Email marketing has a reputation for being one of the most effective and profitable ways to connect with your audience. At an average return of $36-40 for every $1 spent, it delivers one of the highest ROIs of any marketing channel. It’s also the perfect avenue to drive repeat business, all while building long-term customer relationships.
As a small business owner, you’ve likely already heard of the other wonders of email marketing, so we won’t get too salesy. However, we also know that with limited budgets and even fewer hands, managing email marketing can be a lot. Where do you even start? What’s an ESP? Or a welcome flow? And what do you mean by “nurture sequence”?
It can all be overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’re here to break down the core building blocks of an email marketing program. Read on to learn what to prioritize first and how to scale over time.
Step 1: Assemble Your List
If you’ve got a list of past customers, team members, vendors, or even business partners, you’ve already got a solid foundation. And if you don’t, that’s okay too. You can start building one from scratch using simple tools and a few smart strategies.
One important rule, however, is never buy an email list. No matter how tempting it seems, it’s both unethical and, in many cases, illegal. Sending emails to people who didn’t specifically consent to being emailed can get you penalized by email providers or fined under laws like GDPR or CAN-SPAM. Not to mention it yields little to no returns. And think about it: If you’re buying a list, 100 other people probably also bought that same list, so the people on that list are likely to be in a state of email fatigue.
Instead of buying your way in, focus on earning subscribers. It may take a little more time, but the value is worth the wait. The formula that many email marketers use is as simple as pairing an incentive with an opportunity to subscribe. Incentives can include:
- A discount on a first purchase
- Access to a few resources like a guide, webinar, or checklist
- Exclusive updates or early access to sales.
The important thing is to get your subscribers to give clear consent to receiving emails from you.
Step 2: Set Up Your ESP
The next step is choosing and setting up your Email Service Provider (ESP). An ESP is a platform that’s used to manage email marketing efforts. Beyond being an avenue to send emails, ESPs also have the capacity to manage your email lists, track important metrics like open rates and click-through rates, and support list hygiene and compliance.
If you’re just starting, tools like Mailchimp, Omnisend, or Kit are great options. They’re user-friendly, cost-effective, and have the essential features you’ll need. Be sure to choose a platform that aligns with your goals and can scale with you as you increase sends. Don’t get too overwhelmed by features just yet, though, especially since you’re just starting. Determine which ones are important for your business and prioritize from there. Finally, email marketing doesn’t work in a silo, so when choosing an ESP, consider how it will integrate with the rest of your marketing infrastructure.
Once you have an ESP, import your existing contacts (often in spreadsheets or CRM exports). If you have proof of opt-in, you’ll want to import that information too, it will come in handy. If you don’t have that yet, make sure the emails are at least valid and that you have reason to email them – i.e. they are on your team, they have done business with you in the past, etc. If the list is particularly old, you want to make sure the emails are still valid. You can check this with a quick validation step with tools like Alfred or ZeroBounce which will remove invalid emails and thus avoid bounce issues right out of the gate.
Step 3: Build a Basic Email Funnel
Once your email service provider (ESP) is set up, the next step is to build the foundation of your email funnel.
An email funnel is a sequence of strategically timed emails designed to guide potential customers through each stage of their customer journey: from awareness to interest, taking action, and even advocacy. Here’s how to start:
1. Add Email Capture Forms to Your Website
Your funnel can’t start unless people have a way to join it. Add email capture forms to the key points on your website where visitors are most likely to take action.
Here are a few simple ways to do this:
- Footer Signup Form: Add a small “Join our list” section to your website footer so visitors can easily subscribe from any page.
- Contact Form Opt-In: If you already have a contact or inquiry form, include a checkbox allowing users to opt in to receive updates or offers.
- Homepage or Blog Opt-In Section: Add a short section on your homepage or blog that invites readers to join your list.
2. Set Up a Welcome Flow
Once someone subscribes, you want them to have a proper introduction to your brand. That’s where your welcome flow comes in.
A welcome flow is a short, automated series of 3–5 emails that introduces new subscribers to your business, builds trust, and gently encourages them to take the next step. That could be making a purchase, following you on social media, leaving a review, or booking a consultation,
Here’s what your welcome flow might look like:
- Email #1 will offer readers a warm welcome and thank them for signing up. This is a perfect opportunity to tell them about your brand briefly.
- Email # 2 can dive into your brand story by highlighting what makes your business unique, maybe supplement with some customer testimonials.
- Email #3 can share products or services, spotlight popular items, or include what customers have to say about your business.
- Email #4 is where you position your brand as an expert without being pushy. Share a helpful tip or blog post related to your niche while including a soft call to action.
- Email #5 provides a clear next step while reinforcing the value you provide.
3-5 emails might seem like a lot, but each email works as a hook, line, and sinker, to keep your audience engaged and get them to take the action you want them to. The good news is that once you’ve set up this automation, it consistently runs in the background.
Tip: Most ESPs will enforce this automatically, but you’ll want to make sure to include your address, an unsubscribe link, and a line about why they’re receiving this email. Ex: “You’re receiving this email because you signed up for our list. Unsubscribe here.”
Step 4: Send Regular Newsletters
Once your list is growing, start sending regular newsletters. For most small businesses, monthly is the sweet spot. Think of your emails as an ongoing conversation, not just to sell but to stay top-of-mind and nurture the customer relationship over time.
Monthly is frequent enough to stay visible, but not so frequent that it becomes a burden. Plus, monthly newsletters help you build the habit. Businesses that send too infrequently run the risk of subscribers forgetting who they are, seeing drops in engagements, or having future emails land in spam or being ignored altogether.
Additionally, when a business waits too long between sends, they tend to cram in too much content, trying to “make it count.” This results in diluted messaging that yields low click-through rates and loses effectiveness.
Instead, keep it simple: highlight one or two things (a customer story, new service, seasonal offer, or blog post), and save the rest for future sends.
Step 5: Layer on Advanced Tactics
Now that you have the basics in place and working, you can start expanding your email strategy. You’ll begin using tactics that help you communicate more personally. Here are a few ways to level up:
Nurture Sequences
Nurture sequences are a short series of emails that are triggered by a particular action. So instead of sending the same emails to everyone, you can send specific emails to someone who has visited your website, filled out a lead form, or attended an event. The goal of these sequences is to meet people where they are in their journey and make your communication feel more relevant and personalized.
List Growth Beyond Forms
If you’re investing in website traffic (paid ads, SEO, etc) it’s a good idea to look at growing your list from website visits. You can use cookie-based tools or site-tracking solutions that help identify and convert more of your anonymous website visitors.
Targeted Campaigns
Once your automated systems are in place, you can start experimenting with targeted campaigns that align with your marketing goals or seasonal opportunities. A few of these include:
– Lead generation offers with custom nurture flows (more downloads, or connected to more specific actions like has viewed a particular page, etc)
– Event invites + post-event follow-ups (see Turn Events Into Revenue)
– Referral programs with automated communications
How to Structure Your Email Marketing Team
When businesses are growing their email marketing program, an important question often arises: who will manage it?
If your team has the time and interest, starting in-house is a great option. Many small businesses handle the fundamentals internally as they work out what works best for their audience and get used to it. It’s also a way to prove the value of email marketing before investing further. Other small businesses may decide early on they’d rather focus on their area of expertise and outsource to an agency from the beginning.
Once it starts to grow and become more complex, you may want to partner with an agency for support and oversight (one that understands the relationship between email marketing and your CRM infrastructure) or hire a consultant to help your internal team level-up.
Email marketing doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. Start with the basics: compile your email list, get your platform set up, automate a welcome flow, and send regular emails. Once that’s rolling, you’ll have a clear foundation to build on and real data to guide your next steps.
Need help deciding what to send or how to manage your growing email marketing program? That’s where a targeted strategy can help. Sometimes, support from a consultant or agency can help you turn ideas into high performing optimizations.
About Centric Squared
Centric Squared is an email marketing agency that partners with growing businesses to help them build relationships with their greatest asset – their customers. We love removing the headaches from the process and following data-driven strategies.
At Centric Squared, we’re here to help you craft effective email marketing strategies that convert. Need support in optimizing your email marketing program or better understanding your customers through data? Contact us today and let’s take your email marketing to the next level.