If you’re reading this, you probably want your emails to actually get opened, read, and maybe even clicked. And you don’t want to waste hours fighting with clunky tools or chasing “growth hacks” that never really work. This guide is for marketers, founders, or anyone who needs to build and launch targeted email campaigns using Empler—and wants to do it right, without the fluff.
I’ll walk you through what actually matters, what to skip, and how to get your first (or next) campaign out the door with less stress.
Step 1: Get Your List in Order (Seriously)
It doesn’t matter how fancy your template is—if you’re emailing the wrong people, or your list is a mess, the rest is wasted effort.
What works:
- Segment before you start. Don’t just blast everyone. Group contacts by real traits: recent signups, active users, location, or features used.
- Clean your list. Remove hard bounces, obvious bots, and people who never open. Empler’s import tools are pretty forgiving, but garbage in = garbage out.
- Use tags and custom fields. Empler lets you tag contacts and add custom fields easily. This is the backbone of any targeting you’ll do later.
What doesn’t:
- Overly granular segmentation. If you have 200 contacts, you don’t need 12 segments. Start broad and refine as you go.
Pro tip:
Don’t obsess over “personas” if you’re just getting started. Real engagement data will tell you more than any guesswork about your audience.
Step 2: Define a Clear Goal (And Stick to It)
Before you write a single subject line, ask yourself: What do I want these people to do?
Common goals: - Get a demo booked - Download something - Buy now (or at least click) - Just stay top of mind
Write your goal down. If you can’t say it in one sentence, it’s too vague.
What works: - Align every part of your email to your goal—subject, copy, CTA button. - One goal per campaign. More than that, and people just get confused or ignore you.
What doesn’t:
- “Awareness” as a goal. That’s not measurable, and it usually means you’re emailing just to email.
Step 3: Build a Message That Doesn’t Suck
Now for the part everyone obsesses over: the email itself. Here’s the blunt truth—most people overthink this, and their emails end up sounding like robots, or worse, like everyone else.
What works: - Write like a human. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it. - Short and clear. People scan. Make it easy to get the point. - Personalize (when it’s real). Use Empler’s merge tags for names or company—but don’t fake it. “Hey {{first_name}}” isn’t magic if the rest feels generic. - One strong CTA. Make it big, obvious, and easy to click on both desktop and mobile. - Plain text or simple templates. Empler’s drag-and-drop editor is decent, but don’t get lost in design. Fancy layouts can hurt deliverability and look weird in Outlook (yes, people still use Outlook).
What doesn’t:
- Overusing images or GIFs (they often get blocked).
- Clickbait subject lines (“Last chance!!!”)—people see through this.
- Writing novels. Save the big stories for your blog.
Pro tip:
Send a test email to yourself and read it on your phone. If you’re bored or confused, your audience will be too.
Step 4: Set Up Targeting and Automation Wisely
Here’s where Empler actually makes life easier. The platform has solid tools for building segments and triggering automations, but don’t get sucked into building Rube Goldberg machines.
What works: - Use saved segments. Build your audience once, save it, and reuse it for future campaigns. - Automate simply. Set up basic drip campaigns—like a welcome series or follow-up after a download—but keep the logic straightforward. - Test triggers. If you’re using event-based campaigns (like “send if user hasn’t logged in for 30 days”), double-check your rules. It’s easy to get this wrong and annoy people.
What doesn’t:
- Overengineering automations with dozens of conditions. Maintenance hell, and you’ll lose track of what’s actually sending.
- “Set and forget.” Always check that your automations are working as intended.
Pro tip:
Start with one or two automated flows. See what works, then add more. Complexity should follow results, not the other way around.
Step 5: Test (But Don’t Obsess Over A/B Testing)
Testing is good, but don’t let it paralyze you. In Empler, you can run basic A/B subject line or content tests easily.
What works: - Test obvious things first. Subject lines, CTA wording, or sending time. - Look for meaningful differences, not just statistical noise. - Test in batches. If your list is small, A/B tests won’t mean much.
What doesn’t:
- Running 10-way split tests. You need huge lists for this to matter.
- Tweaking for the sake of tweaking. If your gut says a change won’t move the needle, skip it.
Pro tip:
Set a time limit for each test (e.g., 48 hours). Otherwise, you’ll keep waiting for “perfect” data that never comes.
Step 6: Hit Send (and Monitor Like a Hawk)
The best campaign is the one that actually ships. Once everything looks good, schedule or send your campaign.
What works: - Preview and QA. Send test emails to yourself and a teammate. Check for typos, broken links, weird formatting. - Use Empler’s scheduling. Send at the local time of your segment if it makes sense. For global lists, don’t stress too much—timing matters less than people think. - Monitor results. Open rates, click rates, bounces, and unsubscribes. Empler’s reporting is good enough for most people.
What doesn’t:
- Obsessing over vanity metrics. Opens are helpful, but clicks and replies matter more.
- Panicking over a few unsubscribes. It means you’re reaching real humans, not just ghosts.
Pro tip:
Set a calendar reminder to check results a day or two after sending. Adjust your next campaign based on what actually happened, not what you hoped would happen.
Step 7: Learn and Iterate (But Don’t Reinvent the Wheel Every Time)
Every campaign is a chance to get a little better. Log what worked and what bombed, but don’t overcomplicate your process.
What works: - Keep a simple campaign log. One Google Sheet with date, segment, goal, open/click rates, and a quick “what I’d change next time.” - Reuse what works. If a subject line or CTA pulls, use it again with minor tweaks. - Ask for replies. The best feedback is from real people, not dashboards.
What doesn’t:
- Starting from scratch every time. Build templates, reuse successful segments.
- Chasing every new “best practice” you see online. Most aren’t relevant to your audience.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Ship It
Most email campaigns fail because people overthink, over-design, or over-segment. Get your basics right: a clean list, a clear goal, a simple message, and a targeted send. Use Empler’s tools to make your life easier, not harder. Iterate based on real results, not theory.
The best campaigns are the ones you actually launch. So keep it simple, learn as you go, and remember—people want useful, honest emails. If you send those, you’re already ahead of most.