Email marketing means sending useful messages to people who have agreed to hear from you, so that they buy, buy again or remember you when they are ready. Unlike social media, you own your email list, and no algorithm decides whether you can reach it. That is why it is still worth doing.
Here is how I would set it up from scratch.
Step 1: Build a list with permission
Never buy a list. Bought lists bring in spam complaints, damage your domain's reputation and can land you in legal trouble. India's data protection rules under the DPDP Act are also pushing businesses towards clear, recorded consent, so take this seriously and get proper advice for your situation.
Better ways to grow your list:
- A useful download or checklist on your website
- An opt-in at checkout
- A sign-up at your shop counter or event
- Asking your existing customers
Step 2: Choose a simple tool
Pick an email platform that fits your list size and your budget, and which offers segmentation and automation. Ecommerce stores should choose a tool that connects with their store. Do not send bulk mail from your normal Gmail account.
Step 3: Set up deliverability first
If your email does not reach the inbox, nothing else matters. Your domain needs SPF, DKIM and DMARC records in place. Your tool's help pages will show you how.
Gmail and Yahoo have tightened their rules for bulk senders. For Gmail, that broadly covers senders of around 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts. The rules include authentication, one-click unsubscribe on marketing mail, and keeping the spam complaint rate below 0.3%, with under 0.1% being the safer goal. Even if you send less, follow them anyway.
Send from your own domain, not a free address. If you are starting with a new domain, build up your sending volume gradually.
Step 4: Set up the automations that matter
Automations do the most work, and they run while you sleep. Start with these:
- Welcome series: Introduce yourself and give some value.
- Abandoned cart: For online stores, a simple reminder.
- Post-purchase: Say thanks, help them use it, ask for a review.
- Win-back: Reach customers who have gone quiet.
Step 5: Send regular campaigns
A simple rhythm is one useful email a week or a fortnight. Try a mix of:
- Helpful tips your customers can use
- Stories or lessons from your work
- Product news and new arrivals
- Offers, but not every time
Write as a person. One clear message and one clear action will outperform a designed newsletter with twelve links.
Step 6: Segment your list
Do not send everything to everyone. Even basic groups help: customers and non-customers, by interest, by location, by recent activity. A relevant email sent to 500 people can do better than a generic one to 5,000, and it brings in fewer complaints.
Step 7: Keep your list clean
Remove hard bounces. Run a re-engagement email to people who have not clicked in months, then stop sending to those who do not respond. It feels wrong to shrink your list, but a smaller, active list is healthier for deliverability.
What to measure
Do not lean on open rates. Apple Mail Privacy Protection can register opens that never happened, so the figure is unreliable. Focus on these:
- Clicks and click-through rate
- Replies
- Conversions and revenue per email
- Unsubscribes and spam complaints
What about WhatsApp?
In India, WhatsApp usually gets more immediate attention, and email is better for longer messages, records and automation. Many businesses use both, each for what it does best, with consent.
If you want this done properly, here is my email marketing service. For the wider picture, read what digital marketing is.
Written by Aman Potlia.