Email marketing that wins: A summary of key elements

Creating a winning email is harder than it seems. With so many tools available that make it easy to create and send professional-looking emails, do-it-yourself marketers can put images and words together and broadcast a message in no time. But a great email is like a great band. If all of the players aren’t doing their part to the best of their abilities, then their cover of Freebird doesn’t get the audience fired up.

In the same way, an email with a lackluster strategy can be deleted without even being opened. It could find its way to the spam folder. Or, worst of all, your recipient may click the dreaded unsubscribe link!

But we’re here to help. Lunne has been developing strategically sound and effective emails for years, and we’re sharing some of the most important parts of a successful email. 

It doesn’t matter (if you don’t have a great subject line)

Let’s start with the obvious. The image at the top of the email can be perfect, on-brand, beautiful, and engaging. The headline is an attention-grabber. The body copy is succinct, engaging, and error-free.

But none of it matters.

All of this is the pearl inside the clam. The email must be opened in order to find the treasure inside. And in an age where people have thousands of unread emails (which sounds like a nightmare to all the Type A personalities), they’ll only open the ones that grab their attention in the subject line. So it must be highly relevant and engaging to your audience.

Lunne knows all the tricks to make subject lines more appealing. Did you know that emojis can increase email open rates by 56%? Do you know whether the words “free” or “exclusive” tempt email recipients more? We do!

In general, an email’s subject line is one of the absolute most important elements of your entire email. 

Harness the power of the preview text

It isn’t the subject line. It isn’t the email copy itself. It’s the caramel between the other layers of a Twix bar. While it’s subtle, it really makes the whole thing work.

Based on a 2024 study, 50-60% of all emails have been opened on mobile devices. When you open your phone’s email app, under the subject line, you likely see a line or two of copy that gives you a better idea of what the email is about. That’s preview text (sometimes referred to as preheader text), and it’s your chance to further entice your audience into reading your message.

Hit them early, and hit them often

Success! They opened the email. Now you can get to work and bring them in. A succinct, effective headline and an engaging hero image keep their attention and move them down the line.

Headlines can't be cute or clever at the expense of being unclear. Lunne’s copywriting team is well-versed in balancing attention-grabbing messaging with relevance and clarity. What’s our goal with this message? The headline is our first chance to grab our reader’s attention and tell them what we want them to learn.

From here, the rest of the message should focus on justification, proof, and supporting messages, which may include convincing content like research results or testimonials.

Success is spelled CTA

And here's where the intention of your email (and KPI) really hits home: What's your call to action? A clear and actionable—all pun intended—call to action will increase your click rate.

At Lunne, we put a lot of stock into CTAs that are more compelling than the “Learn More” buttons you see every day. Did you know that a specific CTA can drive 28% more clicks than standard language? We help create more effective, thoughtful CTAs for your message.

We’re a little obsessed

The effectiveness of email is hard to beat. And being a digital medium, it’s always evolving as new best practices are uncovered all the time. Lunne can help keep you at the forefront of what works. Let’s talk about your audience, your message, and our proven email strategies to elevate your relationships.