Sending out an email or two is easy. But creating a long-term email strategy that will grow your business requires an intentional approach that leverages email marketing best practices. From the right tactics for acquiring new subscribers to the best ways for readers to unsubscribe, the world of email marketing has rules to learn. If you don’t know these guidelines, you can end up with emails that look great on desktop but don’t look great on mobile, have a large inactive mailing list, or send emails that don’t get opened. By focusing on email best practices, you can better connect with your customers, convert subscribers into sales, and grow your business.

If you are new to email marketing or have reached a limit on the growth of your email list, this article will provide tips to help you improve your emails and develop an effective email marketing strategy. We will introduce 20 email best practices that will help you build a sustainable email marketing strategy and move beyond one-time emails to long-term business success.

20 Best Email Marketing Practices

1. Use double opt-in email sign-ups
2. Send a welcome email
3. Avoid using no-reply email addresses
4. Personalize your email
5. Write comfortably and conversationally
6. Keep your emails concise
7. Make your email easy to scan
8. Make your subject line perfect
9. Consider preview text
10. Writing a compelling CTA (call to action)
11. A/B Testing Content
12. Leverage audience segmentation
13. Make your email accessible
14. Optimizing for mobile
15. Setting a consistent sending cycle
16. Developing an Email Marketing Strategy with Analytics
17. Include sharing options
18. Get more subscribers using lead magnets
19. Clean up your email list regularly
20. Make it easy to unsubscribe

1. Use double opt-in email sign-up

Providing information and sending offers via email is a form of permission marketing, a term used by Seth Godin in his book Permission Marketing: How to Turn Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers . Godin argues that the most effective and respectful way to do this is to let your customers participate in your marketing and decide when, where, and how they want to receive advertising. When a website visitor, prospect, or existing buyer signs up for your mailing list, you give them a way to communicate with you.

Double opt-in email signups are a method of collecting genuinely authorized email addresses with an additional verification step compared to single opt-in. This method helps prevent fake signups and comply with anti-spam regulations and laws such as GDPR.

Here's what a double opt-in email signup looks like in practice:

• A website visitor fills out a signup form on your website's landing page.
• You will receive an email confirming your subscription to our mailing list.
• After verification, you will become an official subscriber who has opted in to receive emails.

A luxury skincare company called Beneath Your Mask uses double opt-in email signups to send a welcome email after subscribers are added to their list.

Many email marketing platforms (e.g. Shopify Email) offer the option to enable double opt-in email signups to help businesses maintain a high-quality mailing list. These email marketing best practices can help you build an engaged list and maintain high open rates that can lead to sales.

2. Send a welcome email

After a customer opts in to receive your emails, send them a welcome email to build that initial connection and prepare them for what to expect. Welcome emails have an average open rate of over 86% , so it’s important to capitalize on them. Most email marketing services (like Shopify’s built-in marketing automation feature) allow you to send automated welcome emails to new subscribers after they join your mailing list. Make sure your welcome emails are always relevant and relevant to your new subscribers.

Here's how to make your first email to your subscribers effective:

• Introduce yourself and your business: Welcome emails are a great opportunity to build brand affinity for your company and connect emotionally with your subscribers. Tell your readers about yourself and your company’s background, and show them the journey from idea to launch. Add a personal touch, such as a team photo or a handwritten signature at the bottom of the email.
• Curate and send your best content: If you share useful information and tips as part of your email marketing strategy, new subscribers may miss out on the rich content you’ve published before. Send your new subscribers a curated selection of your most popular articles or posts in their first email.
• Offer a discount or promotion: Often businesses will offer a promotional discount, such as 10% off your first order, to entice website visitors to sign up for their email mailing list. In this case, you can use your welcome email to follow through on your promise, provide subscribers with a discount code, and even curate suggestions for products they can purchase. Or, you can delight new subscribers to your email list with an unexpected discount.

A company that develops a line of natural skin care products called Bushbalm offers promotional discounts to website visitors and encourages them to sign up for their mailing list. The welcome email offers a limited-time special discount to new subscribers.

The first contact with your subscribers is an opportunity that should not be overlooked. Instead, focus on sending a welcome email that will help you achieve your business goals.

3. Avoid using no-reply email addresses

Email marketing that connects directly to your subscribers’ email inbox is an opportunity to build a strong relationship with your readers. The type of email address you use can affect this relationship. As an email marketing best practice, avoid using no-reply email addresses. Instead, choose a valid email address that your subscribers can actually respond to. The difference between the two types is:

• No-reply email address: This type of email address is set to not receive incoming emails. It is often used in the format noreply@company.com . This is a good option for transactional emails (such as purchase or delivery confirmations, password resets, etc.), but is not suitable for regular subscriber emails.
• Valid Email Address: This type of email address is set up to receive incoming emails. It is usually styled as an alias, such as leslie@company.com or hello@company.com . This is a good option for regular subscriber emails.

Monitor your business’s email inbox and respond promptly to incoming emails. As your business grows, you can set up your inbox to filter auto-responders and automatically forward subscriber responses to your customer service specialists. Personalized emails encourage engagement and feedback from your newsletter subscribers, which can provide information about your business and have a positive impact on your email deliverability .

4. Personalize your email

Connect with your subscribers and deliver maximum value by sending personalized emails. One of the simplest ways to add a personal touch to your emails is to use an email marketing platform to dynamically add your subscribers’ names.

Choose an email marketing platform with powerful automation features to create personalized email experiences for each subscriber:

• Website Browsing Emails : Using an email marketing platform integrated with your website, you can send emails based on your website’s browsing history when a website visitor converts to a subscriber and consents to the use of cookies. For example, for an online store, you can send an automated email to introduce a few items that were clicked on but not purchased.
• Cart Abandonment Emails : Sometimes customers get to the checkout stage and then don’t complete their purchase. Automated cart abandonment emails can send a reminder to your customers’ inboxes to encourage them to make a purchase.
• Birthday Discount Emails : Collect birthday information from your email subscription form so you can send your subscribers a discount code as a birthday gift.
• Product Purchase Education Emails : When you make a specific purchase, we'll send you emails to help you get the most out of your purchase.

Personalization allows you to send “just-in-time” emails that provide a tailored experience to your subscribers.

5. Write comfortably and conversationally

As a business, you want to approach your customers in a polished and professional manner. However, in reality, a formal writing style can be stiff and make your emails sound cold and impersonal. Instead, it is better to set a relaxed and conversational tone in your emails.

• Avoid complex language : Often people sign up for email lists to get information from experts. However, expertise can be conveyed without using overly complex language. Instead, use simple, clear language.
• Use contractions : One way to make it sound more natural is to use contractions, such as "who's" and "there's." We generally use contractions when we speak, and a good rule of thumb for conversational email tone is to write the way you speak.
• Avoid jargon and acronyms : Your industry will have jargon and acronyms that insiders know well, but may not apply to everyone reading your email. Write out all acronyms and use common terms to avoid confusion.
• Speak like a trusted advisor or friend : When writing an email, use your voice as if you were giving advice to a friend. Be direct and honest, but also light and friendly.

These small changes can make a difference in ensuring your emails aren't just archived but read all the way through by your subscribers.

6. Keep your emails concise

The average person sends and receives 121 business emails a day . The emails you send to your subscribers are just another piece of the endless digital pile. Keep your emails short and concise to increase the chances of them being read.

A furniture company called Sundays sent out a short, concise email announcing its biggest sale of the year for Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

According to Campaign Monitor , the recommended email body length is between 50 and 125 words. This is just a guideline, and you should experiment to find the length that works for your audience. However, avoid emails that are so long that readers click away midway through, and instead get straight to the point so that your readers know exactly what you want to convey (e.g., an upcoming promotional sale or a new product line launch).

7. Make your email easy to scan

People don’t typically read every word of an email from beginning to end. Instead, when reading online, people often adopt an F-shaped reading pattern, focusing on the top part of the text and scrolling vertically. The reader’s eyes scan for important details to get a general idea of ​​what the newsletter is trying to convey.

Structure your emails to help your readers absorb as much information as possible as quickly as possible. Here are some tips for avoiding huge blocks of text and creating content that is easy to scan:

• Keep paragraphs short : Use the “one idea per paragraph” rule to keep your message clear, concise, and to the point.
• Use bullets and lists : Breaking up information into bullets and lists (like these) is easier to scan than sentences within blocks of text.
• Add a header : For longer emails, break them up into chunks using eye-catching, informative headers.
• Add graphics : Add relevant graphics or photos, such as product snapshots, to break up the text and grab your reader's attention.
• Bold important information : If your email has a central message, such as asking readers to take a survey or announcing a collaboration, make that message bold.
• Use CTA buttons : Make it clear what action you want your readers to take with a clear CTA box and prominent CTA text.
• Leave some white space : Too little space between lines of text makes it harder to scan, so use white space strategically to make your email flow smoothly.

These simple tips will make your emails easier to read, making it easier for you to deliver your message to your subscribers.

8. Make your subject line perfect

It’s important to write an attractive and informative email when your subscribers need to open it. That’s why it’s so important to have a subject line that catches your readers’ eyes in a crowded inbox. Avoid tricks like ALL CAPS, excessive exclamation marks, and excessive use of emoticons, and instead try these tips:

• Think like a copywriter : Your email subject line isn't a magazine ad or a billboard, but think about capturing that same attention by writing phrases that pique curiosity about what your email is about.
• Keep it short : Most email clients have a character limit after which the subject line is truncated. Say more in fewer words by limiting the number of characters in your subject line.
• Tell your readers what's coming : Don't hide anything to attract your readers. Tell your subscribers what's waiting for them when they open your email.
• Add urgency : If you have a special price promotion or a sale ending soon on your website, let your readers know right in the subject line.
• Make it timely : Calendar dates, such as upcoming holidays or events, can drive action. If you’re an accounting service, remind readers that tax day is coming up, or if you sell custom decorations, remind readers of your Christmas shipping deadline.
• Stay Original : Overusing terms like “free” can turn off your readers and affect your deliverability.

Think of a subject line that will make your reader click through without opening other emails in their inbox.

9. Consider the preview text

If the subject line is the title, the preview text is the subtitle. If the subject line is the first thing your subscribers see, the preview text is your second chance to inspire them to open your email. Instead of using the preamble or first line of your email as your default preview text, customize your preview text to choose phrases that will make your readers want to read your email.

Instead of repeating your subject line in slightly different words in your preview text, consider these two lines as complementary. Here are some examples from real companies:

• Company: Allbirds

  • Subject line: Endorphins Incoming …
  • Preview Text: Essentials to Start the New Year Ready

• Company: Bullet Journal

  • Title line: The Last Resolution
  • Preview Text: Finding Better Tools for Change

• Company: CB2

  • Title line: FLASH SALE: 20% OFF
  • Preview Text: For 2 days only

• Company: Fable

  • Subject line: Show us your best #FableShelfie
  • Preview Text: The winner will receive $500 in Fable.

• Company: Warby Parker

  • Subject line: Want a peek at our next collection?
  • Preview Text: Warby Parker Right this way

Use preview text to give your subscribers a sneak peek of what your email will contain and encourage them to open and read it.

10. Write a compelling CTA (call to action)

Email is a great medium for driving action. This is where calls to action (CTAs) play a key role. Add a CTA button to your email to make it clear what the reader needs to do. The CTA text should be short (one or two to five words) and concise, and the CTA button should stand out from the rest of the email and be clearly visible to the reader.

Sustainable tableware brand Fable used simple, clear CTAs in their promotional emails to direct subscribers to a sale on their website.

Mejuri uses creative yet clear CTAs to drive traffic to their gold collection on their website.

Some email marketing tools (like Shopify Email) even offer the ability to link your CTA directly to checkout, reducing the number of steps your subscribers have to take to complete a purchase.

Track the click-through rate (CTR) of your email CTAs to understand which messages are effective and which offers your subscribers find most appealing.

11. Test your content with A/B testing

One of the useful features offered by most email marketing platforms is the opportunity to experiment with your email content by sending multiple versions of a single email through A/B testing.

Here's how A/B testing works:

1. One version of the email (A) is sent to a subset of the mailing list (e.g. 100/1,000 subscribers).
2. Another version of the email (B) is sent to a different subset (e.g. 100/1,000 subscribers).
3. After a period of time, one of the two emails will “win,” determined based on metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, or other variables you set within your email marketing platform.
4. The winning version of the email is then sent to the rest of your mailing list (e.g. 800/1,000 subscribers). This process can be automated or manual.

A/B testing allows you to compare different elements of your email delivery to see which one works best. Some elements you can experiment with through A/B testing include:

• title
• Preview text
• CTA Button
• Visual aids
• Text content

A/B testing can be an effective strategy, but developing multiple emails can be time-consuming and impractical for small businesses. Start by testing simple elements of your emails, such as subject lines and preview text. As your email marketing strategy expands, test other features as well.

A/B testing is one of the best email marketing practices that allows you to test your hypotheses. For example, if you think that a short email will perform better than a long email, you can run an experiment to see if it works. If you think that putting a question in the subject line will result in a higher open rate than a statement, you can let your subscribers choose that option. Over time, A/B testing different elements of your emails will help you get closer and closer to finding the winning formula that works best for your business. Email testing is valuable, but make sure you’re measuring the right things. Metrics like open and click-through rates are important, but it’s even more important to know how effective your emails are at achieving your goals, like converting customers into subscribers.

12. Use audience segmentation

One of the main advantages of email marketing over other marketing channels is that it allows you to segment your audience and send personalized emails, allowing you to run more targeted and detailed campaigns.

By capturing important details when subscribers sign up, or by creating different segments based on email or website activity, you can send relevant updates to different segments of your mailing list (e.g., four segments of 250 subscribers each) instead of sending a broad email to your entire list (e.g., one segment of 1,000 subscribers).

A small email study that sampled 2,000 users who sent segmented campaigns in Mailchimp found evidence that segmented campaigns were more effective than non-segmented campaigns:

• 14.31% higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns
• 100.95% higher click-through rate than non-segmented campaigns
• 9.37% lower unsubscribe rate than non-segmented campaigns

Here are some ways to segment your email list:

• Based on demographic information provided, such as gender, age, and location, if you are a clothing company that offers clothing for men and women, you can send different emails with product options and information tailored to each segment.
• Based on expressed content interests. A furniture store selling kitchen, living room, dining, and bedroom items may ask website visitors what content they are interested in during the sign-up process.
• Based on the requested email frequency. If you create a lot of email content, you can ask your subscribers how often they would like to receive your content when they sign up, and segment it into categories like “biweekly,” “weekly,” and “daily.”
• Based on website activity. You can send targeted notifications and prompts based on when your email subscribers last visited your website or what they viewed on your site.
• Based on their purchase history, you can segment your customers based on what they’ve purchased and send them follow-up messages with feedback or content focused on specific products.
• Based on email engagement. Email marketing platforms typically provide information about how subscribers engage with your emails, which you can use to create segments.

Many email marketing platforms handle this process in a simple and automated way. However, segmentation is most effective when combined with rich content, which can take time and energy to create. As you grow your business and expand your email marketing strategy, make your email campaigns more detailed and targeted.

13. Make your email accessible

Visual impairments, such as blindness and color blindness, are more common than you might think. Even a few small changes to your email can make it more accessible to readers with visual limitations or those viewing content via e-readers. Web accessibility (or a11y ) is a broad topic, but here are some guidelines to help you make your email accessible to as many people as possible:

• Use image alt text : Add descriptive alternative text to your images.
• Use meaningful anchor text : When using hyperlinks, use descriptive text instead of anchor text like “Click here.”
• Make your email keyboard-only accessible : Test whether your email is navigable using only the keyboard for readers who don't use a mouse.
• Use dark fonts : Font colors like black and dark gray are generally easier to read.
• Use Contrast : Test your color choices in your emails using an online contrast checker to ensure your content is easily readable.

Following these guidelines will help more subscribers discover and engage with your business.

14. Optimizing for mobile

Since marketing emails are often written and edited on desktop computers, the way they look on mobile devices can be an afterthought. But that’s a bad approach. Mobile clients account for 41.6% of all email opens . Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: test your emails before you send them to see how they render on mobile devices.

Partake , a gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly food company, creates vibrant emails that look great across devices.

Choose an email marketing platform with responsive design templates that look great on all devices (desktop, mobile, and tablet).

15. Setting a consistent sending cycle

The content of your email is one important factor, and the frequency of your email delivery is another important factor. Decide on the frequency and timing of your delivery as part of your email marketing strategy. There is a ton of data on how often and when to send marketing emails, but the difference between open rates and click-through rates is relatively small.

• Frequency : MailerLite reported that monthly emails had the highest median open rate at 40.33%, while emails sent 7 or more times a week had the lowest at 37.67%. On the other hand, monthly emails had a median click-through rate of 14.29%, while emails sent 7 or more times a week had a median click-through rate of 16.67%.
• Time : Campaign Monitor found that Friday had the highest open rate at 18.9%, while Saturday had the lowest open rate at 17.3%. Additionally, Friday had the highest click-through rate at 2.7%, while Saturday had the lowest click-through rate at 2.4%.

Ultimately, the frequency that works best for your subscribers will depend on a variety of factors, including your business’s offerings and the industry you’re in. According to a study by Campaign Monitor, the best open rates were 9% higher than the worst, so it may be more important to test other elements of your emails than to focus too much on timing. As a best practice in email marketing, prioritizing consistency is ultimately what will get your subscribers the most engaged.

16. Develop your email marketing strategy with analytics

Use analytics to make data-driven decisions to shape your email marketing strategy. By paying attention to email marketing metrics across your campaigns, you can adjust your sending methods to better connect with your readers. Some metrics to watch for include:

• Open rate : The percentage of subscribers who open your email newsletter.
• Click-through rate (CTR) : The percentage of subscribers who click on a link after opening your email newsletter.
• Unsubscribe rate : The percentage of subscribers who unsubscribe after opening your email newsletter.

Compare your campaign analytics to email marketing benchmarks to see if there is room for improvement. However, while it is important to be aware of these numbers, be careful not to over-rely on their significance. Ultimately, a good open or click-through rate is better than yesterday.

17. Include sharing options for distribution

Spread your newsletter by adding options for readers to share your email. While readers can forward your email, you can also encourage subscribers to share your newsletter with their friends, family, and followers using the sharing options in your email. Many email marketing platforms (e.g. Mailchimp) allow you to enable sharing options such as:

• Campaign URL Link
• Facebook Share Button
• Twitter Share Button
• LinkedIn Share Button

Enabling URL and social sharing will put your email in front of new audiences, helping them discover your business and driving subscriptions.

18. Use lead magnets for more subscribers

Lead magnets are an effective strategy for getting website visitors to sign up for your email list. A lead magnet is a free resource offered in exchange for someone’s contact information (e.g., email address, name, phone number, demographic information). For example, a company that sells productivity journals might have a lead magnet pop-up on their website offering a PDF of their annual planner resource in exchange for their email address.

Encircled , a slow fashion brand focused on sustainable clothing, encourages website visitors to sign up to its mailing list by asking them to fill out a survey and send them their fashion profile.

Here are some types of lead magnets you can use:

• e-books, white papers, guides
• Worksheet
• Infographic
• Webinar
• Template
• Checklist
• Email Course
• Quiz Results

In addition to helping you grow your list, lead magnets can provide value to your subscribers from the very first email you send them. This can create a positive first impression for your subscribers, quickly building interest in your product and creating affinity for your brand. Additionally, the information you collect through your lead forms can be used to segment your emails and provide personalized email marketing experiences for your subscribers.

19. Clean up your email list regularly

While it can be valuable to grow a large email subscriber list, ultimately subscriber counts are a vanity metric – a data point that may look impressive, but has no impact on your business’ bottom line.

On the other hand, email marketing metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate are much more informative. For example, a list of 5,000 subscribers with a 5% click-through rate will drive more traffic to your website than a list of 10,000 subscribers with a 1% click-through rate. Additionally, a highly engaged list will help you increase your deliverability by reducing spam reports and unsubscribes.

If a significant portion of your list has not engaged with your content in several months, it may be a good idea to re-engage them or remove them from your list to maintain a highly engaged list.

• Re-engage inactive subscribers : Use your email marketing platform’s tools to identify inactive subscribers. Then create a drip email re-engagement campaign or send them an email asking if they’re interested in staying on your list.
• Remove subscribers from your list : Remove email subscribers who are still inactive after you've tried to re-engage them, or subscribers who don't respond to your interest requests.

As an added bonus, many email marketing platforms offer volume pricing, charging based on the number of subscribers you have. Regularly cleaning your list will not only help keep your list engaged, but it will also save you money that you can reallocate to other parts of your business.

20. Make unsubscribing easy

No matter how hard you try, not every subscriber on your mailing list will be enthusiastic or actively engaged with your emails. After you send your emails, there is a chance that some subscribers will unsubscribe. However, as mentioned before, the number of subscribers is not the most important number to pay attention to. It is helpful in the long run to have unengaged or disinterested readers leave your list. Avoid the following unsubscribe practices, which discourage subscribers from leaving your mailing list:

• If you don’t have an unsubscribe button : Not only does this violate anti-spam policies like GDPR, it also annoys your subscribers and harms your brand.
• When hiding your unsubscribe button : Avoid black hat marketing tactics such as making your unsubscribe link white to make it harder to detect.
• If you ask subscribers to send you an email to unsubscribe : Unsubscribing from your mailing list should be as simple as one or two clicks. Don't ask subscribers to unsubscribe from your list by sending you an email.
• If you ask for feedback before unsubscribing : Completing a survey should not be a condition for unsubscribing from your mailing list. It is okay to ask subscribers why they are leaving, but this should be offered as an option after the subscriber has been removed from your list.

If joining an email list is saying “yes” to permission marketing, then unsubscribing from the list is saying “no.” Make this process as easy as possible, and include a clear unsubscribe button in the footer of every email to ensure you’re complying with the law and leaving a good last impression.

Build an email strategy that converts subscribers into sales

Following a myriad of email marketing best practices can seem overwhelming at first. But as you establish your email marketing strategy, many of these best practices will become second nature. You’ll structure your emails so they’re easy to scan, and you’ll get into the habit of checking your email campaign analytics on the fly to gain insights for your next send.

By applying these practices, you can improve the quality of the emails you send to your subscribers and get them to read all the way through your message or click through to your website. By approaching email marketing with intention, every send becomes an opportunity to convert subscribers into interested in your business.

Email Marketing Best Practices FAQ