Marketing Email

Emails sent to promote products, services, or updates to a group of subscribers, including newsletters and promotions.

What is Marketing Email?

Marketing emails are messages sent to groups of subscribers for promotional, educational, or community-building purposes. Unlike transactional emails, which are triggered by a user’s action, marketing emails are planned communications aimed at driving awareness, conversions, or loyalty. They can range from weekly newsletters to seasonal offers, product updates, or customer re-engagement campaigns.

Why it matters

Email remains one of the most effective marketing channels, offering high ROI compared to paid ads and social media. Marketing emails allow businesses to maintain a direct line of communication with customers. When executed well, they nurture long-term relationships and drive revenue growth. Poorly executed campaigns, however, can lead to unsubscribes, Reported Spam, and damaged sender reputation.

How it works

Marketing emails are typically created and distributed via an Email Service Provider (ESP) such as AutoSend, Mailchimp, or SendGrid. Marketers design campaigns, segment their lists, and set schedules. Each email must include an easy way for recipients to opt out, often through Unsubscribe Groups or Global Unsubscribes. Engagement metrics like Open Rate and Click-through Rate (CTR) are tracked to evaluate performance.

Examples

A SaaS company sending a monthly product update newsletter.
An e-commerce brand launching a “Black Friday” discount campaign.
A local business sending event invitations to its subscriber base.
A re-engagement email sent to inactive customers.

Best practices

Segment your audience by demographics, behavior, or interests to keep content relevant.
Personalize subject lines and body content wherever possible.
Avoid “spammy” tactics such as deceptive subject lines or excessive capitalization.
Monitor engagement closely; suppress disengaged subscribers to protect your Deliverability.

FAQs

How often should I send marketing emails?
It depends on your audience. For many businesses, one to two emails per week is optimal. Sending too frequently can lead to unsubscribes, while sending too infrequently can reduce engagement. Testing different frequencies and monitoring metrics like open and click rates will help you find the sweet spot.

What are the legal requirements for marketing emails?
Most regions require compliance with regulations like CAN-SPAM, GDPR, or CASL. This usually means you need prior consent, a clear sender identity, and a working unsubscribe mechanism. Failing to comply can result in penalties and blocks from mailbox providers.

What’s a good benchmark for open and click rates?
Benchmarks vary by industry, but open rates around 20–25% and CTRs between 2–5% are typical. That said, the most important metric is your own historical performance. Focus on steady improvement rather than chasing arbitrary numbers.