A successful email marketing strategy is a bit like gumbo: many different ingredients come together to make something wonderful. A true email marketing strategy combines many different types of emails to create a variety of touches that surprise and delight constituents. For example, below is an example of a series of emails I might send a prospective student who is in their senior year:

  1. Marketing email: First name, are you interested in a PG year?
  2. Helpful email with links to our blog posts for more information: 5 Reasons to Take a PG Year ⚽ 🎓
  3. Marketing email with a CTA: Start your year today: apply to the PG Program now
  4. Letter from the admission director: First name, do you have a plan for next year?
  5. Newsletter round-up of latest Cheshire Academy news

By switching up marketing style emails, useful blog posts, letters, and newsletters, I’m maximizing the effectiveness by not overusing one element, creating surprise. The above emails averaged a 36% open rate and a 4.4% click rate.

While it’s important to switch up the types of emails you send, you must also make sure to vary other elements: Use a .gif, for example, or start the subject line with the customer’s first name. Make sure not to overuse any element, otherwise, your emails will come across as fake or contrived.