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title: Edition 23
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+ things to stop doing in your emails. In this edition: I answer 'What’s the smartest way to stand out in crowded inboxes?' and much more.

| > View all past editions here If this email looks weird click here In this edition: → What’s the smartest way to stand out in crowded inboxes? → The Data-Powered Email Playbook (how email can improve email)  → Things you need to stop doing in your emails (scroll) → Easy quick win for you (scroll) What do you get when you report “open rates” to the board as a success metric? \*Find the punchline at the end of this email (once you're done reading...of course)\* PSA: Your ESP can't show you deliverability   Mailchimp, Klaviyo, HubSpot etc - none of them can tell you. It’s not the “delivery rate” or anything to do with your open rate.    Learn deliverability in my upcoming masterclasses here → Use code 'NEWSLETTER' for 10% off What’s the smartest way to stand out in crowded inboxes? The amazing team at ZeroBounce interviewed me, and I answered this question plus so much more.    Read my full interview with Zerobounce → Listen and watch the full interview with Zerobounce →   Last week, I spoke to a room full of brilliant marketers and made them a bet: If you’re still doing certain things by 2030, email marketing will be obsolete.   I’ve dropped all the takeaways in this post (and comments) here.    And this week, I’m speaking at Guru Conference (the world's largest email marketing conference) to 23,000 marketers around the world (I'm very nervous and would feel better if you're coming!). Read the data-powered email playbook Your data hold every answer you need for better emails This might be the most in-depth thing I’ve ever written about data and email and it’s packed with advanced strategy.   Spend 10 mins reading to learn: How to collect the right data (not just more of it) The difference between intentional vs consequential opt-ins How to use data for segmentation, exclusions, and predicting action Why your deliverability depends on what your data tells you READ: The Data-Powered Email Playbook → From the Vault A blog a day keeps the spam filter away  ⌚ 4 min read: →  Your B2B Email Marketing Strategy Needs More Reassurance, Not Offers… Here’s Why ⌚ 7 min read: →  Neuromarketing & Email: What Their Brain Actually Does In the Inbox ⌚ 9 min read: →  How to Convince Stakeholders to Stop Batching & Blasting Emails From the Queen’s Court Voiceover video verdicts  When not to send a promo email Hear the verdict How using a real name is a bad idea Hear the verdict Emails in the wild 40+ real emails. Real reactions & real lessons See what works (and what really doesn’t) Listen or watch to these video verdicts → The Inbox Drop Things you need to stop doing in your emails  1. Assuming “You might’ve seen this…” “We thought you’d like…” Stop guessing - start knowing. Assumptions are the fastest route to irrelevance.   2. Using one welcome email for everyone People join your list for different reasons - downloads, purchases, signups, enquiries. If everyone gets the same “welcome” email, you’re already doing it wrong.   3. Using double opt-in for actual email subscriber signups They just asked to hear from you. Making them confirm it again is like saying, “Are you sure you want to love me?”   4. Resending to non-openers It doesn’t make you smart, it makes you annoying (and you're not that important).  It looks like a mistake and teaches inboxes to ignore you.   5. A/B testing subject lines for the sake of it People open emails because of trust. And there are too many variables when sending a A/B subject line test - it's just pointless. Don't waste your time.  Quick win for you Stop centre-aligning your body text    If you try and read this bit of text, it's harder to scan and read and whether you know it or don't know it, your brain subconsciously is working much harder to process this and read it than the text below.    You can get away with centring your headers or CTAs, but if your paragraphs are sitting dead in the middle of your email, please - stop.   Centre-aligned text makes your brain work harder. Every line starts in a different place, so your eyes have to search for the beginning of each one.   That slows people down and kills readability, especially for neurodivergent readers or anyone scanning on mobile.   Left-aligned text gives the eye a consistent anchor. It’s faster to read, easier to scan, and simply feels better.   Rule of thumb: Headlines = fine to centre Body copy = always left-align   Plug of the Week  My 2026 diary is now open for: Email transformation projects (strategy, audit, rebuilds) CRM optimisation & training (HubSpot and beyond) Deliverability help Team workshops & upskilling  I get booked up fast, especially in Q1, so if you already know next year needs to be the year you finally sort your email out, now’s the time to plan ahead. Work with me → Go forth and stop centre-aligning things. Queen of CRM, out   Beth ✌️ Oh and the punchline was: False confidence and a very awkward next quarter review. I have ADHD (IFYKYK) so please excuse any typos and spelling errors in this email. What did you think about this email? Know someone who needs this in their inbox? Send them here. Astral Digital, 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, Central London, W1W 7LT  Unsubscribe from RE:markable here |
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