When you’re new to email marketing, it can be difficult to figure out what works and what doesn’t. That means it may take a while until you get the hang of crafting successful email campaigns that lead users back to your blog and get you more conversions.
Aside from practice, the best way to learn a new skill is to check out what experts in the field are doing. Analyzing successful campaigns can provide you with ideas for your next email, and it can help you improve your own copywriting skills faster.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at five of my favorite email campaigns. We’ll talk about their individual goals, the language they use, and what makes them outstanding. Let’s get to it!
1. Desiree Linden’s Boston Maraton Victory
A lot of writers forego subtlety entirely when it comes to email marketing. All they want is to get more conversions, so they beat you over the head with their point over and over again. Personally, I’m a fan of more understated campaigns, like this one.
At first glance, it doesn’t look like much. Just a couple of pictures of Desiree Linden and some information about her victory. However, that’s more than enough, in this case.
If you read the campaign, you’ll notice it tries to evoke feeling using nationalism, which is reinforced by the first image. The idea is that you should feel proud of Linden and hopefully, want to be a bit more like her. If you’re in that emotional headspace, then you’re more likely to click on the Call-to-Action (CTA) at the bottom of the screen.
Notice that at no time does the email push any specific products on you. It’s all about Linden and her accomplishments. The point is, there are ways to make sales via email without sounding like a cold caller.
2. Postmates
This particular campaign came out when Postmates added a new product to their roster. It immediately caught my eye because it’s dynamic in a way most emails aren’t. Animated images are incredibly common on the web, but not so much among emails.
Aside from the animated tortilla chips, the email itself is quite to-the-point. It uses short questions and answers to give you the information it wants, and it makes sure to highlight the low price of their offer.
The writing itself is nothing to write home about (pardon the pun), but the email is fun and effective. When it comes to marketing food products via email or on a website, it’s all about making your photographs as enticing as possible. In this case, the email left me craving tortilla chips, so it was mission accomplished.
To sum it up – remember your emails don’t need to be all about text and sometimes, you don’t need to use long, tedious paragraphs to make your point.
3. Warby Parker
This Warby Parker campaign might not be a looker, but I’m a big fan of how functional it is. The email notifies you when your prescription is about to expire, and it makes sure to highlight that date as much as possible.
Once it has your attention, the campaign directs you towards Warby Parker’s selection of glasses. Personally, I think the CTAs could be a bit more compelling. Perhaps something such as “Get a new pair now” or another phrase that’s more actionable than “Shop Men”. However, aside from that, the campaign does its job admirably.
If you’re promoting products that have an expiration date or subscriptions through your blog, emails like this one can help you retain business. A lot of people just forget to renew their subscriptions or make new orders, so a quick reminder is often enough to secure their business for longer.
4. HireVue
It’s pretty common for people to sign up to mailing lists only to ignore the vast majority of messages they get from those. I myself am guilty of ignoring a lot of email campaigns.
It’s not that I don’t care about the content they send me, but I don’t have time to read every single email that reaches my inbox. That means if its title doesn’t catch my eye, I’ll probably delete it right away. For email lists I really don’t like, I just unsubscribe right away.
The goal behind this HireVue campaign is to target those users that haven’t been opening their emails and making them feel a tiny bit guilty. Its message is short and tongue-in-cheek, and the CTA they use is excellent. After all, how can you not click on a button that says “Don’t Let Me Go”?
Once your email list grows a bit, you’ll probably want to prune inactive contacts from time to time, which is a feature most platforms offer. That way, those people that never tune into your emails won’t affect your metrics, and you can focus on your active subscribers.
5. The Limited
Out of all the campaigns I’ve shown you, this one is the most traditional example. It’s a simple sales email that’s supposed to get you to visit The Limited store and make a purchase. However, I’m still a fan of it due to its design and simplicity.
A lot of times, when someone is trying to make a sale, they’ll talk too much, and that happens with email campaigns as well. This campaign, on the other hand, just quickly informs you about all the discounts the shop has going on.
When you focus on the design, you’ll notice the fonts are large and impactful, and there’s some excellent contrast going on in there, which makes the letters pop even more. Once you notice the “You know you want to” message they snuck in there, you’ll probably rush to click the Shop Now button at the bottom of the email.
If you’re running an email campaign for your blog, you’re probably the kind of person that focuses more on copy over style. However, great design can often help you make sales you wouldn’t otherwise. That’s why you should experiment with different types of layouts and designs for your emails.
Conclusion
Not all your email campaigns are going to be home runs. However, that doesn’t mean you should get discouraged. From time to time, you’ll hit it out of the park with an email that gets you a ton of conversions. The more you practice, the more often those emails will come around.
Aside from practice, the best way to learn how to create amazing email campaigns is to check out what other businesses are doing. Plus, don’t forget you can also A/B test your email campaigns, so you can experiment and find out what works best.
If you’re not sure what email marketing service to use, then you might want to check out Constant Contact. It comes with a 60-day free trial, so that’s more than enough time to get up to speed, even with a new blog.