Ultimate Beginners Guide To Email Marketing In 2024

Welcome to the ultimate beginner’s guide to email marketing—the most comprehensive resource to help you understand and leverage the power of email marketing for your business. With over 100,000 email subscribers ourselves and having worked with our clients to gain tens of millions of subscribers, this guide will provide you with the knowledge and insights you need to take your email marketing efforts to the next level.

In this guide, we’ll start by explaining what email marketing is and how it can benefit your business. We’ll then dive into the best ways to get email subscribers, including tactics proven to be the most effective. 

Next, we’ll cover the 12 best ways to get someone to open your marketing emails. We’ll explore the psychology behind email open rates and give you actionable tips on how to craft compelling subject lines and email content that resonates with your audience.

We’ll also discuss how to prevent your email marketing from entering spam folders and the different factors that can influence your email deliverability. You’ll learn best practices for following email marketing and tips for optimizing your email content to avoid getting flagged as spam.

In addition, we’ll show you how to increase your email marketing conversion rate, including tips on crafting effective calls to action and how to get more people to click your links in those emails. 

Finally, we’ll recap the best beginner email marketing tips and provide additional resources to help you continue your education. Whether you’re just starting with email marketing or looking to improve your existing efforts, this guide will set you on the path to success.

What is email marketing?

For those who have never heard the term, email marketing refers to using email to sell. For example, a website collects emails in various ways, then emails those subscribers promotions about things they want them to buy or links to new articles. The website makes money this way and uses it as a traffic source.

Every website owner should be using email marketing. Time after time, successful entrepreneurs tell me that their most profitable income source is their email list. And the longer it takes you to start, the more money you lose. To illustrate how powerful a technique it is, when I send an email, which takes me about 5 minutes, it drives 1000 visitors to my websites and makes me $ 1000 in revenue. 

To collect emails, you need either to have an account with a company such as Omnisend (billed monthly), or install a WordPress plugin that allows you to collect and send emails (one time payment).

The best five ways to get email subscribers

Over the last 15 years, we have tested dozens of techniques to build our list.

We wanted to know the best ways and in what order they perform.

So, over the last two weeks, we tested the five most popular ways to show signup forms on a website.

They are:

• The top of the homepage
• Bottom of posts
• Sidebar
• Squeeze page’s
• PopUp’s

Below is a breakdown of how well they did.

Before you continue, take a minute to think about what order you think they came from.

The Results

Total new subscribers: 4382

1. The PopUp brought in 2,803 new subscribers – 64%
2. Footer Signup brought in 774 new subscribers – 18%
3. Homepage Signup brought in 309 new subscribers – 7%
4. Squeeze Page brought in 296 new subscribers – 6.5%
5. Sidebar Signup brought in 200 new subscribers – 4.5%

All five techniques were active simultaneously, competing against each other.

It’s worth mentioning that all of our traffic for this test is from free traffic sources, and we are interested in a wide range of subjects (which explains our low conversion rate). It’s also worth mentioning that without the popup, conversions would have been higher because fewer people would have subscribed before seeing the other opt-in boxes. 

Continue below to see a breakdown of why they performed how they did.

Getting Email Subscribers From a Homepage Header Box

We first added an opt-in box to our homepage back in 2007.

In 2009 we decided to try something bigger, we added a full-width opt-in box right under our header.

Overnight we saw a huge increase in new subscribers.

At the time, hardly anyone was displaying opt-in boxes like this. Now you see them everywhere and for good reason.

Most people who visit your homepage will come from other pages on your website. They come to your homepage because they have seen something that has made them interested enough in you that they wanted to stay and look around. Because of this, your homepage is one of the highest converting pages on your website.

Getting Email Subscribers With Below Blog Post Opt-in Boxes

Having a subscription box below blog posts is a good idea because visitors have just read your post. Your post has just sold them on who you are and the value you can deliver.

Placement is everything. The difference between putting this box at the bottom of the page and the bottom of a post can be as much as 500%.

Getting Email Subscribers From Sidebar Signup Forms

The sidebar is probably the most commonplace you will see an opt-in box.

It’s also the lowest converting signup form on our site.

Why is this?

Could it be because you have less space to promote your offer?

Is it because people are used to seeing it and switch off?

Or perhaps it’s because all the other techniques grab their attention first.

It performed so badly for us that we have decided to delete our sidebar signup. It isn’t worth it. It takes up a lot of space that could be better used to direct people to more content. The more content users see, the more opt-ins we get and the more sales we make.

Getting Email Subscribers From Squeeze Pages

Every website needs a squeeze page.

It’s a page that’s sole purpose is to promote your email list.

You can link to it in posts, emails, adverts. Subscribers can use this link to tell their friends how good your emails are and to go here to sign up.

Often, I will be writing something and want to reference my mailing list. It’s a lot easier to link to your squeeze page than to tell a reader the location on a page to go to and sign up.

Use Optimizepress to create high-converting squeeze pages effortlessly.

Getting Email Subscribers From PopUps

The almighty popup.

Just 15 years ago it was rare to see one.

In 2024, they are used by the majority of websites.

I’m sorry.

A big reason for that is because of us.

Five years ago, I was having a conversation with a guy at an event about how his site was using them to get email subscribers. It was by far the most powerful tool he was using to skyrocket his mailing list.

I wanted in.

I searched for an easy way to add a popup opt-in box to my website. The best I could find was a simple white box that would only allow me to edit the text.

But I wanted a popup that looked and converted great!

So as soon as I got back from the marketing event I spoke with my designer and asked him to make me one.

Overnight our email subscribers jumped by over 507%.

OVERNIGHT.

Never have I seen something work so well, so quickly.

I was now getting as many new subscribers as the big guys in my industry but with a fraction of the traffic.

What you need to know about PopUps

It’s the No. 1 way to build your list, by far!

Why?

Because it’s kinda hard to miss.

You see it before any other signup form.

So how can you get your own and what’s important?

Go get how we use Omnisend – they currently are offering a FREE 14-day trial.

As for tips for getting the most out of your popup:

Test everything.

Try different popup designs, colors, copy, and promotional images. Split test something new every week to increase conversions.

Display different popups based on category. If you have one popup, not every reader will be interested in what you have to offer. Set up different offers for each category to put your email marketing on steroids.

Display settings matter. Work out how often to display your popups and after how many pageviews/seconds on-page. If you need a WordPress Popup plugin, check out this one on ThemeForest.

That’s it.

12 Tips For Dramatically Increasing Your Email Open Rate

#1. Make It Personal

These days, our inboxes fill up quickly and a lot of times get flooded with junk mail. We all deal with it.

We sign up for some product or newsletter that looks promising only to be inundated with spam and nonstop affiliate offers.

One of the easiest tactical approaches many use to filter nonsense is seeking out their names.

Make sure you’re collecting first names with your email capture and personalizing subject lines with the first name. This is an instant attention grabber and subtle trust builder.

What is the best way to start an email?

Ever wondered what the best way to start an email is?

This 2.50 Min Video gives one of the best explanations we have ever come across…

#2. To Increase Email Open Rate – Use Enticing Subject Lines

This should be a no-brainer, but I still observe marketers using dry and boring headlines.

Just this week I was consulting a friend who’s getting his feet wet in online marketing… I suggested he get into it because he’s a natural salesman.

I know he doesn’t have a sales background and asked if there was something specific helping him create fantastic headlines.

Without hesitation, he says, “sea-puck.” He meant CPUQ. and it stands for controversy, power-words, urgency, questions.

Those are the only styles you need to utilize in order to craft irresistible headlines… And here’s an example of each:

#3. Offer Real Value Consistently

You’d think this is obvious, especially with how I opened this post saying email marketing was like a cash machine.

While I still consider that to be a spot-on analogy, you have to understand it’s only possible by offering fantastic content from the get-go and not stopping.

Once people understand that you care and truly want to share high-quality information with the world they’ll be looking forward to your products and recommendations.

But nothing will get you marked as spam or unsubscribed from quicker than constantly pounding your list with offer after offer. The only people that get away with this are those with MASSIVE, 100k + lists that can afford to lose a few subscribers.

#4. Build A Relationship With The Reader

The best way to manage your online reputation is to build strong relationships. That goes beyond email marketing, it should be your goal with all of your interactions online. 

You’re the premier representative of your brand so hold yourself to a high standard and your work will reflect that.

People will give you great reviews, testimonials and leave positive comments on your various content. You’ll find loyal fans silencing haters for you which is always great for brand management.

Loyalty must be earned, it cannot be bought.

You are after all building a brand!

#5. Have An Open Loop

These are fun because you get to sharpen your storytelling skills.

Basically, you build up anticipation by giving the impression you’re about to reveal some outstanding information and always make them wait until tomorrow by coming back around to the beginning of your story.

You’re giving information, but you’re disguising it…

For instance, here’s a really quick example. Matter of fact, what I’m about about to show you, took me 2 hard years online to figure out, spending thousands on products that were supposed to put my business on auto-pilot…

I nearly went bankrupt and then it finally hit me!

What I discovered was so blatantly obvious and simple, I made over 4k my very first day. And it didn’t cost me a penny.

All I had to do was use google trends and open loops to see a 720% increase in traffic, it was that powerful …  I could rinse and repeat forever.

I mentioned it to my friend who had been marketing for years, but he brushed off the thought of quality free traffic.

So I showed his little brother, a complete “noob.” I gotta tell ya, he’s the only 17 year old I know driving an M3 that he paid for – cash.

Not bad for open loops and Google trends?

You’re going to want to see how you can do what this 17 year old did… I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

See what I did there?

How to get more clicks from your emails.

This should not surprise you, but I find it does.

Make the link text in your email the same as your subject line.

(after all, it was the subject line that got them to open the email)

So if your subject line is “What You Must Do Immediately To Rank In Google” then using that as the link text within your email.

There will be exceptions.

Sometimes “embedded commands” like click, watch, read, open or download are more appropriate

Using a “command” can make an enormous difference in the success of an email.

Human beings want to be told what to do.

If you tell them what to do, they’re more likely to do it.

For more examples of how to use “embedded commands” see this blog post.

#6. Have A Double Opt-in

I know it’s hard to choose between list size and list quality and I’ll be upfront with you, your list will be smaller with a double opt-in.

BUT…

It will be of much higher quality!

Think about it, your subscriber just proved they’re opening and clicking your links. Whatever it is you’re offering they’re seriously interested.

If you offer something of great value, you don’t need a massive list to make a living. Just don’t forget your subscriber jumped through a couple of hoops – reward them to show your appreciation.

#7. Get Mobile Optimized

Nearly everybody has a smartphone, in fact, there’s a growing belief that in the near future we’ll exclusively use phones for email, work, shopping, etc.

133.7 million people own smartphones in the US alone and 43% of all email worldwide is opened on mobile devices as of April of last year.

People are using their phones to check email now more than ever…

And if the links in your email are always leading back to a site that’s not mobile optimized they’ll stop opening because it’s a pain in the neck to deal with.

#8. For a high email open rate, Clean Up Your List

It’s normal to get inactive subscribers but sometimes they just need a refresher.

There are two simple methods you can use…

The first is send an email reconfirming they want to be on your list. You can do this through Aweber or whatever auto-responder you’re using.

The second thing I do when a subscriber has been inactive for a month is put them on a separate list where they’ll no longer be mailed daily.

I’ll hit them with 1 more daily email blast and a reconfirmation 7-14 days later, if neither gets opened they’re removed completely. You can typically automate this entire process through your autoresponder’s “list segment” option.

#9. Remain Consistent With Delivery Time

When I’d send emails at inconsistent times the open rate was much lower compared to mailing at the same time daily.

All major auto-responders have an option to have your message sent out at a specific date and time.

I use Aweber and usually set my followups to “send 1 day after previous” which sends at the time the individual received that last email which is the same time they signed up. Be sure to have several emails queued in advance. 

#10. To increase email open rate – Run Split tests

If most of your content is the same for all subscribers, you can run several split tests to identify what resonates best with your audience.

I’ll test several different mail-out times based on time of day in PST, EST & GMT. Typically I’ll test 8 am, 2 pm, and 6 pm mail-out times for each timezone and set my broadcasts to the most active.

The second is to test which style of email is getting opened the most and include that style in the subject lines more frequently.

The third thing to test is whether it’s best to have messages coming from myself or the brand. Typically it’s best to have your emails “from” a person, but I’ve seen otherwise, which is why I test.

#11. For a High Email Open Rate – First Impressions Count

How many times have you heard, first impressions are everything?

Well they are, and the same is true online. Your first impression is your best shot at earning trust and ensuring future emails get opened.

Assuming you’re already running a clean email capture software like Popup Domination to grab attention and build your list, it’s crucial to give away awesome content like problem-solving reports, info-graphics, podcasts, and videos.

#12. Have A Second Lead Magnet

This next tip is perhaps one of the most effective things I’ve ever done to dramatically increase the open rate…

Creating a second lead magnet in the form of an eCourse, audio, or video series spread out over several days is a clever and incredibly effective way to get your emails opened and consumed.

You’ll notice Income Diary employing this very method with their Free 7 day money making eCourse…

A great way of enhancing the relationship with your list is simply surveying them from time to time.

This will help clearly identify what problem it is that you’re audience needs solving. Once you identify what that “problem” is, make it a point to over-deliver on the solution.

Always empathize with and respect your reader. You’ll have no problem earning a living online if offering high value is 100% of your mission, 

Recap of the best beginner email marketing tips

1. Set Expectations in the Opt-In Area

Too many bloggers trick people into opting-in with a free gift only to barrage them with unrelated emails later. I don’t know about you, but I don’t open those emails.

If, however, you make it clear in your opt-in area that they’re also requesting to receive blog updates, then they’re going to expect and anticipate your emails.

Sure that might discourage people from opting-in, but there’s no value in having a list full of people who don’t want your emails.

See example:

Jay Baer, from ConvinceandConvert.com, makes it clear that you’ll receive a daily email with social media advice.

2. Remind Them Why They’re Receiving Emails

Once they’re receiving your emails, it’s important to remind them why they’re receiving them. Otherwise you run the risk of them unsubscribing or marking your emails as spam.

A good way to do this is to put their signup date and signup URL in the footer of every email that you send. These two reminders will jog their memory to answer the question, “why am I getting these emails?”

See example:

Pat Flynn, from SmartPassiveIncome.com, reminds his subscribers when and where they subscribed to his list in the footer of every email.

3. Send Your Emails Regularly at Consistent Times

What’s the best day and time to send an email to people around the world?

I schedule the emails for 6 am EST so they’re at the top of the list when people open their inbox first thing in the morning across the US.

In the Income Diary Q&A, Josh Dunlop said,

I find that posting content at 9am West Coast time is best, because it’s lunch time on the East Coast and just after work in the UK, which are the biggest markets for my traffic.

People Need to Receive Your Emails Easily

All Johnny wants to do to get his presents in the morning, is wake up, climb down the stairs, and walk to the living room.

Make it that easy!

4. Create a Squeeze Page that You Can Direct People To

Having opt-ins in all of the popular areas (i.e. top sidebar, bottom sidebar, top of the homepage, the footer of the post, etc.), is a good start.

You also want to have a page on your blog that’s dedicated to getting subscribers, also known as a squeeze page.

How come?

Because you and your readers can link to that page when you or they are recommending it to other people.

5. Link to Their Email System on Your Confirmation Page

After they fill out your opt-in form, they need to confirm their subscription.

This is the point where you typically say, “Before I can send you the information you requested, I need you to click the link in the email to confirm your subscription … yada, yada, yada.”

This page has one goal: Get them to open the email and confirm their subscription. Yet, few people ever optimize this small but pivotal step in the process.

How do you do that? Convince them to check their email immediately.

See example:

The confirm your subscription page on my blog, 14clicks.com, directs people to check their email immediately so they don’t forget.

6. Mobilize Your Emails with a Simple Text-Focused Email

According to Litmus.com, as of April 2012, 36% of email is opened with a mobile device and that number grew 80% in the previous six months.

You might fancy your 2-column, HTML email newsletters, but people who open them with their phones don’t.

To keep your emails mobile-friendly:

• Use a 1-column layout.
• No more than 550-600 pixels wide.
• Limit slow-loading images.
• If you link somewhere, try to make sure that the webpage is mobile-friendly.

See example:

The DIYthemes email is HTML-based but simple enough that it appears to be text-based so it shows up well on mobile devices.

People Need to Feel a Personal Connection

The moment Johnny unwraps a Barbie Doll, he’s going to be forever skeptical about whether or not Santa really knows him. He’ll think twice about opening the next one. Around the third or fourth Barbie Doll, he’ll stop opening them altogether.

Talking of a personal connection, there will be times when your email marketing strategy will include out-reach to prospects who have not yet subscribed.

For example in business to business sales.

On those occasions, it is essential to try and locate the direct email address of the prospect, rather than sending an email to info@ or sales@ company. If that is part of your Email Marketing strategy we recommend you check out this Email Finder Tool – which is available as a chrome plugin.

7. Segment Your Lists by Interests and Activity

How do you personalize a mass-communication channel?

Every email marketing service lets you create multiple lists. Create different lists based on the interests and activities of your audience.

Consider segmenting lists for:

• General blog subscribers.
• Weekly blog subscribers.
• Potential customers.
• Paying customers.
• Etc.

See example:

WPBeginner.com gives its readers six different subscription options based on their interests.

8. Use Your Welcome Email to Learn About Them

Aside from sending targeted emails based on interests, you also need to know who your audience is in order to build a personal connection with them.

One of the best ways to do that is to ask them to introduce themselves by replying to the first welcome email. Here are a few questions you can ask in that email:

• What are you struggling with right now?
• How do you expect me to help you?
• What types of content would get you to open every email?

See example:

This is Derek Halpern’s Welcome Email for SocialTriggers.com. Many of his subscribers reply to this email with their #1 struggle. This lets him meet his new subscribers and gives him a better understanding of how to help his audience.

People Need to Value Your Emails

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Johnny circles his favorite toys in the catalogs creates a list of his favorites, and even visits Santa to tell him what’s at the top of his list. All of this to ensure that he gets exactly what he wants.

9. Include Subscriber-Only Tips through an Autoresponder

What reason does somebody have to subscribe if they can get all of the same content by regularly visiting or following you on Twitter?

To treat your subscribers to something special, set up an autoresponder series that gives them a comprehensive guide for information that they want.

See example:

Copyblogger.com offers an exclusive, 20-part autoresponder series to their subscribers that’s based on years of researching their audience to figure out what they need help with most.

10. Top Email Marketing Tip – Offer a Weekly Email Option

I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time keeping up with reading the posts from all of my favorite blogs.

To get around this, consider offering a weekly subscription option to your readers. That way they can get one email with summaries of that week’s posts and choose to read the ones that are relevant to them.

How to Use Email Marketing

Email marketing has two functions.

1. To get to know your audience.
2. To send people your message.

Too many bloggers put too much focus on building their lists. Once they have a list, they don’t know what to do with it. The list just sits there and costs money each month. Don’t make that mistake!

I hope I’ve shed some light on this all-too-common problem and given you some ideas on how to improve your email marketing strategy. If I have, let me know in the comments.

If you need help with implementing these tips, feel free to contact us and let us know which email marketing service you use.