How to Do Email Marketing: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Learn how to do email marketing from scratch. Step-by-step guide covering platform selection, list building, campaign creation, automation, and measuring results.
Email marketing generates an average return of $36 for every $1 spent, making it the highest-ROI digital channel available. Whether you are launching a new business or adding email to your marketing mix, this guide walks you through every step.
Why Email Marketing Still Wins
| Channel | Average ROI | Audience Ownership | Personalization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Marketing | $36 per $1 | You own the list | High |
| Social Media | $2.80 per $1 | Platform owns audience | Medium |
| Paid Search | $2 per $1 | Rented audience | Medium |
| SMS Marketing | $8.11 per message | You own the list | High |
Unlike social media followers, your email list belongs to you. Algorithm changes cannot take your subscribers away.
Step 1: Choose Your Email Marketing Platform
For beginners, you need a tool that balances ease of use with room to grow.
Essential Features
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Signup form builder
- Contact management and segmentation
- Basic automation (welcome emails, sequences)
- Analytics dashboard
- Deliverability tools (SPF, DKIM)
Platform Comparison
| Platform | Free Plan | Best For | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | 300 emails/day | Growing businesses | $9/mo |
| Mailchimp | 500 contacts | Very small lists | $13/mo |
| ConvertKit | 1,000 subscribers | Content creators | $15/mo |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan | Advanced automation | $29/mo |
For Shopify stores, Tajo connects your store with Brevo for synced customer data, products, and order history. See our complete platform comparison for more options.
Step 2: Build Your Email List
Never buy email lists. Purchased lists deliver poor engagement, damage sender reputation, and violate anti-spam laws.
Organic List Building Methods
Website Signup Forms: Place forms on high-traffic pages. Keep them simple — email address and first name is enough to start.
Lead Magnets: Offer value in exchange for an email:
- Discount codes (especially for e-commerce)
- Free guides or checklists
- Exclusive content access
- Free trials or samples
Pop-up Forms: Timed pop-ups appearing after 30-60 seconds convert 3-5% of visitors. Exit-intent pop-ups capture visitors as they leave.
Double Opt-In: Requires subscribers to confirm their email. Slightly lower signup rate but much higher list quality, better deliverability, and GDPR compliance. Learn more in our double opt-in guide.
Step 3: Create Your Welcome Sequence
Your welcome email is the most important email you will send. Welcome emails generate 4x more opens and 5x more clicks than regular campaigns.
Welcome Email Structure
- Thank the subscriber immediately
- Deliver any promised lead magnet
- Set expectations (what they will receive and how often)
- Include a clear call-to-action
- Make unsubscribing easy
Build a 3-email welcome series spaced over the first week. See our welcome email guide for templates and examples.
Step 4: Send Your First Campaign
Crafting Effective Emails
Subject Line: Keep under 50 characters. Create curiosity or urgency. Avoid spam triggers. See our subject line guide for proven formulas.
Preview Text: The snippet after the subject in the inbox. Use it to complement your subject line, not repeat it.
Email Body:
- Compelling opening hook (1-2 sentences)
- Short paragraphs, scannable layout
- One primary call-to-action
- Mobile-optimized design (60%+ of opens are mobile)
Footer: Business address, unsubscribe link, social links.
Sending Best Practices
| Factor | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Start with 1x/week |
| Best Days | Tuesday-Thursday |
| Best Times | 10am or 2pm local time |
| List Size Min | 100+ subscribers |
Step 5: Set Up Basic Automations
Automation turns email marketing from a manual task into a revenue-generating machine that runs while you sleep.
Essential Automations
| Automation | Trigger | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | New signup | 4x higher engagement |
| Abandoned Cart | Cart left 1hr+ | Recovers 5-15% of lost sales |
| Post-Purchase | Order completed | Increases repeat purchases 25% |
| Re-engagement | 90 days inactive | Wins back 5-10% of dormant subscribers |
| Birthday | Date of birth | 481% higher transaction rate |
For Shopify stores, Tajo automates cart recovery and post-purchase sequences by syncing real-time shopping data with Brevo. Read our email automation workflows guide for setup instructions.
Step 6: Segment Your Audience
Sending the same email to everyone kills engagement. Even basic segmentation increases revenue by 760%.
Starter Segments
- By behavior: Purchased vs. browsed, active vs. inactive
- By source: How they signed up (discount vs. content vs. checkout)
- By engagement: Openers vs. non-openers in last 30 days
- By purchase history: First-time vs. repeat customers
Start with 2-3 segments and expand as you gather data. Our segmentation guide covers advanced strategies.
Step 7: Measure and Optimize
Key Metrics to Track
| Metric | Good Benchmark | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 20-25% | Subject line effectiveness |
| Click-Through Rate | 2-5% | Content relevance |
| Conversion Rate | 1-3% | Offer and CTA strength |
| Unsubscribe Rate | Under 0.5% | Content-audience fit |
| Bounce Rate | Under 2% | List quality |
| Spam Complaint Rate | Under 0.1% | Permission quality |
A/B Testing Basics
Test one variable at a time:
- Subject lines (biggest impact)
- Send times
- CTA button text and placement
- Content length
Send version A to 20% of your list, version B to another 20%, then send the winner to the remaining 60%.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying lists: Destroys deliverability and violates laws
- No mobile optimization: 60%+ of opens happen on phones
- Irregular sending: Going silent then blasting causes spam complaints
- Multiple CTAs: One email, one primary action
- Ignoring list hygiene: Remove bounces and inactive subscribers regularly. See our list cleaning guide
Free Email Marketing Learning Path
If you want to go deeper, here is a structured learning path:
| Stage | Focus | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Platform setup, first campaigns | This guide + platform tutorials |
| Intermediate | Automation workflows | Brevo Academy (free) |
| Advanced | Deliverability | Google Postmaster Tools |
| Expert | A/B testing and analytics | HubSpot Academy (free cert) |
Most platforms including Brevo offer free courses and certifications. Google’s Digital Marketing certification covers email fundamentals alongside other channels.
Your 30-Day Action Plan
Week 1: Choose your platform, create your account, build your first signup form.
Week 2: Write your welcome sequence (3 emails minimum), install forms on your website.
Week 3: Send your first broadcast campaign. Keep it simple and valuable.
Week 4: Review metrics, add one automation (abandoned cart or post-purchase), plan your content calendar.
The most important step is starting. Every successful email marketer began with one subscriber and one send.