How to design an effective email marketing strategy?

By Adelina Fuster, Loyalty Executive at Roiback.

A customer-centric approach for hoteliers seeking real results.

EMAIL MARKETING IS STILL MORE ALIVE THAN EVER

In a digital environment saturated with impacts and multiple channels competing for the user's attention, email marketing has proven to be far from forgotten. On the contrary, it has regained prominence, returning stronger than ever and has established itself as one of the most effective and profitable channels for the hotel sector, being one of the channels with the highest return on investment (ROI).

This direct, customizable, and measurable channel has established itself as a key tool for connecting with customers at all stages of their journey. And most importantly: users are still interested in receiving emails that provide them with value. According to a 2025 study by ZeroBounce (a platform specializing in email verification), 93% of users check their inbox at least once a day, and 41% of these do so looking for offers and communications from related brands.

However, the effectiveness of email marketing does not depend on the number of emails sent, but on the quality of the strategy. Designing a customer-centric strategy —based on data, intelligent segmentation, and relevant content— is key to connecting, building loyalty, and converting. Below, we tell you how to do it:

FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY:

1 - Know your customer: the basis of any effective strategy

Any marketing strategy begins with a deep understanding of the customer. Use the data you have available from the booking engine, loyalty program, CRM, PMS, or other sources to segment or personalize by:

Type of customer (new, repeat, loyal)
Geographic origin
Booking behavior
Stay preferences

⚠️ Beware of hyper-segmentation: although segmenting is key, doing it excessively can lead to audiences that are too small or irrelevant messages. It is important to know where your strategy is and start with the basics: large segments with clear needs. As you progress, you can refine further.

2 - Complement your commercial campaigns with automations that accompany the customer

Automations do not replace commercial campaigns, but complement them. They allow you to accompany the customer on their customer journey, from the first contact to after their stay. In addition to improving the guest experience, they help you to be more efficient, generate additional sales opportunities, and maintain constant communication without overwhelming.

Investing time in designing well-thought-out automations is key to scaling your strategy without losing personalization.

3 - Create relevant content with a design that connects and is aligned with your brand

The content of your emails should be aligned with the customer's travel stage. It is not the same to talk to someone who is dreaming of their vacation as to someone who has already booked or has just returned. Adapting the message to the context is key to generating impact.

In the inspiration phase, opt for emotional, visual, and aspirational content. Destination images, unique experiences, or testimonials can awaken the desire to travel.
In the pre-stay phase, the content should be useful and oriented to conversion: practical information, personalized recommendations, upgrade options, or additional services.
In the post-stay phase, it's time to express gratitude, request feedback, and maintain the connection. A simple "thank you for choosing us" can make all the difference.

Besides the content, design plays a fundamental role. An attractive, clear, and easy-to-read email enhances the user experience and increases the likelihood of clicks. Some best practices:

Ensure the design is aligned with the brand image: colors, typography, tone, and style should be consistent with the chain's visual identity.
Use responsive designs that adapt to all devices.
Avoid overly long emails: they should be brief and well-structured, with clear content blocks and visual hierarchy.
Personalize the content based on the segment: for example, different messages for registered and unregistered users, or adaptations based on the device from which the email is opened.
Include clear and visible calls to action, guiding the user towards the next step.

🔁 And very important: remember to exclude contacts who already have an active reservation for the offer dates from your promotional campaigns. This will prevent cancellations.

4 - Turn data into decisions

A good email marketing strategy is based on the ability to continuously measure and improve. To do this, it is essential to focus on the metrics that truly reflect the impact of your campaigns in the hotel sector.

📊 Practical tip: define clear objectives for each type of campaign (informational, promotional, loyalty...) and associate the appropriate metrics to each one. Not all campaigns should be measured with the same criteria.

5 - Take care of your database: quality before quantity

An effective email marketing strategy starts with a solid database. It's not about having the longest list, but the most relevant one. It is preferable to have fewer contacts who actually interact with your communications than thousands of addresses that do not open, do not click, and only harm your metrics.

A quality database allows you to better segment, personalize with more precision, and maintain good deliverability. To achieve this:

Perform periodic cleanups: remove inactive contacts or those with continuous bounces.
Create automations to recover dormant contacts: before deleting them, try to reactivate them with specific campaigns.
Design follow-up workflows: identify behavior patterns and act accordingly.

📌 And don't forget the reputation of your domain: it is one of the key factors for your emails to reach the inbox and not the spam folder. A poorly managed database, with high bounce rates or spam complaints, can seriously damage your reputation. Maintaining good data hygiene and sending only to those who really want to receive your communications is the best way to protect it.

EMAIL MARKETING: A KEY PIECE OF HOTEL GROWTH

An effective email marketing strategy not only seeks to sell but to build lasting relationships. By putting the customer at the center, hoteliers can transform each email into an opportunity to surprise, connect, and build loyalty.

We advise you to start with small actions, measure results, and optimize. Email marketing is a living channel that evolves with each customer and each message. And today more than ever, it is a strategic tool for hoteliers who want to grow, build loyalty, and differentiate themselves.

Do you want to take your email marketing strategy to the next level?

At Roiback, we help you design campaigns that connect, convert, and build loyalty.

👉 Request a free consultation with our Loyalty team HERE