Email marketing tips that earn the open, then the sale
Your list is growing, your emails go out on time, and the next step is the sales they should bring in. Every send that earns a read trains your subscribers to open the next one.
Below: subject lines that earn the open, emails people can act on from a phone, segments that make each send relevant, and the numbers that show whether email pays.
Write subject lines that earn the open
The subject line earns the chance for everything else in the email.
Use power words
Emotionally charged words trigger curiosity or urgency. Use them where they are true:
- “Exclusive”
- “Limited Time”
- “Breaking”
- “Insider”
Open a curiosity gap
Hint at something valuable and keep the full reveal for the email. For example:
- “The workout trick that’s changing lives”
- “You won’t believe what we’ve discovered about productivity”
Personalise beyond the first name
A first name is expected. A detail the reader recognises as theirs gets noticed:
- “[City] residents: your local guide is here”
- “Based on your last purchase, we think you’ll love this”
A/B test continuously
Your audience decides what works. Test subject line styles, lengths and elements on every send and keep what wins.
Design every email for the phone first
An email that reads easily on a phone carries most of its readers through to your offer, so mobile optimization comes first.
Mobile devices continue to be the primary reading environment for the majority of subscribers.
Build with responsive design
Emails should adapt to every screen size. A single-column layout keeps scrolling easy.
Write for a quick scan
- Use short paragraphs and bullet points
- Leave plenty of white space
- Make CTAs large and easily tappable (minimum 44×44 pixels)
Make images load fast and read well when switched off
- Give every image alt text, so the email reads well with images switched off
- Compress images to reduce load times
- Consider scalable vector graphics (SVGs) for logos and icons
Test across multiple devices and email clients
Preview every email on various platforms with tools like Litmus or Email on Acid before it goes to your whole list.
Segment your list and personalise each send
A message written for one segment persuades that segment. Segments let each subscriber get the email that fits.
Behavioural segmentation
Segment your list based on what people actually do:
- Purchase history
- Email engagement levels
- Website browsing patterns
Dynamic content
Dynamic content blocks change with subscriber data:
- Show different product recommendations based on past purchases
- Alter imagery to reflect the subscriber’s location or demographics
Personalised send times
Send when each subscriber is most likely to open, based on when they have opened before.
Lifecycle-based emails
Match campaigns to the customer’s journey:
- Welcome series for new subscribers
- Re-engagement campaigns for inactive users
- Loyalty rewards for frequent customers
Read the numbers behind each send
Judge email on the right number and you improve the right thing.
Look beyond open rates
Open rates are now a weak signal on their own. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection preloads messages, so an "open" from those users counts the preload, whether or not anyone read the email.
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection now affects roughly 55 to 60% of all email opens.
Focus on:
- Click-through rates, and whether the page the click lands on holds it (our technical SEO work covers that side)
- Conversion rates
- Revenue per email
Heat mapping
Heat mapping tools show where subscribers click within your emails.
Predictive analytics for send times, next purchases and churn
AI and machine learning can predict:
- The best time to send emails to each subscriber
- Which products a customer is most likely to buy next
- When a customer is at risk of churning
Let automation test subject lines, send times and content
AI-powered tools can automatically:
- Write subject lines
- Optimize send times
- Personalise content for each recipient
Fix your weakest link on the next send
Pick the one weakest link, whether subject lines, mobile layout or segments, and test a fix on your next send. Judge it on clicks and conversions, measured with proper conversion tracking, keep what wins, and move to the next.
