7 successful email examples

1. Why it works: Behavior-based targeting and tailoring.
This behavior-based program is based on communication touchpoints at key phases of the customer experience, from initial acquisition through adoption and usage. It also addresses
customers who did not enroll or stopped using the service.

For example, prospects that began the sign-up process but never completed it were considered “abandoners.” This lifecycle stage required behaviorally triggered communications that educated prospects about online bill pay and overcame inherent barriers to adopting the service.

Behavioral targeting is effective because it contacts customers when they are in the mindset of thinking about a product or service. Behavioral marketing also has natural synergy with delivering relevancy, always a key ingredient in successful email marketing campaigns.

2. Why it works: Personalization leads to simplifying a customer process.
This successful email campaign is predicated on personalization. The campaign targets vehicle owners for map updates. Users need their vehicle information, including make, model and either Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or navigation platform information. This presents a barrier for most vehicle owners to complete the process.

The personalized version provided all the information necessary to complete the process: make, model, model year and VIN. Personalization also indicates the lapse in years since purchase, providing further awareness of the need for a map update. This is the type of email personalization that prospects and customers expect and appreciate. The personalized information did foster click-through as users didn’t have to track down information about their vehicle. It also provided brand credibility and validation that this email was from a trusted source, and specific to their current vehicle.

This is an example of how personalization can improve the user friendliness of a process, increase program results and deliver a successful email campaign. In this example, personalization drove a 36% increase in response. This is a pretty astounding lift for inclusion of easy-to-execute variable information.

3. Why it works: Translates the insight perfectly, but doesn’t forgo any email marketing best practices.
Good creative is often measured by having a strong translation of the strategy and insight. This particular campaign was built on the insight, “Set it and forget it.” The idea of “Cruise Control” transformed the insight into a tangible, campaignable idea that broke through the clutter.

One of the most effective parts of this campaign was that it encompassed critical aspects of email marketing: strong letter content and layout, inclusion of a sidebar, multiple links throughout the email and calls-to-action. Additionally, the email was mobile- optimized, ensuring complete capability with all mobile devices.

4. Why it works: iconic approach.
One of the key best practices in email is leveraging an iconic graphic treatment. Smartphones have helped train us on the user-friendly nature of icons. This email demonstrates the power of utilizing icons in the right rail.

Additionally, the email leverages other icons and images with links to drive action. In this successful email example, the goal is to get the user to either download an app to their mobile phone for mobile banking or to click through to a demo to learn more.

Our experience with banking communications taught us that two other critical elements needed to be included. First, include authentication. Banking customers are extremely sensitive about security and ensuring communications are legitimate. Secondly, banking customers tend to want to get the facts before they make a decision. Incorporating a FAQ button has become a best practice in successful email marketing for financial institutions.

5. Why it works: Let your target read or scan.
The average human attention span is 8 seconds¹. A core email best practice is ensuring an email is easily scannable. It’s also best to present the same information in two different formats within the email.

This email example demonstrates how the body copy should include full content in paragraph form in the body, with key bullets called out in a right rail or right-hand column. This allows the audience to read the content however they prefer, e.g., in-depth or by scanning. Usability is a key driver in delivering a successful email campaign.

6. Why it works: Personalization leads to relevancy.

This successful email example highlights how personalized information can be leveraged to create a more customized and relevant communication. It is becoming more and more critical to break through the clutter, and ensuring relevancy is something that always works to break through. Personalization, in the form of personalized URLs (PURLs), was used to increase relevancy (and ultimately deliver strong results).

7. Why it works: Builds on past communications.
How many emails do you get a day? A year? According to the DMA, the average individual gets 9,000 emails a year. WOW. It’s getting more and more difficult to break through cluttered inboxes. A study J&C recently conducted with marketers indicated that one of the top concerns with email effectiveness is breaking through cluttered inboxes.

This successful email example demonstrates how following through on a request can get a user’s attention. After all, don’t you pay more attention to emails that follow up on information or something that you requested? Although it might be difficult to admit, I do. Consider how to evolve your messaging strategy to part of an ongoing dialogue based on prospect or customer interactions.