The Beginner's Guide to Setting Up Your First Email Campaign

Diving into email marketing can feel overwhelming, but it's one of the most effective channels for reaching customers, with an average ROI of over $36 for every $1 spent. Here’s a simple guide to get you started on the right foot.

Step 1: Choose an Email Service Provider (ESP)

An ESP is the platform you'll use to manage your list, build, and send your campaigns. Popular choices for beginners include Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and MailerLite. Look for one with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and a free plan to start.

Step 2: Build Your Email List (The Right Way)

You need people to send emails to! Add a sign-up form to your website, blog, and social media profiles. Offer something valuable in exchange for their email address—this is called a "lead magnet." It could be a discount, a free guide, a checklist, or access to an exclusive video. Never buy an email list. Starting with permission is the most important rule.

Step 3: Validate Your First Subscribers

Before you send anything, it's a great habit to validate the first emails you collect. Even with a double opt-in, users can make typos. Use a service like Cleanmails to quickly check your initial list. This ensures your first send goes to real, deliverable addresses and starts your relationship with ISPs on a positive note.

Step 4: Plan Your First Campaign

What's the goal of your email? Are you welcoming new subscribers, announcing a new product, or sharing a blog post? Define your goal first. Then, write your content. Keep it concise, engaging, and focused on a single call-to-action (CTA).

Step 5: Design Your Email

Most ESPs have templates and drag-and-drop editors. Keep your design clean, on-brand, and mobile-friendly (over 50% of emails are opened on mobile). Use a mix of text and images, but don't overdo it with images, as this can trigger spam filters.

Step 6: Write a Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line is the most important part of your email. It's what convinces people to open it in a crowded inbox. Keep it short (under 50 characters is ideal), create a sense of curiosity or urgency, and avoid spammy words like "free" or "buy now" in all caps.

Step 7: Send and Analyze

Before sending to everyone, send a test email to yourself and a colleague to check for typos, broken links, and formatting issues. Once it looks good, send your campaign! But your work isn't done. After a day or two, check your report. Look at your open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribe rate. Use these insights to make your next campaign even better.