The five email marketing tips that matter most at the start of a campaign are: get clear permission before you email anyone, send at times your subscribers actually read, make every email easy to read on a phone, give readers something useful in each message, and invite replies. As of October 2026, large senders must also meet Gmail and Yahoo authentication and one-click unsubscribe rules.
Key Takeaways
- Permission comes first: UK law (PECR) requires specific consent for marketing emails to individuals, with a limited “soft opt-in” for existing customers, and bought lists do not qualify.
- US law sets minimum rules too: the CAN-SPAM Act requires accurate headers and subject lines, a valid postal address, and opt-outs honored within 10 business days.
- Deliverability is technical now: since February 1, 2024, Gmail has required bulk senders to use SPF, DKIM and DMARC, offer one-click unsubscribe, and keep reported spam below 0.30%.
- Timing and readability are testable: use your own open and click data, not general rules, to choose send times and layouts.
- Value and engagement keep lists healthy: useful content and real replies reduce spam complaints.
Email marketing might not be the newest or trendiest way of keeping in touch with your new and existing customers, but it’s certainly one of the most tried and tested.
Despite a knock to its reputation thanks to ever-increasing amounts of spam and corner cutting, email marketing is still one of the most reliable methods of building a strong relationship with your readers and generating interest in your brand.
If you’re just starting out with an email marketing strategy for your company, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t simply get lumped in with all the spammy, boring email marketers out there today.
Creating emails that truly engage with your readers and are welcome in their inboxes should be your ultimate goal if you want to achieve success.
Placing your readers first is also the best way to stay out of the spam folder, which now depends on technical rules set by mailbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo as well as on what subscribers think of your emails. Read on for our handy guide for email marketing success.
Tip #1. Ask for Permission:
There’s nothing worse than receiving unsolicited marketing emails for a product or service that you’ve never even expressed an interest in. One of the biggest mistakes that you can make as an email marketer is failing to ask for the recipient’s permission before you hit the send button.
Emailing people without their consent can breach email marketing law, including what were then new U.K. laws, but it’s also a sure-fire way to damage your brand’s reputation and lose potential customers before you’ve even had a chance to win them over.
So, avoid practices such as buying email lists or taking emails from users who’ve bought from your site if they haven’t given their express permission for you to send marketing content to them.
The best way to ensure everything is above board is to offer site visitors and customers the option to sign up to a newsletter or opt in to marketing emails. This way, you know that anybody you’re sending mail to actually wants to receive it.
Tip #2. Get the Timing Right:
Timing is key when it comes to success in many marketing strategies. Think about the advertisements that you see on the television, and how they’re optimally timed to ensure that they reach the right audience. The same goes for your email marketing efforts.
There’s not much point in sending an email that your recipient won’t be able to open because they are too busy at the time, running the risk of them completely forgetting all about it later on.
Because of this, check your own campaign reports for the days and hours when your subscribers usually open and click, and group contacts by time zone if your list is international.
For example, nine-to-five workers might like to receive emails on their lunch break or at the weekend, whilst students may be more comfortable getting mail late at night or during the afternoon. Email platform Brevo (called Sendinblue until 2023) publishes its own research on the best time to send an email.
Older email applications such as Mailify Sunrise 6.2 offered a feature called “predictive sending”, which schedules a campaign for the time each recipient is most likely to engage. Mailify was made by the French company Sarbacane; according to its parent group, Positive, Sarbacane became Positive User in May 2026, and the old Mailify web address now redirects to the new brand. Many email platforms now offer a similar send-time optimization feature, so check the current feature list of the tool you use.
Send-time optimization tools estimate a good mailing time from each contact’s past behavior, such as when that person usually opens or clicks, and then release the campaign in batches across time zones. The estimates depend on having enough engagement history, so a new list still benefits from simple A/B tests of send day and time.
Tip #3. Keep Them Easy to Read:
Receiving an email that seems really interesting but is also hard to read can be seriously frustrating for anybody. As an email marketer, it’s important to ensure that you stay responsible for ensuring that every email you send is entirely user-friendly.
Bear in mind that many of your recipients may be viewing their emails on the go, therefore, it’s never been so vital to ensure that all text, images, and links are fully optimised for mobile. Failing to do so could lead to email text not fitting well on the screen or images overlapping the text, making it impossible to read.
In addition to mobile optimisation, bear in mind that the little things certainly count. For example, use an easy to read font and break your text down into smaller, manageable chunks for an enjoyable read.
Tip #4. Provide Value:
Today, there are far too many marketing emails that are nothing more than blocks of text going on about how great a product is and why the recipient should buy it.
Bear in mind that your readers could be opening hundreds of emails like this on a daily basis, so standing out in the crowd should always be one of your top priorities.
Aim to send emails that provide real value to the reader. For example, you could share how-to tips for your product, answers to common customer questions, early access to offers, or a short roundup of useful content.
If you sell a variety of different product or service options, advice on choosing the right one for their needs can go a long way in facilitating a sale.
Tip #5. Encourage Engagement:
Last but not least, encouraging reader engagement will keep your brand at the forefront of reader’s minds. Some ways in which you can do this is to encourage replies and feedback, or link to your brand’s blog, where readers can engage with other like-minded users in comments sections.
This not only helps to improve the brand-customer relationship, but it can also be hugely useful when it comes to learning more about what your audience wants.
If this guide came in handy for you, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
What Email Marketing Rules Apply to a New Campaign?
Email marketing rules depend on where your recipients live, and several sets of rules can apply to one campaign. The table below summarizes the main requirements as of October 2026, based on the regulators’ and mailbox providers’ own guidance.
| Rule set | Who it covers | Key requirements | Penalty or consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN-SPAM Act (United States) | Commercial email sent to US recipients | Accurate “From” and routing details, subject lines that match the content, a clear ad disclosure, a valid physical postal address, a clear opt-out, and opt-outs honored within 10 business days | Up to $53,088 per violating email, according to the FTC’s compliance guide |
| PECR and UK GDPR (United Kingdom) | Marketing emails to individuals in the UK | Specific consent, or the soft opt-in for existing customers buying similar products; no hidden sender identity; a valid unsubscribe address; no bought lists without prior consent | The ICO says the Data (Use and Access) Act gives it power to fine up to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover under PECR |
| Gmail bulk sender guidelines | Senders of 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail accounts | SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication; one-click unsubscribe headers for marketing mail; spam rate in Postmaster Tools below 0.30% | Messages may be rejected or sent to spam |
| Yahoo sender best practices | Bulk senders to Yahoo mailboxes | SPF and DKIM, a DMARC policy of at least p=none, a one-click list-unsubscribe header, unsubscribes honored within 2 days, spam rate below 0.3% | Messages may be filtered or blocked |
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation has applied since 25 May 2018, and the UK kept a version of it, known as UK GDPR, after Brexit. The ICO notes that its PECR email guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check the current ICO guidance before launching a UK campaign. For setting up consent forms on your own site, see this guide to making a WordPress website compliant with GDPR.
How Do Gmail and Yahoo Sender Rules Affect Deliverability?
Gmail and Yahoo sender rules decide whether a marketing email reaches the inbox at all. Starting February 1, 2024, Gmail required senders of 5,000 or more messages a day to authenticate their domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and to align the “From” domain with the SPF or DKIM domain.
Both providers also require a one-click unsubscribe for marketing messages, using the List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers. Many email service providers add these headers automatically, but it is worth confirming in your account settings. This explainer on email authentication for businesses covers SPF, DKIM and DMARC in more detail.
Spam complaints are the other half of deliverability. Gmail asks senders to keep the spam rate reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.30%, and Yahoo sets the same 0.3% ceiling. Sending only to people who asked for your emails, as Tip #1 recommends, is the most reliable way to stay under that limit.
Email Campaign Launch Checklist
- Choose an email service provider that handles consent records, unsubscribe headers and bounce management.
- Authenticate your sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC before the first send.
- Build the list with clear opt-in forms that say what subscribers will receive and how often.
- Add the legal basics to every email: your business name, a valid postal address and a working unsubscribe link.
- Write an accurate subject line that matches the content; a word and character counter helps keep subject lines and preview text short.
- Test on a phone and a desktop before sending, including with images turned off.
- Send a small test batch, then compare opens, clicks, unsubscribes and complaints before the full send.
- Review results after each campaign and adjust timing, content and frequency.
Common Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying or renting lists: the ICO states that the UK soft opt-in does not cover third-party lists, and unknown addresses raise complaint and bounce rates.
- Misleading subject lines: the FTC’s CAN-SPAM guide requires the subject line to reflect the content of the message.
- Slow or hidden unsubscribes: Yahoo expects unsubscribes to be honored within 2 days, and CAN-SPAM allows no more than 10 business days.
- Skipping authentication: unauthenticated bulk mail risks rejection by Gmail and Yahoo.
- Mixing marketing into service emails: receipts and password resets have a different purpose; see this guide to transactional emails and their best practices.
For ideas on format and tone, these business newsletter examples show how different brands structure regular emails, and this overview of email marketing strategies to try covers the next steps once a campaign is running.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important email marketing tip for beginners?
The most important email marketing tip for beginners is to email only people who have agreed to hear from you. Permission protects you legally under rules such as UK PECR and keeps spam complaints low, which Gmail and Yahoo watch when deciding whether your emails reach the inbox.
Can I buy an email list for marketing?
Buying an email list is a poor idea for most businesses. The UK ICO says the soft opt-in does not apply to third-party lists, so marketing to bought contacts in the UK needs prior consent, and purchased addresses usually produce more bounces and spam complaints.
How fast must I process unsubscribe requests?
Under the US CAN-SPAM Act, opt-out requests must be honored within 10 business days, according to the FTC. Yahoo’s bulk sender guidance asks for unsubscribes to be honored within 2 days, so processing them immediately is the safest approach.
What is the best time to send a marketing email?
The best time to send a marketing email is the time your own subscribers usually open and click, which varies by audience. Check your campaign reports, test different days and hours with small batches, and consider send-time optimization if your email platform offers it.
Do small senders need SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
Gmail’s strictest rules apply to senders of 5,000 or more messages a day, but authenticating your domain with SPF and DKIM helps any sender’s deliverability. Setting up DMARC early also means you will not need to change your setup if your list grows.
