How To Do Email Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide

One of the most common questions we get asked is how to start email marketing. We know everything feels overwhelming at the start — creating emails, understanding the target audience, and tracking progress. 

So, we thought, why not break it all down for you—step by step? Whether you’re sending your first email or looking to sharpen your skills, this guide will help you get started quickly. 

Let’s go! 

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a way to send information directly to your audience. You can share updates, promote products, or build relationships through your email marketing efforts. 

It is one of the most profitable ways to reach out and engage your audience. In fact, you can register an ROI of up to 3600% with email marketing, better than other digital marketing channels. It works because it’s personal, direct, and easily trackable. 

Sending targeted email marketing campaigns helps grow your business revenue while staying in touch with your audience where it matters most—in their inboxes.

Understand Email Marketing Basics

Email marketing is more than just sending random marketing emails and promotional messages. It’s about understanding what your audience wants and delivering it to their inbox. 

Think of it as a way to build meaningful connections while achieving your business goals. Email marketing helps you stay top-of-mind for your audience by delivering relevant content and offers. 

Here’s what email marketing helps in: 

• Building relationships. Emails keep you connected with your audience, showing you care beyond just sales; 
• Promoting products or services. It’s a direct way to highlight offers, launch new products, or share your best deals; 
• Nurturing leads over time. The right email content guides potential customers toward making informed buying decisions; 
• Increasing customer loyalty. Consistent communication builds trust and turns one-time buyers into loyal advocates.

Now that you know the basics, let’s look at how you can get started with email marketing, step-by-step. 

Define Your Goals 

Before you send your first email, ask yourself: What do I want to achieve? 

Defining your goal is like setting your destination—it helps you map out the best route to get there. So, start with one clear objective, and let that shape your email marketing strategy. 

Here are some goals you can aim for: 

• Increasing website traffic. Share valuable content or updates with links to drive traffic to your website; 
• Converting leads to sales. Use targeted messaging with irresistible offers or product recommendations for converting prospects; 
• Building a community or audience. Send informative newsletters or regular updates to build an active community and keep everyone informed; 
• Gathering feedback from customers. Request reviews or send surveys to existing customers to understand their interests. 

Choose Email Marketing Platform

Picking an email marketing platform is the most important decision for the success of your campaigns. 

Most email marketing services promise affordability on their marketing websites but turn costly pretty soon when you start using them. The right platform ensures you can create effective emails easily and achieve your goals. 

When choosing an email marketing tool, remember the following points: 

• Find one that fits your industry. Some email marketing platforms are tailored for ecommerce, others for nonprofits, or SaaS. Choose an email service provider that aligns with your needs; 
• Prioritize ease of use. Look for drag-and-drop builders, ready-to-use templates, and intuitive dashboards in the email marketing tools you’re considering; 
• Focus on features you’ll actually use. Check for advanced marketing tools like automation, segmentation, and analytics for creating high-performing campaigns easily; 
• Check pricing plans carefully. Ensure the cost matches your business needs. Start with free or affordable plans if you’re a beginner; 
• Think about the long term. Pick an email marketing service that grows with your business needs.

Build Your Email List

Your email list is the foundation of your marketing strategy. The bigger and more engaged your list, the better your results.

But if you’re new to email marketing and don’t have any subscribers yet, here’s how to build your email list: 

• Create a lead magnet. Offer something valuable in exchange for an email address, like a free guide, exclusive discount codes, or gated content; 
• Add sign-up forms. Make it easy for people to join your list. Set up popups or sign-up forms on your high-traffic pages like your homepage or blogs; 
• Leverage social media. Turn followers into email subscribers. Promote your lead magnet on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook via posts, stories, or ads to drive traffic to your sign-up forms.

Start with small steps, but stay consistent. A strong email list grows over time and becomes one of your most valuable marketing assets.

Did you know? 

You can use the signup forms template library within Sender to start building an email list. 

Design Email Campaign 

Creating an effective email marketing campaign is more than just sending a message—it’s about grabbing attention, and driving action.

Focus on these elements to design email marketing campaigns that get results:

Email Subject Line & Preheader

The subject line is the first thing your audience sees, so make it count.

• Keep it short and clear. Aim for 40–50 characters to ensure it displays well on all devices; 
• Add curiosity or urgency. For example, ‘Limited Time Offer: 50% Off Today Only!’;
• Use the preheader to complement the subject line. Think of it as a sneak peek of what’s inside your email. So, write it to induce opens. 

Value-Focused Content

Your email content should always focus on the recipient’s needs, not just your business goals. So, always deliver something that makes your reader’s life easier, or better. 

• Start with a clear headline. Make it instantly clear why the email is worth reading; 
• Keep your copy concise. Use short paragraphs and break up text with images or bullet points; 
• Send useful info. Share tips, exclusive offers, or helpful resources that help your subscribers achieve their goals. 

Clear CTA (Call-to-Action)

Every email should guide readers toward a single action. So, your email should have a clear call-to-action. 

Here’s what you should do to create effective CTAs:

• Be specific and action-oriented. Use phrases like ‘Get your guide now’ or ‘Grab the offer’; 
• Make it stand out. Use bold buttons and contrasting colors for prominence; 
• Repeat if necessary. Include the CTA at the beginning and end of the email for maximum visibility. 

Create an Email Marketing Calendar

Plan and schedule your emails to stay consistent and avoid overwhelming your audience. A pre-planned calendar helps you send the right message at the right time. 

Here are some common email types to include:

• Welcome series. Kick off your relationship with new subscribers with a warm welcome. Set up an automated series introducing your brand, highlighting the best content, and offering a first-time discount in different emails; 
• Seasonal/holiday newsletters. Tap into the festive spirit by sharing seasonal launches, announcing promotions, or festive tips; 
• Promotional emails. Drive sales through promotional newsletters that create urgency towards grabbing the latest products or limited-time offers; 
• Triggered emails. Schedule automatic messages based on user actions like abandoned carts or purchase events. Plan re-engagement emails for inactive subscribers, too. 

Test and Optimize Overtime 

Email marketing is never a one-and-done process. In fact, it’s a cyclic process requiring you to stay focused and keep testing. 

Every time you send an email, you gather valuable data, which you should use to analyze performance and tweak your future campaigns to understand your audience and improve your strategy. 

Here are the key email marketing metrics to track: 

• Open rates. Your open rate tells you how many people are opening your emails. If you’re seeing low open rates, improve subject lines and preheaders to make them more engaging; 
• Click-through rates (CTR). The click-through rate measures how many recipients click on links in your email. Use clear, compelling CTAs and ensure your email content is relevant; 
• Conversion rates. The conversion rate shows how many people took the desired action, like buying or clicking a link. Focus on personalized emails and clear CTAs; 
• Unsubscribe rates. A high unsubscribe rate might indicate your emails aren’t meeting expectations. Review email frequency and avoid being overly promotional.

Analyze your previous campaigns for all the above key metrics to identify trends. What worked well? What fell flat? Use those insights to improve your next email.

Apart from that, you should also do the following to improve campaign performance: 

• A/B testing. Test specific elements like subject lines, CTAs, or email layouts in your campaigns. Compare results and implement the winning variations in future emails; 
• Segment your audience: Divide your list into smaller groups based on behavior, demographics, or preferences and send targeted messages; 
• Experiment with timing: Try sending emails at different times or days to find when your audience is most responsive; 
• Ask for customer feedback: Send occasional surveys to ask your subscribers what they think about your newsletters and what they’d like to see in your future emails. 

Stay Compliant with Email Regulations

Following email regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR isn’t just about following rules and avoiding penalties—it’s about respecting your audience. Plus, complying helps avoid spam filters, too.  

Here’s how to comply with email marketing regulations:

• Get permission. Always ensure recipients have opted in to receive your emails. Use double opt-ins to be sure and avoid purchasing email lists; 
• Include an unsubscribe link. Every email must have a clear way for recipients to opt out of future communications.

Email Marketing Examples to Inspire your First Campaign

Short of inspiration about what to include in your first email campaign? We’ve curated some interesting email marketing examples from brands who’re nailing their game.

Last Crumb — Welcome Email Example

Welcome emails are one of the most important emails you will ever send. It sets the foundation for the future relationship with the subscriber. Here’s an example of a great welcome email by Last Crumb:

The welcome email is great at creating an instant connection. This personalized letter with an appealing header image makes the reader feel special. The talk about brand values in the welcome email is an excellent idea, as most consumers are attracted to brands with a strong ethos.  

Why it works? 

• Relatable and warm email copy; 
• Simple and minimalist design; 
• Reassurance and confidence towards brand values. 

Scott’s Cheap Flights — Monthly Newsletter Example

Monthly newsletters are updates a brand sends to its subscriber list informing them about the latest happenings. Generally, newsletters have a common theme and reach out to users on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.

Here’s a great example of a monthly newsletter by Scott’s Cheap Flights: 

The company sends a monthly newsletter touching on a relevant topic and sharing its take on the issue. The newsletter email discusses the issue and shares relevant messages, articles, blogs, and more for the reader, just like a magazine. 

Why it works? 

• Reminds users about your brand or business; 
• Adds value to subscriber’s life consistently; 
• Shares things that they’d love to read on a regular basis. 

Gold Belly — Promotional Email Example

Promotional email campaigns tell subscribers about your latest offers, sales, discounts, or deals on your product range. It’s a great way to remind them about you, generate interest, and increase sales by luring customers to buy. 

Here’s an example of a successful email marketing campaign by Gold Belly: 

The refreshing email has a striking and eye-catching design. Plus, the reference (and social credential) to Martha Stewart is an ice-breaker, making the subscriber consider buying from the brand.

The promotional email has excellent offers, a subject line that stands out (Banana Pudding on Sale — Martha Steward APPROVED! ), and great CTAs to make an impact.

Why it works? 

• Attention-grabbing subject line; 
• Beautiful email design; 
• Social proof embedded within the email; 
• Great contextual offers that tempt users to make a purchase. 

About author

Skirmantas Venckus

Author

Sender

Skirmantas Venckus leads marketing at Sender, bringing hands-on experience helping brands connect with customers. He deeply understands email marketing’s evolving role and is passionate about making it work smarter, not harder, for everyone.

Writer - Anmol Ratan Sachdeva