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A Quick Guide to Email Marketing for Beginners
A Speed-Through of Email Marketing Basics
Megan Smith
January 28th, 2025
Is your timer set? The next few minutes are going to be intense — packed with information and actionable advice, but the number one takeaway is this: it doesn't take a lot to get started with email marketing.
Total mastery takes time, but you can learn email marketing in just a few minutes. Then, you can launch your first efforts in just a short time and a $0 budget.
This speed-through covers email marketing basics, strategies for growth, and campaign best practices. You'll also learn where to find additional resources (both here at beehiiv and elsewhere).
I've promised to keep it snappy, so let's dive right in with how to learn email marketing.
Table of Contents
Understanding Email Marketing
Email marketing is a powerful tool. It’s a cost-effective direct line to your audience that feels personal.
What Is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is the practice of using email to communicate with your audience. It’s how businesses share updates, offer value, and build relationships with their subscribers.
With email marketing, you can reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Connect with your audience and nurture relationships that lead to action.
Benefits of Email Marketing
Dollar for dollar, email marketing is the most effective channel for brands. Here's why:
High ROI: Email marketing delivers exceptional value. In 2020, the average return on investment (ROI) was $36, and over 50% of marketers reported improving ROIs in 2023.
Direct Communication: Unlike social media, where your content might get buried in noisy feeds, emails land in subscribers' inboxes. Whether you share a product update, helpful advice, or a simple thank-you, they'll get the message.
Actionable Insights: Email platforms provide detailed analytics, like open rates and click-through rates. These insights help you see what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Personalization and Engagement: With email, you can tailor content to the individual. Over time, this fosters stronger relationships with your audience, encouraging loyalty and engagement.
Cost Control: Its affordability and scalability make email marketing accessible to businesses of all sizes. This versatile tool works for startups and large brands alike.
In sum, email marketing combines affordability, effectiveness, and a personal touch.
Getting Started With Email Marketing
Jumping into email marketing can feel overwhelming, but starting with the right foundation makes all the difference. Two crucial steps? Setting clear goals and understanding your audience. These steps help you create campaigns that are not only effective but also meaningful to your subscribers.
Here’s how to get started:
Setting Your Goals
Every successful email marketing campaign starts with a SMART goal.
Create email marketing goals with these characteristics:
Specific: Define exactly what you want to achieve. For example, instead of “get more subscribers,” aim for “gain 150 new subscribers in three months.”
Measurable: Make sure you can track progress. Use metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and new subscribers to monitor your achievements.
Achievable: Dream big, but stay realistic! Your goal should push you without being impossible to reach.
Relevant: Be sure your marketing goals align with your broader business objectives.
Time-Bound: Set a clear deadline to stay focused.
SMART goals give your email campaigns a clear purpose and make it possible to measure success.
Understanding Your Audience
Who are your subscribers? What do they care about? Dig into their preferences, interests, and behaviors.
Segment Your Audience
The power of audience segmentation lies in your ability to create personalized content that resonates.
Group your subscribers based on shared characteristics or behaviors. Then, you can fine-tune your messaging for each group.
Identify Pain Points
What problems or challenges does your audience face? Understand their pain points and position your emails as valuable solutions to build long-lasting trust.
Use Data
Use the information available to you.
Leverage the insights from your website and other marketing and sales tools. Analyze demographics, past purchases, and engagement metrics.
Data-driven strategies ensure that your emails reach the right people with content they care about the most.
Building an Email List
A large part of learning email marketing focuses on building a list. A strong strategy starts with an engaged and targeted audience.
Remember that building your list isn’t just about getting as many people as possible — it’s about attracting people who are genuinely interested in what you offer.
List-Building Strategies
Here's how your brand can build a list of subscribers eager to hear from you.
Offer Lead Magnets
Create valuable content or incentives and offer them in exchange for an email address. Lead magnets could include custom-made eBooks, exclusive discounts, or access to a members-only resource.
Use Sign-Up Forms
Place sign-up forms where they’re easy to find on your website such as on your homepage, blog posts, and contact page.
Pop-ups and slide-ins are effective when used strategically, but keep them non-intrusive to avoid frustrating visitors.
Simple is better. For example, beehiiv superstar The Publish Press strips its form down to a call to action and one field for people to enter their email addresses. This invitation dominates the website homepage.
Make it as easy as possible to opt into your content.
Use social media for newsletter growth. Add a sign-up form to your profile, and share posts highlighting the benefits of your publication.
Best Practices for Growing Your Email List
When you build your email list, you need to grow your community ethically and responsibly.
The right practices ensure that your list is engaged and will improve email deliverability so messages reach their intended recipients.
Use Double Opt-In
Double opt-in emails add an extra step to confirm each subscriber's interest. After someone signs up, you can send a confirmation email requiring them to verify their subscription.
Stay Compliant With GDPR and CAN-SPAM
Email marketing laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the EU and the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act) for the U.S. protect subscriber rights.
Always provide a way for users to unsubscribe and avoid misleading subject lines.
Maintain a Clean List
List hygiene is important. Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive addresses and bounced emails.
Sending emails to unengaged users can hurt your sender reputation and lead to lower deliverability rates.
Creating Effective Email Campaigns
Creating email campaigns that stand out requires a thoughtful approach. The goal is to ensure that your messages grab attention and provide value to your audience.
Types of Email Campaigns
Not all emails are built the same. You can run different types of email campaigns:
Newsletters: A regular newsletter maintains regular contact with your audience. Newsletters often include updates, useful tips, or curated content. For example, a tech company might send monthly emails about new features and success stories from their customers.
Promotional Emails: These campaigns highlight ongoing sales, limited-time offers, or product launches. They drive conversions for your hottest offers.
Transactional Emails: Specific user actions trigger transactional emails. They often provide customers with information on their purchases and accounts.
Drip Campaigns: Drip campaigns are automated sequences designed to nurture leads over time. For instance, a new subscriber could receive a welcome series introducing your brand with follow-up emails showcasing your top products or services.
Crafting Compelling Subject Lines
Subject lines are the first thing your audience sees. A well-crafted line sparks curiosity and encourages readers to open your email.
Here are a few pro tips:
Keep It Short and Sweet: Make sure the subject line looks great on all devices. Aim for 50 characters or less. The highest beehiiv open rates go to subject lines under 20 characters.
Personalize When Possible: Use the recipient’s name or refer to their previous actions.
Create Urgency: Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Don’t Miss Out” encourage quick action.
Test and Optimize: Run A/B tests with different subject lines to see what resonates best with your audience.
Every subject line should be clear and concise. Tell people what they'll find if they read the email.
Writing Engaging Email Content
The content inside your email should match the high-caliber content promised in the subject line.
Focus on the Reader: Craft emails with your audience in mind. Highlight how your product, service, or insights can make their lives better.
Use Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Every email should have a clear purpose. Whether it’s sending readers to a blog post or encouraging them to check out a product, make your CTA button stand out.
Make Content Skimmable: Break up content with short paragraphs, bullet points, and visuals. This makes it easier for readers to find the most important information.
Stay Authentic: Be true to your brand voice and speak in a conversational tone. Help readers feel like they’re interacting with a trusted friend instead of a company.
Want more advice on writing emails? Check out our video on "How to Write Newsletters Like a Pro."
Designing Your Emails
A visually appealing email captures your audience's attention and encourages them to engage with your content.
Email Design Best Practices
Email design plays a huge role in how subscribers receive your message. Follow these email design best practices for attractive and effective emails.
Keep the Layout Clean and Simple
A clutter-free design holds your audience's focus. Use ample white space to avoid overwhelming readers and place key information near the top of the email.
Include Eye-Catching Visuals
Images and graphics can enhance your message, but don't go overboard.
Only use visuals that support your content and be mindful of file and image size to avoid slowing down the rate at which your emails load.
Optimize for Mobile
Mobile devices account for more than half of internet traffic around the world.
Use responsive design, so your emails adjust to different screen sizes, and avoid elements that might be difficult to interact with on mobile.
Using Email Templates
When you're learning email marketing, remember that there's no need to reinvent the wheel with each campaign. Take advantage of marketing newsletter templates.
Why Use Templates?
Email templates save you time and ensure that your emails look polished and consistent. They streamline your workflow with pre-designed email structures you can customize.
Email templates also help maintain branding across campaigns — keeping fonts, colors, and styles unified.
Where To Find or Create Email Templates
You can customize and save email templates with just one click on beehiiv. Every time you start a new campaign, choose whether to compose from a template or a blank draft.
You can also take advantage of beehiiv’s free template libraries and design tools. Here is a list of some of the best:
Sending & Scheduling Emails
The right tools set you up for success, and good scheduling helps you establish a rhythm that engages your audience and helps them integrate your messages into their own routines.
Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform
The platform you choose acts as the backbone of your email marketing strategy. With so many options available, pick one that fits your budget and provides the tools you need.
Check out our fair reviews and comparison chart showing each platform's pricing and key features.
Timing & Frequency
When and how often you send emails matters. Find the ideal timing and frequency for your readers.
The best time to send your newsletter depends on your audience, but weekday mornings are a consistently strong choice.
Consumers, particularly millennials, want to hear from their favorite brands via email, but don't overwhelm them with content.
For most businesses, once a week is plenty, but you can adjust according to your metrics or limit additional content to your most engaged subscribers.
Above all, focus on relevance and value in every email. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.
Analyzing & Optimizing Your Email Campaigns
Track the performance of your campaigns, analyze key metrics, and test your content. These core practices allow you to continually improve your marketing.
Key Metrics To Track
The most important email metrics each offer insight into the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Vital metrics include the following:
Open rates: How many recipients open your email? A low open rate might indicate issues with your subject lines or timing.
Click-through rates (CTR): How many readers clicked on links within your email? CTRs highlight how engaging and relevant your audience finds your content.
Conversion rates: How many people completed a desired action such as making a purchase or signing up for an event? These numbers tell you how well your emails contribute to your brand’s success.
Unsubscribe rates: How many subscribers opt out after each send? Watch out for high unsubscribe rates, which tell you that your readers aren’t valuing your content highly enough.
A/B Testing
A/B testing, or split testing, allows you to compare two versions of an email to determine which works best. It’s a straightforward way to boost performance.
Start by testing one variable at a time (this could be your subject line or your CTA) and monitor which one gets better results.
Optimizing for Better Results
Optimization is an ongoing process. Don't be afraid to change things up, when appropriate.
Start by addressing any weaknesses uncovered through your metrics. For example, if your CTR is low, take another look at your email design, link placement, and overall clarity.
You can also continually improve your audience segmentation as you learn more about your readers for perfectly relevant content.
Resources for Learning Email Marketing
Email marketing might seem intimidating, but there’s plenty of valuable material to guide you. Here are some top recommendations to get you started.
Online Courses and Tutorials
Online classes and tutorials help you dig into every aspect of email marketing. You can find full courses on major marketplaces such as Coursera and helpful tutorials on YouTube.
If you want the best available content from the world's top newsletter experts, check out beehiiv's Newsletter XP course. You can purchase it a la carte, but it's also included in our Max plan.
Books & eBooks
Dedicated readers can find books on every aspect of digital marketing. Here are a few on email to add to your bookshelf:
Matt Paulson’s Email Marketing Demystified
Meera Kothand’s 300 Email Marketing Tips
Bobby Klinck’s Email Marketing That Doesn't Suck
Industry Blogs & Websites
While books and online courses are great for detailed overviews, they don't usually provide the absolute latest trends and advice. For that, you'll need to check out regularly updated material and serial publications.
Check out these resources:
Closing Thoughts
Time’s up! That's how to learn email marketing.
You now have the tools to craft attention-grabbing emails, refine your strategy, and grow your audience — all without breaking the bank.
Remember, email marketing is a skill you can tweak and perfect over time.
Start small, keep experimenting, and use the resources we’ve shared to deepen your expertise. Just keep building connections with your readers.
Now it’s up to you. With this guide (and a dash of determination), you’re ready to hit send on your very first campaign. When’s the best time to start? Right now. What’s the best tool to use? The beehiiv platform.
Sign up for a free trial of beehiiv’s premium plans today.
Why Trust Me
I regularly research and write about the latest digital marketing trends. I also put them into practice for my Twin Cities clients and recently helped them win multiple local Readers' Choice Awards.
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