When ecommerce brands think about email marketing, the first thing that usually comes to mind is flows — abandoned cart reminders, welcome series, post-purchase follow-ups. These are powerful, high-converting automations that drive revenue on autopilot. But there’s another pillar of email marketing that’s often taken for granted, and without a well-optimised campaign, your email program will never reach its full potential.
Campaigns are the heartbeat of email marketing. They’re how you stay top of mind, build relationships, and nurture trust with your audience. Done right, campaigns don’t just sell products — they create loyal customers who look forward to hearing from you.
What is an Email Campaign?
An email campaign (also called a broadcast or newsletter), is a one-time, broadcast-style email sent to your list (or a segment of it) on a specific date and time. Unlike automated flows, which are triggered by user actions (like abandoning a cart), campaigns are scheduled and sent on your terms.They’re planned around your marketing calendar or specific promotions, not triggered by a subscriber’s individual actions.
Campaigns are designed to deliver fresh, relevant, and timely content that doesn’t belong in automation. Think of them as your brand’s digital magazine — a consistent way to communicate, share stories, and drive sales. Think flash sales, product launches, holiday sale announcements, seasonal promotions, or trending cultural events. Unlike flows, which run in the background, campaigns give you the agility to strike while the iron is hot.
The Key Goals of Campaigns
- Stay Top of Mind – Keep your brand visible so when customers are ready to purchase, you’re the first option they think of.
- Entertain and Inspire – Provide content that informs, inspires, or entertains so people want to open your emails.
- Drive Sales – Generate consistent, low-cost revenue by selling to people who already know and trust you.
- Strengthen Trust and Credibility – Build a brand voice that feels human, relatable, and reliable.
- Gather Data – Each campaign is an opportunity to test, learn, and refine what resonates with your audience.
- Capitalize on time-sensitive moments – Campaigns let you deliver messages in real time, outside of your flows. By sending a well-timed campaign, you can create urgency, tap into what’s top of mind for your audience, and drive immediate action.
Building Habitual Engagement
While campaigns are perfect for one-off events like product launches or flash sales, they’re just as essential for keeping your audience consistently engaged. You won’t have new drops or promotions every week — sometimes, these events are months apart. That’s why it’s important to keep sending campaigns with educational, entertaining, and value-driven content between major events.
You don’t only show up for restocks and sales — you stay present in your subscribers’ inbox with content that keeps them interested and connected. This way, when a big event does happen, your audience already recognizes your brand, trusts you, and is primed to buy.
When subscribers expect your emails regularly, they’re more likely to look out for them and open them. The exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon where repeated contact with something increases a person’s preference for it, simply because it becomes familiar. By sending more quality content to get people familar with you, the odds are they will turn into a fan. This habitual engagement not only improves open rates, but also increases conversions over time. The more often they engage with your content, the more familiar and comfortable they become with your brand — boosting loyalty, repeat purchases, and lifetime value.
Why Campaigns Are Key to Ecommerce Success
Many brands mistakenly believe automated flows will carry their email revenue. But without campaigns, your presence fades. Customers who don’t actively trigger a flow won’t hear from you, and eventually, they’ll forget you exist.
Campaigns solve this problem. They:
- Build habits. Sending consistently (2–4 times per week) conditions your audience to expect and look forward to your emails.
- Nurture trust. Campaigns allow you to educate, entertain, and share stories, rather than only “selling.”
- Protect your deliverability. Regular engagement with your emails keeps open rates high and prevents your domain from being flagged as spam.
- Drive repeat traffic. They’re the cheapest way to bring people back to your site.
In short, flows make you money, but campaigns build your brand.
The Best Types of Campaign Content
To succeed, campaigns must deliver value every single time. The fastest way to kill your list is to send constant sales pitches. Instead, mix your content with these high-performing formats:
- Educational content – How-tos, tips, and guides that help customers get more out of your products.
- Storytelling – Share your brand journey, behind-the-scenes content, or customer transformations.
- Social proof – Testimonials, reviews, and UGC that build credibility.
- Seasonal content – Holiday guides, trending products, or limited-time collections.
- Promotions – Yes, discounts and sales have their place — but sparingly, not constantly.
The golden rule: one email, one focus, one takeaway.
Typical Topics for Email Campaign
Because campaigns aren’t tied to automated triggers, they’re highly flexible. You can use them to:
- announce new products or collections
- run flash sales or seasonal promotions
- share exclusive subscriber-only offers
- send educational content or tips (helping customers use or style your products)
- provide behind-the-scenes stories or founder messages
- highlight customer reviews or success stories
- share press mentions, awards, or milestones
- tease upcoming launches to build anticipation
- run surveys or gather feedback
- invite subscribers to follow you on social or join a referral program
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