Email Marketing Guide
Build email campaigns that get opened, read, and clicked.
Usage
- Build your list ethically: opt-in forms, lead magnets, content upgrades
- Segment your list by behavior, interests, and engagement level
- Write subject lines that earn opens (35-50% is good for most industries)
- Design emails for mobile-first reading (60%+ of opens are on mobile)
- Test, measure, and iterate based on open rates, click rates, and conversions
Examples
- Welcome sequence (5 emails): Email 1 (immediate): deliver promised lead magnet + introduce yourself. Email 2 (day 2): share your best content piece — establish expertise. Email 3 (day 4): tell your story — why you do what you do (builds connection). Email 4 (day 6): social proof — case study or testimonial. Email 5 (day 8): soft sell — present your product as the solution to their problem. Each email has ONE goal and ONE CTA
- Subject line formulas: Curiosity: "The one thing most [role] get wrong about [topic]" (35-45% open rate). Urgency: "Last chance: [offer] ends tonight" (high opens but don't overuse). Personal: "[Name], a quick question" (40%+ opens). Value: "5 templates for [desired outcome]" (consistent 30-35%). A/B test subject lines with 10% of your list before sending to the remaining 90%
- Re-engagement campaign: Segment: subscribers who haven't opened in 60+ days. Email 1: "We miss you — here's what you've missed" (best content recap). Email 2 (7 days later): "Still interested? Here's a special offer." Email 3 (7 days later): "Should we remove you from the list?" (surprisingly high engagement — fear of loss). Remove non-responders after email 3 — they hurt your deliverability
Guidelines
- Deliverability is everything: warm up new domains slowly (50 emails/day, increase 20% daily), authenticate with SPF/DKIM/DMARC, maintain list hygiene
- Mobile-first design: single column, 16px+ font, 44px+ tap targets for buttons, 600px max width, test in both Gmail and Apple Mail
- Send frequency: 1-3x/week for most businesses. More than daily causes unsubscribes; less than monthly causes forgetfulness
- Every email needs exactly one primary CTA. Multiple calls-to-action reduce clicks by 17-42% (choice paralysis)
- The best time to send depends on YOUR audience — test Tuesday 10am, Wednesday 2pm, and Thursday 8am as starting points
- Clean your list quarterly: remove bounced addresses, unengaged subscribers (no opens in 90 days), and obviously fake emails