In this guide, I’ll break down what makes business-to-consumer (B2C) email marketing an essential tool for reaching and engaging your audience. I’ll also walk you through the steps to create B2C email marketing campaigns that leave a lasting impression and drive meaningful results.
Want to jump straight into the step-by-step email marketing guide? Press here or keep on reading!
What is B2C email marketing?
B2C email marketing is a strategy where businesses send emails to their individual consumers to strengthen relationships, promote products or services, and drive sales.
Some of the unique characteristics of B2C email marketing are:
- It targets individual consumers
- It often relies on emotional triggers to influence decisions
- It aims for quick conversions, often with impulse-driven calls to action.
B2C vs. B2B email marketing
Unlike B2B marketing, which focuses on long-term relationships and decision-makers, B2C emails are designed to cater to the needs and emotions of individual recipients.
Check the table below to discover other differences between B2B and B2C email marketing:
| B2C email marketing | B2B email marketing | |
| Audience | Individual consumers looking for products or services for personal use | Businesses looking for solutions to organizational needs |
| Focus | Relies on emotional triggers, brand perception, and instant benefits to engage buyers | Prioritizes logical reasoning, long-term value, and return on investment |
| Buying-cycle length | Short, often driven by immediate consumer needs or emotions | Long and complex |
| Tone | Casual and conversational tone to establish a personal connection | Formal and professional tone to build credibility and trust |
| Personalization | Customized based on consumer behavior and preferences, using data analytics for targeting | Tailored to business needs and industry specifics, often requiring detailed segmentation |
B2C email marketing examples
There are many types of email you can create for your B2C campaigns. The most common types include:
- Welcome emails
- Promotional emails
- Abandoned cart emails
- Newsletters
- Seasonal or holiday emails
- Feedback or surveys
- Re-engagement emails
- Product recommendations
Now let’s look at some real-life examples of B2C emails.
Welcome email
Welcome emails aim to make a great first impression, set expectations, and encourage action.
The welcome email you can see below is from Vieve, a luxury cosmetics brand. The email starts by highlighting that the newly registered customer has earned points for joining the community.
The body of the email is short and sweet and focused on the curated community a subscriber has just joined. It briefly outlines the type of information the subscriber will receive in the future and offers an impressive 20% discount on their first order.
Newsletter
Email newsletters keep readers informed and engaged by delivering timely and valuable updates, insights, and actionable tips.
Take a look at this example from Venmo, a popular mobile payment service.
The first thing one can see when opening this email is a QR code to update the app. This simple approach encourages immediate action, making it easy for users to ensure they’re on the latest version.
The email then introduces three new features—an ideal amount of information for subscribers to quickly scan without feeling overwhelmed. This balanced approach keeps the content digestible while highlighting most significant updates.
Lead nurturing email
Lead nurturing emails are designed to guide potential customers through the buyer’s journey by addressing their pain points, building trust, and providing value at every stage.
Examples of lead nurturing emails include:
- Exclusive offer
- Reactivation email
- Survey or feedback request
- Follow-up after free trial
- Product recommendation
- Free resource or tool
- Testimonial or case study
Look at how Neighbor, a rental company, nurtures its leads with the product recommendation email. The subject line and the email opening are friendly and personalized, which captures attention and makes the recipient feel valued.
The casual tone, “We’ve been playing matchmaker,” keeps the email light and conversational — perfect for individual customers.
The email gets straight to the point with three options displayed alongside photos, dimensions, locations, and pricing. This makes it super easy for the recipient to compare and decide.
There are also CTA buttons to reserve and one for “Find the one,” so the user always has a clear next step even when they don’t choose the options provided.
This email is all about making things easy and clear for the customer. It doesn’t push for a sale or create a false sense of urgency, which often turns off the reader.
Benefits of B2C email marketing
In a 2022 HubSpot survey, half of B2C marketers identified email marketing as the most impactful part of their multi-channel approach.
Here are some of the reasons why it’s so effective:
Long-lasting investment with high ROI
Over time, email marketing has proven its efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to many other marketing approaches and strategies. A 2022 study by Litmus indicates that for every dollar spent on email marketing, some companies can see a return of up to $36, depending on the industry and business type. This high ROI is driven by:
- Low operational costs compared to paid advertising or traditional marketing methods.
- Ability to segment recipients and personalize content thereby capturing more attention and driving actions from subscribers.
- Limitless automation capabilities, including scheduled email dispatches, behavior-triggered drip campaigns, automated re-engagement, and more.
- Direct communication channel. Emails traditionally get higher visibility compared to social media or display ads.
- Simple scalability. Email marketing works for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, with costs remaining manageable as subscriber lists grow.
- High engagement potential. Well-crafted emails drive opens, clicks, and conversions, especially when paired with compelling offers or valuable content.
However, the success of B2C email marketing is not guaranteed and can vary significantly. Your success depends on several key factors, such as:
- The quality of your contact list
- The value and relevance of your content
- Your sender reputation and the quality of your email infrastructure.
Exclusive access to unique data
Email marketing gives you exclusive access to valuable customer data, which you can use to grow and improve your offering catering to the in-depth needs of your audience.
These insights make it easier to segment your audience and create marketing campaigns that feel personal and relevant. Think location-based promotions, loyalty programs that actually resonate, or retargeting strategies that bring customers back at just the right time.
For example, knowing a subscriber’s past purchases and browsing history allows you to send tailored product recommendations, which increases the likelihood of repeat business.
Plus, this data supports strategic pricing adjustments, more accurate demand forecasting, and data-driven decisions that improve overall business outcomes. It also facilitates higher engagement by making your content more relevant and timely.
However, having control over your subscriber data also means you are responsible for complying with data privacy regulations like the GDPR or CAN-SPAM Act. So, you must ensure that you handle data ethically and maintain trust with your audience. You can read more about how to stay compliant here.
Direct communication
According to 2024 research by Emarsys, 69% of consumers agree that email is the best way for brands to communicate with them. Unlike intrusive ads or unsolicited messages, email gives recipients full control over when and how they engage with your content.
Allows advanced personalization and segmentation for better results
Email marketing allows you to create highly targeted campaigns that feel personal and relevant to each subscriber.
For example, a home decor store can tag customers based on what they browse or buy. Shoppers who look at modern furniture can be tagged as “Modern style fans” and get emails showing new designs or discounts on modern decor. Customers who prefer vintage items can be tagged as “Vintage lovers” and receive suggestions for antique-style pieces or updates about vintage sales.
This allows you to send personalized emails such as:
- Product recommendations
- Exclusive discounts
- New arrivals
- Seasonal offers
- Special events or collections
And more – all to resonate with the subscriber’s interests and increase engagement.
How to do B2C email marketing — tips and best practices
Sending emails seems simple, but making them effective requires a deep understanding of your audience and a clear plan.
So here are the proven B2C email marketing tips to help you start your journey on the right foot.
Step 1: Develop an email marketing strategy
Think of your email strategy as your game plan — it sets the tone for everything.
Your goals can include:
- Increasing sales
- Driving website traffic
- Nurturing brand loyalty, etc.
Each goal shapes the type of emails you’ll send and the metrics you’ll track. Use the SMART framework to set goals that are achievable and easy to track.
- Specific – clearly defined and focused goals
- Measurable – outcomes that can be tracked and evaluated
- Achievable – realistic and attainable objectives
- Relevant – aligned with overall goals and priorities
- Time-bound – set within a specific timeframe
Next, identify your target audience. You need to understand who they are and what they care about. Use data from customer profiles, purchase history, and behavior to understand who you’re talking to and what they need.
Once you’ve defined your goals and audience, map out your email types. For example, decide whether you’ll send welcome emails, product updates, promotional offers, or seasonal campaigns, or all of them.
Each email type should serve a purpose and align with your overall objectives.
Step 2: Ensure legal compliance
Legal compliance might not sound exciting, but it’s a must for any email marketer. Ignoring the rules can hurt your reputation — or worse, land you in legal trouble.
Staying compliant is straightforward if you follow a few key guidelines.
First, always ask your new subscribers to opt in. This way, you get their permission to send them content and have fewer chances of being marked as a spammer.
No sneaky tactics, and definitely no purchased email lists — they’re a fast track to spam complaints and penalties.
Next, include an unsubscribe link in every email. Make it easy for people to opt out if they want. It might sound counterproductive, but giving subscribers control over their inboxes actually builds trust. And yes, this step is required by the majority of email marketing regulations.
Speaking of laws, know which ones apply to your business. The most common ones are:
- CAN-SPAM Act (United States)
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (European Union)
- Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) (Canada)
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) (United Kingdom)
- Australia’s Spam Act 2003 (Australia)
- Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) (Malaysia)
Step 3: Build a quality email list
Your email list is the heart of your B2C marketing efforts. But here’s the thing — it’s not about having the biggest list; it’s about having the right one.
A quality list means people who actually want to hear from you, not random contacts who’ll mark your emails as spam.
There are many strategies you can use to create an engaged email list. Some of the most effective include:
- Offering informative lead magnets
- Hosting webinars or events
- Running contests or giveaways
- Offering incentives, discounts or promotions
- Creating valuable content on your website, etc.
The key is to make your offer valuable and relevant to your audience and solve a specific problem or meet a particular need. This way, you attract the right people who are genuinely interested in what your brand offers.
As I mentioned earlier, avoid shortcuts like buying email lists. Sure, it sounds quick, but those contacts don’t know you and don’t care. Instead, focus on building trust and long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.
And don’t forget about quality control. Ensure to:
- Remove unsubscribed users to keep your list clean.
- Delete inactive recipients who haven’t engaged in a while.
- Verify email addresses to avoid fake or invalid contacts.
Step 4 Segment your email list
Once you have an email list, avoid sending the same message to everyone. Instead, tailor your emails to align with the interests and needs of specific groups.
How you segment your email list depends on the goals and business specifics. You can segment your list based on:
- Demography — age, gender, occupation, and ethnicity.
- Geography — country, city, pin code, and locality.
- Psychographics — lifestyle, habits, and values.
- Behavioral data — purchase history, emails opened, what they click on, etc.
- Marketing/buyer journey.
No need to collect all this data. Choose the characteristics that matter for your segmentation and start collecting them.
For instance, if you run an online fitness store, you could use location data to promote outdoor gear in warm regions or schedule emails to match your customers’ local time zones for better engagement.
In case you have a subscription box service, you could collect data on purchase history to recommend curated packages, such as DIY kits or art supplies, that align with their customers’ interests.
Many email marketing tools automate this process with built-in tools for dynamic segmentation. For example, the Mailchimp marketing platform lets you segment your email list based on demographic data, purchase behavior, engagement history, or custom attributes of your choice. Check other tools for email list segmentation here.
Step 5: Select email marketing software
Depending on your needs, you can choose email marketing software that will handle email sending, performance tracking, and email personalizing for you. For that, choose the tools that:
- is easy to navigate, even for beginners;
- allows you to set up automated workflows for tasks like welcome emails or drip campaigns;
- allows you to tailor emails based on customer data for better engagement;
- lets you segment your audience in groups;
- tracks detailed performance metrics to help you assess the performance of your emails;
- integrates with other tools like CRM systems or e-commerce platforms that you use;
- scales easily;
- offers reliable and responsive customer support;
- offer features like pre-designed email templates, A/B testing, and mobile device optimization;
- has a free trial or a free plan.
Step 6: Create and send relevant and personalized emails
An effective B2C marketing email should include:
- A subject line that grabs attention. Make it specific and enticing.
- Personalized greeting. Address recipients by name or use a friendly opening. A 2022 Statista report shows that 62% of consumers are less likely to trust brands that lack effective personalization.
- A body with a clear value proposition. Your email content can include tips, recommendations, or insights that align with the recipient’s interests or behavior.
- A visually appealing layout. Use clean sections, quality images, and clear headers to highlight key points.
- Strong call-to-action (CTA). Add a clear button or link to guide the recipient to the next step.
Step 7: Track, analyze, and optimize results
Lastly, track and analyze email performance to learn what works for your audience and improve your future campaigns.
The minimal set of metrics to track should include:
- Open rate – shows how many recipients opened your email.
- Click-through rate (CTR) – how many recipients clicked links in your email.
- Conversion rate – how many recipients completed an action, like a purchase.
- Bounce rate – number of emails that weren’t delivered to recipients.
- Unsubscribe rate – how many recipients opted out of your list.
- Engagement over time – the best days and times to send emails.
Regularly experiment (use an A/B testing approach) to find the forms, content, tone, and time that resonate with your subscribers. For instance, does “Learn more” work better than “Discover the details”? Does a plain-text email perform better than an infographic, video, or image?
B2C email marketing costs
The cost of email marketing software can range from free for basic plans to $5,000 per month for large-scale, feature-rich solutions. What you pay depends on multiple factors, such as:
- The size of your email list
- The number of emails you plan to send
- Automation capabilities
- Personalization features
- Advanced features, like end-to-end encryption, email testing, geotargeting, interactive emails, etc.
Even with these costs, email marketing is often far more affordable than other digital marketing channels. Paid search ads like Google Ads, for instance, have CPMs ranging from $5 to $50 depending on the industry, competition, and audience targeting. Email marketing, on the other hand, offers a far lower CPM — often just a few dollars or less.
How you manage your email marketing also plays a big role in your budget. You can handle it yourself, hire an in-house team, or outsource the job completely. The first strategy cost depends on the tool and tiers you choose.
If you plan to build a team in-house, it might mean hiring experts like marketers, designers, or even developers, with each role typically costing $50,000 to $90,000 per year.
On the other hand, outsourcing to an agency can range from $5000 to $10,000 per month, depending on the level of service. The advantage is that agencies often handle everything — from strategy and design to execution and analysis — which can be a lifesaver if you don’t have the time or expertise in-house.
Best software for B2C email marketing
The best platforms should offer features that focus on deliverability, audience segmentation, automation, and performance tracking.
Below, I highlight three top software options that excel in meeting these requirements.
Mailtrap Email Delivery Platform
Best for: Startups and middle-size companies looking for a budget-friendly solution with high deliverability rates.
Mailtrap is an all-in-one email delivery platform to send marketing, transactional, and bulk emails.
For email marketing, Mailtrap offers a free library of pre-designed templates, a drag-and-drop email constructor, and an HTML editor for more tech-savvy users. It lets you create professional-looking emails, test them before the dispatch, and schedule sending up to two weeks in advance.
If you plan to send marketing emails only, you can set up your first email campaign in a matter of hours with a clear and intuitive interface, given that your sender’s domain has been verified earlier.
To make sure your emails look spotless, you can test them before the actual dispatch and check:
- The spam score
- Attachments
- Cross-platform rendering
- Merge tags issues
Mailtrap allows marketers to test and monitor their campaigns with a helicopter-view dashboard, detailed metrics for open, click, bounce rates, and spam complaints, and drill-down reports on different mailbox providers.
Pricing
Mailtrap’s free plan lets you send up to 1,000 emails a month, making it a great option for individuals and small startups just getting started. If you need to send more emails, you can check out the full details of their plans here.
MailChimp
Best for: For small to medium businesses, best for those who need an easy-to-use platform with scalable tools.
MailChimp offers solid automation features and an easy to use interface. It provides tools for creating visually appealing emails, segmenting audiences, and setting up personalized campaigns.
Its automation capabilities allow you to send targeted messages based on user behavior, such as abandoned cart emails or post-purchase follow-ups. MailChimp also integrates with various eCommerce and CRM platforms.
Pricing
The free plan includes basic templates, limited automation, and support for up to 500 contacts. It works well for small campaigns or testing the platform. Premium plans are available for advanced features.
HubSpot
Best for: Teams that need CRM with email marketing capabilities.
HubSpot combines email marketing with CRM, automation, and analytics in one platform. It helps businesses manage all their marketing activities under one platform.
What really sets HubSpot apart is its ability to integrate with tools like social media and sales pipelines. This means you can manage your email marketing and customer interactions while keeping everything connected. If you’re looking to scale your business and simplify your marketing efforts, HubSpot is a great all-in-one solution.
Pricing
HubSpot has pricing plans for different needs. The free plan includes basic CRM tools, email marketing, and limited automation. You can also upgrade to the premium plans to enjoy more advanced features.
Wrapping Up
B2C email marketing works for any business, whether you’re running a small boutique or managing a global brand.
No matter what your business is, I hope this guide has given you the confidence to take the first step — or the next step — in your email marketing journey.
Here are more materials to continue guiding your journey: