If you’re running a painting company with 2-5 employees, you already know: leads are gold, margins are thin, and repeat business is your lifeline. Email marketing is one of the best weapons in your arsenal to stay top-of-mind, drive upsells, and re-engage past clients when done right.
And here’s the gold – very few painting companies do this form of outreach. (It’s a simple skill most painters lack, and we can help you manage. Contact us here)
In this updated guide, we’ll explain why email marketing still matters (more than ever), we’ll walk you through building a clean list, email campaign tactics that actually convert, pairing email with AI tools, choosing CRMs in 2025, and answering common questions small to medium painting companies face when trying to grow their business.
Let’s make your email list a profit center, not just a some-day idea.
Why Email Marketing Still Matters for Painting Businesses
Even in 2025, with shiny new channels popping up, email marketing remains one of the most reliable, lowest-cost ways to get ROI:
-
You own your list — algorithms don’t control whether someone sees your message.
-
Repeat & upsell opportunities — clients don’t call you just once.
-
High ROI — every dollar you invest in emailing tends to return more than in many paid channels.
-
Data & segmentation — you can personalize offers (touch-ups, deck stains, add-ons) based on behavior.
Email marketing is actually the key to keeping top-of-mind for your clients because when your clients receive your email, it sticks in their head. Even if they delete the email, there’s a good chance that you subconsciously become top-of mind when they talk about painting.
Leah from Apache Restoration and Design in Boerne TX says, “I had a strategy call with House Painter Digital and they told me to go home and send a basic email to my last 10 clients with a thank you. It worked, I had one of them reply to my email marketing and I got some work faster than my facebook ads!”
Tip: the key to being successful at email marketing is letting go of the negative voices in your head who judge your message. “Don’t worry, be crappy” and just get it done, because you never know what the outcome will be.
Step 1 — Build a Quality Email List (Don’t Be the Spammer)
Avoid the “buy list” trap
No matter how tempting that “instant 5,000 emails” offer looks, avoid it. It’s garbage in, garbage out. Bought lists:
-
Drive high bounce rates (which hurt your online reputation management)
-
Get you marked as spam (which makes your emails go into the abyss of the internet)
-
Hurt deliverability long-term (which will make you give up)
You want permission-based emails — people who expect you.
How to collect emails (without being cheesy)
-
Website popups / slide-ins / banners — with an incentive like “Get 5 tips to maintain your paint job.”
-
Lead magnets — downloadable PDF: “How to extend your exterior paint life 5 years”.
-
Quote request forms — make the email field mandatory (with user consent).
-
Post-job follow-ups — ask clients (physically or on invoice) to subscribe to care tips / specials.
-
Social media / Facebook lead ads — offer a “free estimate + painting tips guide” and collect emails.
-
Neighborhood campaigns / door hangers — “Need a touch-up next year? Get on our maintenance mailing list.”
Tip: Use double-opt-in (user confirms via email). It ensures higher quality and protects your sender reputation.
Step 2 — Segment & Tag Your List (Don’t Shotgun It)
In email marketing, segmentation is your secret weapon. A “segment” is a specific group of contacts based on a set of conditions, like actions, website visits, field values, and contact tags. You don’t want everyone receiving the same generic email.
Useful segments for painters
-
Prospective leads (never hired you)
-
Active clients / contract in progress
-
Completed projects / past clients
-
High-value / premium accounts
-
By geography / neighborhood
-
By service type (interior, exterior, commercial, deck staining)
Use behavior to trigger tags
-
Clicked on “deck staining” → add tag “deck interest”
-
Received quote but didn’t accept → “follow-up lead”
-
Past client hasn’t replied in 12 months → “lapsed client”
When it’s time to email, you can send targeted messages like: “Hey, your deck likely needs a fresh coat this year — here’s a 10% loyalty discount.”
It works and can easily lead to more work from that same client, as well as an opportunity to market your business with your lawn signs to local homeowners.
Step 3 — Write Emails That Convert (With AI Help in 2025)
Writers slump. You’re busy painting. That’s where modern AI tools help, not replace — you still add the “you” tone. This next tip will improve your email marketing efficiencies and deliver faster and better results using AI.
Tools painters should try (2025)
-
OpenAI GPT-4 Turbo / ChatGPT API — prompt it to draft subject lines, email bodies, variation A/B tests.
-
Claude 3 / Gemini 1.5 — good alternative LLMs for long-form email drafts.
-
Jasper AI — for marketing content and email sequences.
-
Bard Pro (Google) — integrates nicely into the Google ecosystem if your CRM lives in that world.
-
AI Assistants inside CRMs — many CRMs now include generative email drafting inside automations (more on that below).
Pro tip: Always edit whatever you pump out of AI. Use the AI draft, then inject your voice and experiences, project anecdotes, or your company’s USP. Email marketing is best when there’s an authentic voice.
Structure & best practices
-
Subject line (35–50 chars) — conversational, problem-based, personalized
-
Preheader text — tease benefit
-
Opening 1–2 lines — friendly, connective
-
Body (use bullets, short paragraphs) — rational + emotional reasons
-
Call to action (CTA) — one clear ask (e.g. schedule estimate, reply, check gallery)
-
Signature + edges — your name, company, social links
A/B testing & optimization
-
Test subject lines (length, tone, emojis)
-
Test send times (weekday morning vs evening)
-
Test offers (10% discount, free inspection, loyalty bonus)
-
Watch metrics: open rate, click-through, replies, unsubscribes, bounce rate
Step 4 — Automations & Drip Sequences
Automations let you set it and forget it — freeing you to focus on jobs, not manual emailing.
Example sequences for painters
-
Welcome sequence (3 emails over first week)
-
Estimate follow-up (if they don’t respond in 2 days)
-
Post-job “care & maintenance” emails
-
Upsell / cross-sell (deck staining, wood sealing, exterior refresh)
-
Reactivation (contact lapsed clients every 9–12 months with a “time to refresh?” offer)
Trigger-based automations
-
“Estimate accepted” → send prep checklist
-
“Job completed” → send feedback request, maintenance guide
-
“Anniversary of job date” → send re-quote or discounted refresh
Step 5 — Choosing a CRM / Email Platform in 2025
You’ve got enough chaos managing crews and jobs. Pick a tool that does more than just send emails.
Key features you need
-
Email automation + drip campaigns
-
Contact segmentation & tagging
-
Integration with job software / scheduling / invoicing
-
AI assistance inside the platform
-
Good deliverability & analytics
-
SMS + email multichannel support
-
Affordable price with scaling
-
Good support & deliverability monitoring
Recommended CRMs for painters
-
HubSpot CRM — free tier, excellent automation, email sequencing built-in (and expansions).
-
ActiveCampaign — strong automation, good deliverability, and multi-channel.
-
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) — powerful for small businesses, more complex but rich features.
-
Buildertrend (with CRM add-ons) — integrates job management, scheduling, email touches.
-
Jobber or DripJobs (if integrated with email modules) — less full-featured CRMs but may work for smaller ops.
Tip: whichever you pick, migrate your clean list early, build automations gradually, and don’t let tools be the blocker.
Step 6 — Grow & Maintain Your List Ethically
-
Remove bounced or inactive addresses periodically
-
Offer regular value (maintenance tips, paint trends, seasonal reminders)
-
Don’t email too often — 1–3x/month is good for painters
-
Always include an unsubscribe link (mandatory)
-
Ask for referrals / “share this with a neighbor” in your emails
Helpful Q&A
Q: How often should a painting business send emails?
A: Aim for 1–3 times per month. Too much and you annoy people; too little and you’re forgotten. Also tie send times to your region and schedule (e.g., early evenings or midday when homeowners check email).
Q: What is a good open rate and click-through rate for painting emails?
A: In trades / home services, a 25–35% open rate is solid. Click-through might run 3–8% depending on how enticing your CTA and content are.
Q: How do I improve email deliverability?
A: Use double-opt-in, clean bounces, monitor spam complaints, authenticate domain (SPF, DKIM), warm up new sending domains, and avoid spammy language.
Q: When should I hire someone or outsource my email marketing?
A: When managing email sequences becomes a bottleneck, or when you can’t stay consistent. Once you cross a certain revenue threshold, the ROI might justify outsourcing to a marketing partner (to refine funnels, copy, etc.).
Q: Can I send texts (SMS) with my email list?
A: Yes — modern CRMs support SMS + email combos. Use it carefully (opt-in required). A one-time “Your project starts tomorrow” or “we’re running a promo this week” SMS can boost open rates when paired with email.
The Action Plan For Painting Companies
-
Pick one CRM / email tool and set it up (start simple).
-
Begin collecting emails (site, job sites, invoices) with permission.
-
Map out 2–3 automations (welcome, follow-up, reactivation).
-
Use AI drafts → polish them → send.
-
Track metrics, iterate, refine.
-
Stay consistent.
If you stick with this process in your email marketing campaigns, your email list will turn from a neglected database to a predictable lead & revenue stream.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with one of our team about setting up or managing your email marketing, contact us today.
