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16 effective email marketing examples [inspiration + tips]

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Using email marketing examples to inspire your ecommerce strategy can help you create campaigns that boost sales and foster customer loyalty.

Successful email marketing combines personalization, automated workflows, and professional templates. Compelling subject lines and clear CTAs enhance these elements, helping your emails resonate with subscribers and drive action.

Choosing an ecommerce-focused email marketing tool like Omnisend is also crucial to optimizing your campaigns with list-building tools, segmentation, A/B testing, drag-and-drop email builders, and performance analytics.

Join us below to discover 16 of the best email marketing examples from successful ecommerce businesses, plus tips for creating effective emails.

Craft compelling email campaigns with Omnisend’s templates inspired by top marketing examples

16 effective email marketing examples

Successful email marketing campaign examples aren’t just about promotions. They’re also about storytelling, building relationships, and providing value to recipients. 

To help you improve your email marketing efforts, we’ve compiled some top email marketing examples that showcase innovative approaches to design, messaging, and audience engagement.

1. Grammarly

Type: B2B upsell email campaign

Goal: Convince free users to upgrade to a premium subscription 

Subject line: ? Just until tonight: $75 for a year of Premium

Grammarly example

What’s great about this email marketing example

Grammarly has a history of well-executed marketing efforts, and this email campaign is no exception. The main goal here is to inspire free users to buy a premium subscription by showing a clear breakdown of its advantages and adding a limited offer that invites subscribers to consider the opportunity. 

With concise copy and simple design, this is one of the email marketing examples that makes it easier for users to acknowledge the advantages of purchasing a premium plan and act accordingly.

How you can do better

When presenting a limited offer, you have to make sure that you’re showing the regular price as well.

Without comparing the prices directly, people will not understand exactly how much they can save by clicking the buy now button.

2. Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks

Type: Product launch 

Goal: Get subscribers to check out and buy the new product

Subject line: We’ve brought a NEW Twist to the snack game!

Pipcorn emai

What’s great about this email marketing example

Pipcorn’s email presents a strong visual approach that will catch any user’s attention. It also breaks down all the characteristics of this new product in an engaging way that’s easy to understand.

How you can do better

Add calls to action after each specific section, especially at the end of the email. This is a tactic you can find in many successful marketing email examples. You want people to have the link to your product at the tip of their fingers once they’ve already read all the information.

3. Omnisend

Type: New service

Goal: Educate users on this new service and invite them to try it

Subject line: Promote new products, run special events, or pre-sale campaigns with Landing Pages!

Omnisend email example

What’s great about this email marketing example

Omnisend has a clean design approach that helps users scan important information without needing to read huge paragraphs. The bulleted list helps target customers’ pain points and talk directly to their needs.

It also provides extra value by adding a link with additional resources at the bottom of the page.

How you can do better

The subject line of this email is long, and it doesn’t include a keyword at the very beginning. This can make users lose the whole point of the content and not know if it was something they could benefit from.

Get ready-made email templates to cover every successful campaign and automation

4. Taylor Stitch

Type: Product launch (limited edition)

Goal: Showcase a new product and let customers know they have limited time to purchase

Subject line: Knit By Hand, Built To Last

Taylor Stitch email

What’s great about this sample of email marketing

This is one of the best email marketing examples, with a strong visual impact and a good distribution of images, text, and calls to action.

Providing such a clear design approach for any email campaign gives you a higher chance of conversion. 

How you can do better

The subject line should include the fact that this product is a limited edition, as this can be a good incentive for people to open the email to take advantage of a time-sensitive opportunity.

5. Baking Steel

Type: Welcome email

Goal: Brand awareness and lead nurturing

Subject line: ? Does it live up to the hype?

Baking Steel

What’s great about this example of email marketing

Efficient email marketing requires timing, and Baking Steel mastered this with its welcome email. By reaching out to new subscribers with a clear explanation of what they do and how that can benefit them, they’re not only sharing a brief introduction but also selling from the very beginning. 

How you can do better

The subject line is intriguing, but it lacks clarity. Make sure that you include clear terms so your users know why they need to click on that email.

? How to create a welcome email [with a template]

6. Shopify 

Type: Informational newsletter

Goal: Share valuable information with existing subscribers

Subject line: Ready to start a t-shirt business?

Shopify newsletter

What’s great about this newsletter marketing example

Shopify is a multipurpose platform that ecommerce brands love, and it isn’t hard to see why. This email shares a business idea and a handful of different resources that can help subscribers explore the possibility and even start right away. 

How you can do better

When putting together an informational email, it’s important to stay on topic. Email marketing campaign examples that focus on specific topics guarantee that the content is most pertinent and useful to your intended audience.

The article recommendations on the button should include only ecommerce and print-on-demand resources, avoiding other marketing projects like making money on Instagram.

Another detail that can’t be overlooked is the CTA design. When including a CTA, make sure that it always stands out from the surrounding text so people know how to reach it intuitively.

7. Starbucks

Type: Premium promotion email

Goal: Let people know the benefits of their current plan

Subject line: Psst…?‍♀️Pumpkin Spice Latte is available exclusively for Starbucks Rewards members! ??

Starbucks

What’s great about this email marketing example

What makes this one of the examples of great email marketing is its strategic use of exclusivity and desirability.

By focusing on a product that has all their customers waiting in line, Starbucks crafted a great benefit that its rewards program members will appreciate. 

It also serves as a way to both promote and provide exclusivity to a new product that will be launching soon.

How you can do better

The design could be better, especially the last paragraph, which includes an important item: the call to action. Adding some white space and making the call to action bigger can make a great difference.

8. Accor Hotels

Type: Special discount offer

Goal: Make customers take advantage of a current sale or discount available at your business

Subject line: Alex, plan ahead when booking your next trip

Accor Hotels

What’s great about this email marketing example

With its visually appealing newsletter template, personalized introduction, and a clear breakdown of what the offer is about, this email is a convincing one for any avid traveler. 

Also, the pictures serve as inspiration for any subscriber who is considering the offer but is not yet convinced. By looking at all those beautiful places, they’re more likely to find somewhere they want to visit — and jump right into that discount.

How you can do better

Mentioning the offer in the subject line is a must. If people don’t know that they might find an opportunity to save money just by opening that email, they’re less likely to click. 

9. Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Type: Product update and brand awareness

Goal: Let subscribers know more about the production process and brand values 

Subject line: Behind the coffee: Huye Mountain

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

What’s great about this email marketing example

Because of its skillful use of emotional appeal, this email gets a spot in this list of good marketing email examples.

With a clear focus on storytelling and transparency, this email shows how content is not only about selling but also about building a strong relationship with your audience. 

The narrative tone combined with the images gives users the right idea about what’s behind this product and what motives they might have to support this cause.

How you can do better

Break down big pieces of text into smaller ones and use images as a way to divide paragraphs. This will help users enjoy the story even more.

10. edX

Type: Recommendations

Goal: Highlight certain products and get people to purchase them 

Subject line: Your program recommendations are here

edX email example

What’s great about this example of email marketing

Edx is a great educational platform that provides different certifications to fit all students’ needs. In this email, they communicate exactly what they can offer for anyone looking to level up their career, and they encourage you to find out more about these options. 

This is one of the best email marketing examples, with the right combination of a motivational approach and a sales strategy that every student will appreciate.

How you can do better

Include clear buttons with calls to action so people feel the need to check out each program that catches their attention.

11. Holo Taco

Type: Lead nurturing

Goal: Retain current customers and nurture relationships

Subject line: Want a Free Gift on Your Birthday? ???

Holo Taco email

What’s great about this email marketing example

Making customers and leads feel important is a priceless resource, and Holo Taco is one of the email marketing examples that understands this. Asking for their visitors’ birthday and promising a special gift provides a personalized communication dynamic that any user would appreciate. Besides, who doesn’t love a gift?

How you can do better

Make sure that you format the email in a way that makes it easy to read, including white spaces, short paragraphs, and bullet points.

12. Highway Robery

Type: Product update

Goal: Update users on new products available and invite them to purchase

Subject line: Return of the Robi

Highway Robery

What’s great about this email marketing example

Highway Robery plays with creativity and humor, which helps to build a genuine connection. By incorporating memes, jokes, and a conversational tone, this email feels like getting back in contact with an old friend.  

How you can do better

The subject line is creative, but it can also be a bit confusing. When sharing updates regarding a product, you should include which product you’ll be talking about in a way that even new subscribers will understand.

13. Busuu

Type: Re-engagement 

Goal: Engage subscribers with low interaction rates

Subject line: Hit reboot on your learning with 50% off ? 

busuu email

What’s great about this email marketing example

The email prominently features a 50% discount on Busuu Premium Plus plans, an enticing offer encouraging users to renew their subscriptions.

It also creates a sense of urgency and FOMO by stating that the discount “ends in 24 hours,” encouraging the recipient to act quickly.

How you can do better

Highlight the benefits and features of your product more to further convince the recipient of its value. The example provides little information. 

Also, the email is text-heavy. Adding more visual elements, such as images, will make your re-engagement emails more visually appealing and engaging.

14. Chatters Salons

Type: Abandoned cart recovery 

Goal: Persuade customers to return and complete purchases 

Subject line: Don’t miss out! Get it before it’s gone…

chatters salons email

What’s great about this email marketing example

It addresses the recipient (“Sheeza”) in the email body to make the message personalized and relevant.

The content clearly explains the recipient had items in their cart but did not complete the purchase, and it encourages them to finish the checkout process.

Stating that the items are being “held” and that the recipient needs to “get them before they’re gone” encourages action. 

How you can do better

Add your recipient’s name to the subject line to encourage a higher open rate. The black CTA button is also a bit small — make your CTA buttons easy to find to make it simple for your recipient to take the next steps. 

Case study

3D printer retailer Creality leveraged Omnisend’s abandoned cart automation to recapture lost sales. This strategy generated over €560,000 in revenue, with impressive 54% open rates and 8.25% click rates. 

Read more

15. Grind

Type: Customer feedback 

Goal: Collect reviews, testimonials, and feedback

Subject line: Answer a five-minute survey, win a Coffee Machine.

grind email

What’s great about this email marketing example

The subject line “Answer a five-minute survey, win a Coffee Machine” is compelling and immediately grabs the recipient’s attention.

The content is straightforward and to the point, clearly communicating the purpose of the survey and the potential reward.

We also admire the “Take our survey” button’s large and prominent placement, which makes it easy for the recipient to take the desired action.

How you can do better

Add more personalized elements, such as addressing the recipient by name or mentioning their previous interactions with the brand.

Your survey emails could also provide more information to encourage participation, such as the survey’s purpose, the types of questions, and how winners will be selected.

16. Retail Global

Type: Event invitation 

Goal: Encourage signups for an upcoming event 

Subject line: You’re invited to the eComm Party of the YEAR!

retail global email

What’s great about this email marketing example

The subject line “You’re invited to the eComm Party of the YEAR!” immediately grabs the recipient’s attention. 

Opening it reveals details about the event, including the date, time, and location, making it easy for the recipient to plan accordingly.

The ‘80s-themed design adds a fun and unique element to the email and indicates what the event is about. Sponsor recognition (Klarna, Marketplacer, and dotdigital) adds credibility and can help increase signups. 

How you can do better

The “Find out more” button could be more prominent and compelling, encouraging the recipient to take immediate action to RSVP or learn more about the event. “JOIN THE EVENT” or “BOOK NOW” work well for event invitation emails

Offering incentives for booking through email, such as 10% off or two-for-one on drinks at the event, could also help increase your conversion rate.

How to create an email marketing campaign 

So, now you have seen some email marketing examples and have an idea of what efficient marketing should look like. But how can you start building an email that will leave your audience speechless? 

This quick tutorial can help you get started, but if you want a more detailed guide, feel free to check out our step-by-step guide on How to create a simple email campaign in Omnisend

Step 1: Get an app 

So, in order to create a great email, you’ll need software that’s up to those expectations. Need some ideas? Here are 10 email software tools and their main features to help you make an informed decision based on:

  • Your budget
  • What industry you’re in
  • Your technical background
  • The current stage of your business

However, if you want a quick and free option suitable for ecommerce stores, you can sign up with Omnisend and get started in just a few minutes.

Join Omnisend for free and start your email marketing journey

Step 2: Create an email

Now it’s time to get to work! You can create an email from scratch if you want to control the entire design process, but you can also find a lot of pre-made templates that can help with this. 

To send your first email, you just need to: 

  • Go to Campaign
  • Choose the Email option
  • Craft the best subject line
  • Add your brand details and a brief of what your email will look like
  • Choose a template and start creating!

Watch the video below to learn how to design emails like a pro:

Step 3: Save and schedule your email 

Now that you have your email ready to go, it’s time to send it. Add your contact list and then choose which recipients you want to contact with this email. If you don’t have a preferred audience for this campaign specifically, just choose to send it to all the users within your audience. 

After you have all the contact information sorted, you’ll have the option to send the email right away or schedule it for later. 

Sounds easy, right?

Your next steps

To kickstart your email marketing journey, sign up for an email platform like Omnisend and familiarize yourself with its features and templates.

Begin crafting a welcome email series to engage new subscribers and introduce your brand. Next, plan a content calendar that includes product launches, special offers, and informative newsletters to keep your audience engaged.

Implement automation workflows for abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, and customer win-back campaigns. Regularly analyze your email performance metrics and use these insights to refine your strategies and improve engagement rates.

Consistently applying these email marketing tactics will help you build stronger customer relationships and drive more conversions, ultimately boosting your ecommerce store’s success.

Get started with Omnisend today & drive sales on autopilot with pre-built automation workflows
Bernard Meyer
Article by

Bernard is the Sr. Director of Communications & Creative at Omnisend, with a passion for good research, helping ecommerce businesses with their marketing automation needs, and beating absolutely everyone in Mario Kart 64.


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