In this edition:

→ How to build an email marketing strategy

→ The email glass ceiling (scroll to blogs)

→  How to write email copy that converts (scroll to end)

→ Throttle your emails...PLEASE (scroll to end)

HEY YOU

I didn't send a newsletter last week 

Did anyone notice? Probably not. 

Does that bother me? No. Because I understand my audience and I understand the inbox.

And not sending a newsletter one week is so insignificant 

So why does your boss freak out when you don't get time to send an email out one week? So, so silly. 

Be consistent in the inbox, but don't worry if you miss a week or two. 

If you were wondering where I was (still doubt it, but maybe you were), I was in Barcelona living my best life - life is too short not to do the things you love ✈️🌆⛱️

How to build an email marketing strategy

It's actually super simple

A real email marketing strategy is a decision system.

It tells you what email is for, who it is for, what data it needs to work, what technology it needs to run, what deliverability it needs to land, and how you will know whether it is working.

For a straightforward strategy, you needs 7 foundations:

1) Goals & role of email first

The single most important thing to establish before you build anything is: what commercial and relationship outcomes is email responsible for helping create?

2) Audience analysis 
There are four audience questions you must answer:

• How do people arrive on your 'list'? -  intentional or consequential? 
• What do they know, and what do they not know yet?
• What are they thinking, feeling, doing, and saying across their journeys? 
• What is their actual relationship with our brand and can we track it?

Understanding your audience = more aligned emails = better results 

3) Data strategy

You need to be tracking intent signals, collecting motivational data, acquisition data, lifecycle stage, behavioural data, what about predictive data, negative & exclusion data, declared preferences, etc etc 

Data is your MOST important part of your strategy (IMO)

4) Technology 

Technology is the infrastructure that determines what your email strategy is capable of. 

Understand the stack, the limitations, the opportunities and capabilities. 

5) Deliverability 

Deliverability is the ability to land in the inbox. Deliverability strategies are a REAL thing.

Land in spam folder = little to no chance of any measurable results 

This is your second most important part of your strategy. 

6) Journeys, triggers, automation

This is everything you're planning on automating - with a WHY behind it

When you'll use a journey, when you'll set up a flow & WHY. 

7) Measurement

3 layers of measurement:

1. Health indicators
2. Engagement quality 
3. Commercial contribution 

I said it was simple, not easy! Please read my in depth guide on how to build an email strategy below. 

Deliverability audit 

Spam filtering is becoming more aggressive

Inbox placement is now harder to maintain, and so many people are seeing declining engagement.

Open rates, clicks,  and platform reporting only show what happens after delivery is accepted - they do not show whether emails are being sent to spam. 

You end up making strategic decisions based on incomplete visibility

Often, assuming content or campaign performance is the issue when the real problem may sit within:

• Sender reputation

• Infrastructure

• Inbox placement

• Sending behaviour

My recommendation

Always begin with a full deliverability audit before making any changes to email strategy, design, copy, campaigns, automation, outbound activity, or wider communication processes.

Where do you want to start?

From the Vault

A blog a day keeps the spam filter away 

⌚ 6 min read:

→  The Email Glass Ceiling: What It Is, How to Spot It, and What to Do About It

⌚ 4 min read:

→  Should I use a double opt-in?

⌚7 min read:

→  How to Write Email Copy That Converts

From the Queen’s Court

Voiceover video verdicts 

The collection is now open...

40+ recorded video verdicts of real emails in the wild.

The Inbox Drop

 How to write email copy that converts 

Pulling out a really important from my latest guide (scroll to the button below to read full thing).

Word association in your email copy 

Your audience builds mental associations with you, names, brands, products, services and subject matter topics through repeated exposure.

Every email you send, the subjects you cover, the words you use, the tone you adopt - adds to that association

Over time, the brain builds a prediction: "when I see this sender, I expect this."

(predictive coding)

That prediction is enormously valuable when you maintain it

It's why trusted senders get opened more consistently

The brain leans in before the subject line is even read

But when you break it, even slightly, friction appears.

What word association dissonance looks like:

A productivity software brand that has spent six months emailing about efficiency and features sends an email saying, "you're not just a customer - you're part of our family."

The language is warm, the intention is good, but the subscriber's brain has been trained to expect practical and direct.

The shift creates a small but real disconnect - they feel slightly like this email wasn't written for them

→ Subject matter mismatch: you're known for one topic, and suddenly your email feels like it's from a different brand. The words don't connect to what subscribers associate with you

→ Tone mismatch: you've built a direct, no-nonsense voice and suddenly your email is warm and effusive. Or the reverse.

→ Seasonal language problem: you send commercial content all year and then shift to "this season is about more than the gifts we give." The language is fine. The association wasn't built to support it.

The questions to ask before every email:
→ What does my subscriber associate us with based on the last six months of emails?

→ Does the language in this email fit that association, or does it require a mental shift?

→ What would someone who's read my last ten emails expect this to sound like?

The association you build is built word by word, email by email.

It's one of the most commercially valuable things your email programme creates.

Quick win for you

Throttle your emails...PLEASE

Throttling spreads your send over time rather than hitting inbox providers with thousands of emails at once.

When you send all at one go, that means a higher risk of large negative events.

Throttling protects you and your sender reputation.

Do it for: any send over 3-4K, segments that haven't been emailed recently, or any significant volume increase.

Don't do it for: time-sensitive emails where timing matters more than delivery pattern.

Most ESPs have it built in (or do it manually). 

Plug of the week 

Email strategy workshops 

Join me for a hands-on, in-person workshop that gives you and your team the strategy, understanding, and plan to take your email and CRM function to the next level in one or two focused days.

Know your reader, use their words and throttle your sends.

Same time next week? 

Beth ✌️

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

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