MBA Module: Digital Marketing
Session 6
Email Marketing & Marketing Automation
The highest-ROI channel in digital marketing. Your owned audience.
Today's Agenda
- Why Email
- List Building
- Copy & Segmentation
- Automation
- Lab: 3-Email Sequence
- Concept checks: short MCQ / true-false after each major Part (cold-call a student)
- Deliverable: 3-email sequence
Part 1: The Case for Email
No algorithm. No rented platform. Pure direct access.
Email vs. Every Other Channel
The Numbers
- Average email ROI: $36 for every $1 spent (DMA, 2023)
- 4.6 billion global email users — more than social media
- Organic social reach: 2–5%. Email open rates: 20–40%
- Email drives more B2B revenue than any other digital channel
The Core Insight: A social media following is an audience you rent. An email list is an audience you own. If Instagram shuts down tomorrow, your email list survives.
Part 2: List Building
Growing a qualified, permission-based subscriber base.
The Lead Magnet Strategy
A lead magnet is a free, high-value resource exchanged for a visitor's email address. The stronger the lead magnet, the lower the CPA for list growth.
Effective Lead Magnets
- Checklists & cheat sheets
- Templates (spreadsheets, Canva)
- Mini-courses or video series
- Free audits or consultations
- Webinar registrations
Where to Promote
- Website pop-up (exit intent)
- Blog post CTAs (inline)
- Social media bio link
- Paid social lead-gen ads
- After content consumption (courses)
List Health: Quality Over Quantity
High-Quality List
- 1,000 subscribers
- 35% open rate
- 5% CTR
- Engaged, bought-in audience
Low-Quality List
- 50,000 subscribers
- 5% open rate
- 0.3% CTR
- Spam complaints, deliverability damage
Never buy email lists. They destroy deliverability and violate GDPR/CAN-SPAM.
Part 3: Email Anatomy & Copywriting
The elements that drive open, click, and conversion.
The Six Elements of Every Email (1/2)
| Element |
Purpose |
Key Principle |
| Subject Line |
Gets the open |
Curiosity, urgency, personalisation, or benefit |
| Preview Text |
Supports the subject line |
Never leave it blank — it defaults to ugly code |
| From Name |
Builds trust |
Person's name > Brand name for open rates |
The Six Elements of Every Email (2/2)
| Element |
Purpose |
Key Principle |
| Body |
Delivers value & builds desire |
One idea per email. Short paragraphs. Scannable. |
| CTA |
Drives the click |
One CTA per email. Link text AND button. |
| Unsubscribe |
Legal compliance |
Make it easy — a bad unsubscribe UX = spam complaint |
Subject Line Formulas That Work
- Curiosity Gap: "The one thing your competitors know that you don't"
- Direct Benefit: "Double your landing page conversions this week"
- Personalisation: "[First Name], your free audit is ready"
- Urgency: "Last day: 40% off expires at midnight"
- Question: "Are you making this SEO mistake?"
- Number: "7 email mistakes costing you sales"
A/B test subject lines with 20% of your list. Send the winner to the remaining 80%.
Part 4: Segmentation & Personalisation
The right message, to the right person, at the right time.
Segmentation Strategies
Behavioural
- Did they open the last 3 emails?
- Did they click a specific link?
- Did they visit the pricing page?
- Did they abandon a cart?
Demographic / Profile
- Industry or job role
- Location (city/country)
- Stage in the buying journey
- Product/interest category
Mailchimp data: Segmented campaigns get 14% more opens and 101% more clicks than non-segmented ones.
Part 5: Automation Workflows
Sequences that run 24/7 and convert leads while you sleep.
The Three Core Automation Sequences
Welcome Sequence
Triggered by: Sign-up
- Email 1: Deliver lead magnet + warm greeting
- Email 2: Your story / brand values
- Email 3: Social proof + soft offer
Nurture / Drip
Triggered by: Interest or lead score
- Weekly value-add emails
- Gradual trust building
- Progressive CTAs toward purchase
Re-engagement
Triggered by: 90 days inactive
- "We miss you" win-back sequence
- Special offer or content
- Unsubscribe inactive contacts
Email Deliverability: Getting Past the Filters
Deliverability Rate = % of your emails that actually reach the inbox (vs. spam folder or rejected).
Technical Setup (Manager's Checklist)
- SPF: Authorized IPs
- DKIM: Cryptographic signature
- DMARC: Enforcement rules
- Warm up new domains slowly
- Use a reputable ESP
List Hygiene
- Remove hard bounces immediately
- Suppress unengaged contacts (after 90 days)
- Avoid bait-and-switch subject lines
- Never use spam trigger words
KPIs: What Good Looks Like
| Metric |
Industry Average |
Target |
| Open Rate |
20–25% |
> 30% |
| Click-Through Rate |
2–3% |
> 5% |
| Unsubscribe Rate |
< 0.5% |
< 0.2% |
| Spam Complaint Rate |
< 0.1% |
< 0.05% |
| Revenue Per Email |
Varies |
Track and benchmark monthly |
Lab: Build a 3-Email Welcome Sequence
Using Mailchimp (Free) or ConvertKit
- Connect your email platform to your landing page form
- Write Email 1: Lead magnet delivery + personal welcome
- Write Email 2: Share your "why" — brand story
- Write Email 3: One testimonial + clear CTA offer
- Set up the automation trigger and test the full flow
Deliverable for Session 6
Email Automation Sequence
- 3 written emails (subject line + body + CTA each)
- Screenshot of automation workflow in your ESP
- One A/B test hypothesis for your subject line
Due before the start of Session 7.