How to make email marketing personal and integrate it with your other strategies
Most inboxes are a minefield. Discounts, delivery confirmations, spam and maybe - if you’re lucky - something you actually want to read.
So here’s the challenge - if you’re showing up in someone’s inbox, how do you make sure you’re the message they actually want to open and not the one they just swipe into the bin?
Personalisation is the difference between being instantly deleted and being eagerly opened. It builds trust, loyalty and long-term relationships with your customers.
Emails can’t do the heavy lifting alone. To really see results, your email strategy needs to integrate with the rest of your marketing.
We’re here to break down how businesses can make their emails feel more personal and how to connect email with the bigger picture of your marketing strategy.
Why personalisation is no longer optional
People don’t want to feel like another name on a list. Research consistently shows that personalisation leads to higher click-through rates. But beyond the numbers, it’s about brand perception. When businesses take the time to understand their audience and tailor their communication, customers do notice. They’re more likely to trust and stay loyal.
Going beyond the basics
Personalisation isn’t just about inserting someone’s name into a subject line. That might grab attention once, but it won’t hold it. What really makes an impact is when the content feels relevant and timely.
Let’s take a look at how your business can step things up:
Use behavioural data
Track how subscribers interact with your website, emails and products. If someone browses a product page but doesn’t buy, follow up with related recommendations or educational content.
Leverage purchase history
For example, if someone buys a coffee machine, suggest speciality beans or a subscription service. If someone purchases running shoes, send hydration tips or socks.
Segment your audience
Not everyone cares about the same things. By segmenting your audience (for example, new leads, loyal customers, discount seekers and high spenders), you can deliver messages that reach the right people.
Consider location and timing
A campaign promoting “cosy winter coats” won’t make sense for subscribers in Australia in July. Likewise, sending emails at 3am in someone’s time zone won’t do much for your open rates. Timing and context matter.
Sounding human in every message.
One of the biggest reasons emails fail is that they don’t sound natural. Overly corporate or stiff language can create a barrier between businesses and their audience.
Successful email marketing sounds friendly and approachable. It doesn’t mean being unprofessional; it means being direct and engaging.
Keep it human by:
- Choosing simple language - Say ‘saving time’ instead of ‘streamlining processes’. Clear, straightforward language always wins.
- Tell stories - Consider showcasing real customer experiences or behind-the-scenes insights to make your brand feel relatable.
- Encourage replies - Invite feedback or questions so your emails feel like conversations.
When your subscribers feel like they’re hearing from a real person and not just a faceless brand, they’ll be more likely to engage and trust.
How email fits into the bigger picture
Email marketing is at its most powerful when it’s integrated with your other strategies. Businesses often treat email as a standalone tactic, but when it’s combined with social media, paid ads and content marketing, it truly ties everything together.
Social media
Social media is where you grab attention. Email is where you build a deeper relationship. For example, businesses can use their Instagram or LinkedIn to tease content that’s ‘email only’, creating FOMO and driving sign-ups. In return, emails can encourage readers to engage with social posts, creating community across multiple platforms.
Paid aids
Ads often create the first touchpoint but email nurtures the relationship. For instance, someone might click on a retargeting ad for a product or download a free guide, and then receive a series of emails that educates and gently nudges them towards a purchase.
Content marketing Blogs, videos and other content can get lost in the noise unless they’re amplified. Email can be the perfect way of attracting your audience and getting them to engage with your other content. Instead of saying, ‘Here’s our latest blog,’ in your email, you could highlight the benefits of reading it. ‘Struggling with SEO? This 5-minute read could make your next blog post rank higher.’
The customer experience
Don’t underestimate the role of email in customer service. Helpful product tips, personalised recommendations, thoughtful thank-yous and onboarding sequences are all ways to add value beyond the sale or sign-up.
When email supports all of these areas, businesses can create a consistent and cohesive experience across every touchpoint.
Email automation
Automation sometimes gets a bad reputation, with businesses worrying it makes them sound robotic or impersonal. However, when done right, automation actually enables more personalisation. You can deliver the right message at the right time.
- Welcome sequences that make new subscribers feel valued and excited.
- Abandoned cart reminders written in a helpful tone, not a pushy one.
- Celebratory emails for birthdays or anniversaries, framed as a genuine thank-you.
- Post-purchase follow-ups that check in on customer satisfaction, not just upsell.
The key is to make automation feel thoughtful. Businesses can build these flows once, but design them in a way that feels fresh and authentic every time they land in someone’s inbox.
Testing and refining your approach
Even carefully put together campaigns can fall flat if they’re never revisited. Audiences evolve and what worked brilliantly last year may not land today.
Some areas to experiment with include:
Subject lines
Your subject line is the first (and sometimes only) impression you get to make. Try different angles - questions, teasers, urgency or even light humour. You’ll quickly learn what sparks interest and what gets ignored.
Send times and days
Timing can make or break your open rates. Some audiences engage first thing in the morning, others over lunch, and some in the evening after work. Test weekdays versus weekends too - your subscribers’ habits might surprise you.
Email length and format
Not every reader wants the same thing. Short, snappy messages with bold CTAs work well for time-poor subscribers, while others prefer longer storytelling with context and detail. Experiment with both styles and see which drives more engagement.
Visuals and design
Test the impact of including images, GIFs or videos versus plain-text formats. Sometimes less can actually feel more personal and authentic.
Calls to action
Instead of always saying ‘Shop now’ or ‘Read more’, test different approaches. For example: ‘See how it works’ or ‘Take the first step.’ The language you use can shift how people respond.
Are people replying to your emails? Are they forwarding them to colleagues or friends? Do you notice unsubscribes after certain types of campaigns? Each of these is a clue that can help you refine your approach.
Trusted email marketing services
At Vooba, we work with businesses to create email strategies that feel personal and relevant. Done well, email marketing should align with the bigger picture, connecting your social campaigns, paid ads and customer experience together. Call us on 01798 667167 to find out more about what we can do for your company.
