Email marketing: launch your newsletter and first automations
Tool, GDPR-compliant sign-ups, welcome email, rhythm, content and automation: a guide to launching your newsletter and first email sequences.
Social networks change their rules and ads keep getting more expensive. Your email list, on the other hand, belongs to you. Used well, it keeps you connected with customers, brings them back and sells without depending on an algorithm. Here is how to launch your newsletter and your first automations, step by step.
1. Choose an email tool
There are many tools, some with a free plan to get started. Check a few criteria:
- the email editor is easy to use;
- data is hosted in a GDPR-compliant way;
- automation is included (at least a welcome email);
- the tool connects to your website or online store.
2. Collect contacts by the rules
In France and across Europe, sending marketing emails to individuals generally requires their prior consent. A few good practices:
- a clear sign-up checkbox, never pre-ticked;
- a sentence saying what people will receive and how often;
- double opt-in (confirmation email), recommended for list quality;
- an unsubscribe link in every email;
- never buying email lists.
To make people want to sign up, offer something useful: a guide, a welcome offer, early access, recipes, tips.
3. Where to place the sign-up form?
On your website (footer, blog page, end of articles), at checkout, in store (QR code, tablet), on social media and on your Google profile. The simpler the form (one email field, maybe a first name), the more sign-ups you get.
4. Write the welcome email
It’s often the most-read email. It should:
- thank people and remind them what they will receive;
- deliver what was promised (guide, welcome code);
- introduce your business in a few lines;
- suggest one simple action: discover your best sellers, book, follow you.
Automate it: it goes out as soon as someone signs up, without you lifting a finger.
5. Set a rhythm and content
Consistency matters more than frequency. A quality monthly newsletter beats a rushed weekly one. Content ideas:
- news, seasonal updates, behind-the-scenes;
- practical tips related to your products or services;
- recent blog articles;
- testimonials and case studies;
- events and subscriber-only offers.
Keep a balance: roughly three useful or inspiring emails for every purely promotional one.
6. Your first automations
Once the newsletter is up and running, a few automated sequences often pay off well:
- welcome sequence: two or three emails over the first days to introduce your world;
- abandoned basket reminders for online stores;
- post-purchase: thank-you, usage tips, review request;
- reactivation: a message to customers who haven’t come back for a while;
- birthday or key date, with a personal touch.
7. Measure and improve
Track open rate (as a rough guide), click rate, conversions and unsubscribes. Test subject lines, length and send times. Regularly clean inactive addresses from your list. These numbers belong in your marketing KPI dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
How many subscribers do I need to start? There is no minimum. Start with existing customers who have given consent, then grow the list gradually.
What’s the best day to send? There’s no universal rule. Test several slots and keep the one that works best for your audience.
We can set it all up with you
Email marketing and automation are part of our digital marketing service. Your first audit is free.
