Email Marketing in 2025: The Ultimate Guide to Growing and Monetizing Your List

Why Email Marketing Still Reigns Supreme

Social media is great for visibility, but what happens if Instagram disappears tomorrow? It might sound extreme, but we’ve seen platforms change overnight—accounts get hacked, algorithms shift, and engagement drops without warning. Relying solely on social media to communicate with your audience isn’t just risky—it’s unsustainable.

That’s why email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools for business growth. Unlike social media, where visibility is dictated by ever-changing algorithms, your email list is an asset you own. It’s direct, personal, and proven to convert.

At Hayda Studios, we’ve always prioritized email marketing for ourselves and our clients, and over the years, we’ve refined our approach to make it as efficient and high-converting as possible. This guide covers exactly how to do that—whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing strategy.

1. Building a High-Quality Email List

An email list isn’t about quantity—it’s about having the right people on it. A highly engaged list of 500 is far more valuable than 10,000 subscribers who never open an email.

Create an Irresistible Lead Magnet

People don’t just give away their email addresses. They need a compelling reason to subscribe. The best way to do this? Offer something valuable in exchange.

Some of the most effective lead magnets include:

• Exclusive guides or checklists (e.g., “10-Step Skincare Routine for Glowing Skin”)
• Mini email courses or video trainings
• Discounts or VIP offers
• Quizzes that provide personalized recommendations

We create all of our signup forms directly within Flodesk because it allows for complete design flexibility without needing additional plugins or third-party apps. The simpler the process, the more seamless it is for us to maintain a clean, high-converting list.

2. The Power of Segmentation & Automation

Email marketing shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. The best-performing campaigns are personalized, automated, and designed to send the right message at the right time.

Why Segmentation Matters

Sending the same email to your entire list is a missed opportunity. Instead, segmenting your audience allows for more relevant, personalized messaging. Here are a few segmentation strategies that have worked well for us:

• Purchase Behavior: Customers vs. non-customers
• Engagement Level: Active subscribers vs. those who haven’t opened an email in months
• Interests: Specific service types, product categories, or content preferences

Automating Your Email Sequences

Rather than manually sending emails every time we have an update, we use automation workflows to keep engagement consistent without added effort.

Some of the most valuable sequences we use:

• Welcome Sequences: Introduce new subscribers to our brand and values
• Abandoned Cart Emails: A simple nudge that recovers lost sales
• Re-engagement Campaigns: Targeting inactive subscribers before they drop off completely

Automation is a game-changer when it comes to scalability. This is why we love using Flodesk—it makes setting up automated workflows incredibly easy, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.

3. Writing Emails That People Actually Want to Open

Once someone joins your list, the challenge is keeping them engaged. If your emails aren’t compelling, they’ll either be ignored or—worse—lead to unsubscribes.

Crafting Strong Subject Lines

A subject line can make or break an email’s open rate. Some tactics we’ve found successful:

• Personalization: “Hey [First Name], This One’s for You”
• Curiosity & Intrigue: “The One Thing Nobody Tells You About…”
• Urgency & Scarcity: “Only a Few Spots Left – Act Now”
• Value-Driven: “The Skincare Routine You’ve Been Waiting For”

Email Body: Keep It Clear & Actionable

Our biggest rule when writing emails? Get to the point.

• Write like a human—conversational, straightforward, and easy to read
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points to improve readability
• Every email should have a single, clear call to action

4. Optimizing for Mobile & Deliverability

With 60%+ of emails opened on mobile devices, mobile optimization is non-negotiable.

How to Optimize for Mobile:

• Use responsive templates to prevent formatting issues
• Keep subject lines short (under 50 characters)
• Use buttons instead of text links for CTAs

We used to struggle with email formatting across different devices, which is why we switched to Flodesk—their templates automatically adjust for mobile, saving us time and frustration.

Avoiding Spam Filters & Improving Deliverability

To ensure emails actually reach inboxes, we follow these best practices:

• Use a professional email domain (not Gmail or Yahoo)
• Authenticate our domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
• Avoid spam-triggering words in subject lines and body copy
• Always include an unsubscribe link (not only best practice, but legally required)

Deliverability isn’t something most people think about, but it has a huge impact on email performance.

5. Tracking Performance & Refining the Strategy

Email marketing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Reviewing data helps us understand what’s working and where we need to adjust.

Key Metrics We Track:

• Open Rate: How many people actually opened an email
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): How many clicked on a link inside
• Unsubscribe Rate: A healthy rate is usually under 0.5%
• Conversion Rate: How many subscribers completed the intended action

Flodesk’s analytics dashboard gives us a quick, clear view of these metrics, making it easy to refine our strategy over time.

6. Monetizing Your Email List

A well-maintained email list is one of the most powerful revenue drivers in any business. Some ways we (and our clients) use email marketing for sales:

• Product Launches & Announcements—A direct, algorithm-free way to reach our audience
• Affiliate Marketing—Sharing products we love and earning commissions
• Exclusive Content & Paid Subscriptions—Premium newsletters, digital downloads, memberships
• Limited-Time Offers & VIP Sales—Providing early access or special discounts to loyal subscribers

The key is balancing value and promotion. People will stay subscribed if they consistently receive useful, relevant content.

Final Thoughts: Why Email Marketing Needs to Be Your Priority

Would your business survive if Instagram disappeared tomorrow?

This question is at the core of why we prioritize email marketing—because our audience is our asset, not something controlled by a third-party platform.

Having an email strategy in place gives you ownership over your marketing, your audience, and your revenue. And the best part? It doesn’t have to be complicated.

For us, Flodesk has been the most intuitive and aesthetically flexible email marketing tool we’ve used. If you’re looking for a platform that simplifies automation, design, and list management, you can get 50% off your first year when you use code HAYDASTUDIOS at checkout.

Email isn’t just a marketing channel—it’s a business foundation. The sooner you invest in it, the more control you’ll have over your brand’s growth.