A practical guide to email marketing that people actually open

Most inboxes are a graveyard of brands nobody asked to hear from twice a week. Email marketing still works, genuinely well, when it’s built on a list of people who actually want to hear from you and content worth opening. This guide covers the practical version, not the “email is dead” or “email has the best ROI of any channel” headline version.

Why email still earns its place #

It’s a channel you own. A social platform can change its algorithm and halve your reach overnight. Your email list doesn’t answer to anyone’s algorithm.

It’s opt-in by definition. Everyone on a properly built list asked to hear from you. That’s a fundamentally warmer starting point than almost any other channel.

It compounds. A well-run list gets more valuable every month you keep sending genuinely useful email to it, unlike a single ad campaign that stops the moment you stop paying.

Building a list the right way #

Never buy a list. Purchased lists haven’t opted in, tank your engagement rates, and can get your sending domain blacklisted. It’s the fastest way to make every future email land in spam, for everyone, including your existing subscribers.

Give people a real reason to sign up. A generic “subscribe to our newsletter” box converts poorly. A genuinely useful lead magnet, template, guide, or discount, converts far better because it’s an actual trade, not a vague ask.

Confirm the opt-in. A double opt-in (confirming the subscription via a follow-up email) filters out fake addresses and typos, and keeps your list genuinely engaged from day one.

What actually gets clicked #

One clear call to action, not five. An email asking someone to read a post, follow you on three platforms, and buy something all at once usually gets none of it done. Pick the one action that matters most for this email.

Segmentation beats a bigger blast. An email tailored to what a specific group of subscribers actually cares about consistently outperforms the same generic message sent to your entire list.

Personalisation beyond the first name. Genuine relevance, based on what someone’s actually shown interest in, matters more than a merge tag with their name in it.

Deliverability basics #

Getting opened depends entirely on getting delivered first, and inbox providers are actively filtering based on how your previous emails performed.

Common email marketing mistakes #

Buying or scraping a list. Covered above, but it’s the single most common mistake, and the hardest to recover from once your sending reputation takes the hit.

No segmentation at all. Sending every email to everyone treats a first-time visitor exactly the same as a five-year customer, and the message that fits neither well tends to convert worse for both.

Too many calls to action. Asking for five different things in one email dilutes all five.

Ignoring engagement data. If a segment hasn’t opened anything in six months, sending them the same volume as your most engaged subscribers is actively hurting your deliverability for everyone else.

Email marketing checklist #

Twelve items. Check them off as you go, your progress is saved in your browser.

If email is underperforming and you’re not sure whether it’s the list, the content, or deliverability, get in touch and I’ll help you figure out which.