Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It creates a direct communication channel between your brand and potential customers, making it an essential part of any lead nurturing strategy. But that’s just one use case. Email marketing can also support remarketing efforts, post-purchase follow-ups, and customer retention—making it a versatile asset in your marketing toolkit.
And before you think, “Isn’t email outdated?” think again! According to Statista, the number of global e-mail users amounted to 4.37 billion and is set to grow to 4.89 billion users in 2027. There are a lot of people checking their inbox every day!
So… How do you actually do email marketing?
In this article, you’ll learn how to build an effective email marketing strategy that generates high-quality, engaged leads for your brand.
Why Email Marketing Still Matters (and Works)
Despite the rise of new platforms, email is far from dead. In 2025, it’s projected that over 4.6 billion people will be active email users. And here’s why that matters:
- You own your list. Unlike social media platforms, your email list is yours—algorithm-free.
- It’s personal. Emails go directly to someone’s inbox, where attention is higher.
- It’s scalable. Whether you’re sending to 50 or 5,000 people, email grows with you.
Done right, email marketing helps you build trust, nurture relationships, and drive conversions—without needing to post daily or chase engagement.
Step-by-Step: How to Create an Email Marketing Strategy
1. Build a quality email list
Your email list is your most valuable digital asset—but only if it’s made of people who actually want to hear from you.
Avoid buying lists. They often contain fake, outdated, or disinterested contacts. Worse, sending to these lists can damage your sender reputation and land your emails in spam folders.
Instead, grow your list with value:
- Offer a discount on a first purchase
- Share free downloads like eBooks or templates
- Host a free webinar or workshop
- Add signup forms on your website, blog, or checkout page
Most importantly, always get clear consent before emailing. You’re building relationships, not blasting strangers.
2. Segment your audience for better engagement
Not all subscribers are alike. Some signed up for tips. Others came for a discount. Some might be ready to buy—others are just getting to know you.
Segmenting means organizing your list into smaller groups based on behavior, interests, or lifecycle stage. It allows you to:
- Send more personalized emails
- Avoid irrelevant content
- Increase open and click-through rates
Think of it this way: segmentation = relevancy = results.
3. Define your goals
Before writing your email, identify its main objective. What do you want to achieve? More sales, more leads, stronger customer relationships, or event registrations? Your objective should shape your entire strategy.
Clarity on your goal ensures your message stays focused and your audience knows what to do next. Your campaign goals will guide your subject line, content, and CTA.
Set measurable goals like a 25% open rate or a 3% click-through rate, which are considered healthy benchmarks in many industries. Just make sure your targets are realistic.
4. Choose the right type of email
There are many types of emails, each serving a different purpose. Here are some examples to help you decide what fits your current goal:
- Welcome emails: Introduce your brand and what subscribers can expect
- Newsletters: Share tips, updates, and curated content
- Promotional emails: Highlight special offers, sales, or product launches
- Abandoned cart reminders: Encourage customers to complete their purchase
- Event invitations: Promote webinars, workshops, or community gatherings
- Re-engagement campaigns: Win back subscribers who have stopped engaging
Choosing the right type of email ensures your message is well-timed and purposeful.
5. Create valuable, subscriber-focused content
Your emails should always provide value. The more your readers benefit from your messages, the more likely they are to stay subscribed and take action.
Copywriting is the key for your emails! Your subject lines should spark curiosity without giving too much away. Your preview text should complement the subject and offer another hook.
- Subject: Craft one or two intriguing subject lines that spark curiosity, without giving everything away. For certain campaigns, depending on your goals, use responsible clickbait techniques to encourage opens.
- Pre-header: Add a preview snippet that complements and enhances the subject line, offering an extra hint to boost interest and make the most of those “bonus characters.”
6. Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA)
Your CTA is what turns interest into action. It should be clearly visible, easy to understand, and aligned with your goal.
Examples of effective CTAs:
- “Download the free resource”
- “Get started today”
- “Join the waitlist”
- “Watch the tutorial”
Use a contrasting button to highlight your CTA, and include it early in the email for maximum visibility. In longer emails, repeating the CTA at the end can help boost click-through rates.
7. Design and review your emails
Once your content is ready, it’s time to bring your email campaigns to life. Use email marketing tools like Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, or HubSpot to design and deploy your campaigns effectively.
Email design should be simple, clean, and mobile-friendly. A growing number of users check their email on phones, so responsive design is non-negotiable.
Tip: Avoid placing all text inside images. Many email clients block images by default, which can make your message unreadable and hurt accessibility.
And don’t forget to test before sending!
Pre-send checklist:
- All links work?
- Images load correctly?
- Is the formatting responsive (works well on desktop and mobile)?
- Are there no typos or duplicate texts?
Monitor open and click-through rates to determine the winner and apply insights to future sends.
8. Send and track performance
Schedule your sends and track key metrics like:
- Open rate: How many subscribers opened your email
- Click-through rate: The percentage of people who clicked a link
- Conversion rate: The number of people who completed the desired action
- Bounce rate: Emails that could not be delivered
- Unsubscribe rate: Helps measure content relevancy and email fatigue
You can also use UTM parameters in your links to track campaign performance inside Google Analytics and attribute results to specific email efforts.
Got Everything You Need to Master Email Marketing?
We hope this step-by-step guide helps you create high-converting email campaigns that drive results!
Remember, email marketing isn’t just about sending updates, it’s about building meaningful, value-driven conversations with people who genuinely care about what you offer. When done well, it becomes a steady engine for growth and a foundation for long-term loyalty.
Keep in mind that success comes from continuous testing, refining, and iterating. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but the strategies we’ve shared will give you a strong head start. And if you ever feel overwhelmed managing it all alone, Northstar can connect you with expert email marketing assistants to fine-tune your strategy!