely depending on the target audience and demographic. However, you can generally expect about half of your emails to be opened on a mobile device.  It’s therefore crucial to ensure your promotional emails are mobile-friendly. Use responsive design techniques to ensure a seamless experience across different screen sizes.

6. Test and Analyze

Use A/B testing to optimize your promotional emails. Experiment with different subject lines, designs, CTAs, and offers to identify what resonates best with your audience. Analyze email metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to gain insights and make data-driven improvements.

Free Promotional Email Templates

If you’re new to sending promotional emails to customers, a template is the easiest way to get started. Here are 2 proven promotional email template samples that you can use to increase sales at your business:

Template 1: New Product Launch Announcement

Subject Line: Introducing Our Exciting New Product – Discover [Product Name] Today!

[Recipient’s Name],

We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of our latest innovation: [Product Name]! Designed to revolutionize [industry or specific need], this cutting-edge solution is set to transform the way you [benefit or solve a problem].

Key Features:

• Feature 1: Describe the first standout feature of the product.
• Feature 2: Highlight the second key feature that sets it apart.
• Feature 3: Explain another important feature that adds value.

Why Choose [Product Name]?

• Benefit 1: Explain how this product addresses a pain point or enhances their experience.
• Benefit 2: Highlight another key benefit that makes it irresistible.
• Benefit 3: Describe a unique advantage or value proposition.

[Optional: Include customer testimonials or social proof]

For a limited time, we’re offering an exclusive introductory discount of [percentage or dollar amount] off the regular price. Take advantage of this opportunity to be among the first to experience [Product Name].

Click the button below to explore [Product Name] in more detail and place your order today!

[CTA Button: Shop Now]

Thank you for being a valued member of our community. We can’t wait for you to experience the game-changing potential of [Product Name].

Best regards,

Template 2: Limited-Time Offer

Subject Line: Final Hours! Grab [Percentage/Dollar Amount] Off – Shop Now!

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Time is running out to take advantage of our exclusive limited-time offer! For the next [number of hours/days], we’re thrilled to extend a special [percentage/dollar amount] discount on our wide range of [product or category].

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your [product], enhance your [activity], or simply treat yourself, now is the perfect time to make it happen.

Why choose us?

• Reason 1: Highlight a key reason that makes your products or services stand out.
• Reason 2: Emphasize another unique selling point or benefit.
• Reason 3: Explain why customers love shopping with you or any special guarantees.

To take advantage of this offer, follow these steps:

• Visit our website: [Website URL]
• Browse our extensive collection.
• Add your favorite items to the cart.
• At checkout, enter the promo code: [Promo Code]
• Enjoy your exclusive discount!

Hurry, this offer ends [date and time]. Take advantage of the chance to save big on [product or category]. Start shopping now!

[CTA Button: Shop Now]

Our friendly customer support team is here to help if you have any questions or need assistance.

Happy shopping!

Sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your Company]

Feel free to customize these templates to match your brand’s voice and specific promotional offers. Remember to keep the content concise, focused, and compelling, with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that encourages recipients to take the desired action.

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Increase Sales By Perfecting Your Promo Emails

With these tips, examples, and templates, you’re ready to start sending promotional emails to customers and subscribers. You’ll see growth in your engagement, conversions, and sales when you use the strategies we explained above.

In other words, effective promo emails help your business succeed.

We hope you found this post helpful for your own promotional email ideas. If you did, you definitely want to check out the following resources:

• 17 Tips for Writing Email Marketing Copy That Converts
• Email Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Create an Effective Autoresponder Series
• How to Grow Your Email List: 23 Proven and Simple Ways
• 29 Best Email Automation Tools to Transform Your Business

Those resources will have even more helpful information on how you can improve your email marketing strategy to boost conversions and sales.

According to research, the best time to send an email is between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Additional engagement peaks can occur in the early afternoon (1–2 p.m.) and evening (5–6 p.m.).

For B2B emails, sending during work hours (especially mid-morning) yields better results. In contrast, B2C marketers can experiment with emails during weekends or evening hours because that’s when individual consumers are home and able to check personal emails with more focus.

In the rest of this post, I’ll share the research and data behind the best time to send emails based on the latest email marketing statistics. And, I’ll tell you my tips for how you can achieve the high open rates and click-through rates (CTR) that you’re looking for.

• Studies on the Best Time To Send Email
• How To Find the Best Time To Send Marketing Emails
• Optimizing Emails To Grow Your Subscriber List Faster

Studies on the Best Time To Send Email

I scoured the web and compiled open rate data from the most authoritative research studies before confirming that Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9am and 11am are the best times to send email. But there is nuance to that answer that could be helpful for your unique business, so I’ve also summarized those studies before so you can make the best decisions for YOUR business.

Here’s what they say:

1. Brevo’s Insights

If you just glance at the chart above, you’d think that you should send all important promotional emails on Wednesdays.

However, Brevo’s full study emphasizes the importance of industry-specific timings.

Different industries vary in terms of the best workdays and times of day, although midweek emails perform best for most industries. Saturdays and Sundays are the worst days among all the industries Brevo included in their study.

Here is an overview of Brevo’s findings:

• Best time to send email by business type:
  • B2B Professional Services: Monday or Tuesday, 8-10 a.m.
  • E-commerce: Tuesday or Thursday at 10 a.m.
  • SaaS (Software as a Service): Tuesday or Thursday, 2-3 p.m.
  • NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations): Tuesday or Thursday, 3-4 p.m.
  • Marketing Services: Wednesday at 4 p.m.
  • Offline Retail or Hospitality: Thursday, 8-10 a.m.
• Recommendation: Understand the nature of your business and the daily routines of your target audience. This will help you optimize the send times for better engagement.

2. GetResponse’s Research

GetResponse’s data suggests that while there are peak times for engagement, it’s essential to consider the nature of the email.

For instance, many people check their email on their phones as soon as they wake up or at their desks when they first get to work.

• Best time to send an email: One email in the early morning (4-6 a.m.) and a second email later in the afternoon (5-7 p.m.).
• Recommendation: Monitor your metrics and adjust your strategies based on results. Testing different days and times can help in optimizing email campaigns.

3. Omnisend’s Study

Omnisend’s research highlights an important point: The best time to send an email varies depending on your primary goal for that campaign.

Omnisend’s data charts are divided based on the goal: open rate, click-through rate (CTR), and sales conversion rate.

For instance, the chart above shows users are most likely to make purchases through your emails on Fridays. The best days for CTR are Friday and Sunday, while open rates are best on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

This study goes beyond comparing different weekdays. They also have data on each day of the month. Open rates and CTR go up and down throughout the month. Sales conversions, however, are definitely highest on the first day of the month

While there are general patterns, Omnisend also points out that individual behaviors can be quite unique. That’s why it’s so important to understand your target audience. The study also emphasizes the significance of combining emails with other channels, like SMS, for better engagement.

• Best time to send email:
  • Highest open rates: Tuesdays
  • Best for conversions: Fridays
  • Day of the month: You may also see better sales through emails sent on the first day of the month.
  • Best time of day: 8 a.m., 2 p.m., or 5 p.m.
• Recommendation: Determine the primary goal of each email campaign, and that will help you decide the best day to send it. Also, while general trends provide a starting point, always be ready to adapt based on your audience’s behavior. Multi-channel strategies can also enhance engagement.

4. HubSpot’s Analysis

HubSpot surveyed over 150 marketers in their email timing study. Their data underscores the importance of understanding the difference between B2B and B2C audiences. 

The bar graph above shows that 31% of the marketers surveyed get the best engagement on marketing emails sent between 9:01 a.m. and 12 p.m. EST. B2B businesses prefer the same time span but at a much higher rate of 47.9%.

So while 9:01 a.m. to 12 p.m. is the best time for both B2C and B2B, B2C marketers have more flexibility. Also, Monday emails are an exception: the best time for those is 6:01 a.m. to 9 a.m. EST.

• Best time to send email: Tuesdays between 9:01 a.m. and 12 p.m. EST. Emails sent after 6 p.m. get by far the lowest engagement, so late evening and night are the worst times.
• Recommendation: Segment your audience, and tailor your send times based on user behavior and demographics. This can lead to better engagement rates.

5. Salesforce’s Research

This Salesforce data from 2021 is a little older than the other studies on our list. However, it still provides insights you can learn from. Specifically, Salesforce emphasizes the dynamic nature of optimal send times.

Their system, built with Spark, scales for customers with varying data volumes and uses an assembly model structure to provide optimal recommendations.

• Best time to send email: 8-10 a.m. in the recipient’s local time zone is the best time to send emails.
• Recommendation: Consider the recipient’s behavior, timezone, and other factors. Personalization is key, and automated systems can help in determining the best send times.

6. Moosend’s Analysis

Moosend emphasizes the importance of metrics like email open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate.

Their study also highlights the significance of refining subject lines and leveraging email marketing automation.

• Best time to send email: Thursdays have the highest open rate, followed by Tuesdays as the second-best day. 8-9 a.m. see higher open rates.
• Recommendation: While timing is crucial, other elements like content quality, email subject lines, and personalization play a significant role in the success of email campaigns.

While each study provides valuable insights, the overarching theme is clear: understanding your audience’s behavior is crucial.

How To Find the Best Time To Send Marketing Emails

The best way to find what works for your business is by:

1. Studying your audience
2. Testing the time you send emails

1. Studying the best time to send emails for YOUR audience

To understand your audience, here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

• What do you know about your subscribers and their relationship with you? Do you sell to businesses or consumers? Remember, the best time to send varies for B2B vs. B2C.
• What do they do for a living? A stay at home mom might have time to check their email during late afternoon during nap time. A mid-level manager might check it mid-morning after their first meetings of the day. A CEO might check it after lunch. Optimize your sending times on your ideal customer’s role.
• What is the content of your emails? A B2C email including a sale might be more effective at the start of the month when there is more budget available for purchases. A B2B upgrade offer might be more effective at the end of the quarter as marketing managers realize they need to use their budgets or lose them.
• What times did your existing subscribers sign up? Export your email list and compare the times your existing subscribers registered. That’s probably a good indication of the time frame that’s also most effective for sending emails, too.

The more you get to know your audience, the better you’ll get at choosing times that resonate with them.

2. Testing the best time to send emails

All good email marketing platforms allow scheduling of email marketing campaigns. Some even allow testing one sending time against another. Whether your platform offers split-testing or not, you can still test sending times by scheduling emails to send at different times, then reviewing analytics to see which emails saw the highest open and click rates. Once you’ve discovered what works best for your audience, you can use that data in your email automation strategy. 

Optimizing Email Open Rates and Click Through Rates

As promised, here are even more resources to help you improve your email open rates and click through rates.

• What is a Good Open Rate (and how to measure yours)?
• What is a Good Click Through Rate?
• How to Create an Effective Email Autoresponder Series
• Small Business Email Marketing: 7 (Easy) Tips for Growth
• 13 Benefits of Email Marketing: Why (and How) to Grow Your List

What are the best times to send emails times for you? Let us know in the comments below.

This blog will discuss email subject lines, their importance, email subject line best practices, and what to avoid while creating one.

But most importantly, we’ll also share 184 email subject line examples you can use to increase open rates.

Plus, we’ll help you understand the psychology behind them so you can replicate their success again and again.

Table of Contents

1. What Is an Email Subject Line?
2. Why Is a Good Email Subject Line Important?
3. 184 Best Email Subject Lines (and Why They Work)!
   1. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Email Subject Lines
   2. Curiosity Inducing Email Subject Lines
   3. Funny Email Subject Lines
   4. Vanity Appealing Email Subject Lines
   5. Greedy Email Subject Lines
   6. Catchy Email Subject Lines
   7. Customer Pain Points Email Subject Lines
   8. Retargeting Email Subject Lines
   9. Personalized Email Subject Lines
   10. Straightforward Email Subject Lines
   11. Sales Email Subject Lines
   12. Newsletter Email Subject Lines
4. Email Subject Line Best Practices
5. Common Mistakes To Avoid in Email Subject Lines
6. Top Email Subject Line Keywords
7. 3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Catchy Email Subject Lines

ExclusiveDownload the 184 Best Email Subject Lines Cheatsheet for boosting your email open rates.

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

What Is an Email Subject Line?

An email subject line is a brief preview or a one-line summary of the content of an email that appears in the inbox. The best email subject lines grab readers’ attention, provide value to the recipient, and encourage them to open the email.

Here is an email marketing subject line example.

It is usually the subject line that determines whether a reader would open your email or ignore it.

Why Is a Good Email Subject Line Important?

47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. At the same time, 69% of email recipients report emails as spammy based solely on the subject line.

In other words: your subject lines can make or break your email marketing campaigns.

By using good email subject lines, you can increase open rates, which can help improve click-through rates and conversions.

Email marketing subject lines are important for several other reasons as well, such as:

• Grabbing Attention: Subject lines are the first thing recipients see when they receive an email, and they play a crucial role in grabbing their attention and encouraging them to open the email.
• Setting Expectations: Subject lines also set expectations for the content of the email. A well-crafted subject line should give the recipient an idea of the email and what they can expect to find inside.
• Avoiding Spam Filters: Certain words and phrases can trigger spam filters, causing your email to be marked as spam and potentially end up in the recipient’s spam folder or not being delivered at all. Crafting subject lines that avoid these trigger words and phrases ensures deliverability.
• Higher Open Rates: An engaging subject line can significantly increase the recipient’s likelihood of opening the email. This is especially important in email marketing campaigns, where open rates often measure the campaign’s success.
• Encouraging Engagement: Subject lines can also encourage engagement with the email’s content. A catchy email subject line can entice the recipient to read further, click on links, or take other desired actions.

The subject line is the first impression that the recipient will have of the email. It’s important to make it count.

Let’s see 184+ catchy email subject line examples and the proven principles that make them work.

184 Best Email Subject Lines (and Why They Work)!

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Email Subject Lines

One psychological principle that is practically impossible to resist is FOMO, the fear of missing out. You can use this fear in your subject lines by adding an element of scarcity (limited availability) or urgency (limited time).

Email subject lines that include words that imply time sensitivity, like “urgent”, “breaking”, “important” or “alert” are proven to increase email open rates.

Here are some great sample subject lines for emails that use the fear of missing out:

1. Warby Parker: “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring”
2. JetBlue: “You’re missing out on points.”
3. Digital Marketer: “[URGENT] You’ve got ONE DAY to watch this…”
4. Digital Marketer: “Your 7-figure plan goes bye-bye at midnight…”
5. Digital Marketer: “[WEEKEND ONLY] Get this NOW before it’s gone…”
6. Jersey Mike’s Subs: “Mary, Earn double points today only”
7. Guess: “Tonight only: A denim lover’s dream”

Curiosity Inducing Email Subject Lines

Humans have a natural desire for closure. We don’t like having gaps in our knowledge. You can leverage this desire for closure by leaving your subject line open-ended so subscribers will be curious, like a cliffhanger that can only be satisfied by opening the email.

You can make subscribers curious by asking a question, promising something interesting, or simply saying something that sounds strange or unusual.

Here are some great examples of curiosity-inducing subject lines:

8. Manicube: “*Don’t Open This Email*”
9. GrubHub: “Last Day To See What This Mystery Email Is All About”
10. Refinery29: “10 bizarre money habits making Millennials richer”
11. Digital Marketer: “Check out my new “man cave” [PICS]”
12. Digital Marketer: “Is this the hottest career in marketing?”
13. Thrillist: “What They Eat In Prison”
14. Eat This Not That: “9 Disgusting Facts about Thanksgiving”
15. Chubbies: “Hologram Shorts?!”
16. The Hustle: “A faster donkey”
17. Mary Fernandez: “? a surprise gift for you! {unwrap}”

Funny Email Subject Lines

If your subject line makes your subscribers laugh, they must open it. After all, have you ever read a subject line that tickled your funny bone and didn’t read it?

Being humorous and catchy requires more thought and creativity, but it can pay off in terms of your open rates.

Here are some funny email subject lines to make your subscribers laugh:

18. Eater Boston: “Where to Drink Beer Right Now” (Sent at 6:45am on a Wednesday.)
19. OpenTable: “Licking your phone never tasted so good”
20. Groupon: “Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)”
21. The Muse: “We Like Being Used”
22. Warby Parker: “Pairs nicely with spreadsheets”
23. UncommonGoods: “As You Wish” (A reference to the movie The Princess Bride.)
24. Travelocity: “Need a day at the beach? Just scratch n’ sniff your way to paradise…”
25. TicTail: “Boom shakalak! Let’s get started.”
26. Thrillist: “Try To Avoid These 27 People On New Year’s Eve”
27. Baby Bump: “Yes, I’m Pregnant. You Can Stop Staring At My Belly Now.”
28. Gozengo: “NEW! Vacation on Mars”
29. The Hustle: “Look what you did, you little jerk…” (This one’s a reference to the movie Home Alone. We hope.)

Vanity Appealing Email Subject Lines

Everyone has a bit of vanity. People love to be liked, accepted, and even revered by others. It’s just a part of being human.

That’s why some of the most clever subject lines use vanity to get you to open the email. To do this, you can either promise something that makes the subscriber look better to their peers or invoke the fear of being shamed.

Here are some great examples of clever email subject lines that leverage vanity:

30. Guess: “Don’t wear last year’s styles.”
31. Fabletics: “Your Butt Will Look Great in These Workout Pants”
32. Jeremy Gitomer: “How Have You Progressed Since the Third Grade?”
33. Rapha: “Gift inspiration for the discerning cyclist”
34. La Mer: “Age-defying beauty tricks”
35. Pop Physique: “Get Ready. Keep the Pie Off Your Thighs Returns.”
36. Rapha: “As worn in the World Tour”
37. Sephora: “Products the celebs are wearing”

Greedy Email Subject Lines

You may not think of yourself as a “greedy” person, but it can be tough to pass up a great deal, even if you don’t need the item right now. That’s why sales, discounts, and special offers work well in your subject lines.

However, be careful about offering massive discounts; the higher the percentage, the less reliable its effect on your open rates (perhaps because consumers don’t believe large discounts are real).

Regardless, you can usually expect an increase in click-through rates whenever you offer a discount in your subject line. That’s because the people who open these emails are interested in your offer, so they’re naturally inclined to click.

Here are some great email subject line ideas for hitting your subscriber’s “greed” button:

38. Topshop: “Meet your new jeans”
39. Topshop: “Get a head start on summer”
40. HP: “Flash. Sale. Alert.”
41. HP: “New must-haves for your office”
42. Seafolly: “A new product you won’t pass on”
43. Guess: “25% off your favorites”
44. Rip Curl: “Two for two”
45. La Mer: “A little luxury at a great price”
46. Rapha: “Complimentary gift wrap on all purchases”
47. The Black Tux: “Get priority access.”

Catchy Email Subject Lines

Catchy email subject lines create excitement and encourage readers to open the email.

There are many different ways to grab your readers’ attention. For example, you can create an attention-grabbing catchy email subject line by being controversial, confident, or conversational.

You can also give readers an easier way to achieve their goals by offering a shortcut or a helpful resource (e.g., a lead magnet) that saves time and energy.

Here are a few catchy email subject line examples that capture the readers’ attention in one way or another.

48. Syed from OptinMonster: “ 63-Point Checklist for Creating the Ultimate Optin Form”
49. Syed from OptinMonster: “Grow your email list 10X faster with these 30 content upgrade ideas”
50. Ramit Sethi: “How to email a busy person (including a word-for-word script)”
51. Digital Marketer: “Steal these email templates…”
52. Digital Marketer: “A Native Ad in 60 Minutes or Less”
53. Digital Marketer: “212 blog post ideas“

Customer Pain Points Email Subject Lines

If you understand your buyer persona, you should know their biggest pain points. Use those pain points to get subscribers to open your emails by solving that problem.

Here are some examples of email subject lines that bring out the subscriber’s pain points and offer a solution:

54. Pizza Hut: “Feed your guests without breaking the bank”
55. IKEA: “Where do all these toys go?”
56. IKEA: “Get more kitchen space with these easy fixes”
57. HP: “Stop wasting money on ink”
58. Sephora: “Your beauty issues, solved”
59. Uber: “Since we can’t all win the lottery…”
60. Thrillist: “How to Survive Your Next Overnight Flight”
61. Guess: “Wanted: Cute and affordable fashions”
62. Evernote: “Stop wasting time on mindless work”
63. Duolingo: “Learn a language with only 5 minutes per day”

Retargeting Email Subject Lines

Retargeting emails are sent to subscribers when they fail to complete an action or a step in your sales funnel (e.g., when they abandon their cart or fail to purchase after their free trial). These emails serve to bring your subscribers back to your sales process.

You can write effective retargeting subject lines by overcoming objections, offering something to sweeten the deal, or alerting them that something bad will happen if they don’t take action.

Here are some excellent examples of retargeting email subject lines:

64. Nick Stephenson: “How you can afford Your First 10,000 Readers (closing tonight)”
65. Bonobos: “Hey, forget something? Here’s 20% off.”
66. Target: “The price dropped for something in your cart”
67. Syed from Envira: “Mary, your Envira account is on hold!”
68. Syed from Envira: “I’m deleting your Envira account”
69. Ugmonk: “Offering you my personal email”
70. Animoto: “Did you miss out on some of these new features?”
71. Pinterest: “Good News: Your Pin’s price dropped!”
72. Unroll.Me: “ Unroll.Me has stopped working”
73. Vivino: “We are not gonna Give Up on You!”

Personalized Email Subject Lines

Email subject lines that use personalization by including a name boost open rates by 10-14% across industries.

But including your subscriber’s name is only one way to make personalized subject lines. You can also use casual language, share something personal, or use copy that implies familiarity or friendship.

Here are some examples of personal email subject lines that work:

74. Guess: “Mary, check out these hand-picked looks”
75. Rent the Runway: “Happy Birthday Mary – Surprise Inside!”
76. Bonnie Fahy: “Mary, do you remember me?”
77. Kimra Luna: “I didn’t see your name in the comments!?”
78. John Lee Dumas: “Are you coming?”
79. UrbanDaddy: “You’ve Changed”
80. Influitive: “So I’ll pick you up at 7?”
81. James Malinchak: “Crazy Invitation, I am Going to Buy You Lunch…”
82. Brooklinen: “Vanilla or Chocolate?”
83. Sam from The Hustle: “I love you”
84. Ryan Levesque: “Seriously, Who DOES This?”
85. Jon Morrow: “Quick favor?”
86. Mary Fernandez: “you free this Thurs at 12PM PST? [guest blogging class]”
87. Mary Fernandez: “? your detailed results…”
88. Syed from OptinMonster: “300% increase in revenue with a single optin + a neat growth trick from my mastermind!”
89. Revolution Tea: “Thanks for helping us”
90. Harry’s: “Two razors for your friends (on us)”

Straightforward Email Subject Lines

When in doubt, make your subject line simple. Contrary to what you might think, these “boring” subject lines can convert well.

The key to making this work for your list is consistently providing value in your emails. Only send an email if you have something important to say: always make sure your campaigns are packed with value. If you do this, you’ll train your subscribers to open your emails no matter what the subject line says.

For help with writing better emails, check out our post on 19 quick and dirty tricks for writing better emails.

Here are a few examples of email marketing subject lines that get straight to the point:

91. Al Franken: “Yes, this is a fundraising email”
92. AYR: “Best coat ever”
93. Barack Obama: “Hey”

And these “boring” subject lines performed the highest out of 40 million emails, with open rates between 60-87%.

94. “[Company Name] Sales & Marketing Newsletter”
95. “Eye on the [Company Name] Update (Oct 31 – Nov 4)”
96. “[Company Name] Staff Shirts & Photos”
97. “[Company Name] May 2005 News Bulletin!”
98. “[Company Name] Newsletter – February 2006”
99. “[Company Name] and [Company Name] Invites You!”
100. “Happy Holidays from [Company Name]”
101. “Invitation from [Company Name]”

Sales Email Subject Lines

Sales email subject lines are specifically crafted to promote and sell a product or service to potential customers.

These subject lines grab the recipient’s attention and create a sense of urgency or exclusivity. They often use phrases like “limited time,” “exclusive offer,” or “sneak peek” to entice the recipient to open the email and take advantage of the promotion.

They often include a clear call to action, such as “Shop now” or “Learn more,” to encourage the recipient to take action and purchase.

Here are a few examples of effective sales email subject lines that work very well:

102. “Limited time offer: Get 20% off your first purchase!”
103. “Don’t miss out on our biggest sale of the year!”
104. “Sneak peek: Introducing our newest product line”
105. “Upgrade your [product/service] and save 10%”
106. “Exclusive offer: Buy one, get one free!”

Newsletter Email Subject Lines

Newsletter email subject lines are used to promote and share regular updates, news, or information with subscribers.

Newsletters, often sent regularly, such as weekly or monthly, are intended to keep subscribers engaged and informed about the latest developments related to the brand or industry.

Here are a few examples of newsletter email subject lines:

107. “Stay in the know: Our monthly newsletter is here!”
108. “5 must-read articles for this week”
109. “New product announcement: Be the first to know”
110. “Your weekly dose of inspiration and motivation”
111. “Exclusive content: Subscribe to our newsletter for access”

Learn more about newsletters in the following articles:

• How To Create An Email Newsletter in 5 EASY Steps
• 27 Awesome Newsletter Ideas That Will Keep Subscribers Engaged

Follow-up Email Subject Lines

Follow-up email subject lines are used to remind or follow up with a recipient after an initial email has been sent. They are often used for cold emails in sales or networking situations, where a prompt response is needed to close a deal or establish a relationship.

Here are a few examples of follow-up email subject lines that work:

112. “Quick follow-up on our meeting”
113. “Just wanted to touch base on [topic]”
114. “Checking in on your progress”
115. “Friendly reminder: [Action needed]”
116. “Don’t miss out: Last chance to [offer]”

Cold Email Subject Lines

Cold email subject lines are used to outreach prospects or potential customers. They are often used in sales or networking situations where the goal is to generate leads or establish new business relationships.

These types of subject lines are designed to be personalized, brief, and intriguing. They often use phrases like “introducing,” “would you be interested,” or “let’s chat” to communicate the purpose of the email in a friendly and non-invasive manner.

They often include a clear value proposition or a statement of how the sender can help the recipient further establish the potential benefits of engaging with the email.

Here are a few examples of cold email subject lines:

117. “Introducing [Product/Service] – A solution to your [problem]”
118. “Would you be interested in [Value proposition]?”
119. “Can we help you achieve [Goal]?”
120. “Let’s chat about [Topic]”
121. “Reaching out to explore a potential partnership”

Top Email Subject Line Keywords

Many studies have analyzed the effectiveness of using specific email subject line keywords. Use these keywords to boost your open rates even further when crafting your email copy and subject lines.

According to Alchemy Worx, which analyzed 21 billion emails sent by 2,500 brands, the top five most effective subject line keywords were:

122. “upgrade”
123. “just”
124. “content”
125. “go”
126. “wonderful”

In another study from Alchemy Worx, which analyzed 24.6 billion emails, the top subject line keywords for open rates were:

127. “jokes”
128. “promotional”
129. “congratulations”
130. “revision”
131. “forecast”
132. “snapshot”
133. “token”
134. “voluntary”
135. “monthly”
136. “deduction”

Based on Digital Marketer’s analysis of 125 million emails, some top subject line keywords to try are:

137. “free”
138. “ICYMI”
139. “$ today, $$$ tomorrow”
140. numbers (e.g. “7-figure plan”, “212 ideas”, “60 minutes or less”)
141. [brackets] (e.g. “[EMAIL MARKETERS] $95 today, $995 tomorrow,” “[In Case You Missed It] Our best-performing blog post of all time,” “[NAME’s Last Reminder] Up to 90% off our best-selling products gone in 3…2…1…”)

Adestra analyzed over 2.2 billion emails and found the following top subject line keywords:

142. “free delivery”
143. “available”
144. “new”
145. “alert”
146. “news”
147. “update”
148. “summer”
149. “weekend”

In another study from Adestra, which looked at over 125K email campaigns, the top-performing subject line keywords were:

150. “thank you”
151. “*|*|*|*|” (i.e. a subject line that has multiple stories delineated by pipes. For example, “Headline 1 | Headline 2 | Headline 3 | Headline 4”)
152. “monthly”
153. “thanks”
154. “*|*|*|”
155. “bulletin”
156. “golden”
157. “iPhone”
158. “breaking”
159. “order today”

Finally, a report by Smart Insights looked at a random sample of 700 million emails and found that the top-performing subject line keywords were:

160. “introducing”
161. “celebrate”
162. “buy”
163. “continues”
164. “get your”
165. “what…?”
166. “won’t…?”
167. “do…?”
168. “can…?”
169. “may…?”
170. “on orders over”
171. “orders over”
172. “off selected”
173. “your next order”
174. “available”
175. “brand new”
176. “latest”
177. “special”
178. “wonderful”
179. “great deals”
180. “sale starts”
181. “back in stock”
182. “stock”
183. “sale now”
184. “now in”

Did you knowOptinMonster works on any website, but it’s also got the best WordPress popup plugin on the market. Learn about the OptinMonster Effect and how we can help you get more subscribers and customers in 3 simple steps!

Best Practices for Email Subject Lines

Following these email subject line best practices, you can craft subject lines that grab your audience’s attention, increase open rates, and drive engagement.

• Segment Your Audience: Tailor your subject lines to different audience segments based on their interests and behaviors. This can increase open rates and engagement.
• Avoid Spam Trigger Words: Avoid using words that are commonly associated with spam, such as “cash,” “earn money,” “free,” or “act now.” These can trigger spam filters and cause your email to be marked as spam, ultimately affecting your email deliverability. This applies to both the subject line and the body of the email.
• Be Clear and Specific: Your subject line should indicate the content and purpose of the email. Avoid vague or overly general subject lines that don’t give the recipient a good idea of what to expect.
• Use Action-Oriented Language: Use strong verbs and action-oriented language to create a sense of urgency and encourage the recipient to take action. This can include words like “limited time offer,” “urgent,” “today only,” or “ending soon.”
• Use Personalization: Include the recipient’s name or other personalized information to make the email more relevant and personalized.
• Keep A/B Testing: A/B test different subject lines to see what works best for your audience. Try different lengths, formats, and styles to see what resonates with your subscribers.

Common Mistakes To Avoid in Email Subject Lines

When you’re creating that perfect email subject line, try to avoid the following mistakes:

• Using Clickbait or Deceptive Language: Avoid using misleading or exaggerated language to entice the recipient to open the email.
• Using All Caps or Excessive Punctuation: Using all caps or excessive punctuation can make the subject line appear spammy and turn off recipients.
• Making False Promises: Only promise something in the subject line delivered in the email’s body.
• Being Too Vague or Generic: Make sure the subject line is specific and provides value to the recipient.

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Catchy Email Subject Lines

Before choosing a subject line at random, remember these tips for the highest possible open rates.

1. Most People Open Emails on Mobile

Regardless of which of the above techniques you use, make sure your subject line is optimized for mobile users.

While mobile access to email saw a dip at the end of 2018, it’s still the preferred way people access their email.

You can use free marketing tools like Zurb’s TestSubject to see how your subject line will appear on various popular mobile devices.

2. Originality is Key

Also, remember that being original is the key to sustainable success with your email subject lines.

The truth is subscribers get bored easily. If you want to engage first-time openers and long-term inactive subscribers, you don’t want them to read your subject line and think, “There’s that weekly newsletter again that I always ignore.”

You should keep things fresh and exciting. And writing good subject lines for emails is the best way to do that.

3. Try Out Emojis

According to a report by Experian, using emojis in your subject lines can increase your open rates by 45%.

We’ve also been testing this at OptinMonster, and we can confirm that the email subject lines with emojis beat the plain text ones!

Here are the top 15 emojis by subject line appearance.

These aren’t necessarily the “best” ones but the most popular. You can get creative with emojis and emoji combinations for your email subject lines.

That’s it! We hope you found these 184 best subject lines for emails helpful in creating your next subject line. If you did, consider downloading the cheat sheet, so you can always have this guide handy.

Email subject lines are critical to any email marketing campaign, especially for those in the eCommerce industry. They can make or break the success of an email campaign, especially during peak sales events like Black Friday.

Now it’s your turn. Choose one of the subject line examples above to modify and make your own.

Consider incorporating top subject line keywords to boost your newsletter open rates even more.

Need to send a newsletter? Learn how to create and send your first email newsletter with our guide.

Looking for the best bulk email services to help you reach a wider target audience? Check out the Top 10 Best Bulk Emails Services.

If you enjoyed this article, you should also check out the following blog posts:

• 8 Product Recommendation Email Examples to Drive Sales
• 30 Content Upgrade Ideas to Grow Your Email List
• Email Subject Line Statistics To Help You Maximize Your Open Rates
• 27 Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines PROVEN to Convert
• 29 Best Email Automation Tools to Transform Your Business