How to Use Email Marketing on Shopify: A Complete Guide with Tips and Alternatives

Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways to connect with your customers, promote your products, and grow your brand—projected to generate a whopping $18.9 billion in revenue in 2028 alone.

For businesses like yours, Tapstitch knows how essential it is to stay in touch with your audience. That's why using tools like the Shopify Email marketing platform can be a game-changer. It’s easy to set up, allowing you to create and launch email campaigns that promote your products and build relationships with your customers.

Keep your subscribers and clients engaged by sending them updates on new arrivals, exclusive promotions, and exciting content. By staying connected, you’ll not only boost repeat business but also create lasting customer loyalty.

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What is Shopify email?

Shopify Email is a simple yet powerful email marketing tool that helps businesses create and launch effective campaigns, track performance, and grow their customer base—all from one platform.

With Shopify Email, you can send up to 10,000 emails each month at no extra cost, regardless of your Shopify store plan. It’s the perfect solution for businesses looking to engage their customers, increase sales, and strengthen brand loyalty with minimal effort.

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How to launch a Shopify email marketing campaign

Launching an email campaign with Shopify is quick and easy. Here’s how you can get started:

1.Log into Your Shopify Account

‍If you haven’t set up a Shopify store yet, sign up for an account or start a free trial to explore the platform and see how it can meet your marketing needs.

2.Access the Marketing Section

‍In your Shopify admin, click on the Marketing tab.

3.Create a Campaign

‍Click on Create campaign, then select Shopify Email.

4.Pick a Template

‍Choose from a variety of email templates designed to help you create professional-looking emails in minutes.

5.Customize Your Template

‍Customize the template to fit your brand's style and message. Make it uniquely yours!

6.Target Your Audience

‍Under the To section, select the customer segment you want to target for this campaign.

7.Craft a Compelling Subject Line

‍Add an attention-grabbing subject line and edit the email body to make it relevant and engaging for your audience.

8.Review & Schedule

‍Click Review and schedule the send time (or go ahead and send it now).

9.Hit Send

‍Click Send to deliver your email to your subscribers and customers — it's that simple!

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Check your sender details

When launching your first Shopify Email campaign, it's important to pay attention to how your email address appears in the From field. Ensure it's correct and matches your brand.

Your sender's email address is the first thing your recipients will see in their inbox. It plays a key role in building trust and brand recognition with your customers.

To look professional and credible, use an email address that’s linked to your Shopify store or domain, like mail@yourstore.com.

If you don’t customize your sender email, Shopify will use a default address like store@shopifyemail.com, which might not be ideal for branding.

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Edit the email body

A successful email campaign isn’t just about sending out content—it’s about creating memorable messages that drive results. When drafting your email, make sure to focus on the following factors to boost click-through rates and encourage purchases:

• ‍Clarity

‍Keep your message simple, clear, and easy to read. Avoid using industry jargon or technical terms that may confuse your audience.

• ‍Grammar and Spelling

‍Typos and grammatical errors can hurt your credibility and may even cause your emails to get flagged as spam. Always proofread!

• ‍Formatting

‍Ensure your email aligns with your brand by choosing appropriate colors and fonts. Use bold text and varying font sizes to highlight key points in your message.

• ‍Visuals

‍A picture is worth a thousand words! Including relevant images and graphics in your emails can make your content more engaging and help reinforce your message.

• ‍Call to Action (CTA)

‍Include a strong CTA with a hyperlink that directs customers to a page where they can take action, such as Buy Now or See More. This encourages readers to click through and engage with your brand.

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Time to send

When it comes to launching your email campaign, timing is everything. It's important to schedule your emails at the right moment to increase your open and click-through rates. Shopify offers a suggested send time that’s optimized for the best engagement, but feel free to choose a custom time that works for your brand and audience.

• From the email editor, click Review → Schedule send.
• You can select Shopify’s recommended send time or customize the send time to fit your campaign’s goals.

And, if you're uncertain about how your email will appear, Shopify allows you to send a test email to yourself before hitting send to your full list. This gives you the chance to make any last-minute tweaks.

• In the email editor, click Send test.
• Enter up to five email addresses to receive the test emails.
• Hit Send to check everything before sending it to your full list.

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5 Tips for a successful Shopify email marketing campaign

Here are five tips to ensure your next email campaign is a success:

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A good subject line is important

Your subject line is the first impression your subscribers have of your email, so it’s important to make it count. It’s what drives people to open your email and engage with your content.

• ‍Get Creative

Your subject line should captivate your audience’s attention from the moment they see it. A creative subject line can make a lasting impression and lead to higher open rates.

• ‍Keep It Short and Sweet

Keep it concise while delivering your key message. Focus on one main idea and turn it into a snappy, attention-grabbing title that’s easy for your audience to read and understand at a glance.

• ‍Add a Sense of Urgency with Time-Sensitive References

Including time-sensitive elements in your subject line—such as sale dates or limited-time offers—helps create urgency. Even if a subscriber doesn’t open the email right away, they’ll know they need to act fast.

• ‍Stand Out from the Crowd

Don’t be afraid to step outside the box. Don’t reuse subject lines you’ve seen elsewhere—be original! Find new, fresh ways to advertise your discounts, showcase your products, or promote your brand.

• ‍Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Your subject line should give a hint about what’s inside the email and encourage people to open it. Including a strong CTA like Shop Now, Get Your Discount Today, or Limited Time Only adds a sense of excitement and curiosity, boosting your open rates.

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Design visually appealing email templates

When designing your email templates, it’s crucial to think about both the visual appeal and the value your email brings to your subscribers and customers. The right design can make your emails stand out and drive better results.

Here are a few ways to enhance your Shopify email templates:

• ‍Adjust the Layout

‍Avoid sending long blocks of text. Break up your content by alternating between images and written content to keep your email dynamic and engaging.

• ‍Use High-Quality Images

‍Take advantage of Shopify’s free stock image library to add stunning visuals that complement your message.

• ‍Include an Express Checkout Button

‍Create a seamless shopping experience by adding an express checkout button. This feature lets your customers go directly from email to cart with just a few clicks, making it easier to convert them into buyers.

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Personalize your emails

Personalizing your emails can significantly increase your open rates—emails with personalized subject lines are 50% more likely to be opened.

Follow these steps to personalize your Shopify email campaigns:

1.Open Marketing in Your Shopify Admin

‍Go to your Shopify admin panel and select Marketing.

2.Creating a New Campaign

‍Click on Create campaign and choose Shopify Email.

3.Pick an Email Template to Customize

‍Select a template that fits your message and your brand’s style.

4.Personalize Your Subject Line and Content

‍Click the pencil icon to personalize various parts of your email, including the subject line, preview line, header, and body text.

5.Select Personalization Values

‍Choose a personalization value like a first name, city, or other data you have. You can add up to two personalization values in your subject and preview lines, and up to ten in the body of your email.

6.Save Your Changes

‍Once you’re satisfied with the personalization, click Save.

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Shape and segment your audience

Understanding your audience is key to creating effective email campaigns. By segmenting your customers based on their preferences and behaviors, you can craft tailored messages that drive more traffic to your store.

Here’s how to use Shopify to create customer segments:

1.Open Customers in Your Shopify Admin

‍Head to your Shopify admin and select Customers.

2.Create a New Segment

‍Click on Segments and then Create Segment.

3.Add Filters to Define Your Audience

‍Use the text editor or click on the filters icon to apply Shopify or Metafields filters.

4.Select Filter Criteria

‍Click on a filter name, choose an operator, and input a value to define your segment. You can repeat this to add multiple filters.

5.Apply and Test Filters

‍Click on Apply filter to see if your selected audience matches the criteria. You’ll be able to see the number of subscribers and customers that meet these conditions.

6.Review and Adjust Filters

‍Tweak your filters to fine-tune your audience segment until you find the exact group you want to target.

7.Save Your Segment

‍Once satisfied, give your segment a name and click Save.

Once your audience segments are created, personalize your campaigns by following these best practices:

• ‍Speak to Each Group

‍Customize your message for different groups of customers. Consider A/B testing email subject lines, visuals, and content to see what resonates best with each segment.

• ‍Monitor Your Shopify Store Analytics

‍Check your marketing metrics in Shopify to track conversion rates, sales, and other key indicators to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

• ‍Iterate and Optimize

‍Keep refining your campaigns. If you see something isn’t working, don’t hesitate to experiment with new images, content, or subject lines. Regularly adjust your approach to improve engagement and results.

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Automate where you can

Automating your email marketing can save you time and ensure that your messages are sent at the right moments. Shopify Automations lets you streamline communication with your email subscribers and store customers, reducing manual effort while keeping them engaged.

Here’s how you can set up automations in Shopify:

1.Open Marketing in Your Shopify Admin

‍Go to your Shopify admin and navigate to the Marketing section.

2.Click on Automations

‍Select Automations, then click on Create automation.

3.Choose Automation

‍Pick an automation workflow that suits your needs, such as a welcome email, abandoned cart reminder, or first purchase thank you.

4.Use the Workflow

‍Click on Use workflow to start setting up automation.

5.Review and Edit Your Workflow Actions

‍Review the actions in the workflow and make any necessary adjustments to fit your campaign goals.

6.Turn On the Workflow

‍Once satisfied with your setup, click Turn on workflow to activate your automation.

7.Track Your Progress

‍To track the effectiveness of your automated campaigns, go back to Automations > Marketing activitiesSelect your workflow > View report.

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Reach new eCommerce heights with Shopify and Print on Demand

Whether you’re just starting in eCommerce or already have experience, Print on Demand (POD) is a fantastic way to earn income, and Tapstitch makes it easier than ever to get started.

Design your custom apparel and accessories, list them on your online store, and let Tapstitch handle the rest.

1.Sign Up with Tapstitch

Log in Tapstitch to unlock access to a wide range of customizable products. Simply enter your email, create a password, or log in with your Google account to get started.

2.Creating Custom Products

Browse our extensive Product Catalog and choose from over 180 high-quality items to feature your designs. From trendy apparel to unique accessories, we have everything you need to bring your brand vision to life.

3.Connect Your Store and Start Selling

Seamlessly integrate Tapstitch with your Shopify store. Our easy-to-use automation tools make the connection simple, so you can start selling right away.

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5 Alternatives to Shopify email

While Shopify Email is a powerful tool for businesses using the Shopify platform, you might want to explore other options to diversify your email marketing strategies.

Here are five excellent alternatives that can offer different features, flexibility, and integrations with your store:

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Mailchimp

One of the most popular email marketing platforms, Mailchimp offers advanced automation, detailed analytics, and a wide range of customizable templates.

With its easy-to-use interface and robust features, it integrates well with Shopify, making it a solid choice for growing businesses.

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Klaviyo

Known for its powerful segmentation and automation capabilities, Klaviyo allows you to create highly targeted campaigns based on customer behavior.

Whether you’re aiming for personalized emails or automated flows, Klaviyo’s detailed reporting and integrations with Shopify make it an excellent alternative.

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Omnisend

Omnisend is a feature-rich marketing tool that combines email, SMS, and push notifications into one platform. It’s a great option for businesses looking to reach their audience across multiple channels.

Omnisend’s pre-built workflows and easy integration with Shopify make it a great choice for eCommerce businesses.

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Constant Contact

Constant Contact is known for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. It offers a variety of customizable email templates and powerful automation features.

This platform is ideal for businesses that are just starting and need a straightforward, easy-to-manage solution that still offers robust features.

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Sendinblue

Sendinblue offers an all-in-one marketing platform with email campaigns, SMS marketing, and transactional emails.

Its simple, intuitive interface and strong automation tools, along with the ability to manage customer data, make it a fantastic option for businesses looking to grow and engage their audiences more efficiently.

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Frequently asked questions

1.Is it necessary to personalize my emails?

Yes, personalizing your emails can greatly increase the chances of them being opened. Addressing customers by their names and tailoring content to their interests can make them feel special and more likely to engage with your offerings!

2.How do I start an email campaign on Shopify?

Starting an email campaign on Shopify is quite easy! First, log into your Shopify account. If you don't have one yet, you can sign up for a free trial. Then, navigate to the Marketing section, create a campaign, choose a template, and customize the email with a subject line and content. Finally, you can schedule it to be sent immediately!

3.How much does Shopify Email cost?

Shopify Email is free for stores on any Shopify plan to send up to 10,000 emails per month. After that, a small fee applies, depending on the number of emails you send.

4.What are some tips for writing a good subject line?

A good subject line should be catchy and to the point! Try to keep it short, include something unique, and if you have a time-sensitive offer, mention it. Using terms like 'Limited Time Offer' can entice readers to open your email right away!

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To summarize

Shopify offers powerful email marketing tools and insightful analytics that can help you maximize your marketing efforts and boost sales. Take full advantage of these features to connect with your audience and drive more conversions.

Pair your Shopify store with Tapstitch's Print on Demand services, and start selling custom-made, high-quality products — from stylish apparel to unique accessories. With your captivating content ready, it’s time to schedule those emails and engage your subscribers effectively!

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