How To Create an Email Marketing Campaign That Drives Results

Ever wonder why email marketing is still one of the most effective strategies? According to Forbes, around 88% of people check email every day. Email marketing continues to be a powerhouse in the digital marketing world, delivering one of the highest returns on investment among all marketing channels. Many businesses may underestimate its potential, viewing it as a promotional tool.

According to Statista, the average ROI for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent, which is higher than other marketing ROI industry standards. Some industries may see up to a $45 ROI for every dollar spent by retail, ecommerce, and consumer goods businesses.

Successful email marketing is much more than ROI. It’s about nurturing leads, engaging customers, and delivering personalized messages that build lasting relationships.

Explore how to create email marketing campaigns that drive results, offer email marketing campaign examples, and share best practices for launching your next email marketing campaign.

Different Types of Email Marketing Campaigns

Newsletters

Newsletters are a traditional part of many successful email marketing campaigns. They keep your brand top of mind for your target audience and can help drive website traffic. Even when recipients don’t open every email, the email’s subject line and sender presence build brand awareness over time.

Nurture Campaigns (Email Sequences)

These lead-nurturing campaigns are triggered by user behavior or how someone interacts with your email, such as filling out a form or downloading content. Automated emails are used to educate prospects (or a prospective client), nurture leads, and guide them through the customer journey. For example, after downloading an eBook, new subscribers might receive a welcome email, followed by promotional emails and customer case studies.

email sequence journey diagram flow example

Transactional and Reminder Emails

Transactional emails can be anything from appointment confirmations, event invitations, or post-purchase follow-ups that enhance the customer experience and help maintain customer engagement. These are often overlooked, yet they’re crucial touchpoints that may support broader marketing efforts.

Mini Marketing Case Study

One of our clients’ main goals is to get users to schedule appointments online. But since many of these are booked in advance, users often forget or lose track of the date. To solve this, we built automated email and SMS reminders into their campaign, sent 24 hours before the appointment.

These reminders go beyond just a heads-up—they include a quick checklist of what users should bring or prepare, and questions to think about ahead of time. This has improved both attendance and appointment quality, helping users come prepared and making better use of our client’s time.

Promotional Email Campaigns

Promotional emails may feature exclusive discounts, limited-time offers, or giveaways designed to drive sales and entice customers. These email campaigns are great for re-engaging existing customers and attracting new customers.

Building an Audience for Your Email Marketing Campaign

Permission-Based Marketing Matters

A successful email campaign starts with a clean, opted-in list. The CAN-SPAM Act (2003) requires that marketing emails be sent only to users who have consented. Sending emails to purchased lists can result in low deliverability, high unsubscribe rates, affect your website’s SEO, and land in the spam folder.

The CAN-SPAM Act sets rules for sending commercial emails, aiming to protect recipients from unwanted messages.

Key requirements include:

Honest subject lines that must reflect the true content.
Easy opt-out where an unsubscribe option must be included.
Honor opt-outs within 10 days.
A physical address must be included in emails.

Failure to comply can lead to fines. Following CAN-SPAM guidelines helps maintain a good sender reputation and improves engagement.

Ways To Grow Your List the Right Way

Newsletter sign-ups: Offer valuable content to convert site visitors into new subscribers.
Lead forms with opt-ins: Use forms with clear call to action (CTA) language.
Gated content and events: Use downloadable assets, webinars, or loyalty programs to collect customer data and email permissions.

Maintain List Health

Keep your email marketing process clean by removing inactive email recipients, segmenting based on user behavior, and adjusting email frequency to avoid fatigue.

The Importance of Audience Segmentation and Personalization

Sending the same marketing messages to everyone is a recipe for disengagement. Instead, create targeted campaigns using audience segmentation based on demographics, behavior, and engagement. Personalized emails like birthday messages, product recommendations, or content tailored to specific interests can help boost open and click-through rates (CTR).

Crafting High-Quality Email Content That Converts

Mobile-Friendly Email

Mobile devices have become the primary way people engage with email. According to Forbes, mobile accounts for 41% of email views, slightly edging out desktop (39%), with tablets and other devices making up the remaining 20%.

What this means for marketers: If your emails aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re likely losing a significant portion of your audience. Mobile-friendly layouts, readable fonts, large tap targets (especially for your call-to-action CTA buttons), and fast-loading visuals are essential to ensure a smooth experience for mobile users, and to improve overall engagement and conversions.

Craft Compelling Subject Lines

The email’s subject line is your first impression. Compelling subject lines like “Check Out Our Newsletter” or “Ready To Save on Your Next Purchase?” can dramatically improve open rates. Subject lines of 6–10 words tend to perform best.

A/B testing subject lines is a great way to refine your email strategy. Regularly testing subject lines by varying elements like length, tone, personalization, and urgency can identify what resonates best with your audience. For instance, testing different subject lines can reveal preferences that lead to higher open rates. Consider using emojis to add personality and visual appeal. When used sparingly, they can increase engagement, particularly among mobile users.

Pay attention to casing as well; Title Case can convey formality while sentence case may feel more conversational and natural for your brand’s voice. Use punctuation sparingly and only if necessary. Always back your decisions with research — understanding what your target audience responds to best will help optimize subject line performance and overall email engagement.

Make Your Emails Easier To Read

Most people skim through emails, especially on mobile devices. Emails that are easy to scan perform better across all key metrics.

To make your email content more valuable and easier to digest, consider incorporating these best practices into your email marketing strategy.

Copy (Content) Best Practices

Lead with value and tell readers what’s in it for them.
Keep paragraphs clear and concise, ideally 2–3 lines.
Use bullet points and numbered lists to highlight key information.
Use relevant, actionable, and benefit-driven language.
Personalize where possible, like names in subject lines or audience preferences.
Avoid jargon and write like you’re speaking to a friend.
Highlight urgency.
Use one clear, compelling CTA.

Design Best Practices

Design mobile-first content using responsive layouts.
Create a clear visual hierarchy with headings and spacing.
Consider whether posed or portrait photography or a lifestyle image is best for your campaign and your audience.
Use consistent branding (colors, fonts, logo).
Balance images and text to avoid clutter.
Make your CTA button prominent and easy to tap.
Use white space to improve readability and reduce clutter.

Tracking and Measuring Email Marketing Success

Tracking key metrics helps optimize your email campaigns and shapes your future campaigns. Understanding what resonates with your audience can help improve your overall email marketing strategy and increase ROI.

Key metrics to track:

Open rate: Are recipients opening your emails?
Click-through rate (CTR): Are they engaging with your links?
Conversions: Are you meeting your campaign goals?
Unsubscribe rate: Are users opting out, and what might be causing it?

Choosing the Best Email Marketing Tools

Selecting an Email Marketing Platform

There are many email marketing tools available, ranging from simple solutions like Mailchimp and Constant Contact to more robust email marketing platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The right email marketing platform depends on your business size, customer data needs, and level of integration with other marketing channels.

Effective Campaign Management

To create email marketing campaigns that drive results, use automation, segmentation, and consistent testing. Whether managed in-house or through a marketing agency, focus on execution — designing mobile-responsive templates, tracking performance, and adjusting based on user behavior.

Turn Email Into a Growth Engine for Your Business

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to engage customers, nurture leads, and drive sales. With thoughtful segmentation, compelling content, and the right email marketing tools, you can elevate your email marketing efforts and improve the performance of all your marketing campaigns. Remember: a successful email marketing campaign doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of a strategic email marketing process.

Whether you’re sending promotional email campaigns, welcome emails, or transactional emails, focus on delivering relevant content and targeted messages. Keep optimizing your subject lines, email frequency, and personalization tactics to meet your goals and grow your brand’s reach across all devices, especially mobile users.

Looking for help to create email campaigns that actually convert? Contact Creative Springs to build your next email marketing campaign with confidence.