In this edition:

→ 5 micro-mistakes killing your email engagement

→ The 99% delivery rate mistake 

→ Your CRM and marketing teams are working against each other (scroll)

→ The Psychology of the Inbox and why your emails don’t need to be read to work (scroll)

Hey you, how are you? 

Even after 12 years in email, I still get nervous hitting send on my own emails.

I overthink them, I obsess over them, I feel sad when they "don't do well"

Email marketing is HARD. Really hard. And just to let you know...you're doing great, in life and in email✌️

5 micro-mistakes killing your email engagement

Treating all opt-ins the same
Welcome a consequential opt-in the wrong way → they ghost forever.

Email tone mismatch
If the experience of the email doesn’t match the expectation of signup, trust breaks instantly.

Sending too soon, too often, or too everything
Volume ≠ visibility.
Volume = volatility.

Your automations are outdated
If you haven’t reviewed your flows in 6-12 months…they’re talking to people who no longer exist.

Every email is fighting for the same job
Not every email should sell. Some emails should build context, awareness, emotion, or readiness.

99% delivery rate 

Is not the same as a 99% deliverability rate 

If you only skim one part of this newsletter, make it this one, because this is where most marketers get misled.

Your email platform can ONLY show you your delivery rate (see above).

It CANNOT tell you your deliverability.

And yes… those are two totally different things.

Above is an example of a deliverability test that shows the deliverability of an email:

It shows where the email landed AFTER it got delivered. 

A 99% delivery rate can still mean you’re rotting in spam and you’d never know unless you test properly.

So if you haven’t checked your deliverability in months…or ever…don’t worry, you’re not alone (most marketers haven’t either).

If you want to learn the actual, real-world way to audit & fix deliverability, not the rubbish online, join the deliverability masterclass waitlist below.

From the Vault

A blog a day keeps the spam filter away 

⌚ 10 min read:

→  The Data-Powered Email Playbook: Collect, Model, and Use Data to Make Email Performance Grow

⌚ 7 min read:

→  Your CRM and Marketing Teams Are Working Against Each Other (Here’s How to Fix It)

⌚ 5 min read:

→ How to Write Better Email Copy: Framework and Guide

From the Queen’s Court

Voiceover video verdicts 

Starling's email...find out if it landed

Oh LinkedIn...do better

Emails in the wild

40+ real emails. Real reactions & real lessons
See what works (and what really doesn’t)

The Inbox Drop

The Psychology of the Inbox (and why your emails don’t need to be read to work)

People don’t go into their inbox to be marketed to 😱 *SHOCK* 

They go in to check

Check if someone needs them

Check for updates.
Check for a promo code

Check back for something 

Check they haven’t missed anything important
Check work messages

Check… and escape

It’s not TikTok, it’s not Instagram

The inbox is a purpose platform, not a pleasure platform

And this matters more than anything when you’re trying to improve your email performance.

Because if people go into their inbox to check, not consume, then your job as an email marketer completely changes

Most of your audience will:

• See your name

• Glance at your subject line

• Clock what it’s “generally about”

• And leave it unopened or delete it 

And you, that still counts

That’s still awareness
That’s still mental availability
That’s still keeping you in their world - even when they don’t click.

Because email is not a performance channel.

It drives performance, it influences performance…

But the inbox itself is a behavioural ecosystem

If you understand it, you wins.

If you fight it, you burn through your list.

Quick win for you

What to do with this (read the block above first) 

If inbox behaviour is “check first, act later”, here’s how to make it work for you:

1. Show up consistently, not aggressively

Predictability builds recognition → recognition drives future action.

2. Say exactly what the email is about

Clarity > cleverness.
People scanning need instant context - remember whatever your subject line and preheader says they MUST find that info easily and quickly when they open 

3. Make every email “scannable memory”

Even if they don’t read it, they should absorb:
Who it’s from → What it’s about → Why it matters (to them) 

That’s brand fluency.

4. Track influence, not just opens

I've wrote a blog on different metrics to track other than opens and clicks here. 

5. Give them something worth checking for

If your emails consistently deliver value, clarity, or reassurance…
your audience develops the habit of expecting good things from you.

And that’s where long-term email success really happens

Go get it you!

Plug of the Week 

Nothing to sell you 

Only stuff to help you. My 2026 Q1 is nearly full booked which is MENTAL, but if you need any help support, help and an addition to next year's projects, let's chat. 

Until next time, may your data be clean, your exclusions tight, and your SLT finally get it.

See you soon,

Beth ✌️

I have ADHD (IFYKYK) so please excuse any typos and spelling errors in this email.

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