Step-by-step guide: How to make Email marketing work for your business

Written by Digital Team

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16/04/2025

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he step-by-step guide to make Email marketing work for your business | DigitalflowU Blog

What this guide will do for you

Show you how to ditch the guesswork and create emails that deliver results
Learn how to turn your list into a business asset
Build trust, drive sales and keep your audience engaged

Email marketing isn’t just another box to tick – it’s one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to grow your business.

But it’s also easy to miss the mark.

Emails are always someone else’s agenda – Aaron Sansoni

Inboxes are a battlefield. People are drowning in emails they didn’t ask for, filled with salesy noise, irrelevant offers and content that looks and feels like it was written by a robot or ChatGPT.

Subject lines are vague, copy is bland, and the calls to action are either missing or trying too hard. It’s no wonder people unsubscribe, delete or scroll right past your message and leave it unread. And when that happens, you’re not just losing attention – you’re losing revenue, trust and opportunity.

Ever wondered why your emails aren’t getting opened, why your list isn’t buying or why you can’t seem to make Email marketing work for you?

Email marketing works – but only when it’s done right

Here’s the truth: Email marketing rules

Build trust, boost awareness and put sales on autopilot – right from your inbox. Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for building trust, staying top of mind and driving consistent sales.

But there’s a catch. Some businesses let their email lists gather dust, missing out on real opportunities.
Others do send emails – but they’re inconsistent, overly sales-y, boring, or worse: their audience unsubscribes.

Email marketing is like a first date: if you talk about yourself the entire time, there won’t be a second one – David Beebe

What happens if you don’t leverage your email marketing?

Without a strong email strategy, your list becomes a dead weight.

Opportunities are missed, so each week you’re silent is another sale you could’ve made.

Unpredictable income where sporadic emails mean inconsistent revenue.

Cold leads without nurturing where contacts forget who you are.

Loss of trust where your emails feel random, irrelevant or only pop up when you’re selling – this all takes a hit to your credibility.

How to write emails that build trust – and get read

Use this handy checklist to make sure your campaign successfully cuts through to happy opens

1. What action do I want my reader to take after opening their Email

Select a Goal

Engagement
Conversion
Education
Awareness
Retention

Then craft an email message around this goal.

To go deeper into what each goal means and what they look like as an Email action, read our blog> Why every email needs a goal: The secret to results-driven marketing.

2. What does my reader need right now?

What are their pain points – and how can you genuinely be the solution to this pain?

3. Am I giving before I ask?

People don’t buy products – they buy from people. So be human and authentic. Your job is to build goodwill. Educate, inspire, entertain – don’t just sell.

4. Is it engaging - or just informative?

Tell stories. Be real. Insert some fun – a little personality goes a long way.

5. Is it focused?

Stick to one topic per email. Keep it snappy and relevant.

6. What's the Call-to-action?

Even if it’s “hit reply” or “think about this”, take the next step by offering them a path.

Learn more
Book Free Strategy
Save this email for when you need it

Tip:

Avoid

Shop now
Buy now

Email servers flag these as negative words and may push your email to the junk folder.

7. Am I consistent?

Establish a schedule – and then always show up: weekly, fortnightly, monthly. Whatever works – just show up.

Just starting out?

Ideal times for email traffic are 9-11am and 1-3pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – then test. And test some more until you find your sweet spot.

8. When is best?

Hubspot’s article The Best Time to Send an Email which you can read >here, outlines the ideal times for sending emails are

9-11am weekday mornings and 1-3pm early afternoons
with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday showing the highest engagement – especially for B2B audiences
12noon-1pm Lunchtime can also be effective, while early mornings and late nights tend to result in lower open rates

So ideal traffic times to send emails are 9-11am and 1-3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Use this as your starting point, then test and test some more – until you find your sweet spot.

Handy insights

B2B: Aim for 9-11am or 12-1pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

General audiences: Mid-week mornings work well

Promotions: 4pm Late afternoons can drive purchases

Your audience, industry and email type all play a role in timing success.

Test regularly to find the sweet spot that works best for your list.

9. Does it sound natural?

If it sounds robotic or looks too ChatGPT, edit it to sound like you.

Handy Email marketing tools

Handy email marketing tools save time, simplify planning, and help you create emails that consistently engage and convert.

Free Download: Email campaign builder template

This Free Email campaign builder template plans your emails to a framework - without starting from scratch.

Craft your copy with this handy Email Campaign Builder Template.

Free Download: Plan, Send, Grow

Bring clarity, consistency, and strategy to your email efforts -- helping you save time, avoid guesswork, and create emails that actually drive engagement and sales.

Download our handy Resource Email Marketing Planner Tool - and start planning your Email marketing

Free Tool: The PAS Email formula framework

To craft an email that connects and converts, the PAS Formula is your best friend:

P = Problem
A = Amplify
S = Solutions

Call out the Problem.
Amplify being stuck in the problem
Be the Solution with a tip, offer or next step

Keep it Simple. Effective. Repeatable.

Here's are quick examples:

Problem = Can't find enough consistent clients - no matter how hard you try?
Amplify = You're doing all the right things, but results are patchy. It's frustrting and exhausting.
Solution = Let me show you how to create a simple system that brings in leads every week - without burning out.
CTA Learn more

Problem: "You've got an email list... but it's just sitting there. You've collected subscribers from opt-ins, purchases or enquiries - but you're not leveraging it enough to drive actual business results.
Amplify: Every week you don't email your list is a missed opportunity. People forget who you are. Leads go cold. And when you finally send something? It either gets ignored or marked as spam. Worse, your competitors are sliding into inboxes while you stay silent.
Solution: Start simple: send one value-based email this week. Don't overthink it.
CTA: Share a tip, answer a common question or tell a quick story with a call to action to reply or click a link.

And most importantly: Consistency beats perfection.

Free Tool: Your subject line matters

To craft the perfect email subject line, start by knowing your goal and keeping it short, clear, and relevant - ideally under XX characters.

Use action-driven words, avoid spammy language and personalise when possible to boost engagement.
A touch of curiosity works well, but avoid clickbait.
Pair your subject line with a strong preheader to reinforce the message.
To test its effectiveness,
A/B test different versions, track open rates, and use headline analyser tools.
Most importantly, ask yourself, "Would I open this?" and aim to create a subject line that stands out in a crowded inbox.

Boost your email open rates: analyse and improve your subject lines before sending your next campaign with the Omnisend Subject Line Tester. This is the game-changer to Email open rates.

Dig deeper into our blog >How to Craft the Perfect Email Subject Line.

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