6 Practices for a Successful AI-Based Email Marketing Strategy

We’ve all experienced a growing demand for AI-generated marketing content. At the same time, we can’t help but wonder if AI technology is here to stay. Could a neutral machine replace a marketing professional? This question becomes even more pertinent when we talk about creating engaging emails using the power of AI.

In this guide, we will list the best practices for building an effective AI-based email marketing strategy to give your business a competitive edge.

6 Best Practices for Effective AI-Based Email Marketing

Leveraging AI solutions to craft converting email content is more than just another email marketing trend. These tools empower you to build top-notch email campaigns and maximize results without wasting excessive time or money. So, let’s explore the best practices for informing your email marketing strategy using AI.

1. Write Personalized Email Copy

Even the strongest supporter of AI technology will tell you that sending the same generic AI output to your entire mailing list is a terrible idea. Instead, the copy produced by AI technology should serve as a starting point for your email marketing campaign, especially if you’re under time pressure or lacking inspiration. AI can assist you in customizing your email copy through its robust machine-learning capabilities.

Trust us when we say your subscribers dislike reading irrelevant email content that isn’t tailored to their needs. It reminds them that they are just another customer in your business. Your email marketing should aim to make them feel like they belong to a unique community that values them and addresses their challenges.

AI-powered systems simplify the process of segmenting your email list based on shared demographics, interests, or behaviors. They identify the most relevant audience groups and enable you to target them with personalized email copy. AI tools offer natural language generation features that use sophisticated segmentation to refine your copy and add dynamic elements, further customizing your email content. For example, if you have a new Mailchimp review on your blog, machine learning can help you identify the segment that has previously searched for or used the service, making them an ideal target group for driving conversions.

2. Sanitize Your Email List

No matter how compelling and highly personalized your copy is, it won’t benefit you if sent to the wrong people. Maintaining the hygiene of your email list is crucial for achieving high deliverability rates and a solid sender reputation. Keeping unengaged recipients and outdated email addresses on your contact list could trigger spam filters, landing your emails in the spam folder instead of your subscribers’ inboxes.

As you can see, identifying uninterested recipients and removing them manually can be a time-consuming process. Many reputable ESPs (Email Service Providers) offer list-cleaning options that allow you to delete inactive recipients. However, AI filters take list sanitization to the next level.

These filters delve deeper into subscriber activity and detect patterns that non-AI list-cleaning features miss. AI-based email marketing enables you to perform various activities related to list hygiene, such as verifying email addresses to ensure you only send emails to real people. Moreover, these systems automatically update contact information, making list segmentation even more efficient.

3. Automate Specific Tasks

Manually setting up each email you send, especially bulk emails, consumes a lot of time and effort. Thankfully, those days are behind us. AI technology enables you to build behavior-triggered automated email sequences using its advanced machine-learning capabilities. This allows you to swiftly develop personalized responses based on customer actions on your website or specific triggering events, such as a subscriber’s anniversary with your company.

Drip campaigns aim to reach recipients at optimal times, meaning the most suitable moments for them to open and click through your emails. AI tools fine-tune your email automation by helping you customize every component of your email marketing, from the subject line to sending times. They do this by considering each recipient’s habits, needs, and preferences.

Lastly, AI-powered tools facilitate the automation of your A/B testing for more accurate results. AI-based automated testing allows you to simulate real-life scenarios where you can test various email elements, such as the subject line, CTA, and visual elements. This process identifies the best-performing variant for each element tested, enabling you to create emails that drive engagement and conversions.

4. Revisit Your Email Frequency

Most marketers aim to strike the right balance between overwhelming readers and letting them forget about the business. It’s not enough to send compelling email content to the right people at the right time. You must also avoid overwhelming or neglecting your readers to ensure they engage with your email campaigns. In this endeavor, AI-based email marketing is your most reliable ally.

AI technology helps you monitor how often each subscriber prefers to receive marketing emails from your business. While some recipients may want regular updates, others may get frustrated by frequent emails. Choosing the wrong email-sending frequency could significantly increase your unsubscribe rate. AI provides you with the necessary tools to determine the frequency that best resonates with your target audience.

5. Recommend Specific Products

One of the most profitable applications of AI technology is product recommendation, particularly useful for e-commerce businesses. AI enables real-time monitoring of activity on your website and incorporates product recommendations into your emails based on collected data. AI-powered solutions consider specific user actions, like browsing and purchasing history, to help retailers target them with relevant product recommendations via email.

For example, you could offer a better alternative to a selected product or display products that consumers often buy together, like shower gel and body scrub, to increase basket value. Without AI, you risk sending generic recommendations based on your site’s best-selling products. AI elevates your personalized recommendations, leading to more upselling opportunities and increased email open and click-through rates.

6. Generate Eye-Catching Visuals

AI image generators are time-savers for marketers looking to include attractive images in their emails to promote their products. This is especially useful when in-house designers are unavailable. Machine learning translates marketers’ instructions into realistic and relevant images for your emails. The best part is that you don’t need artistic skills; a precise description will suffice for the tool to create the images you envision. The result is high-quality, customizable images that meet your business needs.

AI-based email marketing tools empower you to generate unique images that reflect your brand identity. For instance, you can create email templates that align with your website design. This not only saves time by automating the email creation process but also ensures consistent branding across different channels. Last but not least, you avoid legal issues related to copyright, as the images are generated by artificial intelligence, eliminating the need to give credit to any source.

Final Words

Given the significant changes in the marketing industry over the past few years, it’s safe to say that now is the time for businesses worldwide to leverage the power of AI. This is particularly true for AI-based email marketing; companies should invest in this technology to deliver a seamless experience for every customer.

From customizing your email copy to determining optimal sending times, AI technology offers valuable insights into the effectiveness of your email campaigns. You can also use this data to improve underperforming aspects. However, it’s important to remember that the true power of AI-powered systems is best realized when combined with human creativity and expertise. By integrating the advanced capabilities of AI with your marketing team’s unique ideas and experience, you’ll be well on your way to email marketing success.