Email marketing is one of the most vital platforms for sharing news, generating sales and maintaining visibility.
Email broadcasts are a well-known form of content marketing and can be perfect if you’re launching a new product or announcing a flash sale. Done poorly, email broadcasts can be irritating, or worse, go directly to the spam folder.
What exactly is an email broadcast and how can you get the most out of them?
In this article, we’ll take a look at nine email broadcast examples that you can draw inspiration from. We’ll cover the top takeaways from each example, and then discuss some overarching tips you can use to improve your email strategy.
What is an email broadcast, and how do they generate sales?
An email broadcast (also known as a mass email, broadcast email or email blast) is an email that is sent out to a large email list. They are primarily used for promotional content and email newsletters.
The main goal of an email broadcast is to reach a wider audience with a smaller investment. For instance, a company may wish to spread the news about a new promotion, line of products, or service that they’re providing to customers who have opted in. It should offer value to the customer, informing them about news that they care about.
An email broadcast can be a powerful digital marketing strategy that generates sales when best practices are used. These include ensuring your emails have a purpose, are consistent, fit into your overall email marketing strategy (i.e. don’t appear random) and are relevant. If your emails feel out of place or don’t resonate with your target audience, you risk ending up with low open and click-through rates, or worse, getting reported and labeled as spam.
We’ll show you nine effective examples, then explain how to craft an email broadcast that engages your customers.
1. Grammarly
Grammarly is a cloud-based writing assistant that helps users review and edit text for grammatical, punctuation, clarity and stylistic mistakes. Grammarly sends around five emails per month, generally focusing on sales, product improvements and other promotional content.
Grammarly’s email broadcast subject line: Have you tried Grammarly’s new iPad app?
What are the key takeaways?
Consider asking a question. Asking a question, rather than writing a statement (for example, “Grammarly’s new iPad app is out”), is often a more intriguing way of getting attention. It makes the email content seem more interesting and reveals that it’s possible to try the app before purchasing.
There’s a single focus to the email. Grammarly is introducing their new iPad app, revealing an improved service for current users and enticing prospective customers with even more value. Focusing on a single email theme helps recipients decide quickly whether they’re interested or not.
Use templates to create great email designs. The repeated text block and image design of the email is aesthetic and easy to follow. Your eyes flow quickly through the three short blocks of text and easily glean all of the important information from the email. One great way to create a great-looking email is by using email templates.
Show, don’t tell. The email shows the user exactly what they can expect from the new app: their app’s user interface, a graphic showing how suggestions are displayed and an image of their new snapshots feature. These email components convey the clean, uncluttered UX of the app (and prove its familiarity with the PC application).
The copy is clear, concise and free of grammatical errors. An error-free email is especially important for a company offering a text review service.
2. MailNinja
MailNinja is a UK marketing agency that provides an email outsourcing service, handling all day-to-day email marketing for their clients.
MailNinjas’s email broadcast subject line: How to achieve effective Shopify email marketing
What are the key takeaways?
Keep it simple. MailNinja’s email advertises their latest blog post, which focuses on using the Shopify platform in email marketing campaigns. The design of the email is minimalist and straight to the point. Following the preheader, readers can see a brief excerpt of the article before clicking through to read more.
They provide a clear call to action (CTA). Following the brief excerpt, MailNinja displays a large, clear CTA button with the text “Continue reading”. This link leads straight to the MailNinja blog, where the recipient can learn more about the service and potentially become a customer.
Include a teaser. The way the blog excerpt ends halfway through a sentence builds curiosity in the reader, which can help encourage them to click through to their website. Adding a teaser is a great way to increase your click-through rate.
3. Audible
Audible is an audiobook and podcast app created by Amazon. Audible’s emails typically focus on promoting editor’s picks lists, new releases or reminding users to spend their credits, renew their subscription or start a free trial.
Audible’s email broadcast subject line: 🏃🍏 The top 15 audiobooks for health, wellbeing and getting ahead
What are the key takeaways?
Who are you talking to? Audible has audiobooks and podcasts in several genres – not everyone will be interested in every genre. In this email message, Audible promotes their latest “Editor’s Picks” in the “Health, Wellbeing & Getting Ahead” genre. By choosing a single genre to promote, they’re increasing the chances that interested customers will purchase a title.
Demonstrate value. By including titles in the Plus Catalog that are accessible without further cost to subscribers, Audible shows potential customers an example of the value their subscription service provides.
Consider your product. Each audiobook is displayed with its title, author, front cover and a short blurb. Showing their selections is another way to use promotional material already on hand and provides information about them that titles alone could not. There’s no need to design an image from scratch or schedule a shoot for every email.
Build trust in your readers. Audible sells audiobooks, so providing examples chosen by the editor builds trust in the reader that those titles will be worth listening to. Trust can also be built by including customer testimonials or reviews at the end of your email.
4. Figma
Figma is a prototyping tool and vector graphics editor that is mostly web-based. They send a monthly email that quickly introduces the latest news and updates for their service.
Figma’s email broadcast subject line: All the new Figma releases you May have missed
What are the key takeaways?
Each feature is showcased with a header and image. The design of the Figma broadcast email is very clean. Scrolling through the email takes you through a list of news, with each item featured separately, allowing readers to take in the topics they’re interested in most.
Each section ends in a separate CTA. Each section ends with a CTA for readers to “Get the details”, taking them to a page with further information about that release. This allows the readers to follow up on news that affects them directly. This is a great way to get people back to your website, learning more about your product.
Don’t be afraid to go all out. Although the sheer amount of information in Figma’s email may seem daunting, it reflects their dedication to their customers. Sharing monthly updates to their service shows their subscribers that the product is improving and that they’re focused on providing new value all the time.
Choose a great font and layout. Figma’s choice of font and sizing, along with the separation of each short paragraph with an image, makes their copy highly accessible and enjoyable to read. They’ve even capitalized the “M” in their subject line to reflect the month this email was delivered. Designing a good email is harder than it sounds and can be very time-consuming, so check out these tips to save time.
5. National Geographic
Established monthly magazine National Geographic is known for its photojournalism and in-depth content. National Geographic sends up to 40 emails a month, often focusing on the promotion of their latest stories and subscription service.
National Geographic’s email broadcast subject line: We’re interested in the world, what about you?
What are the key takeaways?
Stay true to your brand. The design of National Geographic’s email, especially with the black header background, captures the identity of their website and magazines perfectly. Each entry in the list of articles is fascinating, with an engaging image to draw your eye – something that Nat Geo is well-known for.
Entice potential customers with free offerings. This National Geographic broadcast email focuses on their latest articles, blending a mix of subscriber-only and free articles to give the reader a taste and encourage them to subscribe if they want to read more.
What is the purpose of your email? In this email, National Geographic tries to increase its readership and views, with its design fitting that purpose perfectly. Scrolling through the email is a similar experience to scrolling through a blog.
6. Lindy Alexander
Lindy Alexander is a freelance writer who offers a course called “Write Earn Thrive”, in which she teaches other freelancers how to improve their business. Lindy sends between four and seven emails a week, introducing concepts from her course, promotions or posts from her blog.
Lindy Alexander’s email broadcast subject line: What if you got results like these?
What are the key takeaways?
Be fair. Lindy Alexander allows recipients to opt out of the email list straight away, understanding that not all customers want to receive her emails. Providing this option is a great way to show your customers that you have their interests in mind.
Build trust using testimonials. If you’re providing educational material, people need to trust that you’re an expert and have something valuable to say. Providing testimonials from previous students can be a great way to demonstrate this.
Who are you talking to? Lindy Alexander’s audience is up-and-coming freelancers. The copy of Lindy Alexander’s broadcast email is conversational, approachable and informative. Choosing the correct tone for your email is important to keep your audience engaged.
7. Marini Ferlazzo
Marini Ferlazzo is an Australian-based artist who creates hand-drawn images of wildlife from around the world in an original style. Sending an article every two to three days, Marini Ferlazzo primarily promotes new prints, products or flash sales.
Marini Ferlazzo’s email broadcast subject line: 30% Off Sale! 🙉
What are the key takeaways?
Keep the focus on your brand. The design of Marini Ferlazzo’s email is beautiful, making use of the same color schemes from his website and artwork and displaying three excellent images of his products and artwork. His signature logo is also placed front and center to build trust and authority.
Put CTAs where they are most impactful. Marini provides one CTA at the top of the product images and one at the bottom. This increases convenience for recipients, meaning they don’t have to scroll all the way up or down to follow the link.
Keep the main point the main point. The purpose of this Marini Ferlazzo broadcast email is to get customers to use the discount and buy his products. This type of email is hard to ignore. Focusing on imagery rather than descriptions, the only copy in the entire email is the first line which promotes the 30% off flash sale.
8. SEMRush
SEMRush is a software as a service (SaaS) platform providing keyword research and SEO optimization functions. They mostly send out promotional emails advertising their service and providing value through their latest research, news and events.
SEMRush’s email broadcast subject line: Boost Your Local SEO
What are the key takeaways?
Only say what you need to. Keeping your email short and sweet is a great way to boost engagement. SEMRush’s email is structured as just that – an email, no gimmicks. They provide three quick paragraphs followed by a CTA. Nothing else is required.
Provide a pain point and solution. One thing that stands out in SEMRush’s broadcast email is its structure. In the first paragraph, they point out the problem. In the second, they provide a link to tips to deal with the problem. Finally, they offer a solution in their software.
Give something away. In this email, SEMRush provides the opportunity for recipients to create a free local SEO report. You might consider offering a free trial, sneak peek or discount that will get customers taking that next step and clicking through to your website.
Make it personal. One thing SEMRush does differently is to send the email directly from the Head of Local SEO Products rather than from a generic SEMRush email address. While the email itself isn’t personalized, this approach creates the feeling that it’s still personally significant.
9. COMPOSER
COMPOSER is a magazine produced by Spitfire Audio that focuses on interviews with musicians and composers. Their broadcast emails typically promote recent stories, magazine issues, or releases.
COMPOSER’s email broadcast subject line: Poppy Ackroyd on being a new parent, recording in the pandemic & never throwing away her compositions
What are the key takeaways?
The design matters. COMPOSER’s email is nicely designed, focusing on artist imagery and textures. Each of the three features is accompanied by a gorgeous photograph and a brief quote from the article. The compilation provides a mood that mirrors the artistic brand of the magazine.
Should you focus on images or copy? There is little copy in this email. Instead, the photographs intrigue the recipient, aiming for them to purchase a copy of the magazine for more musical news.
What are your audience’s interests? Keeping the email focused on your audience’s interests is the best way to increase engagement. COMPOSER’s email focuses on the latest issue of their magazine, primarily displaying the cover page and main story. After this, the email displays an exclusive interview. Finally, it shows COMPOSER’s artist pick of the month along with a CTA to listen to her music.
Tips for sending an effective email broadcast
There’s no universal approach when it comes to email marketing, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to create the most effective strategy.
1. Use an organically built email list
You should only send your email broadcast to those who have opted-in to your email list. Sending emails to people who haven’t asked for it is considered spam and may put you in breach of compliance. Focusing on those who have opted-in means that you’re targeting people who are already interested, increasing the effectiveness of your email.
2. Segment your email list
After you have your organic list, segment it to make it more targeted. Segmenting your list means organizing your subscribers into smaller lists based on demographics or characteristics that help define what products, services or messaging will interest them (like age, gender, location, purchase history and so on). Surveys show 75% of customers are more likely to buy from businesses that offer relevant recommendations.
If you’re targeting specific roles in a B2B campaign, you can ask subscribers for their best email for work and their job role when they sign up.
3. Identify your goals
Nailing down your goals should be the first step with any marketing channel. What are you trying to achieve? Do you want people to click through to your site, subscribe to your service or order products? Deciding on your goal will inform every other part of your email, including the email subject line, preheader, copy and CTA.
4. Send your email at the right time
It may take some trial and error to determine when the best time is for you, but many studies suggest that Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. is the ideal time. If you’re already using Pipedrive, you can schedule your emails to arrive at specific times, including in different timezones.
5. Balance the frequency
Sending too many broadcast emails will hurt your deliverability and make your emails go to the spam folder. Your customers may also unsubscribe at higher rates. Finding the right balance can be difficult, and it will vary for each industry. Landing at the right frequency will lead to increased open rates, conversions and sales.
6. Track your performance and adjust your strategy as required
Use A/B testing to check which design or copy works best for your audience and increase your effectiveness. Track important metrics, such as the open rate, click rate and bounce rate to see whether your strategy is working or if your email needs tweaking.
7. Get the tone right
Depending on your audience and brand, write your copy in different ways. This means different emails for different segments. If you have a segment of 18 to 25 year-olds, they will respond differently to your segment of 45 to 55 year-olds. Try to be thoughtful and consider every email as an opportunity to connect with your customers.
8. Have a catchy subject line
Your subject line should draw people’s attention and clearly state your value-add. Customers take one look at subject lines and make a split-second decision on whether to open the email or not. Use the sense of urgency and the fear of missing out to draw customers in. Then wow them with the email copy.
9. Use a great marketing automation tool
Using email marketing software to integrate your emails and track their effectiveness is essential to crafting a successful email campaign. Automated email broadcast service takes a lot of the effort out of managing your email marketing campaign, which saves valuable time and can lead to sales.
Final thoughts
Email broadcasts are still an incredibly effective tool for marketers. By following the best practices, broadcast emails can be used successfully to generate leads and increase sales.
Pipedrive can integrate with leading email marketing tools to help you track and improve your email strategy. Try our 14-day free trial and see how we can help you.
