How many emails did you ignore this week? 📬 Surely many more than you opened. Well, the same thing happens to your audience. If your email marketing campaigns are not generating opens or conversions, it’s not because the channel is dead, it’s because you may be talking to a vacuum, with flat subject lines, cold automations and content that doesn’t connect.
But here comes the good news, effective email marketing is entirely possible. And not only that, it can be one of your channels with the highest conversion rates if you do it with strategy, creativity and a good dose of empathy.
In this article you will discover how to transform your emails into messages that are opened, read and clicked. No smoke, no magic templates, with real examples, useful tools and lots of practice.
🎯 Why don’t your emails work (and why should they)?
Email marketing is still one of the channels with the best ROI in digital marketing (up to €36 for every euro invested, according to Litmus). But it also remains one of the most misused.
Common errors:
- Generic topics such as “March Newsletter”, “March Newsletter”, “March Newsletter”, “March Newsletter”, “March Newsletter”, “March Newsletter”. ❌
- Lazy segmentations (the same mailing for your entire base?) ❌
- Automations that sound like a bot from 2015 ❌
- Weak CTAs or soulless text ❌
The key is to think of email as a personalized conversation that generates value. You don’t sell. You connect. Then yes, you convert.
🧠 Strategic part: How to build emails that really matter
Before writing a single line, ask yourself: who am I writing this email to, where are they in their journey and what do they need?
1. Know your audience (for real).
Not all your leads are the same. Segmenting well is the basis of effective email marketing.
Examples of useful segmentation:
- Behavior: if you opened X email, if you clicked, if you bought, if you abandoned cart.
- Declared interest: which lead magnet you downloaded, which category you visited the most.
- Moment in the funnel: is he/she getting to know your brand or is he/she already comparing?
👉 Recommendation: use tools such as Active Campaign to make dynamic segmentations based on events.
2. Choose the right time and channel
Yes, Tuesdays at 10 am usually work, but the important thing is to test your own base.
📈 We recommend you to make shipments based on previous behavior, type of industry…
Also, consider combining email with other channels such as SMS, WhatsApp or in-app notifications for omnichannel campaigns.
✍️ Copywriting and creativity: Emails that are opened and not forgotten
Here’s the secret to emails that don’t bore, good copywriting.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
1. Issues that cannot be ignored
The business is your front door. If you don’t get the click, say goodbye to everything else.
Real examples with high open rates:
- “Did you forget it in the cart? We saved this for you 🎁” → 38% open rate (source: Klaviyo).
- “You’re not going to see this on networks (or anywhere else)” → 41% open rate (DTC brand campaign).
Practical tips:
- Use curiosity without clickbait
- Try emojis with intention
- Personalize: “Maria, are you going to miss it?”
2. Texts that engage, without being long.
It’s not about telling everything. It’s about telling just enough to generate action.
Quick recipe:
- Strong initial hook: a disruptive question or phrase.
- Clear and fast profit.
- Social proof or brief data.
- CTA that excites (“Discover your recommendation”, “Activate your gift”, “See today only”).
3. Microcopy and Converting CTAs
The “click here” is dead. Make your CTA speak in the tone of your brand.
Examples:
- “Yes, I want this plan.”
- “Give me my access 🔥”
- “Start without risk.”
🤖 Intelligent automation: Scaling without sounding robotic
Automating is not about sending 10 soulless emails. It’s about creating a personalized experience at scale.
Essential flows:
| Type of Email | When to use it | What to include |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | When someone subscribes | Brand story, valuable content, first CTA |
| Abandoned Cart | 1h – 24h after abandonment | Product, optional discount, social proof |
| Post-purchase | After a purchase | Thank you, cross-selling, ask for a review |
| Re-engagement | If you haven’t opened for 30-60 days | “Are you still interested in us?” incentive or survey |
✅ Tip: Use tools with behavioral logic such as MailerLite (ideal for small businesses) or Klaviyo (powerful in eCommerce).
🧪 Testing and optimization: Email marketing is not improvised
What to test in your campaigns?
- Subject A vs. B
- Email length
- CTA type (button vs. text)
- Time of shipment
🎯 But be careful: don’t just measure openings. Look for click-through rate, conversion and average value per user.
🚫 Don’t get hung up on metrics like “sends” or “bounce rate”. Focus on what generates revenue or real engagement.
❌ Common mistakes that sabotage your emails
- Using heavy images that do not load
- Not optimized for mobile (more than 65% open from the phone)
- Forgetting the “alt text” in images
- Not having an attractive preheader
- Not cleaning lists (and falling into spam)
🛠 Tools that do help (depending on your level).
| Tool | Ideal for | Strengths and weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | eCommerce on the rise | Event-based segmentation, powerful automation |
| ActiveCampaign | Marketing teams with complex funnel | Integrated CRM, lead scoring |
| MailerLite | Entrepreneurs and start-up brands | Simple, economical, visual |
| Brevo (Sendinblue) | European business | Good price, SMS + email, GDPR friendly |
➡️ Read also: Marketing automation without losing humanity
✅ Quick checklist before sending an email
🧠 Express Review:
- Does the issue generate curiosity or real value?
- Is the content tailored to the right segment?
- Is there only one clear CTA?
- Is it optimized for mobile?
- Have you checked spelling, links and tenses?
💡 Conclusion: Email is not dead, it just needs a soul.
Doing email marketing that doesn’t bore involves strategy, creativity and technology. It’s not just about sending emails, it’s about designing conversations that add value, excite and convert.
