
It’s 2025, and if the recent headlines about banning Tik Tok (or now closed depending on when you read this) or my 2024 blog post about Owned Paid and Earned Media didn't prompt you to try something else to improve your sales and marketing, maybe this will.
My number one marketing recommendation to help your business grow this year is to start building your email list and sending out email marketing “newsletters.”
in January or at least within the first quarter.
Today I’m here to give you all the answers as to why having an email list and deploying email marketing is the strategy your small business needs. I know it may feel a little daunting or that you think you’ll only “spamming” your customers, but I’m here to take those concerns away and even tell you why you won’t be sending spam their way. Instead, I’m sharing my best tips on how to attract subscribers, developing content and even how to choose the right email provider. Keep reading if you want to start making stronger connections with your customers and prospects that will develop greater engagement and even sales for your small business.
Why is Email Marketing Good for My Small Business?
At its very core email marketing is a powerful strategy. Unlike other channels, it can reach your customers and prospects at different places in their sales journey. Not only can it drive sales and conversations, it can provide an opportunity to gain more insight, get 1:1 instruction/demos and it’s all up to you when you deliver it, because it’s up to you.
Email marketing can accomplish the following 3 things:
Demonstrates Your Expertise to build trust;
Provides Value to your Subscribers, whether about your business category, what you can offer these customers or prospects, and information that can help them grow; and finally, it
Drives Sales and Converts Offers into New Business
Let’s Recap Why Email is Owned and Social Media is Really Earned, Paid and only Partly Owned
Before I get started on the steps to start developing your email marketing, let’s recap why email is the better channel to covert leads to sales, and a channel you actually own.
Email marketing is owned media. This means that YOU, not a third-party, controls the subscribers list, the content, and the timing of all communications. This is important control to have in your hands. With email marketing, there’s little fear that the platform will simply stop working. You don’t have to worry that the recipients don’t want to read or receive your content because they’ve already invested in what you have to have to say or sell and have already opted in. And any information that you share inevitably circles back to your business and will help you grow.
Social Media on the other hand is earned or paid, but only partly owned. While you have control on what you post on your account (owned), you can’t 100% control when it posts especially if the channel goes down. There is sometimes a discrepancy on whether you’ll still own the images you post after you share them (sometimes it’s hard to get them back if your account gets closed). Nor, unfortunately due to the algorithms, you don’t have control over who sees your content. (Only about 1-4% of your followers see your post and less than 1% for your stories.) It’s a great channel to build awareness, but it’s not great at converting sales.
Getting started with Email Marketing
Let’s take a deeper dive in how your business can get started with email marketing. Below find my answers to some of your initial questions, information to eliminate any concerns or perceptions about email marketing, and my best tips and recommendations to get on the road to more engagement and ultimately business growth.
I Can Send Email Marketing from My Personal Email, Right?
Yes and No. When anti-spamming policies went in to effect early last year, both Yahoo and Google made changes to their policies that effectively won’t allow you to mass email your contacts/subscribers. Additionally email providers, like Mail Chimp, Constant Contact and my favorite Sender.net now require that you send out email marketing from a business email (not a free email service like Yahoo, Google and MSN/Outlook) and from “someone.”
This means that in order to send bulk emails (or these e-newsletters), you need to own, or purchase, your domain for emails. For instance, I purchased the email package for my Simply K2 Marketing business so that my emails now have @simplyk2marketing.com at the end vs. my original “business” account that simply used @gmail. This new email will become your new “personal” business email. Note: There will also be back-end, set up requirements from any provider you choose regarding your spf, dkim, dmarc links. Your email provider should share step-by-step instructions to help you confirm them.
Who Do I Send My Emails To?
Someone will always want to hear from you and your business. Think current clients, networking contacts and at the most basic level, your friends and family. The most important thing to remember is that you must get their permission to email any of them, i.e., they must agree to subscribe or opt in. Legally you cannot simply take every contact you have in your emails and drop them into your subscriber lists. Doing so violates spamming laws and can negatively affect your overall delivery rates. Keep reading to find out how to attract subscribers and what to do if you’ve collected names before but have never used them.
Do I Need a Lead Magnet To Attract Subscribers?
UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT The answer is "No." While it is ideal to have a lead magnet in place, you can still actively try to recruit subscribers without one.
For those unfamiliar with lead magnets. These are valuable pieces of content that are given for free in exchange for personal information, like a name, email, phone number or address. Some examples of lead magnets include: checklists, whitepapers, free consultations, webinars, discount coupons, free trials, templates, infographics, quizzes, exclusive access to content, guides, sample reports, and email courses.
PRO TIP: Your lead magnet should be something that ties back to your business. In other words, something that can give them a taste of success but, in an ideal world, they’ll want to reach out to you to go further and make a bigger impact. For example, I’m working on a lead magnet around developing your business’ positioning statement. This statement is just one piece of the brand exploration that I offer small business owners. So it can stand alone, but with all of the messaging in place, you have a stronger business and brand.

Creating a lead magnet can take time to develop or choose. I recommend trying to get new subscribers in the interim without it, so you continue to make progress on your email marketing plan. People will still subscribe. A lead magnet only amplifies the number of subscribers coming in if you have a good “offer” to share in exchange for their information. You also do not have to keep the same lead magnet for all time. Test different content and form factors (e.g., checklist vs. guide or a quiz vs. a white paper.)
PRO TIP: When asking for personal information. Only ask for what you absolutely need (e.g., don’t ask for a mailing address if you’re only going to email them and nothing will be mailed. Same goes for cell #. Do you have a pertinent reason or SMS text messaging planned? If not, skip it.) I keep it simple and ask for first name, last name and email. This extra information allows me to personalize the email messaging.
Where Can I Solicit Subscribers?
Truly everywhere. You can talk about your email list at in-person gatherings or at networking events. Promote your upcoming newsletters via a social media post or story. You can also reach out to family, friends and current and past clients. Again the key is to get their permission before adding them as a subscriber.
When you talk about your list, you’ll want to be able to share a way to subscribe. Most websites, allow for email sign ups and will provide a URL. They’ll save these submitted names in your contacts. Once you choose your email provider, you can also link your website contacts to your provider so that you are not manually copy and pasting them across platforms.
PRO TIPS For Soliciting Subscribers:
Include your URL in your social media posts, stories and in any bios you have. Share it fairly often, especially right before and right after you deploy an issue. This gives them a chance to sign up before it goes out, or to catch the next one.
Do some outreach among your contacts alerting them that you will be starting up a newsletter, giving them a brief overview of what you plan to include/share, how often it will be sent, and that you will not spam them or share their information.
For in-person events, I created QR codes for my in-person events so that if someone is interested they simply have to scan my code and sign-up on the spot. Whatever way you choose, make sure it’s easy and quick and talk about the value you will be sharing.
Have an email sequence set up (available with most website platforms) that allows you to send a prompt response when a sign up is submitted. This allows you to thank anyone who signs up and deliver the lead magnet if you have one.
Include a check box on any contact forms that you have on your site that subscribes them to your newsletter. I use this tip and it may seem intrusive but trust me, they WILL uncheck the box if they are not interested.
I Have Names Collected But I’ve Never Sent a Mass Email. Do I Need to Do Anything?
If you started collecting names with the hope of starting an email marketing program but never did anything, that’s OK. You’ll just have to re-verify their interest in subscribing.
Here are a few ways to send verification emails. They can come from your personal email, but I recommend using your business one if available so that they get used to seeing it in their inbox. These are tested (and successful) subject lines that will work for verifying your subscribers. Note: If you do not get a response in a week or so, you will need to omit these names from your subscribers list. (They can always resubscribe.)
For B2B emails, Try one of these subject lines: “Are you still [working] at….?” Or “Are You still focused on…?” The … are for you to fill in the information you have for them OR the subject matter you’ll cover in your future email. (e.g., Are you still focused on brand development and tips?)
For B2C emails: “Still want discounts?...” or “VIP Status?...” These two will attract the attention of your recipient in the retail or consumer space. Most everyone will want VIP status as it alludes to exclusivity. I’d go with the discounts, only if you plan on sharing special pricing at some time. A third option is, “Still interested in exclusive access to [your brand, or x product line or category of products or services]”
How Often Do I Need Send Out Emails to Be Successful?
Scheduling-wise, I recommend that you look at a frequency that works for you and your business. Many business and service providers opt for weekly emails. (Some big brands will email subscribers daily.) I’m in the camp of setting up a mail monthly at first. If this is too daunting, start with quarterly.
Here's the reason why, more frequent emails work better. The less frequently you email someone, it’s more likely that subscribers forget that they opted in, resulting in unsubscribes or a deadly “spam” mark. The latter can negatively affect your future deliverability with most email providers. However, the more valuable the content you provide, and keeping to a somewhat regular schedule, the more likely that subscribers will not only remember you, but they will also look forward to your emails.
Doesn’t Sending Emails More Frequently Look Like Spam?
Are you hesitant about sending branded emails because you think you’re going to “spam” your customers and prospects? This may be more of a perception that all email is spam vs. the emails you are personally getting are too frequent or are no longer of interest to you.
Big brands with big budgets (think your department stores, food clubs, office supply stores, or franchises etc.), tend to send daily or even sometimes twice-daily emails trying to drive you to their online offers.
You, as a small business are not likely going to send emails this frequently. You will be focused on providing valuable information to them, so your subscribers will actually look forward to seeing your emails in their inbox.
Do you Need to Have Your Newsletter Content Ready to Go When You Start Collecting Subscribers?
UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT: If you ask a handful of marketers, “Yes” you need to have all of your content and a schedule set up. However, while I agree that you should have an idea about how often you want to deploy one, do you need the full schedule and all of your content mapped out? “NO” you don’t.
What Content Should I Include In My Emails & How Long Do They “Have” to Be?
Before you get into full blown panic mode about having enough content to share, remember that there is no “magic newsletter template” that you must follow. Newsletters also don’t have to be a stuffy communication vehicle.
They can anything you want them to be. If want memes add memes. I you have tips to share, share tips. Want to make an impact – tell your story with photography. Do you want to dive deeper into a subject like I am doing here via a blog link, add a blog and share it via your emails.
Your newsletter can be as long or as short as you need it to be to cover the topic at hand. Just ensure that whatever content you are developing provides value to the recipient or subscriber. Is it tips on how to use their products and a link to that product? Do you want to add tips and insight to help them get ahead, as I do with mine? Or do you want to give them updates on what products are available and what’s on sale. None of these approaches is wrong if the content you are providing is going to be valuable and desired by your target audience. When in doubt ask them see what information they want to see.
The goal at this point is to just get started with something. Plot out what you want to share and you can always make changes later down the road.

Email Marketing Helps Your Small Business Grow
While it’s true that there is a quite a bit of set up and outreach to get started, Email marketing is still one of the best ways to help your small business grow, often netting between 25-35% of your revenue!!! One of the reasons is that it's talking to a vested audience. This is why being very clear on the value and content you share is so important.
So how did I do? Did I answer all of your questions about setting up your own email marketing strategy and campaigns? If not, please reach out.
Email marketing is also a do-it-for-you, service that I will provide for small businesses too.
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