8 amazing email promotions you actually open

However, as a smart marketer, you know that a great email promotion works and gets customers to convert.

So what makes a great email promotion? To inspire you, we collected some examples of promotions that have landed in our inbox recently.

What works: Simple, clear with a sense of urgency. There is no distracting text or products in this email, just clean graphics and a call to action.

Nike uses the always powerful flash-sale tactic to stand out in the inbox. With the added time-pressure, you really want to click and take advantage of the deal (I always click...). A valuable incentive like a 50% discount is hard to ignore, plus customers will be curious to see what products are on sale.

What works: Personalized content, product recommendations, discounts and coupon code for 25%. They truly maximize customer data to build customized promotions.

Zalando really aces customer-centric marketing. The leverage behavioral data and craft email communications accordingly. By highlighting items I have recently viewed or searched, they provide a compelling reason to visit the shop and buy (another) new pair of running shoes or pants.

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Why it works: This email from Booking.com is a great referral program because it's easy to understand, shareable and provides a valuable reward.

The email clearly explains the required steps of the referral program with concise text and simple design. Customers can easily engage and understand the benefits, without being distracted by unnecessary content.

Why it works: Bright graphics, a clear call to action and highlighted discount. Babbel communicates the offer right off the top to grab your attention so you know how much you can save.

The email text is friendly, funny and most importantly, personalized. Brightly colored call-to-action buttons are a great way to direct customers to their offer.

Why it works: Although text-heavy and with a fairly boring layout, readers first get access to a report, valuable information and finally the coupon code at the bottom.

eMarketer does a good job tailoring their content to their audience - readers expect reports, insights, and knowledge in an email from a research company.

Why it works: This email from Icebreaker is a great example of a product bundling campaign. The subject (50% off) and image are both attention-grabbing.

Product bundling is a great tactic to highlight surplus products or increase total cart value. The offer is compelling, seasonal and a great way to drive traffic to your website.

Why it (sort of) works: Text-heavy, cluttered and no design - this email leaves a lot of room for improvement. The offer is compelling, but there is a lot of content packed into a small space which is more overwhelmed than rewarding.

However, LinkedIn has created a smart and secure coupon campaign because they use the coupon code (secure length) and expiry date.

Why it works: Ok this is not an email, but this is a great example of a cross-promotion on social media using a coupon code. With a powerful incentive and time-limit, they add a sense of urgency so people take advantage of the offer.

To generate signups, Coup has partnered with mobile bank N26 to provide customers with an exclusive offer for Berliners. Both brands get good exposure, (new) customers get a compelling reward that increases brand affinity (times two!).

Email promotions are a great way to drive traffic to your website, increase conversions and engage with customers. Be sure to craft the right content, creative, and incentive so your customers don't just mark you as spam.

Tailor email content to your audience by using personalization tactics, segmentation and behavioral analysis.

Finally, ensure you have a powerful promotion solution implemented so you can effectively validate and execute your promotional campaigns.