Email campaigns can, will and should look and sound vastly different between companies, for different purposes and for different audiences. So how do you know what makes a good email? Here are 10 tips to help you create campaigns worth opening.
1. Write a compelling subject line
If you stumble here, people will not open the email. Full stop.
Your newsletter lands in a crowded inbox, so make a strong first impression with a subject line that is intriguing or interesting enough to earn a click. And do not ignore the pre-header, it sits right next to the subject line and gives you extra space to pull the reader in.
- Use personalisation and imagery
Relevance is everything. Generic newsletters with one-size-fits-all messages might get a response here and there, but only when a subscriber's needs happen to line up with what you sent.
Targeted campaigns built around your customers' interests, and addressed directly to them, produce far higher engagement. Your subscribers want to feel like more than an email address on a spreadsheet. easyJet is a well-known example of personalisation and imagery done well.
3. Give your audience something useful
Valuable content keeps readers' eyes on the email. You have roughly 51 seconds of attention from someone scanning a newsletter, so make it count.
Break the email up with content blocks, images or video, and bullet points. Keep it concise, but not so brief that it loses meaning. Formats that work well include infographics, blog posts, tips, event announcements, competitions, webinars, and short videos.
4. Include a clear call-to-action
Every marketing email needs a meaningful call-to-action (CTA). Your subscribers receive a lot of email every day, give them a reason to care about yours and tell them exactly what to do next.
5. Include an offer
People need a reason to stay subscribed. Valuable content helps, but your audience will always be asking "what's in it for me?" Discounts, free trials, downloads, and early-bird offers all give subscribers a tangible reason to engage.
6. Be consistent
Trust is built through reliability. Stick to a sending schedule so subscribers know what to expect. If you only send once every few months, subscribers will forget who you are, and your emails are more likely to be flagged as spam. Sending regularly keeps you relevant and builds a better impression over time.
7. Link back to your website
It sounds obvious, but always make it easy for subscribers to reach your site. Use buttons, bold text, and visible links throughout the email. The goal is to drive traffic and get people familiar with your products and services.
8. Your reputation matters
Subscribers need to trust a brand before they sign up, but that trust has to be maintained after they are on the list. Respond to queries that come in after a campaign quickly, you started the conversation, so be ready to continue it. Always monitor the inbox that receives replies, and never send from a no-reply address.
9. Keep your brand consistent
Email is one channel in a broader mix. Your design, tone, and messaging should remain consistent across all of them. If something you said on social media contradicts your last email campaign, that inconsistency erodes trust. Keep your voice and your message aligned across every channel, or you risk subscribers drifting away.
10. Know the rules
Email marketing is governed by law, and compliance is not optional. POPIA, GDPR, ECTA, and CAN-SPAM each cover different aspects of email marketing, with some overlap. Compliance means only emailing opt-in lists, including an unsubscribe option in every campaign, and adding your company details to the footer, among other requirements. Your sending reputation depends on getting this right.
Here is a downloadable checklist to help ensure you create great emails every time.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a marketing email be?
- There is no single right length, but keep in mind that subscribers typically spend around 51 seconds scanning a newsletter. Break content into clear blocks with images, bullet points, and short paragraphs. Brief is better, but not so brief that the email loses its point.
- What email marketing laws apply in South Africa?
- South African email marketers need to comply with POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) and ECTA (Electronic Communications and Transactions Act). If you send to international subscribers, GDPR and CAN-SPAM may also apply. In practice, this means only emailing people who have opted in, always including an unsubscribe option, and adding your company details to every campaign.
- Why should I never send from a no-reply email address?
- When you send a campaign, you are starting a conversation. A no-reply address blocks subscribers from responding to that conversation and signals that you are not interested in hearing from them. It also means genuine queries go unanswered, which damages trust.
- How often should I send email campaigns?
- Often enough that subscribers remember who you are, but not so often that they feel overwhelmed. A consistent schedule, whether weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, matters more than a specific frequency. Irregular sending makes you easy to forget and increases the risk of your emails being marked as spam.