What you will learn
- Explain why permission and sender authentication matter for email
- Plan a welcome sequence of three to five emails with a clear goal
- Measure email performance using clicks, replies, and conversions
Email is one of the few channels a business fully controls. Only email people who have agreed to hear from you, and make unsubscribing easy. Major inbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate their domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC and to offer one-click unsubscribe. Use a proper email platform rather than a personal inbox, and send from your own domain.
A welcome sequence is a set of automated emails sent after someone joins your list. A simple example for an online skincare shop: the first email delivers the promised guide; the second, two days later, explains what makes the products different; the third answers common questions; the fourth shares customer reviews; the fifth makes a clear offer. Each email has one purpose and one main link.
Measure email by what people do, not only by opens. Open rates have become less reliable because some email apps, such as Apple Mail, can load images automatically, which may count as an open. Focus on click rate, replies, unsubscribes, and the sales or enquiries each email produces. Test one change at a time, such as the subject line or the main offer, and keep the version that brings more action.