When it comes to email marketing, it’s important to stand out from the dozen other emails hitting your audience’s inbox. You want your messages to grab the attention of your subscribers and make them engage so you can leave a lasting impression. Doing this requires a lot of creativity with your email content and developing unique ideas that will resonate. No more putting together a basic email and hitting send. 

If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s a list of some creative email marketing ideas that will help you craft emails that stand out, get noticed, and delight your subscribers. 

11 Brilliant Email Marketing Ideas to Breathe Life Into Your Campaigns

It is easy to get stuck in a rut regarding emails. You might find yourself sending the same boring copy-heavy email over and over, or you’re just unsure how to mix things up to keep your subscribers engaged. But it doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. Check out these brilliant ideas that will keep your subscribers coming back for more:

1. Spice it Up With a Video

Including a video in your email marketing is a great way to add excitement and visual interest. You can use videos to showcase new products, demo features, or tell a story about your brand. You can even embed a video right into the body of your email for maximum impact.

When choosing a video for your email campaign, make sure it’s short and to the point. You don’t want to lose your audience’s attention with a long video. Instead, focus on creating something quick, informative, and visually appealing.

2. Embrace Interactive Content

Interactive content allows you to create a personal connection with your readers and get them involved in the story you’re telling. Here are some ideas for how you can use interactive content in your email marketing campaigns:

• Use polls and surveys to collect feedback from your subscribers. You can use this data to improve your future campaigns.
• Create quizzes that test your subscribers’ knowledge about your products or services. This is a great way to generate leads and learn more about your target audience.
• Use interactive infographics to communicate complex data or concepts visually. This type of content is easy to share and can help increase traffic to your website.
• Ask questions in your email copy to encourage responses and ensure that your subscribers read your message.

3. Use Storytelling

Instead of sending your subscribers a bunch of boring facts and statistics, try using storytelling instead.

Email campaigns that center around a story capture attention and produce engagement more than those that don’t. By sharing a story, you can create an emotional connection with your reader making them more likely to remember your message and take action.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Use customer stories: Customer stories are always compelling, so why not feature them in your emails? You could highlight a customer’s success story or even include a testimonial or case study.
• Share behind-the-scenes content: Your subscribers will love getting a glimpse at the day-to-day operations of your business. Share some behind-the-scenes content, such as photos or videos, to give them a peek.
• Tell a brand story: If you haven’t already done so, craft a brand story that you can share with your subscribers. This could be the story of how your business started or what inspires you to do what you do.
• Use humor: A little humor can go a long way in an email marketing campaign. If you can make your subscribers laugh, they will remember your email (and brand!).

4. Offer Exclusive Deals and Content

Your email list is full of people who raised their hands and said, “I’m interested in what you have to say.” So, why not give them something special? By giving them access to exclusive sales, coupons, or content, you’re showing your subscribers that you value their interest and appreciate their loyalty.

Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas:

• Offer a discount code that’s only valid for email subscribers.
• Create a landing page with exclusive content that only email subscribers can access.
• Send an email blast with an exclusive coupon or sale item.

5. Vary Your Email Structure and Format

In order to boost engagement, it’s important to vary your email structure and format on a regular basis. Switch things up by trying out new designs and formats. Instead of the regular, experiment with the following:

• Use a different layout for your emails. If you typically use a single column, try experimenting with multi-column layouts. Or, if you usually use images, introduce text-based emails to the mix.
• Play around with the length of your emails. If you typically send long emails, try sending shorter ones for a change. Or vice versa.
• Experiment with different types of content. Try adding infographics or videos if you typically include articles in your emails. Or mix it up and have a variety of content types.

6. A/B Test Regularly

If you want to keep your email marketing campaigns fresh, it’s important to A/B test regularly. This means testing different aspects of your emails, like the subject line, content, and call to action. You can see what works best with your audience by testing different elements and making necessary changes to improve your email campaigns. In addition, to improve open rate, you can test to grab the recipient’s attention with a well-crafted greeting and opening statement.

Keep the following in mind when A/B testing.

• Test one element at a time. If you change too many elements at once, you won’t accurately identify what caused any change in performance.
• Make sure your sample sizes are large enough. A small sample size will make it difficult to draw accurate conclusions from your tests.
• Be patient. It can take several tests to find the winning combination of elements for your audience.
• Use what you learn from your tests. Once you find an effective email, implement the lessons learned into your future emails.

7. Focus on One Core Message

It can be tempting to include everything you feel your subscribers should know in one email. You will only end up confusing your readers and diluting your message. It is better to send a series of focused emails than one massive one.

Focusing on one core message will make you more likely to capture your readers’ attention and achieve your desired results.

When crafting your emails, take some time to think about what you want your recipients to take away. What do you want them to remember? What action do you want them to take? Keep this in mind as you write your email content; your recipients will understand your message and be more likely to take action.

8. Leverage Social Proof

As humans, we are social creatures that crave validation from our peers. We want to know that we are making the right choices and often look to others for guidance. This is called social proof, a powerful tool you can leverage in your email marketing campaigns.

When people see that others are taking a certain action, they are more likely to do the same. There are several ways to leverage social proof in your email campaigns. These include:

• Testimonials: Include testimonials from satisfied customers in your emails to show that others have succeeded with your product or service.
• Case studies: Share case studies or success stories that showcase how your product or service has helped solve specific customer problems.
• Customer reviews: Use your customer reviews and ratings from sites like Amazon, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to build trust and credibility with potential customers.
• Social media mentions: Share social media mentions from happy customers to show that people are positively talking about your brand.
• User-generated content: Curate user-generated content like photos and videos from social media to give potential customers a realistic look at the scope of your business.
• Influencer marketing: partner with an influencer who has a similar audience as your own to help push your products or brand to their engaged followers. 

9. Be Timely

Timing is everything when it comes to email marketing. Your subscribers are getting emails daily, and you need to make sure yours stand out by sending your emails when your customers are most likely to engage with them and are ready to take action.

You also need to ensure your content is relevant and valuable to your subscribers. That means keeping up with current trends and hot topics in your industry and providing helpful information that helps your subscribers solve their problems.

10. Incorporate Emojis

Emojis are a great way to add personality to your email marketing campaigns. They can convey the tone of your message and make it more engaging for recipients. Just be careful not to overdo it – too many emojis can come across as unprofessional. If you’re not sure how to use emojis in your emails, here are some tips.

• Use emojis in subject lines. This can help you stand out in the inbox and get your message across quickly.
• Use emojis in the body of your email. It helps break up the text and add visual interest.
• Use emojis in calls to action. A well-placed emoji can emphasize the importance of taking the desired action, such as clicking on a link or purchasing a product.
• Be aware of the different meanings of emojis. Some emojis have multiple meanings, so choose one that clearly conveys the intended message.
• Use emojis in polls or surveys: Adding an emoji option to your polls or surveys can increase engagement and make them more fun for respondents.
• Use Sparingly. Too many emojis can be overwhelming and difficult to read, so don’t go overboard. 

11. Send Seasonal Email Content

As the seasons change, so should your email marketing campaigns. This could mean anything from including holiday-themed images and graphics to writing blog posts or articles relevant to the current season. It is a great way to keep your campaigns fresh and engage your subscribers.

Not sure what direction your content should follow? Use the following as a guide.

• Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, so use that as inspiration for your email content. Write about new beginnings, fresh starts, and growth. Use images of flowers and green landscapes to set the tone.
• Summer is all about fun in the sun. Write about vacations, BBQs, picnics, and anything else that screams summertime. Use bright colors and happy images to reflect the carefree spirit of the season.
• Fall is a time for reflection and gratitude. Write about what you’re thankful for in general and in relation to your business. Use images of rich autumnal colors to create a warm and inviting tone.
• Winter is a time for slowing down and spending time with loved ones. Write about cozy nights by the fireplace, holiday traditions, or whatever else speaks to the winter season. Use soft colors and images to evoke feelings of comfort and warmth.

If you’re feeling stuck, try out one of these brilliant email marketing ideas to breathe new life into your campaigns. From adding interactive content to incorporating emojis, there are plenty of ways to spice up your email marketing and keep your customers engaged. If you want some additional help, tab into our free email marketing templates, or sign up for a free Benchmark Email account.