Email Marketing Best Practices
The rise of TikTok trends and algorithm hacks aside, email marketing still provides (by far) the most significant ROI ($42 for every $1 spent). But the vast majority of businesses aren’t doing anything close to what’s possible. Why? But they’re getting it all wrong (in their email marketing).
In this article, we’re going to reveal the secrets (and strategy) behind the most high-performance email campaigns that get opened, clicked, and converted every… single… time.
To start making your emails work for you? Let’s dive in.
Craft an Attention-Grabbing Subject Line
If your subject line can’t stop the scroll, the rest of your email doesn’t have a prayer.
Writing a magnetic subject line is part science, part art. A study by Convince & Convert found that 35% of email recipients open emails solely because of the subject line. That’s your first (and perhaps only) opportunity.
Best Practices:
- Use curiosity-based language: “You won’t believe what happened once we did this…
- Ask questions: “Still trying to build your list?”
- Create a sense of urgency: “If you don’t do this now, it’s over — save 40% — offer ends tonight!”
- Keep it concise: 6–10 words is the sweet spot.
Real-life example:
BuzzFeed’s subject line “Perter than this quiz?” were opened 60% more than standard formats. And it was playful, and intriguing, and just too clicky to resist.
Get the Preview Text Down Perfect (Not to be Missed!)
Consider your preview text as the sidekick to your subject line. When these two collaborate, magic happens.
Why it matters:
Inboxes are crowded. Preview text makes readers feel what’s inside and can double open rates if a good or unexpected valuable information is teased.
Pro Tips:
- Avoid repeating your subject line — add a little more to it.
- Power verbs: discover, unlock, get, stop, save.
- Focus on an early benefit or offer.
Example:
- Open emails [rephrase & rewrite the email subject]
- Preview Text: “With #2, a lot of marketers do it without even knowing…”
- That’s a click magnet.
Personalization: It’s Not Just in the Name
“Hi {First Name}” is not personalization — it is template marketing.
A true personalization strategy is sending the right message to the right people at the right time. Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened and segmented campaigns pull in 760% more revenue, according to Campaign Monitor.
How to personalize well:
- Segment by behavior (link clicked, cart abandoned, etc.)
- Utilize a dynamic content block according to preferences or demographics
- Send times targeting recipients based on their time zones or historical engagement.
Case Study:
Netflix makes suggestions based on past behavior (what you watched) for what you’ll love next. That’s hyper-targeted personalization—and it’s why their email campaigns are so addictive.
Make Your Emails Read Like a Conversation
- Your email should not sound like a press release. It should feel 1-on-1 with the person.
- Follow this formula for emails that are impossible to resist:
- Hook — Start with an emotional story, question or bold claim.
- Value — Provide them value (an insight, a solution, tip, or freebie).
- CTA – Clear, strong call to action (don’t leave them wondering what to do)
Psychological Insight:
Oxytocin, or the “trust hormone,” is released by our brain when humans hear conversational language. It seems like we’re talking to a real person. That creates loyalty and conversions.
Mobile optimization is a must (or be ignored)
More than 61% of all email opens occur on mobile. Poorly designed email made for desktop is toast.
Quick Wins:
- Use a single-column layout.
- Keep font sizes above 14px.
- Make buttons large enough to tap (44x44px min).
- Use a responsive design tool such as Mailchimp or ConvertKit
Real-Life Insight:
- Fashion retailer ASOS improved click-through rates by 28% by overhauling emails for a design that’s mobile-first.
- When are you actually sending it (it makes a difference!)
- Timing isn’t everything — it’s the only thing.
- Tuesday at 10 AM has high open rates, but your audience may vary.
What to do:
- Test it out on different days and at different times.
- Data to find golden window for audience.
- Think about behavior-triggered emails (welcome emails right after signup, etc).
Hot tip:
- We use AI-based tools like Seventh Sense to optimize when messages are sent based on recipient behavior.
- Invent a single clear and assertive CTA (Call-to-Action)
- An email with more than one goal is an email with no goal.
CTA Best Practices:
- Use action verbs: Get, Start, Try, Download, Book.
- Make it visual—buttons work better than naked links.
- Put it high up on the page (don’t make readers scroll forever).
Conversion Tip:
Use analytical colors for your CTA button—orange and green usually convert better than blue or gray in trials.
Include Emotional (Not Just Filler) Visuals
Pictures punctuate text and elicit emotional reactions. MIT says the brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
Ideas:
- Add some fun and movement with GIFs.
- Use pictures of actual people using your product.
- Skip the stock images — authenticity is the name of the game.
Example:
Fitness brand Peloton shows images of real customers in their homes exercising. It makes readers think: “That could be me.”
Test, Tweak, Repeat
Email marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it approach.
A/B Test regularly:
- Subject lines
- Email length
- CTA wording
- Layout and design
Pro Insight:
Preview emails in various inboxes and devices using tools like Litmus or Email on Acid. A small change can have huge impacts.
Case Study:
HubSpot saw a 25% increase in email CTR by testing button colors and CTA placements.
Growing (and Scrubbing) Your List Like a Pro
Quality > Quantity. Quality always tops quantity; a small, active list beats out a huge, dead list each time.
How to build smart:
- Utilise lead magnets (free guides, discounts, checklists)
- Provide gated content (access upon email registration).
- Ask for signups—we’re talking blogs, social media, exit popups.
And clean it regularly:
- Remove inactive subscribers.
- Use re-engagement campaigns.
- Verify emails to minimize bounce rates.
- A clean list = top deliverability, high engagement, and lower spam complaints.
And Now the Takeaway: Go Ahead and Hit ’Send’ With Your Head Held High
Email marketing is not dead— it’s evolving.
Follow these tried-and-true best practices, and you’ll do more than land in inboxes — you’ll land in hearts and deliver real results. Your subject lines, your buttons, your sentences each have the same job: get them to take action.
💥 Now it’s your turn.
Take ONE tip from this list and put it into action in your next email campaign—today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today. Then watch what happens.
- You’re not merely blasting emails.
- You’re initiated conversations.
- You’re building trust.
- You’re driving sales.
- That all starts with the next click.
