The world's shortest guide for email marketing success

Thinking about tapping into the power of email marketing for your small business? 

Here's a fast A-Z guide for getting started:

A – Ask (before doing anything else) “Does email marketing align with my business goals?”

B - Begin with a user-friendly email service provider like Mailerlite or MailChimp (both offer basic free plans).

C - Comply with all existing laws (e.g., CAN-SPAM, GDPR, etc.) and don't add people to your list you don't know. Get permission first.

D - Develop a simple, branded email template you can reuse.

E - Establish credibility with consistent sending patterns.

F - Format your emails for easy scanning with headers, bullet lists, and short paragraphs. (Remember: people skim more than they read.)

G - Give recipients clear “update your preferences” and “unsubscribe” options.

H - Hook new subscribers with a banger of a welcome sequence.

I - Implement a double opt-in process for better list quality.

J - Join industry newsletters to stay updated on email marketing best practices.

K - Know your audience (use polls to find out where they’re struggling)

L - Learn the basics of email deliverability to avoid those dreaded Internet black holes known as “spam filters.”

M - Monitor your efforts by understanding basic metrics (opens, clicks, unsubscribes, etc.).

N - Name your campaigns clearly for easier tracking and analysis (also for repurposing content later).

O - Optimize subject lines for higher open rates.

P – Put email marketing goals in writing (e.g., “I'd like to grow my list by __ over the next six months”).

Q - Qualify leads with a valuable, helpful lead magnet.

R – Remember: when you show up consistently in people’s e-boxes—even if they don’t open every email—you remind them (a) “I’m here!” and (b) “I'll be glad to help you whenever you’re ready.”

S - Set up a basic segmentation strategy (e.g., active vs. inactive subscribers, leads vs. clients, etc.)

T - Test your emails across different devices before sending. (You don’t want folks getting funky-looking mobile messages from you.)

U – Use an occasional testimonial or case study to boost your authority.

V - Verify your domain to improve deliverability rates.

W - Write in an authentic, conversational tone that builds trust. Be yourself—not a bad impersonation of famous emailers like Tim Ferriss, James Clear, or Seth Godin. 

X - eXperiment with simple A/B tests on your subject lines.

Y - Yield to that marketing angel who keeps whispering in your ear, “Create a 6- or 12-month content calendar." You’ll thank me later!

Z - Zero in on the primary goal of providing value (rather than constant selling).