One of the most common email marketing mistakes we see is sending campaigns without any real plan behind them. The result is usually the same: rushed emails, unclear objectives, and the occasional embarrassing error that could have been caught with a bit more preparation.
A proper email marketing strategy fixes this. It gives you a framework to plan campaigns in advance, tie your email activity to broader business goals, and measure whether any of it is actually working.
What is an email marketing strategy?
An email marketing strategy is the plan that describes how you will achieve your email goals. Think of it as the document that answers the questions your team should be asking before anyone hits send.
A solid strategy covers:
- Your goals
- How you plan to achieve them
- Who is responsible for each part
- How you will measure success
- A timeline for when things need to happen
What are the benefits of having an email marketing strategy?
A plan to follow. Without a strategy, email marketing tends to become a last-minute scramble at the end of each month. A written strategy gives you something to work from well in advance, which means better briefs, fewer mistakes, and more considered content.
A competitive edge. Building a strategy forces you to look at what your competitors are doing. That alone can surface gaps you can fill or approaches you can improve on.
Goal alignment. Your email programme does not exist in isolation. It should connect directly to your overall marketing and business objectives. A strategy makes that connection explicit, so every campaign has a reason to exist beyond filling an inbox.
A way to measure performance. Clear goals make measurement straightforward. When your strategy defines what success looks like, you can track progress honestly and adjust when something is not working.
Tips for creating your own email strategy
- Set SMART goals. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely give you something concrete to work toward and evaluate against.
- Know your resources. A strategy is only useful if you can actually execute it. Be honest about your team size, budget, and toolset before you commit to a plan.
- Involve your colleagues. Useful input often comes from people outside the marketing team. A quick conversation with sales or customer service can surface angles you would not have considered on your own.
- Start small. There is no rule that says your first strategy needs to be ambitious. Smaller, well-executed goals build momentum and teach you what works before you scale up.
If you would like help putting together an email communications strategy, get in touch. We have built strategies for businesses across a range of industries and helped them set goals they can actually hit.
Frequently asked questions
- What should an email marketing strategy include?
- At minimum, your strategy should define your goals, the steps you will take to achieve them, who owns each task, how you will measure success, and a timeline for execution.
- Why is sending emails without a strategy a problem?
- Without a strategy, campaigns tend to be reactive and rushed. This leads to inconsistent messaging, missed opportunities to align with business goals, and no clear way to judge whether the effort is paying off.
- How do I set goals for my email marketing strategy?
- Use the SMART framework: make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This gives you a clear target and makes it easier to track progress and report results.