I got an email last week that made me laugh. It was from a coach I do not know, and it started with: "I know you are probably busy, so I will keep this short."
Then proceeded to write 1,200 words about themselves.
This is the state of email marketing in 2026. People have forgotten what email is actually for.
Email is not a broadcast channel. It is not a magazine. It is not a place to talk about yourself. Email is a conversation. And if you are sending emails that read like advertisements, you are doing it wrong.
I have been doing email marketing for over 20 years. I have sent thousands of emails. Some of them were terrible. Most of my early emails were essentially: "Here is what I am selling. Buy it." And they did not work.
Here is what I learned the hard way: the best email marketing feels like a letter from a friend, not a brochure from a company.
The Number One Email Marketing Mistake
If I had to point to the single biggest mistake coaches and online business owners make with email, it is this: they email too often about what they want to sell, and not often enough about what their reader wants to hear.
Your list is not a captive audience waiting to hear about your latest offer. They are busy people who gave you their email address because you promised them something valuable — and they expect you to deliver on that promise.
Every single email you send should provide value first. Teach something. Share an insight. Make them think. Make them feel like they got something out of reading your email, regardless of whether they buy anything.
When you do this consistently, people actually open your emails. They look forward to them. And when you do eventually make an offer, they trust you enough to consider it.
The Relationship First Principle
I have a rule in my business: every email I send must either entertain, educate, or inspire — before I ever ask for anything.
The "ask" can come later. It can come after you have delivered value multiple times. It can come after the relationship is established.
What I see too many people do is: they build a list, and within three emails they are pitching their offer. No context. No relationship. Just: "Buy my stuff."
This is why people mark emails as spam. Not because you emailed too often — though you might be doing that too — but because the emails feel extractive. They feel one-sided. They feel like you only want their money.
When you genuinely care about your reader is experience, they can tell. And they respond accordingly.
Subject Lines Matter More Than Your Email Body
Let me be direct: if your subject line does not get opened, nothing else matters.
Most people write subject lines that describe the email: "Newsletter Issue #47" or "My Latest Course Update." These are boring and get ignored.
The subject lines that get opened are the ones that either: a) make a specific promise, b) create curiosity, or c) trigger an emotional response.
My best subject lines are usually questions that make the reader think: "Are you making this mistake in your business?" or direct statements: "The one thing your sales page is missing."
Keep them under 50 characters when possible. Test constantly. What works changes over time, so keep your testing ongoing.
The Frequency Question: How Often Should You Email?
The research on this is clear: under-emailing is almost never the problem. Over-emailing is the problem.
If you are worried about emailing too much, the answer is usually to send better emails, not fewer emails. If your emails are genuinely valuable, people will not mind getting them more often.
But if your emails are mostly promotional, even one a month can feel like too many.
My recommendation: start with once a week. Make that email incredibly valuable. Once you have mastered that rhythm, consider adding a second touchpoint — but only if you can maintain the same quality bar.
Quality beats frequency every time. Getting people to pay you online starts with a relationship of trust, and that trust is built through consistent, valuable communication.
Segmentation and Personalization
One of the most underused tactics in email marketing is segmentation. Your list is not a monolithic group of identical people. They are at different stages, with different needs, different pain points, and different goals.
Sending the same email to your entire list is the email marketing equivalent of giving aTED Talk on quantum physics to a room full of kindergarteners. The content is not wrong — it is just not for them.
Segment your list by where they are in the customer journey: new subscribers get onboarding content. Warm leads get educational content that moves them toward a purchase decision. Existing clients get content that deepens the relationship and sets up future offers.
The more targeted your emails, the higher your open rates, click rates, and conversion rates will be.
The Give-First Structure That Converts
Here is the email structure I teach my coaching clients:
1. Hook in the first line: One sentence that makes them keep reading.
2. Deliver value: Teach something, share a story, make a strong point. This is 80 percent of your email.
3. Soft transition: "By the way, I put together something that might help you with this..."
4. Clear, low-friction call to action: One link. One action. Do not give them 10 options.
This structure respects the reader is time while still creating opportunities to sell. And because you have already delivered value, the ask does not feel pushy.
The Ultimate Test: Would You Open This Email?
Before you send any email, ask yourself: "If this landed in my own inbox, would I open it? Would I read the whole thing? Would I click the link?"
Be honest. If you are sending emails you would not want to receive yourself, your subscribers probably feel the same way. They just might not tell you — they will just stop opening your emails.
Or worse: they will mark you as spam, which tanks your deliverability for everyone on your list.
Treat your subscribers time and attention with the same respect you would want if the roles were reversed. That is the whole game.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I email my list?
Once a week is a safe minimum for most businesses. Under-emailing is almost never the problem — over-emailing with low-value content is. Quality beats frequency. If your emails are genuinely valuable, people will welcome more of them.
What if people unsubscribe when I email them?
Unsubscribe requests are not a sign you did something wrong — they are a natural part of building an email list. People who unsubscribe were probably never going to buy from you anyway. The people who stay are your actual audience. Focus on serving them well.
How do I write subject lines that get opened?
Use curiosity, specific promises, or emotional triggers. Keep them under 50 characters when possible. Test constantly. Questions often work well: "Are you making this common mistake?"
Should I segment my email list?
Yes, if you have more than a few hundred subscribers. Segment by where people are in the customer journey: new subscribers, warm leads, existing clients. Each group gets different content tailored to their needs.
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About Jeremiah Krakowski
Jeremiah Krakowski is a coaching business mentor who helps coaches, course creators, and consultants scale from $3k/mo to $40k+/mo using direct response marketing, AI systems, and proven frameworks. He runs Wealthy Coach Academy and has 23+ years of experience in digital marketing. Learn more →