Hey Reader,

If you've been here for a while, you know I am (and have been) a very firm believer in the power of email marketing and the importance of having a strong email list and email marketing strategy.

Your email list is one of the most valuable assets you can have. Unlike social media, where algorithms change and reach is unpredictable, your list is something you own. It’s a direct line to people who want to hear from you—whether you’re sharing tips, promoting your products, or building your community.

The pending TikTok ban and the looming impact it is going to have on millions of creators and entrepreneurs, is just the latest proof that we need to own our lists and have that direct line to our audience.
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With that in mind, I wanted to share some basic steps for getting started with email marketing. Now, you might be far beyond these steps, so they may be just review for you, but maybe you're somewhere in the middle, or struggling through a step, or just getting started all together.

Wherever you're at, I hope this helps.

Step One: Think about the purpose of your email marketing.

Now, we could get into setting goals, KPIs, etc, but all I need you to do right now is think about what you want your emails to do for your business.
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​Some potential purposes are:

• Drive product/services purchases
• Build brand awareness
• Nurture leads / build that know, like, and trust with your community.
• Upsell products after purchases
• Convert customers into repeat customers

Step Two: Ensure everything is for your target audience.

Whether you call it your avatar, target audience, ideal client persona, ideal client, or one of the million other names for it, I'm talking about the people you are trying to serve. If it's been a while, or if you have never thought through the specific audience you are trying to serve, take some time to ensure you know who that is.

When you're writing emails, you're writing them for that audience. Everything you do with email marketing should be with your avatar in mind.

Step Three: Pick your email marketing service provider

When it comes to your email marketing service provider, there are a wide range of options out there. Here are just a few. Like with most software, they all have similar features and pricing, and the best fit comes down to your personal choices. I will note that Kit, MailChimp, and Flodesk are the ones I most commonly recommend for getting started.

• ​Kit (Formerly ConvertKit) - This is what I use for this newsletter.
• ​MailChimp​
• ​Flodesk​
• ​ActiveCampaign - This is what we use for our primary newsletter at Teach Better.
• ​GetResponse​
• ​Drip​
• ​Campaign Monitor​
• ​Constant Contact​

Note: Some of the links above are affiliate links. So if you end up purchasing anything, we might be compensated for it.

Step Four: Create a Lead Magnet

You need some way to get people to join your list. There are a million and one ways to do this, and you might hear them called "premium content," "content offer," "freebie," "signup incentives," "signup offers," "content upgrades," "opt-in bribes," or many other terms. We'll just use "lead magnet" as the broad term here.
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​Some example lead magnets are:

• Downloadable PDF "cheat sheet" or "check list" or "guide"
• An ebook - Which is just a book in PDF format
• Online course - They provide their email when they enroll
• Email challenge - Series of emails delivered over a set amount of time that guides them through a challenge to accomplish something
• Masterclass - They provide their email when they register
• Live or Pre-Recorded Webinar - They provide their email when they register
• Giveaway - Emails are collected when they enter to win

The most important thing about your lead magnet is that it needs to provide value to your audience, giving them something actionable they can see immediate value from.

Step Five: Determine email format

Important note: This can always change as you learn more about your audience, what they want, what works, what doesn't, etc. But you'll want to pick a format to start with.
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You could go with a more "newsletter" format, like Marketing Brew (or this newsletter) with a template you follow every week. Or you could go with a more text-based format that feels like an email you'd get from a friend (this is how our Teach Better Team newsletter is formatted).

There is no wrong answer here.

Step Six: Set your sending schedule

The only wrong answer here is "inconsistently." Whether you send once a month, twice a month, or 5 times a day, the correct answer is "consistently."
*I wouldn't recommend 5 times a day. I typically lean towards "more is better" but once a week is enough for most. Once a day is probably the most I would ever consider, depending on the type of newsletter and value you are providing. Asking your audience how often they want to receive emails is the best way to make this decision.

Step Seven: Set up your welcome email

Ideally, when someone joins your email list, they should enter an automation (sometimes called a journey or a sequence) that welcomes them to your list and to your community. To prevent getting any of us overwhelmed, let's focus on just ONE email to welcome them.
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​This email should do a few things:

• Welcome them to the list to ensure they meant to join
• Give them the option to opt out of the list in case they joined on accident
• Tell them what to expect - How often you will email them, what you will send them, etc.

Step Eight: Start building your list

There are lots of ways you can begin doing this, as we mentioned above. You may already have a list of people who want emails from you, like from conferences or other events. Or you might be launching your first lead magnet. Create your list with whatever contacts you have (that have given you permission to add them) and launch your lead magnet to begin building your list.

Step Nine: Send your first email

This one is key...you need to send an email. You don't need to wait til you have 500 or 1,000 people on your list. Start with 50. Heck, start with 5. Just get it going!

Step Ten: Measure your results

Please note: It is important to measure your results, but even more important to not get too caught up in those numbers, especially at the beginning.
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​Numbers to look at:

• Open rate: This is the number of people who opened your email.
• Clickthrough rate (CTR): The number of people clicking a link in your email.
• Unsubscribes: The number of people unsubscribing from your email.

Step Eleven: Stay consistent

Keep sending those emails! This is not a 1-day, 1-week, or even 3-month thing. Even the best email strategies take time to produce results. Stay consistent, track your results, adjust and tweak things, and give it time to work.

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I hope this helps.

- Jeff

*Keep scrolling for I’m listening to, links to check out, and a content creation idea! I appreciate you. Jeff Gargas COO / Co-Founder, Teach Better Team ​​​​​ P.S. When you're ready, here's how I can help: 🤝 Need accountability and 1-on-1 coaching? Let's connect and see if there's a fit. Click here to book a free 30-minute call.​ 💚 Looking for support, collaboration, and exclusive resources? Join the EDUcreator Club+ Community. Click here to save with special Founder's pricing.​

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🎧 What I'm listening to:

• ​Creator Science 237: Rachel Botsman – Trust expert on how you can earn trust with your audience.​​

⚡️Things to Check Out

💡 3 Ways to Persuasively Frame Your Customer's Problem

• Give the problem a memorable name.
• Model the problem so they can visualize it.
• Have them self-assess themselves on the problem.
• 👉 Watch the video here.​

🤖 Google AI for Your Mercedes?

• Google has created a new AI system allowing car companies like Mercedes to build smarter voice assistants for their vehicles.
• These new car assistants will be able to have natural conversations with drivers and passengers, answering questions about things like nearby restaurants or traffic.
• 👉 Read the article here.​

⚡️ TikTok Users Flee to Chinese App Red Note

• Xiaohongshu (which means “little red book” in Mandarin), a Chinese social media platform with 300m+ users, topped Apple’s US App Store on Monday.
• US users are flocking to the app — which they’re calling RedNote — ahead of a potential TikTok ban, declaring themselves “TikTok refugees.”
• Some intend to rebuild their TikTok communities, while others say they only joined out of spite, per Wired.
• American users are largely relying on translation tools to navigate the app, but popular audio chatrooms have seen users from both countries connecting and explaining what life is like where they live.
• 👉 Read the article.​

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💡CONTENT CREATION IDEA

Turn Questions Into Content

Look for questions your audience is already asking. These could come from:

1. Social Media Comments: What are people asking in your comments or DMs?
2. Email Replies: Have subscribers reached out with questions about your niche or expertise?
3. In-Person Conversations: What do people ask you when they hear about your side hustle or business?
4. Online Communities: Browse forums, Facebook groups, or Reddit threads in your niche to see what questions are being asked.

Each question becomes an opportunity for content. For example:

• Write a blog post answering a common question.
• Record a quick video or podcast episode diving deeper into a topic.
• Create a social media post with a few quick tips.

This approach keeps content relevant, valuable, and audience-focused. And it positions your as a trusted resource.

ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER?

What parts of this newsletter do you get the most value out of? ​
(click the answer that best fits)

• ​The stories and ideas you share in each.​
• ​What you're listening to.​
• ​Things to Check Out​
• ​Content Creation Ideas​

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