What is email marketing, and why should you give it the attention it deserves

I started doing email marketing two decades ago, back when we were buying blacklists from shady companies and blindly sending emails to anyone and anything that came to mind.

“Send this list to everyone.”

“Where did you find this list?”

“I bought it from an office with detectives who got it from this company.”

“Is this legal?”

“Who’s going to find out?”

“And how will we send it? We’ll use a platform from some developers. They’ll tell you what to do.”

...and that’s how my journey into email marketing began, in the “golden age” in Greece, back when we still thought we were on top of the world.

“Did it work?” you might ask, and I’ll answer: I don’t know!

Because the truth is, without data, back then we were very much guessing. The best guesser won.

Of course, things have changed a lot since then. Now, you can’t send to anyone you want without permission, and it takes effort to build a list that will give you value. However, if you have people on your list who have opted in, you can work wonders with the right strategy.

What is email marketing, and why should every business give it the attention it deserves?

Email marketing is the art of taking a user's email and captivating them by sending content that interests them, turning them into a customer, and keeping them forever.

It’s not just a series of messages, it’s the feeling that you’re speaking directly to the customer as if you're sending them the most personal and valuable message. And if you do it right, it's like having a friend in your pocket who brings you customers, day after day.

The key?

To have something they truly want and to deliver it in a way that doesn’t feel like spam, but rather like you're offering value.

So, I collect emails in a list and send them whenever I have an offer or news. How does this work? 

I wish it was that simple!

Email marketing is a powerful tool, but for it to be effective, it needs to be used properly. It requires strategy and specific steps to yield results, as each message and campaign has its own goal.

The first step is to convince the user to give you their email using lead magnets, like free content or offers. → Acquisition

The next step is to persuade the user to engage with you through a good welcome email. You need to activate them. → Activation

Then, a very important part is to create targeted newsletters (campaigns) to convince them to take action, such as making a purchase or trying a service. → Conversion

The last and most important step is the real power of email marketing, where with offers, loyalty programs, and quality content, you are called to convince the customer to return. → Retention

As you can understand, you can’t achieve all of this on your own. You need, if not a Senior email marketing designer/manager, then a team of professionals who will set up a strong profile and automation for you from the start and then help you evolve it and begin enjoying its true value.

Mailchimp and Klaviyo, two very powerful tools

To fully harness the power of email marketing, you need the right tools that will help you manage lists, segmentation, automation, and analytics. These two platforms allow you to send email campaigns, create automation, and analyze results.

• Mailchimp Easy to use, with ready-made templates and basic segmentation.

• Klaviyo Ideal for eCommerce, with advanced segmentation and deep integration with Shopify.
  
  

But, what exactly do these platforms do?

They now do things you can’t even imagine!

You can send personalized messages based on user actions or interests. → Personalization

You can create automation like welcome series, abandoned cart emails, follow-up emails, and thank-you messages. → Triggers & Automation

Create and send campaigns with easy drag-and-drop templates. → Campaign Creation

Create lists based on behaviors, demographics, purchases, and interests. → Segmentation

Track and analyze campaign performance with detailed reports. → Analytics

Test different subject lines, content, and layouts to see what works best. → A/B Testing

And of course, you can integrate them with other tools, like eCommerce platforms, CRM systems, and social networks.

What is the real, incredible power of Segmentation?

Sending the same message to everyone doesn’t work anymore. With segmentation and a strong strategy, you can target each recipient with precision, offering them more relevant and personalized content, while you’ll see your results improve dramatically.

You can divide users based on gender, age, profession, or income → demographic segmentation

By country, city, or even climate conditions (e.g., an offer for winter clothes doesn’t make sense to someone living in a tropical climate) → geographic segmentation

Sending emails in the language preferred by the user → language segmentation

Dividing them based on online behavior, such as opened emails, clicks, previous purchases, abandoned carts, and interaction with content → behavior-based segmentation

Targeting based on the user's stage, such as new subscribers, active customers, inactive ones, or VIPs → lifecycle segmentation
Based on interests, previous searches, or purchasing behavior → interest-based segmentation

Users who interact frequently with your emails can receive more premium content, while those who don’t open emails need re-engagement campaigns → engagement-based segmentation

The more detailed and accurate your segmentations are, the more targeted your emails will be. This means that recipients will receive content they are truly interested in, leading to higher engagement rates, more conversions, and increased customer retention.

Now you understand the deep value you can gain if you really invest time and effort, instead of just sending what you think they like or what you like yourself.

Here are some examples to help you understand how it works.

Do you sell products with a specific shelf life?

You can set it up so that just before the product’s shelf life expires, you send an email to the customer with a reminder to place an order. If you sell vitamins with a 30-day shelf life, you can send an email 5 days before they run out, with an offer for the next purchase.

Recurring purchases (subscription models)

If you offer products or services on a subscription basis, you can create an automated flow that sends reminders to customers before their subscription renewal. If you have a streaming service, you can send an email before the subscription ends, with a renewal offer or discount for the next period.

Users who have shown interest but haven’t purchased

You can segment users who have visited a product page without completing the purchase and send them emails with special offers or information that might persuade them to complete the purchase. If someone adds a product to their cart but doesn’t buy it, you can send an abandoned cart email with an offer or reminder.

VIP customers with high purchase frequency

You can create a category for customers who buy frequently or have spent a significant amount, and offer them exclusivity through special offers or early access to new products. Send your VIP customers priority access to new releases or discount coupons for their next purchases.

So, is it worth it? Is it for everyone?

Email marketing is a tool that can bring value to any business, regardless of size or industry. Whether you have a small business or a large one, the right strategy can strengthen your relationship with customers, increase sales, and improve loyalty.

Although it requires an investment in time, tools, and strategy, the results can be outstanding. You need to comply with regulations, such as GDPR, and ensure recipients' consent.

Tools like Mailchimp and Klaviyo offer many capabilities, but they require a good understanding and expertise to be fully leveraged. Proper segmentation and automation require experience and careful setup, but with the right guidance, you can succeed and see significant results.

If you don’t have this experience, let an expert set everything up correctly from the start and explain some simple strategies to you. Alternatively, you can hire a freelancer or a company that you can pay to start building and developing it safely.

Read this and more articles from Nadia Nikolaidou on Linkedin.