How to Make Your Email Marketing Campaigns Stand out in 2023

These days, having a great product, excellent customer service, and a good marketing plan is not enough to make your business truly shine. In order to truly stand out from the competition, you also need to have a strong email marketing campaign.

Mastering email marketing is essential in today’s competitive business landscape. It allows you to directly reach your target audience, build brand loyalty, and drive conversions.

With the right strategies and compelling content, you can create successful email marketing campaigns that engage and resonate with your subscribers, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and business growth.

Email continues to be the main driver of customer retention and acquisition for small and midsize businesses. According to the data, 81% of SMBs still rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 80% for retention.

One of your main goals should be to make your email marketing campaign truly stand out, but you might be wondering how to achieve that. Well, you’re in luck because we’re here to help.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything from crafting attention-grabbing subject lines to designing visually appealing email templates.

Additionally, we’ll provide valuable insights on segmenting your audience, personalizing your messages, and optimizing your email delivery to maximize open rates and click-through rates.

By implementing these proven techniques, you’ll be well on your way to achieving email marketing success.

Table of Contents

What Is an Email Marketing Campaign?

Let’s begin with a definition.

An email marketing campaign is a means of converting leads and maintaining the interest of your customers that’s email-driven.

The goals of your campaign should be to build awareness, grow your audience, increase sales, and retain more customers.

Email, despite being around since 1971, still remains a primary communication channel to this day.

According to a 2020 article from OptinMonster, every year, people send out mass numbers of emails, 102.6 trillion. This is poised to rise every year going forward.

That makes email marketing one of your best chances for reaching a large swath of people.

What Makes an Effective Email Marketing Campaign?

Before we get into the tips, let’s talk about what makes for a successful email marketing campaign.

As we mentioned in the intro, originality will definitely win you brownie points.

Consumers today have seen it all, so they want something fresh to win them over.

These other elements will also help you earn your way to more effective email marketing:

A catchy CTA
Interactive, mobile-optimized, appealing design
Images and video
Personalization

We’re just getting started, too.

Watch this video to learn how to create a successful email marketing campaign in EngageBay:

Read on for more means of making your best email marketing campaigns more unique and thus more engaging to your audience.

How to Execute an Email Marketing Campaign

Deploying a successful email marketing campaign begins with selecting your goals.

We talked earlier in this guide about what’s achievable through email marketing campaigns.

Do you want more customers?

More sales?

Better audience engagement?

You can get it all with an email marketing campaign, but not before first selecting your goals.

Then you have to identify the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

If you don’t already have a targeted list of prospects and customers, that’s step number two.

Next, sit down with your marketing team to determine a rollout plan for the email marketing campaign.

When will the first email be sent?

What about follow-ups?

Then it’s all about writing the most amazing emails your company has ever sent. We have some tips coming up on how to do just that.

Finally, track everything, including email bounce rates, open rates, and click-through rates.

Have your sales increased as a result of your email campaign?

Is your email list growing?

You need to answer these questions to gauge whether your campaign was a success.

How to Make Your Email Marketing Campaigns Stand out

Use Automation
Turn to Influencers
The Plain Text Email
Focus on the Left-Field Holidays
VIP Outreach
Get Personal
Send Emails Telling Subscribers How to Buy
Write the Best Email Subject Lines in Town

Use Automation

Here at EngageBay, automation—especially email automation—is at the heart of what we do.

Regardless, we would point in you in the direction of automation anyway because it’s becoming such a valuable part of a marketer’s arsenal.

Triggered emails can work wonders. We’ve written many blog posts singing its praises, and rightfully so.

How can automation make your email marketing campaign more unique?

The better question is, how can’t it?

No matter what new idea you want to try for your company, be those automated email marketing campaigns, autoresponders, follow-up emails, emails with video, or quick newsletters, you can implement them without having to put forth any manual effort.

That’s the power of automation.

After all, part of being unique is doing what no one else is doing.

Part of doing what no one else is doing is throwing several things at a wall and hoping they stick.

Marketing automation lets you devote fewer man-hours to these experimental tactics. This way, if said tactics by chance don’t work, you don’t hurt your company’s bottom line.

EngageBay’s Marketing automation software platform helps small businesses automate marketing and sales tasks and various workflows to generate leads.

Turn To Influencers

Influencer marketing has become a significant phenomenon in the world of marketing. These individuals have dedicated time and effort to build a loyal following that trusts their recommendations.

When an influencer shows interest in your product, you gain access to a whole new audience that can be captivated by your offering.

While influencer marketing is gaining traction, it is not yet fully saturated, providing you with an opportunity to incorporate it into your marketing campaigns and stay ahead of the competition.

However, standing out to influencers can be a challenge. They receive numerous messages every day, all vying for their attention and endorsement. To increase your chances of getting noticed, you need to make your pitch highly targeted and ensure that your product is relevant to the influencer’s niche or interests.

Image via Nutra Ingredients

It’s important to recognize that initial rejections may occur. Influencers have to carefully select the products they endorse to maintain their credibility with their audience.

Don’t be discouraged by these rejections; they are part of the process. Instead, refine your approach and continue reaching out to influencers who align with your brand and target audience.

Once you establish a relationship with an influencer, the benefits can be substantial. Their endorsement can drive significant traffic and sales to your business.

Their audience, which trusts their recommendations, will be more inclined to give your product a chance. This can lead to increased brand awareness, customer acquisition, and even long-term brand loyalty.

To make the most of your partnership with influencers, it’s crucial to nurture the relationship and ensure it’s mutually beneficial. Collaborate with the influencer on creative content that showcases your product authentically.

Encourage them to share their personal experiences and opinions about your product, as this adds credibility and relatability to their endorsement.

Uncover the secrets of successful marketing with our in-depth guide to the best powerful strategies!

The Plain Text Email

Sometimes standing out is as easy as doing the thing that everyone else isn’t.

It’s like mailing a handwritten thank-you letter after a job interview when everyone else just sends an email message.

Yours is different and thus unique.

While that may feel like taking a step back in time, so too will our next tip.

Every other marketer out there is interested in adding more and more elements to their emails.

We’re talking interactive elements, GIFs and other moving images, videos, and more. These are what make an email pop.

Why not take things back to a simpler time and try sending a plain text email every now and again?

We’re not advocating that you make the switch exclusively to plain text.

That would turn off your subscribers quickly.

Instead, mix it up. Sometimes, send plain text emails and other times, use the elements we mentioned above.

What are the benefits of plain text emails, you ask?

There are actually several.

If personalized, they come across more intimately than an email with a sales copy does.

It takes minutes to choose a simple, basic email template.

You also get to let your copy shine.

Finally, for those customers who have older devices or personal preferences, plain text emails are fast to load and easy to read.

Since plain text emails are so simple to implement, this is one suggestion you can use right now.

Personalize every part of the email and send it in a click. Track and analyze your results.

Focus on the Left-Field Holidays

Memorial Day?

Overdone. Fourth of July?

Everyone’s doing it. Labor Day? Nah.

You can expect your competition to focus on the days we listed above because, frankly, those are the major holidays.

Most people are off work, decorations are strewn about, and generally big deals are made out of those days.

What about the smaller, lesser-known holidays?

If you look around, there’s a little holiday just about every single day.

Seriously!

In June alone, we have:

Flip a Coin Day on June 1^st
National Rocky Road Day on June 2^nd
Applesauce Cake Day on June 4^th
Hot Hair Balloon Day on June 5^th
National Yo-Yo Day on June 6^th
National Weed Your Garden Day on June 13^th
Monkey Around Day on June 14^th
National Splurge Day on June 18^th

Image courtesy of Williams Sonoma

Now, can you do something with all those days?

Well, that depends on a.) the type of business you run and b.) your creativity.

Most people probably aren’t aware of a Flip a Coin Day or National Rocky Road Day.

If you can find ways to tie your products or services to a strange yet small holiday, you’ll stand out for sure.

VIP Outreach

VIP treatment has a way of making people feel special and appreciated. When individuals witness others receiving exceptional treatment, it’s natural to experience a tinge of jealousy.

However, instead of harboring envy, wouldn’t it be wonderful to create an environment where your own customers feel valued and cherished?

Implementing VIP outreach is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with your top customers on a personal level. By reaching out to these individuals and expressing why they are extraordinary, you are establishing a genuine bond with them.

This is the perfect opportunity to express your admiration without coming across as insincere. Highlight the reasons why they stand out—whether it’s their loyalty, continuous support, or frequent purchases—and let them know how important they are to your business.

Image via Ocean Happening

In addition to showering them with compliments, it’s crucial to offer them something memorable. This can be a special discount tailored exclusively to them or a thoughtful freebie that aligns with their interests.

The key is to make it genuinely valuable and reflective of their preferences. By providing this extra touch, you are showing your customers that you appreciate their loyalty and are willing to go the extra mile to make them feel special.

You might wonder how VIP outreach can make your company stand out when this tactic appears to be so individualized. The answer lies in the ripple effect of exceptional customer service. When you treat your customers right, they are more likely to share their positive experiences with others.

They will talk about your company to their friends, family, and on social media, becoming advocates for your brand. This word-of-mouth promotion can significantly impact your reputation and attract new customers who want to experience the same exceptional treatment.

Moreover, VIP outreach enhances your company’s uniqueness. By personalizing your interactions and going above and beyond for your top customers, you distinguish yourself from competitors who may not prioritize such individualized attention.

Customers appreciate feeling valued and recognized, and this positive experience sets your company apart, fostering long-lasting loyalty.

Get Personal

Personalization, as you know from reading this blog, is a great way to increase email open rates, click-through rates, and even conversions.

That’s why everyone is already sending emails with customers’ names in the subject line and/or the email body.

Why stop there?

You have information on your leads and customers, so why not use it to your advantage?

Take personalization several steps forward.

Use your audiences’ location, interests, and preferences to inspire the types of email you send to your various audience segments.

This deeper segmentation can increase receptivity to emails, which could boost open and click-through rates even further.

The thing to remember here is that your email design will come into play.

That said, privacy is at the forefront since the GDPR was implemented in May.

Make sure that the demographical information you have was received with the consent of the subscriber.

Don’t use it for marketing purposes if it was not given to you for that reason.

Discover the most effective opt-in email strategies that will transform your subscriber list in our detailed article!

Send Emails Telling Subscribers How to Buy

This may seem unnecessary and maybe even a little patronizing, but bear with us a moment here.

Not every website is designed as easily as find a product you like, click a said product, add it to cart, and check out.

If your site is, then that’s fine, but some of your email list customers appreciate a little extra guidance.

Right after the welcome email and any related follow-ups is the best time to send this type of email.

The goal is to help and inform while getting these new subscribers interested in your products and services.

You’re creating goodwill from the very beginning by showing customers how to make a purchase on your site.

That gives them added peace of mind that the transaction will be secure and safe, which may encourage them to shop if they were reluctant before.

Also, once they see how easy it is to check out, there’s little stopping them from making their first purchase.

They’ll then want to make another and hopefully another and another.

Those of your customers who don’t really care for this type of email can just delete it.

It is worth sending, though, especially when so many other marketers out there don’t.

Write the Best Email Subject Lines in Town

We have to end this article on an obvious but necessary note: having exemplary email subject lines will always help you stand out.

Need some tips on how to nail writing your very own winning subject lines?

Here are some pointers to get you started:

Don’t forget the preview text: You know the first sentence or two (depending on the length of your sentences) you see before you open an email? This is known as the preview text. Don’t waste it with empty text like “hello, how are you?” Write your own mini-cliffhanger that will make the customer want to open the email and find out what happens next!
Ask a question or make a statement, but not both: When you answer your own question (“Want more conversions? Read more!”), it comes across as spammy. You want your subscribers to click the email because the question or statement you make resonates with them. Either ask them if they want more conversions or reframe the statement: “How to get more conversions!” Avoid doing both.
Watch your capitalization: Capitalization should be used sparingly. You want to capitalize on important words. Overusing capitalization makes it lose its effect.
Puns are okay, so are jokes: Make sure all puns and jokes you tell are in good taste. Otherwise, go nuts!
Stats and numbers are your best friend: Having stats and numbers in your subject line (that are verifiable, of course) bolsters your product and makes you look more authoritative. Just don’t add too many numbers, as you can again make your emails look spammy.
Promote scarcity and urgency when possible: If you want your customers to get moving on making a purchase, then let them know there are limited quantities or few available slots left.
Don’t make it too long: Since most people will access emails on mobile devices, don’t exceed 50 characters for your subject line if you can help it.

👉Empower your email marketing with the best trigger email strategies – learn more in our expert guide! 💪

Conclusion

Whether you’re planning on deploying a cold email marketing campaign or any other means of marketing, standing out is always an issue.

You already know the benefits of email marketing done right.

They can increase leads, convert leads to buying customers, and thus boost conversions.

These email blast examples should ensure the success of your email marketing campaigns.

By following the tips we shared above, you can start making more unique successful email marketing campaigns that appeal to your audience base.

Remember to pat your back for a great job done.

How to Make Your Email Marketing Campaigns Stand out [2023 Updated]