5 ways to build converting email campaigns

Amidst the growing challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy, email marketing stands out as a powerful tool for connecting with your audience in a meaningful way.

Emails are ideal for communicating your brand's mission, highlighting your value proposition, and turning subscribers into loyal fans. But for this to happen, you need to build every email campaign with a specific goal in mind.

Everything comes down to how you'll get recipients to take the desired action. In other words, if you want your emails to convert, they need to be designed with precision.

To guide you down this path, we'll list the most effective ways to build high-converting email campaigns and win your subscribers over.

1) Increase your chances with email automation

In email marketing, timing and consistency are everything. To achieve a steady stream of conversions, delivering email content every now and then won't cut it. Automation is a time-saving process that enables you to set your emails on autopilot without having to revisit every campaign.

The key is to consider which messages your audience is more likely to interact with based on criteria like demographics, buying patterns, preferences, or stage in your sales funnel.

Then, you should find relevant triggers to fire up your automation.

Create and send automated emails based on actions like:

Purchases
Page visits
Links clicked
Content downloads

When it comes to eCommerce businesses, in particular, strategically designed workflows ensure timely and targeted messaging and encourage repeat interactions.

Let's say you want to create a date-triggered workflow to send an exclusive discount on each subscriber's birthday. You could set up this automation with Klaviyo, one of the most popular email marketing platforms for online stores. Its wide selection of 60 pre-built, eCommerce-oriented workflows allows you to build and customize automated emails quickly.

What happens, though, if this workflow doesn't end up meeting your needs? You might realize that many users don't want to share their birthday. In that case, you could change the initial trigger and send a discount on the subscriber's anniversary with your company, instead.

However, Klaviyo users report there's no option of editing an existing flow unless you clone the entire flow first, which can be frustrating – especially for entry-level or non-savvy marketers. To have more flexibility when editing email automation, you might want to explore alternatives that combine built-in complex workflows and a simplified creation process.

Automation can boost conversions, but it shouldn't be complicated. While you need a multitude of triggers and conditional steps, you want the workflow creation to be as straightforward as possible.

Automation can greatly benefit your email campaigns, there’s no doubt about that, just be sure to select the right automation platform that meets your specific business needs.

2) Refine your CTAs

If you see your conversion rates dropping, you should investigate your email CTAs. One of the best ways to design converting email campaigns is through effective CTAs with straightforward messages that motivate readers to click.

Use strong and concise language with action words to show readers what you expect of them. But make it about them.

Let's take a fashion brand that introduces a new clothing collection through a dedicated email. There's the option of using generic CTA copy like “Buy now” or “Shop the collection." But what if they go for “Elevate your style” instead? Such an approach turns the focus on the benefits of taking action, which is improving consumers’ style with the products.

Value-driven CTAs speak directly to your subscribers’ aspirations, increasing the chances of conversions. Not to mention that it's a great email practice in terms of accessibility for people using screen readers.

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Refining your CTAs isn't limited to writing great copy. Your CTA design impacts your conversion rates, too. It's all about making them stand out and catch the recipient's attention instantly.

Here’s a few tips on how you can achieve just that:

Use fonts with appropriate size and web-safe types to facilitate the reading process.
If you use CTAs in the form of buttons, make them large enough so users with touchscreens can easily tap on them.
Ample color contrast between your CTA and its background ensures all users will spot it and that your design meets accessibility standards.

And let's not forget color psychology – colors are one of the most bulletproof ways to provoke specific emotions. Consider experimenting with different CTA colors to find out which brings the best results. Just make sure they are aligned with your campaign goal and overall branding.

Here's an overview of how popular colors are typically interpreted:

3) Highlight the benefits

Before committing, your readers want to know why they should take the next step. Going on and on about your products and services will only get you so far.

You need to explain why your offerings are worth your prospects’ money and time. Also, they must understand how you’ll help them address daily challenges. In other words, put your audience at the center of your messages.

So, instead of listing features, focus on how your value proposition will benefit them and improve their lives. Provide informative and educational email content that demonstrates how to make the most of your products or services. You could include case studies or testimonials as real-life examples of how your business addressed other customers’ needs.

When emphasizing what's in it for the reader, keep your email copy concise and to the point. Make the benefits tangible and consider using a conversational tone to connect with readers on a personal level. Including a compelling CTA is the final step toward encouraging subscribers to claim the benefits for themselves.

AllTrails’ email is an excellent example of a benefit-focused campaign. The email copy emphasizes the positive impact of participating in outdoor activities on mental health.

Using this as a starting point, the content urges readers to explore trails for their well-being rather than just promoting the selling proposition.

AllTrails’ email emphasizing the positive impact of participating in outdoor activities on mental health — Source

4) Create an incentive

Remember when you were a kid and your parents used to promise you ice cream as a reward for doing your homework? That’s an incentive and it drives almost every decision people make.

The same goes for your subscribers. Creating converting email campaigns starts with incentivizing them to click on your call to action. Again, it's all about identifying what they need and delivering it to them.

One way to go about this is by offering exclusive offers, special discounts, coupons, and any treat your subscribers would love. For example, include a first-order discount in your welcome email to further engage new customers and get them to convert into paying customers.

You can also give away some type of freebie, gift, or complementary product or service to sweeten the deal. It might be anything from a free eBook to a product sample – always based on the nature of your offerings and your prospects’ desires.

Here's how Cometeer used a 25% discount to motivate recipients to purchase – not just once, but twice. And they made sure to highlight the discount right from the email subject line (“We’re giving you free coffee!”) to increase their email open rates and lure readers in.

Another tried and tested tactic is leveraging scarcity and FOMO (fear of missing out) by incorporating limited-time offers in your emails. Use phrases like “Offer expires soon” or “Act now” to create a sense of urgency. You could even include countdown timers within your email design to display the time left and incentivize quick conversions.

5) Get into psychology

Psychology in email marketing is about appealing to your audience's emotions and desires to guide them toward acting on your message. When you know how different psychological triggers work, you can tailor your emails effectively to foster lasting relationships.

Back to FOMO: This tactic capitalizes on consumers’ fear of missing out on a great offer. Marketers use the FOMO effect to emphasize what readers might lose by not taking action. Ensure your emails highlight potential opportunities or benefits of buying your products or services. This is another occasion where scarcity can do the trick, so consider including phrases like “Only a few items left” or “X product’s moving fast.”

If there's something most of us have experienced, it’s how easily visual content conveys messages and evokes emotions. Adding compelling images or videos that resonate with your audience increases relatability, especially when you include the faces of real people. For example, feature a YouTube video of the founder(s) sharing the brand's story and vision.

Visual content is even more effective when used as social proof. Incorporating customer testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content elevates trust, especially when paired with visual content. Positive customer feedback in the form of visuals is a powerful weapon that establishes credibility as no marketing message can.

Pave the way for conversions

Email marketing is your trusted ally to generate new customers and retain existing ones. As soon as your emails make their way through the myriads of promotions, you have to catch subscribers’ attention – and keep it. The best way to do this is by adopting the strategies shared in our guide.

Let's wrap them up:

Invest in email automation to send the right message at the best time in your recipients’ buying journey.
Use prominent and eye-catching CTAs that clearly show what your readers will gain upon clicking.
Focus on the benefits of your products and services, showcasing how they can enhance your prospects’ lives.
Create small yet valuable incentives to demonstrate the value of the offerings and encourage engagement.
Leverage the power of psychology to evoke emotional responses and create impactful emails.

Implement these tips consistently in your email marketing and watch your emails turn into powerful tools that drive sales, conversions, and customer loyalty.

About the author

Maria Fintanidou works as a copywriter for email marketing automation software Moosend, having created the Help Articles (FAQs) and overseen the platform’s translations in Greek and Spanish.

She loves exploring new cultures and ways of thinking through traveling, reading, and language learning.

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5 strategies for building high-converting email campaigns