Promotional email examples: How to write an effective one

Are you looking to get more conversions with your promotional emails?

If done right, promotional emails are a great way to generate more leads, increase brand awareness and make more sales.

In this post, we’ll share with you examples of 6 different types of promotional emails so you can get a sense of the various promotions you can run.

We’ll also share some tips that’ll help you write effective promotional email copy that gets results.

Let’s get started.

Examples of different types of promotional emails

There are different types of promotional emails, each having its own purpose. In order to give you a better understanding, we’ll provide examples of each type and explain them in detail.

1. Limited-Time / Flash sale offer

A flash sale is a short-term promotion where you offer a steep discount on your products or services for a limited period of time.

Flash sale emails are great to increase sales and clear out old inventory. However, because these emails are time-sensitive, it is important to create a sense of urgency in the email.

Here’s an example of a flash sale email from WPDeveloper:

What we liked

1. WPDeveloper does a great job of creating a sense of urgency by stating in the subject line that the sale is for tonight only. The email is direct and mentions the coupon code and discount right at the top of the body.
2. It has visuals and clear CTA buttons that attract readers attention and make it easy for them to take action.

2. New product launch emails

Whether you’re preparing to launch a new product or you’ve just added a big new feature, promotional launch emails are a great way to create excitement and interest around your product.

The email should include product details and explain how it will benefit your potential customers. You can also use this opportunity to provide a launch offer discount to your loyal customers.

Here’s an example of a new product launch email by Kadence WP:

What we liked

1. Kadence WP mentions the announcement and offer right in the subject line. This makes the reader curious and prompts them to open the email. The email body highlights the new product, explains its features, and includes a screenshot of the product interface.
2. As the product launch coincides with Black Friday, Kadence WP offers a discount and mentions it in the email.
3. There are two CTA buttons, one of which provides more information about the product, and the other directs users to the offer page.

3. Holiday season email

The holiday season is an excellent time to promote your products as people are generally more inclined to spend money during this time. This can lead to a significant increase in revenue for your business.

Most stores offer special deals and promotional codes during holiday time to encourage people to try out their products.

Here’s an example of a holiday promotion email from Sendinblue:

What we liked

1. Sendinblue starts off by mentioning the discount and the code right at the top. The same is repeated in the visual, the email body as well as the CTA button. This repeated mention of the offer ensures that it doesn’t go unnoticed by the reader.

4. Upgrade email

An upgrade promotional email is an excellent way to convince your customers to upgrade to a higher plan. You can send these emails to customers who started with a trial package, or your regular customers as a service upgrade offer.

Here’s an example of an upgrade email sent by Notion to their customers:

What we liked:

1. The email starts off with a pain point about how Notion’s Pro plan provides limited collaboration controls when working with multiple people on the same project. This makes the customer resonate with the pain.
2. The next section provides an overview of the features available in the Team plan and gives a CTA to upgrade. The objective of this email is to convince the customer to move to the Team plan because of the additional features offered on it.

5. Special Coupon/Voucher Promotional Email

You can offer special coupons or promo codes from time to time to keep your customers coming back for more. These codes can be used to encourage them to buy more products or to simply to thank them for being a loyal customer.

If these promotional email campaigns are time sensitive, it is important to mention that in the subject line or at the top of the email body.

Here’s an example of a special coupon email sent by Appsumo:

What we liked

1. The subject line is short and to the point. It is bound to make the reader feel special and make them open the email. The email content is also short and gives a clear idea of the discount and how long it is available.
2. Email such as this creates a positive relationship with subscribers and helps create customer loyalty.

6. Free resource email

The free resource is not intended to drive direct sales to your product, but rather to develop a loyal relationship with the subscriber.

This type of email is mostly content-based, and subscribers receive free resources in the form of an eBook or an invitation to a special live event. Subscribers are interested in such resources as it can help them gain valuable information to grow their businesses.

Here’s an example of a free resource email from The Website Flip:

What we liked

1. The first thing you’ll notice about this email is that it includes a strong CTA. The word “Free” is mentioned in the subject line as well as the CTA button. This helps grab the attention and encourages users to click on that link. The email is not heavy on visuals but it delivers the message to subscribers.

That’s all! These are the 6 promotional email examples that you can implement in your marketing strategies.

Let’s now look at some tips for writing great promotional emails.

What to include in a promotional email?

An effective promotional email is composed of several key elements. These elements determine whether or not your promotional email will be successful in terms of conversion.

Let’s go over these elements in depth so you don’t forget to include them in your promotional email.

1. A call to action

The whole point of a promotional email is to encourage your email subscribers to take action. Without a proper call-to-action, your email will flop and fail to convert. It is the CTA button that tells readers what to do next to take advantage of your offer.

The commonly used call to action buttons are “Buy now,” “Sign up today,” or “Get started.”

2. Subject and preview text

The subject line and the preview text are also an important part of your promotional email, as it is what encourages the recipient to open your email. In fact, 47% of people say they open an email based on the subject line alone.

You want your subject line and preview text to be clear, relevant, and interesting. For example, if it’s a flash sale, the subject line should trigger recipient to open your email as soon as possible.

3. Irresistible offer

Make sure your promotional email has an irresistible offer. Even a perfect email will fail if the offer isn’t good enough. If you’re not sure how to put together a great offer, we personally enjoyed the book, $100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No, by Alex Hormozi.

4. Limited time

All promotions must expire in order to add a sense of urgency and cause a customer to buy straight away. For example, Black Friday can’t last all year round, or it wouldn’t feel like a good deal. Being clear about the expiry date on your offer adds urgency to your email and encourages people to click.

5. Personalisation

Personalisation is more than simply saying “Hello {{first_name}}” at the top of your email.

Other ways of personalising a promotional email include:

1. Generating custom coupons that only work for 1 person.
2. Running special promotions only sent to people based on their location, the holidays they celebrate, their purchase history, and more.

That’s it! The following tips should help you write a promotional email copy that get maximum conversion.

Wrapping up: Promotional email examples

Promotional emails are a great way to notify your customers about the latest offers, new product launches, and more.

In this post, we’ve covered everything you need to know to convert a highly effective email marketing campaign.