WARNING: This might completely change how you think about email marketing.

If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen thinking, What the hell do I even write? This is your wake-up call.

This isn’t another fluffy post about “providing value.” It’s the real, raw, sweaty-palmed guide to starting email marketing when you have no idea what you’re doing.

No buzzwords. No jargon. Just honest advice from someone who’s been where you are, overthinking every word, and scared to hit send.

Your first email doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to exist.

What happens next? Confidence. Sales. Momentum.

Let’s get into it.

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Everyone Says Email Marketing Works… But You’re Stuck

You’ve heard it a hundred times. Top marketers like Alex Hormozi and Amy Porterfield say their email lists make them most of their money. Sounds easy, right? Just type a few words, click send, and watch the sales roll in.

But then… you sit down to write, and it’s like your brain short-circuits.

What do I even say?
Do people still read emails?
How long is it going to take to work?

If you’ve ever asked those questions, good. That means you’re thinking like a marketer.

Repetition Is the Secret Sauce (Yes, Really)

Let’s get something clear: email marketing is just marketing. And all good marketing takes time.

Think of your favorite brands. Did you buy their stuff the first time you saw it? Probably not. You needed to see the message again and again.

Red Bull is a great example. Every ad says the same thing: Red Bull gives you wings, but in a new way. New story, same core message.

That’s exactly what you need to do in your emails. Say the same thing in fresh, interesting ways.

Email Doesn’t Care About Your Follower Count

Social media is loud and full of judgment. Likes, shares, views, it’s all public. And that can feel intimidating, especially when you’re starting.

But email? Nope. Nobody knows how many subscribers you have. Nobody sees if only one person reads your message. That’s the magic.

You get to show up like a pro, right from day one. Even if you’ve only got 10 people on your list, to them, you’re a rockstar.

You Only Need to Be One Page Ahead

Feeling like you’re not expert enough? Like you don’t know enough to help people?

Here’s a story: Frank Abagnale, the guy from Catch Me If You Can, once pretended to be a professor by reading just one page ahead of his students. That’s it.

Now, we’re not saying to scam people. But the point is: being one page ahead is often all it takes to be helpful and valuable.

If you know something your reader doesn’t, you’re the expert in their eyes. And your email can help them.

Today Is the Worst You’ll Ever Be

Never sent an email before? Or it’s been a while?

Here’s the truth: today is the worst you’ll ever be. It only gets better from here.

Think about this, what would two-years-from-now you wish you had started today?

If you had sent one email a week for the past two years, how many better emails would you be writing now? How many more sales would you be making?

Start now. Get better later.

Your First Emails Are Just Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Learning guitar at 13 to impress the girls? Yep, that’s how it started. But instead of shredding like a rockstar, the first five weeks were all Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on one string. Disappointing? Kinda. But also normal.

That’s how learning works.

Your first emails won’t win any awards. They’re not meant to. They’re meant to happen. Because you only get better by doing.

Nobody plays Madison Square Garden on day one. They start in the smelly back room of a pub. That’s your email list right now and it’s the perfect place to practice.

Bad Emails You Send Are Better Than Great Ones You Don’t

Your Google Drive is probably full of unfinished email drafts. Don’t lie. We’ve all got that email graveyard.

But here’s the harsh truth: an email you don’t send can never make a sale.

Every time you hit send, you learn. Every email gives you feedback. Sales or no sales, it’s information. And information makes you better.

Stop Writing Like a Robot

You chat casually with friends, right? You tell jokes, you swear, you use slang. But then you sit down to write an email… and suddenly you’re all:

“Dear valued client, I hope this message finds you well.”

What?! Where did your personality go?

This is the telephone voice problem. Just like your mum switching to a fancy voice when she picked up the landline. Don’t do that.

Instead, write how you talk. Literally. Use your voice, your quirks, your weird words. That’s how people get to know you and trust you.

One Trick: Write to One Person

Want to make your emails feel more human?

Pick one real person, such as your friend Brian, and write an email to them. Not “your list.” Not “your subscribers.” Just Brian.

Start with “Hey Brian,” then write what you’d say to him. Keep it casual. Keep it real. Then, just tweak the name before you send.

That’s how you write emails that sound like actual conversations.

Try All the Email Lengths

Short emails. Long emails. Tiny emails. Mega emails.

Try them all.

Some days, send a quick one-liner. Other days, tell a big story. Keep people guessing. If they can predict what’s in your email before they open it… they’ll stop opening.

If you’re predictable, you’re ignorable.
Break that pattern. Surprise them.

Tell Tiny, Sweaty Stories

Not every story needs to be epic. In fact, the best stories are the little ones. The day-to-day, real-life moments.

Like sweating through your shirt in a heatwave. Or your lawnmower dying halfway up the yard. Or your cat puking on the stairs.

These tiny stories are relatable. They make people smile and go, “That’s so me.” And when they feel something, they’re more likely to trust you and buy from you.

When people feel things, they buy things.

Pick Your Days and Stick to Them

Want to actually keep emailing?

Pick your days. Monday and Thursday. Tuesday and Friday. Or every single day.

Whatever works for you. Then stick with it. No excuses.

Just like brushing your teeth, if it’s part of your daily rhythm, you won’t forget.

Your Mood = Your Magic

Some days you’re tired. Some days you’re on fire. Some days you feel meh.

Email in all those moods. That’s what makes you human. And in a world full of boring AI-written newsletters, being human is your unfair advantage.

Show the real you. It builds trust faster than any polished sales funnel ever could.

End Every Email With One Action

Always give readers something to do next. Every single email should end with a line like:

“Want to chat? Book a call here.”
“Want to check out the program? Click here.”

Just tell them what to do. One clear step.

The Final Word

You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need fancy funnels. You just need to start sending real emails, in your real voice, with real stories.

Start now. Be messy. Be inconsistent. Be you.

Because two years from now, you’ll be so glad you did.

Related episodes

The Affiliate Marketing Playbook: How to Make Sales Without Annoying Your List

Webinars That Sell: Insider Secrets from Jason Fladlien!

How to Use Storytelling in Your Emails to Get a 22% Higher Open Rate

FREE list of the top 10 books to improve your email marketing

If you want to write better emails, come up with better content, and move your readers to click and buy, here's how. We put together this list of our Top 10 most highly recommended books that will improve all areas of your email marketing (including some underground treasures that we happened upon, which have been game-changing for us). Grab your FREE list here. 

Join our FREE Facebook group

If you want to chat about how you can maximise the value of your email list and make more money from every subscriber, we can help! We know your business is different, so come and hang out in our FREE Facebook group, the Email Marketing Show Community for Course Creators and Coaches. We share a lot of training and resources, and you can talk about what you're up to.

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This week's episode is sponsored by ResponseSuite.com, the survey quiz and application form tool that we created specifically for small businesses like you to integrate with your marketing systems to segment your subscribers and make more sales. Try it out for 14 days for just $1.

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This is hands down the most predictable, plug-and-play way to double your earnings per email subscriber. It allows you to generate a consistent sales flow without launching another product, service, or offer. Best news yet? You won't have to rely on copywriting, slimy persuasion, NLP, or ‘better' subject lines.

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