No area of digital marketing has been left untouched by AI. From our search on Google AI Overview to AI-powered content creation and digital advertising, artificial intelligence has transformed the way marketing is implemented and executed.
These tools have also elevated how brands engage customers via email. With more than 376 billion emails sent daily, AI-driven email marketing enables brands to cut through the noise and step up to the podium, all while saving time and resources.
However, to create smart email campaigns and stand out in customers’ inboxes, marketers must use innovative tools and adopt best practices.
Ready to elevate brand-customer connections? Here’s everything you should know about AI for email campaign performance.
The Current Email Marketing Landscape
Email has traditionally been the go-to channel for digital marketers. That’s because there are over 4.4 billion email users globally, eclipsing the number of people using Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites.
However, with open rates of 20% to 25% compared to 90% on chat apps like WhatsApp, digital marketers must adopt more effective practices to entice prospects to open, click, and convert.
Luckily, AI provides a solution.
What Is AI Email Marketing?
Artificial intelligence in email marketing uses AI-powered tools to automate and optimize email marketing campaigns. Through data analytics, AI-driven segmentation, and machine learning, digital marketers can better analyze customer behavior and automate and personalize content at scale.
While it might take a human an hour or more to draft one personalized email, AI does this in mere seconds. These tools also streamline repetitive tasks, such as:
- Email segmentation
- Workflows
- List cleaning
- Sending times
- Email subject line optimization AI
Think of it as having a supercharged marketing assistant that never sleeps, constantly learning and improving your campaigns so you can reclaim your time.
Benefits of AI in Email Campaigns
Among the top benefits of AI email marketing are:
Personalized Email Marketing Campaigns
Generic email blasts are no longer effective. The average customer receives 121 business emails daily, quickly leading to inbox fatigue.
AI enables marketers to create highly personalized experiences by analyzing user data, such as past purchases, browsing behavior, and engagement history. This means every subscriber can receive content tailored specifically to their interests, boosting open rates.
Smarter Segmentation
Manual segmentation is time-consuming and often prone to inaccuracies. AI algorithms can automatically group subscribers based on behavioral and demographic data, ensuring that the right message reaches the right person at the right time.
Optimized Send Times
When emails are sent, it matters as much as what they say. AI tools can analyze engagement patterns to determine the optimal time to send emails to each recipient, thereby boosting open rates and click-throughs.
Predictive Analytics
AI can forecast future behavior. For example, it can predict which subscribers are likely to churn, which ones might convert, and what products they might be interested in. This allows you to engage your audience proactively.
Content Generation and Testing
About 95% of marketers who use generative AI for email creation rate it as “effective.” And over half believe it’s “very effective.”
AI can generate subject lines, headlines, and even full email bodies based on successful past campaigns. A/B testing is automated and results-driven, saving time and increasing performance.
Email marketers can craft hyper-personalized messages with a few simple prompts, freeing up more time for them to focus on other initiatives.
Best Email Marketing Tools with AI
Several powerful AI-powered email marketing tools help businesses unlock these benefits:
- Mailchimp: Known for its ease of use, Mailchimp integrates AI for subject line suggestions, send-time optimization, and predictive demographics.
- Seventh Sense: Focused on send-time optimization, Seventh Sense integrates with HubSpot and Marketo to improve engagement through behavioral analysis.
- Rasa.io: Ideal for newsletters, Rasa.io leverages AI to curate personalized content from multiple sources, tailored to each subscriber’s interests.
- Shopify Email: Developed with eCommerce brands in mind, Shopify Email provides everything you need to sell, including templates, reports, and AI email automation. And with 10,000 free emails per month, Shopify Email is a cost-effective solution for small businesses.
- Omnisend: Send personalized product recommendations, abandoned cart reminders, and more based on purchasing history.
Each tool has its strengths, and choosing the right one depends on your business size, goals, and marketing stack.
AI Email Marketing Use Cases
AI in email marketing isn’t just theory. It’s already transforming real campaigns. Here are a few common use cases:
eCommerce
- Abandoned Cart Emails: Abandoned carts cost brands $18 billion in lost sales annually. AI can predict the most effective incentive to encourage customers to return, protecting lost profits.
- Product Recommendations: Based on browsing or purchasing patterns, AI can suggest relevant products tailored to individual needs.
Content Marketing
- Newsletter Personalization: AI curates content tailored to each subscriber, enhancing relevance and engagement.
- Topic Prediction: Determine which blog topics a subscriber is likely to enjoy next.
B2B Lead Nurturing
- Behavior-Based Drip Campaigns: Automatically adjust messaging based on a lead's position in the sales funnel.
- Engagement Scoring: Identify hot leads based on email interactions and site visits.
Event Marketing
- Personalized Invitations: Send emails tailored to user interests or past event attendance.
- Follow-Up Optimization: Utilize AI to identify individuals who require a reminder or are likely to RSVP.
Challenges to Watch
While AI offers immense potential, it’s not without hurdles:
Data Privacy
AI requires data to function effectively, but marketers must ensure they collect and use it ethically and in compliance with regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA.
Over-Automation
Relying too heavily on AI can make your emails feel robotic. Balance automation with human creativity to maintain authenticity.
Learning Curve
Implementing AI tools requires training and a solid understanding of the technology. Without proper onboarding, businesses may struggle to fully utilize the platform.
Quality Input = Quality Output
AI is only as smart as the data and strategy behind it. Inaccurate data or poor campaign logic can lead to poor performance.
Best Practices
To make the most of AI email marketing, follow these tried-and-true strategies:
- Start Small: Test AI features like subject line optimization or send-time prediction before scaling up.
- Clean Your Data: Regularly update and segment your email list to ensure accurate personalization and targeted messaging.
- Maintain a Human Touch: Blend automation with genuine human insight to keep your messaging authentic and relatable.
- Monitor and Adjust: AI learns over time, so continually monitor the results and adjust the inputs to achieve continuous improvement.
- A/B Test Regularly: Even with AI, testing remains crucial to validate what works and what doesn't.
Elevate Campaigns and Drive Conversions with AI Email Marketing
While email remains a dominant digital marketing channel, AI makes it even better. From personalization to automation, marketers can leverage these tools to unlock deeper customer insights, higher productivity, and supreme personalization.
Keep an eye out for our next AI blog, where we discuss AI SEO tools and how they can future-proof your marketing tactics.