email-marketing
Use this skill when designing email campaigns, building drip sequences, improving deliverability, or A/B testing email content. Triggers on email campaigns, drip sequences, newsletter, email deliverability, subject lines, email automation, segmentation, open rates, click-through rates, and any task requiring email marketing strategy or execution.
marketing email-marketingcampaignsdrip-sequencesdeliverabilityautomationWhat is email-marketing?
Use this skill when designing email campaigns, building drip sequences, improving deliverability, or A/B testing email content. Triggers on email campaigns, drip sequences, newsletter, email deliverability, subject lines, email automation, segmentation, open rates, click-through rates, and any task requiring email marketing strategy or execution.
Quick Start
- Open your terminal or command prompt
- Run:
npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill email-marketing - Start your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, or any supported agent)
- The email-marketing skill is now active and ready to use
email-marketing
email-marketing is a production-ready AI agent skill for claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex. Designing email campaigns, building drip sequences, improving deliverability, or A/B testing email content.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | marketing |
| Version | 0.1.0 |
| Platforms | claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex |
| License | MIT |
How to Install
- Make sure you have Node.js installed on your machine.
- Run the following command in your terminal:
npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill email-marketing- The email-marketing skill is now available in your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, etc.).
Overview
Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels in digital marketing (average $36 for every $1 spent). Effective email marketing is not about sending more emails - it is about sending the right message to the right person at the right time. This skill covers campaign design, drip sequence architecture, deliverability fundamentals, segmentation models, and systematic A/B testing.
Tags
email-marketing campaigns drip-sequences deliverability automation
Platforms
- claude-code
- gemini-cli
- openai-codex
Related Skills
Pair email-marketing with these complementary skills:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is email-marketing?
Use this skill when designing email campaigns, building drip sequences, improving deliverability, or A/B testing email content. Triggers on email campaigns, drip sequences, newsletter, email deliverability, subject lines, email automation, segmentation, open rates, click-through rates, and any task requiring email marketing strategy or execution.
How do I install email-marketing?
Run npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill email-marketing in your terminal. The skill will be immediately available in your AI coding agent.
What AI agents support email-marketing?
This skill works with claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex. Install it once and use it across any supported AI coding agent.
Maintainers
Generated from AbsolutelySkilled
SKILL.md
Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI channels in digital marketing (average $36 for every $1 spent). Effective email marketing is not about sending more emails - it is about sending the right message to the right person at the right time. This skill covers campaign design, drip sequence architecture, deliverability fundamentals, segmentation models, and systematic A/B testing.
When to use this skill
Trigger this skill when the user:
- Wants to design or improve an email campaign (newsletter, promotional, announcement)
- Needs to build a drip sequence (welcome series, onboarding, nurture, re-engagement)
- Asks about email deliverability, spam scores, or inbox placement
- Wants to write or improve subject lines or preview text
- Needs to set up email automation flows and triggers
- Asks about audience segmentation strategies
- Wants to run A/B tests on email content or timing
- Needs to understand or improve open rates, CTR, or conversion rates
- Asks about responsive / mobile email design
- Wants to set up lifecycle email automation
Do NOT trigger this skill for:
- SMS or push notification marketing (different channel mechanics)
- Cold outbound sales prospecting (governed by separate compliance frameworks like CAN-SPAM / GDPR and different deliverability rules than permission email)
Key principles
Permission-based always - Only email people who explicitly opted in. Purchased lists destroy sender reputation, violate GDPR/CAN-SPAM, and produce near-zero ROI. A small engaged list beats a large unengaged one every time.
Segment before sending - A single blast to your entire list is almost never the right move. Even basic segmentation (active vs. dormant, product interest, lifecycle stage) meaningfully improves relevance and reduces unsubscribes.
Subject line is 80% of the battle - If the email is not opened it does not exist. Spend disproportionate effort on subject lines and preview text. Test them constantly.
Mobile-first design - More than 60% of emails are opened on mobile. Single-column layouts, minimum 16px body text, large tap targets (44px+), and short subject lines (under 40 characters) are non-negotiable defaults.
Test everything - Intuition about what works in email is frequently wrong. Run structured A/B tests on subject lines, CTAs, send times, and content format. Let data override opinion.
Core concepts
Email types
| Type | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional | Triggered by user action, 1:1, expected | Order confirmations, password resets, receipts |
| Marketing | Promotional, sent to segments, opt-in | Newsletters, sales campaigns, product announcements |
| Lifecycle | Behavior-triggered, relationship-building | Welcome series, onboarding, re-engagement, win-back |
Transactional emails have the highest open rates (60-80%) and must not be used for marketing purposes - doing so violates trust and often CAN-SPAM.
Deliverability factors
Deliverability is whether your email reaches the inbox (not just whether it was "sent"). Key factors:
Sender reputation - ISPs score your sending domain and IP based on engagement, spam complaints, and bounce rates. Reputation takes months to build and days to destroy. Keep complaint rates below 0.1% and hard bounce rates below 2%.
Authentication - Three DNS records that ISPs use to verify you are who you say you are:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework) - lists authorized sending IPs for your domain
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) - cryptographically signs each email
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) - policy for handling failures;
start with
p=none(monitor), progress top=quarantine, thenp=reject
List hygiene - Remove hard bounces immediately. Suppress unsubscribes immediately. Run re-engagement campaigns before sunsetting inactive subscribers.
Engagement signals - Opens, clicks, and replies positively signal to ISPs. Low engagement from a segment drags down your domain reputation. Suppress chronically unengaged subscribers.
Segmentation models
| Model | Segments | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement-based | Active, At-risk, Dormant | Deliverability management, re-engagement |
| Lifecycle stage | Prospect, New customer, Loyal, Lapsed | Onboarding and retention flows |
| RFM | Recency, Frequency, Monetary | E-commerce, purchase-based personalization |
| Behavioral | Pages visited, features used, content downloaded | SaaS onboarding, content marketing |
| Demographic | Role, company size, industry | B2B campaigns, product-specific content |
Key metrics
| Metric | Definition | Healthy benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Open rate | Unique opens / emails delivered | 20-30% (B2C), 25-35% (B2B) |
| Click-through rate (CTR) | Unique clicks / emails delivered | 2-5% |
| Click-to-open rate (CTOR) | Clicks / opens - measures content quality | 10-20% |
| Conversion rate | Desired actions / emails delivered | Varies by goal |
| Unsubscribe rate | Unsubs / emails delivered | Keep below 0.2% |
| Spam complaint rate | Complaints / emails delivered | Keep below 0.1% |
| Hard bounce rate | Permanent delivery failures / sent | Keep below 2% |
Note: Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) inflates open rates since iOS 15. Use CTOR and conversion rate as more reliable engagement signals.
Common tasks
Design a drip sequence
A drip sequence is a series of pre-written emails sent on a schedule or triggered by behavior. Plan before writing:
- Define the goal - What behavior should the sequence drive? (activation, purchase, re-engagement, education)
- Map the journey - What does the subscriber need to know / feel / do at each step to move toward the goal?
- Set timing - Welcome: immediate. Onboarding: days 0, 2, 5, 10. Nurture: weekly or bi-weekly. Re-engagement: day 30, 45, 60 of inactivity.
- Write each email as a unit - Each email should have one goal, one CTA.
Ready-to-use templates for welcome, onboarding, and nurture sequences:
see references/drip-templates.md.
Welcome series structure (3 emails):
- Email 1 (immediate): Deliver the promised value, set expectations, introduce brand
- Email 2 (day 2-3): Share your best piece of content or biggest benefit
- Email 3 (day 5-7): Social proof + primary CTA
Onboarding series structure (5 emails):
- Email 1 (day 0): Account created - first action to take (one thing only)
- Email 2 (day 2): How to accomplish the primary use case
- Email 3 (day 5): Advanced tip or power feature
- Email 4 (day 10): Success story from a similar user
- Email 5 (day 14): Check-in - did they reach activation? If not, offer help.
Nurture series structure:
- Value-first ratio: 3 educational emails for every 1 promotional email
- Frequency: 1-2 per week maximum; let engagement guide cadence
- Personalize based on content topic interest or product category
Write high-converting subject lines
Subject lines determine whether the email gets opened. Apply these formulas:
| Formula | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Curiosity gap | "[Intriguing claim] (here's why)" | "We almost didn't send this email" |
| Numbered list | "[N] ways to [achieve outcome]" | "5 ways to cut your churn in half" |
| Direct benefit | "[Outcome] in [timeframe/way]" | "Double your open rates this week" |
| Question | "[Question the reader is asking themselves]" | "Still struggling with deliverability?" |
| Social proof | "How [person/company] achieved [result]" | "How Notion grew to 20M users via email" |
| Urgency/scarcity | "[Benefit] - [deadline]" | "Your free trial ends tomorrow" |
| Personalization | "[First name], [relevant message]" | "Sarah, your report is ready" |
Subject line rules:
- Keep under 50 characters (under 30 for mobile previews)
- Avoid ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation, and spam trigger words (free!!!, act now)
- Preview text is the second subject line - write it intentionally (120-150 chars)
- Never deceive - a misleading subject line increases complaints and unsubscribes
- A/B test every subject line on a 20% sample before sending to full list
Build email segmentation strategy
- Audit existing data - What do you actually have? (email, name, signup source, purchase history, behavioral events, custom attributes)
- Define your segments - Start with 3-5 meaningful segments, not 20 micro-segments
- Map content to segments - What does each segment need from you?
- Set up suppression rules - Who should never receive this campaign type?
- Plan re-entry criteria - When does someone move from one segment to another?
Minimum viable segmentation for most businesses:
- Active subscribers (opened or clicked in last 90 days)
- At-risk subscribers (no engagement in 90-180 days)
- Dormant subscribers (no engagement 180+ days) - run re-engagement or suppress
A/B test email campaigns
Test one variable at a time. Common elements to test in priority order:
| Element | What to test | Minimum sample size |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line | Length, question vs. statement, personalization | 1,000 per variant |
| From name | Brand name vs. person name vs. "Name at Brand" | 1,000 per variant |
| Send time | Day of week, time of day | 2,000 per variant |
| CTA button | Text, color, placement, count | 2,000 per variant |
| Email length | Short (150-300 words) vs. long (500+ words) | 2,000 per variant |
| Personalization | Generic vs. first name vs. behavior-based | 2,000 per variant |
A/B test process:
- Form a hypothesis: "Personalized subject lines will increase open rate by 5%"
- Split list randomly (not by time - that introduces bias)
- Send simultaneously or within a 1-hour window
- Wait for statistical significance (95% confidence, typically 24-48h)
- Document result in a test log; apply winner to full list
- Apply learning to future tests
Improve deliverability
Step 1 - Authenticate your domain (critical baseline):
# SPF record (TXT record on your domain)
v=spf1 include:sendgrid.net include:mailchimp.com ~all
# DKIM - generated by your ESP, looks like:
mail._domainkey.yourdomain.com TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=<public-key>"
# DMARC record
_dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com"Progress DMARC policy from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject over 60-90
days as you verify all legitimate sending sources are authenticated.
Step 2 - Warm up new sending IPs:
- Week 1: 200-500 emails/day to your most engaged subscribers
- Week 2: 1,000-2,000/day
- Week 3-4: Double weekly until at target volume
- Never jump more than 2x volume day-over-day
Step 3 - Maintain list hygiene:
- Remove hard bounces immediately after every send
- Suppress unsubscribes within 10 business days (CAN-SPAM) / immediately (GDPR)
- Sunset subscribers with zero engagement after 6-12 months
- Use double opt-in to improve list quality at source
Step 4 - Monitor reputation:
- Google Postmaster Tools - monitor spam rate and domain reputation
- Microsoft SNDS - equivalent for Outlook/Hotmail
- MXToolbox - check blacklist status
Design responsive email templates
Email clients are fragmented - Outlook uses a Word rendering engine; Gmail clips emails over 102KB. Design for the lowest common denominator.
HTML email best practices:
- Use table-based layouts for maximum compatibility (CSS grid/flexbox fail in Outlook)
- Inline all CSS - many clients strip
<style>blocks - Single-column layout, 600px max width
- 16px minimum body font size; 22px+ for headlines
- Preheader text in a hidden
<div>immediately after<body> - Always include a plain-text version
- Images must have
alttext; emails must render acceptably with images off - CTA buttons built with HTML/CSS, not images
- Test in Litmus or Email on Acid before sending
Mobile-specific rules:
- Tap targets minimum 44x44px
- Short subject lines (under 30 chars show on most lock screens)
- Stack multi-column layouts to single column on mobile via media query
- Use system fonts (Arial, Georgia, Verdana) as fallbacks
Set up lifecycle email automation
Lifecycle automation sends the right message triggered by user behavior, not a calendar.
Core triggers and flows:
| Trigger | Flow | Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Signup | Welcome series | 3-5 emails over 1-2 weeks |
| First purchase | Post-purchase onboarding | Thank you, how-to, cross-sell at day 7 |
| Trial started | Activation sequence | Feature highlights, success tips, upgrade prompt |
| Feature not used | Feature education | 1-2 targeted tips emails |
| Inactivity (30 days) | Re-engagement | "We miss you" + incentive |
| Inactivity (60 days) | Win-back | Final offer + unsubscribe prompt |
| Cart abandonment | Recovery flow | Email at 1h, 24h, 72h |
| Purchase anniversary | Loyalty / retention | Thank you + relevant upsell |
Automation setup checklist:
- Define entry trigger (event, date, list membership change)
- Set enrollment conditions (prevent duplicate enrollment)
- Map the email sequence with delays
- Set exit criteria (purchased, unsubscribed, became customer)
- Add goal tracking to measure conversion
- Review and prune flows quarterly
Anti-patterns / common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it's wrong | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Emailing a purchased or scraped list | Destroys sender reputation, violates GDPR/CAN-SPAM, near-zero ROI | Only email people who explicitly opted in to your list |
| Sending the same email to your entire list | Irrelevant content drives unsubscribes and spam complaints | Segment by lifecycle stage or engagement level before sending |
| Using misleading subject lines ("clickbait") | Increases complaint rate; damages brand trust even if open rate spikes | Write subject lines that accurately reflect email content |
| Ignoring hard bounces | Accumulating bounces tanks sender reputation | Remove hard bounces immediately after each send |
| Sending at maximum volume from a new IP or domain | ISPs rate-limit and blacklist sudden high-volume senders | Warm up IP/domain over 4-6 weeks with gradual volume ramp |
| Testing multiple variables simultaneously | Cannot attribute results to a single cause | Test one variable at a time with proper control and variant groups |
Gotchas
Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates open rates since iOS 15 - open rate alone is no longer a reliable metric - Apple pre-fetches email content to load tracking pixels, registering an "open" even when the user never read the email. Use click-to-open rate (CTOR) and conversion rate as primary engagement signals. Open rate is still useful for trend analysis but not absolute benchmarking.
Outlook renders email using the Word rendering engine, not a browser - CSS
flexbox,grid, and many modern properties silently fail in Outlook. Table-based HTML layouts with inlined CSS are still required for reliable Outlook rendering. Always test in Litmus or Email on Acid before sending to a list that includes corporate Outlook users.Gmail clips emails over 102KB of HTML - A clipped email shows a "View entire message" link, hiding your CTA, footer unsubscribe link, and often breaking rendering entirely. Keep HTML under 102KB. Heavy templates with extensive inline CSS are the most common culprit.
Sending re-engagement campaigns to your entire dormant segment at once can trigger blocklisting - Dormant subscribers who haven't engaged in 6+ months are higher spam-complaint risk. Splitting re-engagement sends into smaller daily batches reduces the risk of a complaint spike that harms your domain reputation for active subscribers.
A/B tests on small lists produce statistically meaningless results - Running a subject line test on 200 subscribers with a 50/50 split gives 100 per variant - nowhere near the 1,000 minimum needed for reliable signal. Shipping the "winner" from an underpowered test is often worse than just picking one option.
References
For detailed templates and ready-to-use content, read:
references/drip-templates.md- Complete drip sequence templates for welcome, onboarding, nurture, and re-engagement flows
Only load the references file when the current task requires ready-to-use template content or detailed sequence copy.
References
drip-templates.md
Drip Sequence Templates
Ready-to-use email templates for the most common drip sequence types. Each template provides the structure, suggested copy, and variables to customize. Replace bracketed placeholders with your brand specifics.
Welcome Series (3 emails)
Goal: Deliver promised value, establish trust, guide toward first action. Audience: New subscribers who signed up via a lead magnet, newsletter, or free-trial signup (no purchase yet).
Email 1 - Deliver + Set Expectations (Send: immediately)
Subject line options:
Welcome to [Brand] - here's what happens nextYou're in. Here's your [lead magnet / free resource][First Name], welcome - one thing to do right now
Preview text: [Single sentence teasing the value in email 1]
Hey [First Name],
Welcome to [Brand]. You made a good call.
Here's the [resource/guide/thing] you signed up for:
[CTA BUTTON: Get Your [Resource Name]]
---
What to expect from us:
- [Frequency, e.g., every Tuesday]: [Content type, e.g., one actionable tip on X]
- Occasional announcements about [product / events / offers]
- No fluff. You can unsubscribe any time.
[Optional: 1-2 sentences about who you/the brand are and why it matters to them]
Talk soon,
[Name]
[Brand]
P.S. [Optional soft CTA - e.g., "Hit reply and tell me the #1 thing you're
trying to achieve with [topic]. I read every reply."]Email 2 - Your Best Content (Send: day 2-3)
Subject line options:
The most useful thing we've ever written about [topic][Number] people got this wrong (here's the fix)Start here if you want to [achieve outcome]
Preview text: [Specific outcome or curiosity hook]
Hey [First Name],
Quick one today.
If you only read one thing from us, make it this:
[Link to best piece of content / core value prop / cornerstone resource]
[2-3 sentences explaining why this is valuable and what they'll get from it]
[CTA BUTTON: Read: [Title of Content]]
---
[Optional: 1 supporting paragraph about the problem this solves]
- [Name]
P.S. [Tease what's coming in the next email to encourage them to stay subscribed]Email 3 - Social Proof + Primary CTA (Send: day 5-7)
Subject line options:
How [Customer Name / Company] achieved [specific result]"[Short customer quote]" - [Customer Name][First Name], this might change how you think about [topic]
Preview text: [Customer result or bold claim backed by data]
Hey [First Name],
[Customer Name / Type of customer] was dealing with [specific problem].
[2-3 sentence story: what they tried, why it wasn't working, what changed]
After using [product/approach]:
- [Specific result #1]
- [Specific result #2]
- [Specific result #3]
[Customer quote in blockquote or visually distinct format]
[1-2 sentences connecting their story to the reader's situation]
[CTA BUTTON: [Primary action - e.g., Start Free Trial / Book a Demo / Get Started]]
If you're not ready yet, no pressure. We'll keep sharing [valuable content type].
- [Name]Onboarding Series (5 emails)
Goal: Drive users from signup to activation (first meaningful value moment). Audience: Users who created an account but have not yet completed the core activation action. Exit condition: User completes activation event - stop the sequence immediately.
Email 1 - First Action (Send: day 0, within 30 min of signup)
Subject line options:
[First Name], one thing to do right nowYour [Product] account is ready - start hereGet your first [result] in 5 minutes
Preview text: It takes less than 5 minutes
Hey [First Name],
Your [Product] account is set up and ready.
The first thing to do - the one that will show you why people love [Product]:
[DESCRIBE ONE SPECIFIC ACTION IN PLAIN LANGUAGE]
Example: "Connect your first data source. It takes about 3 minutes."
[CTA BUTTON: [Action verb + object, e.g., "Connect Your Data Source"]]
If you hit any issues, just reply to this email. We're here.
- [Name], [Product] TeamEmail 2 - Core Use Case (Send: day 2)
Subject line options:
The #1 thing [Product] users do firstHere's how to [achieve primary outcome] with [Product][First Name], have you tried this yet?
Preview text: [Specific outcome in concrete terms]
Hey [First Name],
The most common way our users get value from [Product] right away is by
[describing core use case in 1 sentence].
Here's how it works:
1. [Step 1 - very short, specific]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3 - the payoff]
[Optional: screenshot or GIF showing the flow]
[CTA BUTTON: Try It Now]
---
Most people are surprised by how fast [specific result happens]. Let me know
how it goes.
- [Name]
P.S. Tomorrow I'll share [advanced tip / power feature] that our most active
users swear by.Email 3 - Power Feature (Send: day 5)
Subject line options:
The [Product] feature most people discover too late[First Name], you probably haven't seen this yetAdvanced: [feature name] (worth 2 minutes)
Preview text: [Users who use this feature do X times better at Y]
Hey [First Name],
[Feature name] is one of [Product]'s most powerful features.
Most people find it a few weeks in. You're getting it on day [N].
What it does: [1-2 sentences, outcome-focused]
When to use it: [Specific trigger or use case]
[CTA BUTTON: Try [Feature Name]]
---
[Optional: 1-2 sentences on the outcome users see when they use this feature]
- [Name]Email 4 - Social Proof (Send: day 10)
Subject line options:
How [similar company/user type] uses [Product] to [outcome]"[Short quote]" - [Customer Name], [Title][First Name], this is what success looks like
Preview text: [Specific result achieved by a customer like them]
Hey [First Name],
[Customer Name] at [Company Type / Company] was trying to [solve problem the
reader also has].
[3-4 sentence story: situation, challenge, how they used Product, result]
"[Customer quote - specific and outcome-focused]"
- [Customer Name], [Title] at [Company]
[1 sentence connecting this to the reader's situation]
[CTA BUTTON: See How They Did It] (links to case study or relevant template)
- [Name]Email 5 - Check-in / Help Offer (Send: day 14)
Condition: Only send if user has NOT completed activation event. Subject line options:
[First Name], can I ask you something?Still getting started? Here's what helpsQuick check-in from the [Product] team
Preview text: What's getting in the way?
Hey [First Name],
I noticed you haven't [completed activation action] yet in [Product].
That's completely fine - people get busy. But I want to make sure you're not
stuck on something.
The most common blockers are:
- [Common blocker 1] - [1-line fix]
- [Common blocker 2] - [1-line fix]
- [Common blocker 3] - [1-line fix]
If it's something else, just reply to this email. I personally read and respond
to every reply.
Or if you'd like a hand getting set up:
[CTA BUTTON: Book a 15-min Setup Call] (if available)
- [Name]
P.S. If you've decided [Product] isn't the right fit, no hard feelings. You can
[cancel / unsubscribe] anytime.Nurture Sequence (Ongoing, value-first)
Goal: Build authority, maintain engagement, and convert when the subscriber is ready. Not every email should sell. Cadence: 1-2 per week maximum. Follow a 3:1 value-to-promotion ratio.
Nurture Email - Educational (use for 3 of every 4 sends)
Subject line options:
[Counterintuitive insight about topic][Number] [things] that [outcome] (and [surprising one])Why [common advice about topic] is wrong
Hey [First Name],
[Hook: 1 sentence that creates curiosity or surfaces a real problem they have]
[Core insight or teaching: 150-300 words. Practical, specific, immediately
usable. One idea, explained well. Not a list of 10 things - one thing done right.]
The takeaway: [1-2 sentence practical summary they can act on today]
[Optional soft CTA: "If you want to go deeper on this, [link to related resource]"]
- [Name]
P.S. [Optional: tease next email topic to maintain engagement]Nurture Email - Promotional (use 1 of every 4 sends)
Subject line options:
[Product feature] is [what it does] (and it's [timeframe] to set up)[First Name], this is what [product/offer] is forIn case you missed it: [offer or announcement]
Hey [First Name],
[1-2 sentences of value-add context that frames why this matters to them NOW]
[Product / offer / announcement]:
[CTA BUTTON: [Clear action verb + outcome]]
[2-3 bullet points: specific benefits, not features]
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
- [Benefit 3]
[Optional: urgency or social proof]
[CTA BUTTON: [Repeat CTA]]
- [Name]
If this isn't relevant to you right now, no worries - we'll be back with
[regular content type] on [day].Re-engagement Sequence (2-3 emails)
Goal: Re-activate dormant subscribers or cleanly unsubscribe them before they damage sender reputation. Audience: Subscribers with no open or click activity in 90-180+ days. Exit condition: Any engagement (open, click, reply) - move back to active list.
Re-engagement Email 1 - "We miss you" (Send: day 90-120 of inactivity)
Subject line options:
[First Name], we haven't heard from you in a whileIs this still useful to you?[First Name], still interested in [topic/product]?
Preview text: Takes 1 second to let us know
Hey [First Name],
We've noticed you haven't been opening our emails lately.
That's okay - inboxes get busy. But we want to make sure we're still sending
you things worth reading.
[Optional: 1-sentence summary of what they've missed or what's new]
Are you still interested in [topic / product]?
[CTA BUTTON: Yes, Keep Me Subscribed]
[TEXT LINK: No thanks, unsubscribe me]
If there's something we can do better - different content, different frequency,
different format - hit reply and tell us.
- [Name]Re-engagement Email 2 - Incentive or Value (Send: day 105-135 of inactivity)
Only send if Email 1 went unopened.
Subject line options:
We saved something for you, [First Name]One last thing before we say goodbye[Specific free resource / discount] - just for you
Preview text: No strings attached
Hey [First Name],
Before we part ways, we wanted to give you something useful.
[Specific resource, discount, or value offer - free, no catch]
[CTA BUTTON: Claim It / Get Access]
---
If you'd like to stay subscribed, great - click the button above and you'll
hear from us again.
If not, we'll remove you from our list in [N] days to keep things clean.
No hard feelings either way.
- [Name]
[TEXT LINK: Unsubscribe now]Re-engagement Email 3 - Sunset (Send: day 120-150 of inactivity)
Only send if Emails 1 and 2 went unopened. This is the final email.
Subject line options:
[First Name], this is our last email to youGoodbye (and thank you)We're removing you from our list
Hey [First Name],
Since you haven't engaged with our emails in a while, we're going to remove
you from our list.
We'd rather have a smaller, engaged audience than a large list of people who
aren't finding value.
If you'd like to stay, click below - no action needed on your end otherwise.
[CTA BUTTON: Keep My Subscription]
Thanks for being part of [Brand] at some point. We wish you well.
- [Name]
[TEXT LINK: Confirm unsubscribe]Template Customization Checklist
Before using any template, confirm:
- Replaced all
[bracketed placeholders]with actual copy - Subject line is under 50 characters (ideally under 40 for mobile)
- Preview text is written (not auto-pulled from first line of email)
- CTA button text is a clear verb phrase, not "Click here" or "Learn more"
- Plain-text version created alongside HTML version
- Unsubscribe link present and working
- From name and reply-to address are set correctly
- Exit conditions configured in your ESP (stop sequence on activation/purchase)
- A/B variant of subject line set up for 20% of list before full send
Frequently Asked Questions
What is email-marketing?
Use this skill when designing email campaigns, building drip sequences, improving deliverability, or A/B testing email content. Triggers on email campaigns, drip sequences, newsletter, email deliverability, subject lines, email automation, segmentation, open rates, click-through rates, and any task requiring email marketing strategy or execution.
How do I install email-marketing?
Run npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill email-marketing in your terminal. The skill will be immediately available in your AI coding agent.
What AI agents support email-marketing?
email-marketing works with claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex. Install it once and use it across any supported AI coding agent.
Is email-marketing free?
Yes, email-marketing is completely free and open source under the MIT license. Install it with a single command and start using it immediately.
What is the difference between email-marketing and similar tools?
email-marketing is an AI agent skill that teaches your coding agent specialized marketing knowledge. Unlike standalone tools, it integrates directly into claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex and other AI agents.
Can I use email-marketing with Cursor or Windsurf?
email-marketing works with any AI coding agent that supports the skills protocol, including Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and 40+ more.