Email marketing strategy: Data-driven plan to boost revenue

Let’s be real, simply having an email list and shooting bulk marketing emails isn’t going to bring you sales when you don’t have a well-defined email marketing strategy.

To turn subscribers into repeat buyers, you need a focused plan that engages customers, builds relationships, and drives revenue. Our internal analysis shows email delivers an average 76x return, proving that email marketing works but only when done intentionally. 

Whether you’re running an ecommerce store, leading a B2B marketing team, or promoting a SaaS product, you need a focused and measurable email marketing strategy.

In this guide, you’ll find the most effective strategies that, according to Omnisend’s latest data, will remain crucial in 2026: 

1. Grow high quality email list
2. Set up must-have automations
3. Segment your customers
4. Offer value in every email
5. Write engaging subject lines
6. Send emails at the right time
7. Leverage omnichannel integration
8. Use email campaigns
9. Ensure email deliverability and compliance
10. Optimize emails for mobile
11. Monitor and analyze
12. Use A/B testing

1. Grow high quality email list

It’s important to build a healthy email list for your email marketing strategy and not buy it off the shelf. 

An engaged, permission-based list delivers the highest ROI, protects your sender reputation, and ensures long-term deliverability. A smaller list of opted-in subscribers will always outperform a large, unverified one. 

Think of list building as a value exchange. Visitors “pay” for a subscription with their email address. As inbox clutter increases, so should the value you offer. Beyond discounts, you can offer content upgrades, early product drops, or entry into a community to gain trust and increase subscriptions.

Here are ways to build a healthy email list: 

• Popups and exit-intent overlays offering valuable content or deals
• Embedded signup forms on key pages, blog posts, or even footers
• Dedicated landing pages for campaigns or promotions
• Checkout opt-in checkboxes for new buyers (supported for Shopify and WooCommerce users)
• Gated content, such as free guides, templates, or exclusive resources
• Incentives like discounts, free shipping, early access, or exclusive content
• Gamified forms like spin-to-win wheels, which can reach conversion rates of up to 11%
• Interactive quizzes or surveys that provide personalized results while collecting emails

Use Omnisend’s free signup form templates to create simple forms and build an engaged list. You can use gamified forms like spin-to-win wheels that perform well because they trigger a sense of “winning.”

This creates an endowment effect where subscribers value the reward more because they feel like they earned it. Based on our analysis, gamified signup forms can reach conversion rates of up to 11%, compared to 6.5% for standard landing pages.

Gamified popups like Wheel of Fortune also work, boasting a conversion rate of 3.6%:

Use double opt-in and follow GDPR or CAN-SPAM rules to ensure only genuinely interested subscribers join your list.

Also, keep your list clean by removing inactive contacts or re-engaging them with targeted campaigns. With Omnisend’s email list hygiene feature, you can clean your list in full or by segments:

Watch this video to learn practical tips on creating high-converting signup forms:

2. Set up must-have automations

With a proven email marketing automation strategy, you can send messages triggered by customer actions and initiate relationship-building conversions.

According to Omnisend’s 2026 Ecommerce Marketing Report, automated emails deliver 24% higher open rates and 19% higher conversion rates. The top two automations, abandoned cart and welcome series, generate 76% of all automated orders:

Some of the top automated campaigns you can include in your email marketing strategy are: 

• Welcome email series: Build a great first impression by engaging new subscribers, sharing your brand story, and offering incentives over a series of three to four emails
• Cart abandonment emails: Remind shoppers about items they left in their cart to recover lost sales
• Browse abandonment emails: Reach out to visitors who viewed products but didn’t add to cart
• Post-purchase follow-ups: Thank customers, ask for reviews, and suggest relevant products to encourage repeat purchases
• Reactivation emails: Re-engage inactive subscribers with reminders or special offers
• Birthday or anniversary emails: Celebrate subscribers with personalized messages and deals
• Back-in-stock notifications: Alert customers when products they wanted are available again
• B2B/SaaS onboarding and lead nurturing emails: Educate new users or prospects through multi-step email sequences to turn leads into customers

3. Segment your customers

A mistake brands make with email segmentation is keeping segments static while customer behavior constantly changes. Customer behavior is far more predictive than their attributes. 

Omnisend’s dynamic behavioral segmentation uses customer actions like browsing, clicking, and purchasing as they signal intent more clearly.

Here’s how Omnisend segmentation works:

• Segments update automatically based on rules, either in real time or at scheduled intervals
• The AI Segment Builder simplifies segment creation based on lifecycle stage in the customer journey:

For actionable segmentation, focus on a few high-impact groups like VIPs, at-risk customers, and window shoppers. 

Here are some insights we pulled from a video by Magnet Monster CEO, Wiehan Britz, and Omnisend to help improve your email marketing segmentation strategy:

• Avoid static personas: They fail when customers evolve, so update segments regularly to match current behavior and lifecycle stage
• Keep data fresh: To address dynamic customer behavior, use real-time actions and zero-party data to stay relevant
• Focus on key segments: Start with a few broad, high-value groups, and use dynamic automation for personalization
• RFM + real-time behavior: Combine recency (how recently someone bought), frequency (how often they buy), and monetary (how much they spend) value with live behavioral signals for long-term value
• Use segmentation for insights: Analyze behaviors to identify patterns, inform product strategy, and discover growth opportunities

Start with a few behavior-based segments. Then, use engagement and purchase data to refine your messaging over time.

4. Offer value in every email

Your email marketing strategy should focus on giving subscribers a reason to open and engage. 

A practical way to do this is the 80/20 content rule. Aim for around 80% value-led content and only 20% direct selling. 

You can add more value to your emails using:

• Helpful content like masterclasses and how-to guides: Offer insightful content that empowers them to learn new skills or overcome challenges
• Personalized product recommendations: Tailor your suggestions to each individual’s preferences, which makes them feel understood and cared for
• Sales on specific product categories: Highlight discounts and promotions on items that align with their interests
• Discount codes: Surprise your customers with exclusive codes to reward their loyalty
• Early access to new arrivals/sales: Help people feel valued by providing first access to new products or upcoming sales

When subscribers find non-promotional emails valuable, they’re more likely to regularly open and interact with them. This build sender reputation, helping your emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders.

Omnisend’s automated welcome emails helped To’ak Chocolate achieve a 47% open rate and an 18% conversion rate. Here’s an example of a value-driven email by To’ak Chocolate, educating subscribers on the benefits of dark chocolate:

5. Write engaging subject lines

An email subject line is the first thing your subscribers see in their inbox. It plays a crucial role in determining whether they’ll open it. In fact, Omnisend data shows that 35% of customers decide to open an email based solely on the subject line. 

Some practical tips for writing effective subject lines include:

• Keep it short and clear: Aim for 21–40 characters and four to six words for easy readability
• Include numbers: Use numerals for numbers under 10, instead of spelling them out, for better visibility
• Use punctuation: Add question marks or exclamation marks to emphasize key messages, but limit punctuation to two or three
• Include a CTA: If your email asks readers to act, make it clear in the subject line
• Avoid spam words: Skip spammy words like “$$$,” “free,” “cheap,” or “cash bonus” so your email won’t look untrustworthy
• Optimize preheader text: Write a short, clear line that expands on the subject line

Different subject lines work because they tap into different motivations. Here are some common triggers and their corresponding subject line examples:

• Urgency and FOMO: “50% Off Valentine’s Coupon Expires Soon”
• Curiosity and the information gap: “Three Mother’s Day Gifts She’ll Love”
• Status and vanity: “Be Our Valentine (And Get Free Shipping)”
• Utility and clarity: “Welcome! (Important info inside)”

Test various styles to learn what your audience prefers. Use Omnisend’s subject line tester to test performance, predict open rates, and suggest improvements.

6. Send emails at the right time

The timing of your emails significantly impact performance. You may be sure that your email marketing is working now but remember, you must continually monitor and analyze metrics and adjust strategies based on data. What worked a month ago may not be beneficial three months from now.

Omnisend’s research findings show patterns that align with general trends, though each audience behaves differently. 

• Mid-week emails, especially on Tuesdays, tend to get the highest open rates, while Fridays drive more conversions:

• Send times around 2 PM, 8 PM, and 11 PM show positive engagement 
• Early-month sends show slightly higher engagement, but results can vary

If you have a global audience, segment by time zone or use send-time optimization features to make sure emails arrive at the intended local time for each recipient. 

To maintain consistency and protect deliverability, set the correct time zone for your campaigns. You can use A/B tests to send emails at different days or times to subsets of your list, then analyze which options drive the best results. 

Remember that sending emails too often can overwhelm subscribers. Meanwhile, you can lose engagement with too few emails. Find a cadence that keeps your audience interested without causing fatigue.

For example, you can send emails for major events like the Super Bowl just before kick-off (6–6:30 PM ET) or around half-time (8–8:30 PM ET). Post-game emails (10 PM ET) are also effective for timely messages or promotions.

7. Leverage omnichannel integration

When developing an email marketing strategy, you can incorporate other channels like SMS, social campaigns, and push notification for improved results. This approach can strengthen your campaigns and ensure messages reach customers where they’re likely to engage.

SMS delivers consistent results. After 31% growth in 2024, SMS volume rose another 40% in 2025. Automated SMS performed best, generating $0.74 per send versus $0.15 for campaigns. Meanwhile, behavior-based triggers captured high-intent moments.

An Omnisend report shows that push notifications have also gained traction, with an 11% volume increase in 2025 and an open rate of over 41%. SMS volume also rose by 40% in 2025, achieving click-to-conversion rates of 0.97%:

Different customers prefer different channels. Some respond better to email, while others prefer SMS or push notifications. Respecting these preferences can increase engagement and loyalty. You can also coordinate messages across all channels so they complement each other rather than compete.

For instance, if a user opens your email, don’t send them an SMS. However, if they don’t respond, then you can nudge them with a message 24 hours later.

8. Use email campaigns

An email marketing campaign is a one-off or scheduled message sent to engage your audience. While email automation flows are triggered by behavior, regular campaigns let you engage customers on your terms and can create spikes in revenue. 

Effective campaigns include:

• Newsletters to educate subscribers
• Promotional emails to drive sales
• Re-engagement emails to win back inactive subscribers

Data from Omnisend’s report show that campaign open rates reached 30.7%, while click to conversion rose from 5.9% to nine percent:

Though automations show higher performance, regular campaigns contribute to your ecommerce email marketing strategy by driving visibility, supporting promotions, and setting the stage for conversions.

Maintain a regular email schedule, whether weekly, monthly, or daily, to build trust. Also, segment and send tailored campaigns based on customer behavior, which can increase conversions by 60%:

9. Ensure email deliverability and compliance

Maintaining strong deliverability and compliance with email laws is important to achieve better results for your email marketing strategy. Some key practices you can use to protect deliverability include:

• Understand email streams: Campaigns, automations, and transactional emails are judged differently by inbox providers, but each stream needs healthy engagement
• Monitor core metrics: Track bounces, spam complaints, opens, and clicks to assess sender health and spot issues early
• Authenticate your domain: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly to build trust and avoid spam filtering
• Maintain list hygiene: Regularly clean inactive or invalid contacts to reduce complaints and protect deliverability
• Prioritize engagement: Relevant, valuable content sends positive signals to inbox providers, while low engagement hurts reputation

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Sending to unengaged or outdated lists
• Incorrect or incomplete authentication setup
• Unexpected volume spikes near peak seasons like BFCM, without prior planning

Stay compliant with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL by using honest sender information, including your physical address. You should also be transparent about why subscribers receive your emails.

Tools like Omnisend offer built-in deliverability safeguards to help maintain inbox placement during high-volume sending periods.

10. Optimize emails for mobile

With more people accessing emails on their mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that every email is optimized for these devices. Failing to do so could exclude a significant portion of your audience.

Here are practical ways to optimize emails for mobile:

• Design for single-column scrolling: Use layouts that stack content vertically to ensure text and images are readable without shrinking on phones
• Make buttons and text easy to interact with: Place buttons where thumbs naturally reach and use readable font sizes for simple tapping
• Preview on mobile and dark mode before sending: Check how your email looks on small screens and in dark mode to ensure all text, images, and buttons display correctly:

• Test emails like a real user: Send test emails to a small segment or trigger your automation to see how dynamic content appears

Platforms offer templates to help you create responsive designs without coding. With Omnisend’s mobile-friendly email marketing strategy templates, you can customize brand emails that look great on any device:

11. Monitor and analyze

Tracking email performance is vital for optimizing your email marketing strategy. Here are key metrics to monitor and their importance:

• Open rate: The percentage of recipients who open your emails. This indicates the effectiveness of your subject lines in generating interest.
• Conversion rate: This metric measures the percentage of recipients who take the desired action. This reflects the effectiveness of your emails in driving meaningful outcomes.
• Bounce rate: The percentage of undelivered emails. It highlights potential list quality or deliverability issues.
• Sales tracking: This tracks the revenue generated directly from your email campaigns. It provides insights into how your campaigns impact your bottom line.
• Customer profile: It includes subscriber data like preferences, behavior, and purchase history. It enables targeted and personalized email campaigns.

Tracking results isn’t a one-time task. It’s an ongoing aspect of a strong email marketing strategy. Regular analysis shows what’s working, what’s underperforming, and where to make changes.

Keep in mind that Apple Mail Privacy Protection can preload images, which inflates open rates even when subscribers don’t read the email.

That’s why click through and conversion rate are more reliable performance signals because they show interest and action. Revenue per recipient allows fair comparison across sends, while unsubscribe or spam complaints often signal issues with content, frequency, or targeting.

Omnisend’s analytics let you track campaign and automation performance and monitor sales metrics for cost and revenue insights:

12. Use A/B testing

A/B testing can help you improve your email marketing strategy over time. It involves sending two versions of the same email to small groups, then sending the better version to the rest of your list. You can test subject lines, email copy, CTAs, layouts, offers, or send times to see what performs best.

To get clear results, use a champion-challenger approach by testing one element at a time. Be realistic about sample size. Small lists may not give reliable results, while larger lists may need more consistent testing to achieve meaningful results.

Take SM Global Shop as an example. They extensively tested their abandoned cart series over a period of six to seven months. Through careful experimentation, they achieved impressive results: a five percent improvement in open rate and an average monthly increase in sales of about $5,000.

Email marketing strategy for B2B vs. B2C (Ecommerce/SaaS)

Your email marketing strategy differs based on your business model. While the channels may be the same, the goals, timing, and content will vary. 

Below is a breakdown of email marketing strategies for each type of business model.

B2B email marketing strategy

It focuses on long sales cycles and relationship building, prioritizing educational content over immediate conversion. Common tactics include lead nurture drip campaigns, account-based personalization, and webinar invites. Personalization happens at the account or role level, with smaller but highly targeted lists.

Ecommerce (B2C) email marketing strategy

An email marketing strategy for ecommerce focuses on driving purchases and repeat orders with frequent, conversion-driven emails. Key campaigns include flash sales, product launches, abandoned cart reminders, and loyalty rewards. 

Mobile-friendly layouts are essential since many customers shop on their phones. Automation ensures timely messages, while segmentation delivers relevant offers based on purchase history.

SaaS email marketing strategy

This blends marketing with product communication to increase activation and retention. Emails often include onboarding sequences, feature update newsletters, and churn-prevention emails that reach out to inactive users. These emails guide users to get the most value from the product and encourage continued engagement.

Final thoughts

Building a strong email marketing strategy requires careful planning, consistent execution, and ongoing monitoring and improvement. Focus on understanding your audience, setting clear goals, and using automated and personalized messages to drive engagement. 

Email marketing keeps evolving, but its core principle remains — delivering content your subscribers find valuable. This approach builds stronger relationships and drives impactful results.

Invest in building a strong email marketing strategy today because email remains one of the most effective marketing channels.