Email marketing: 5 strategies for standing out in a crowded inbox

Digital marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses to communicate with customers, build brand awareness, and generate sales or leads. It uses digital channels to promote products or services to a target audience. One of the most popular digital marketing strategies is email marketing, which involves sending promotional or informative emails to current or potential customers.

Personalisation is key for a successful email marketing campaign. By tailoring emails to individual subscribers, you can build deeper relationships with your audience and increase engagement rates. Personalisation can involve using a subscriber's name in the email, segmenting your email list based on customer interests or behaviour, and tailoring your email content to each individual's preferences.

In the following sections, we'll explore specific email marketing ideas you can implement to make your emails more personalised and engaging.

1. Offer recommendations

Personalised recommendations can be a powerful tool in email marketing. You can offer recommendations for relevant products or services by analysing an individual's previous purchases, browsing history, and preferences. By showing that you understand a potential customer's needs and interests, you can build stronger relationships, promote credibility, and drive revenue growth.

Holidays, birthdays, and customer anniversaries are all ideal opportunities for you to connect with customers and increase sales through themed email campaigns. By providing exclusive discounts and promotions to email subscribers, especially on a holiday or other meaningful date, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and attract new customers to your business. You might also consider creating holiday gift guides to drive sales while making it easier for subscribers to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones.

2. Segment your email list

Segmenting an email list involves dividing subscribers into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, such as demographics, interests, or behaviour. Doing so helps you avoid sending irrelevant messages to subscribers, reducing the risk of "unsubscribes" or spam complaints. You can create targeted and relevant email campaigns tailored to each segment's needs and preferences. This can help you improve your email metrics, such as open and click-through rates, and build a stronger relationship with your subscribers.

3. Provide a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA)

Displaying a prominent CTA and communicating the action you want subscribers to take next is essential for a good email marketing campaign. Use action-oriented language, such as "shop now" or "download our guide." Make sure the CTA stands out visually and is easy to click on and test different variations to see what works best for your audience. A strong CTA can increase engagement, drive conversions, and help you achieve your email marketing goals.

4. Create a sense of urgency

Encourage purchases with language that implies scarcity or time-sensitivity, such as "limited time offer" or "only a few items left." This strategy taps into the customer's sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), which can be a powerful motivator. However, you need to be honest and transparent about the urgency of the offer, as misleading or false claims can damage trust and credibility with subscribers.

5. Showcase your products and services

Feature your products in your emails, so subscribers can learn more about your offerings. Use product images, descriptions, pricing details, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to stand out. 

Email marketing is a powerful means of communicating with your target audience and can help you build a community around your brand. Most email marketing software systems come with a free version that you can play around with. Email is a low-cost and low-risk marketing strategy, so you can experiment with different campaigns and messages to find the style your audience most appreciates. When done well, email marketing is an excellent way to drive engagement and achieve your marketing goals.