Stop Making these 5 Email Marketing Mistakes

You will not have the business you want to have until you do email marketing.

Harsh? Maybe.

But after coaching dozens of business owners and reviewing hundreds of businesses, I’ll say it again:

If you don’t build an email list, you’re kneecapping your own growth.

But also: just doing email isn’t enough.

There are five mistakes I see over and over again.

Patterns that keep people stuck, wondering why their list isn’t growing, converting, or even opening their stuff.

Here they are:

1. You’re not emailing. Or not emailing enough.

If someone joins your list and doesn’t hear from you for weeks… you’re toast.

They forgot who you are, why they signed up, and they’re probably not opening the next one.

Most people don’t buy the first time they visit your site.

If you’re not emailing consistently, you’re just hoping they come back on their own.

Spoiler: they won’t.

> Minimum is weekly. Daily is even better. And make sure to set up at least one automated Welcome Email.

If you’re not willing to show up, why should they?

2. Every email is just: “Buy this.”

If your emails feel like walking into a used car lot, people are gonna walk right back out.

You need to give value before you ask for the sale. Teach them something. Tell a quick story. Share a win. Be useful. Be interesting. Be entertaining. Build the relationship.

Then make the offer.

> Don’t be the person who only texts when they want something.

3. You’re sending from a free Gmail (or worse, Yahoo).

No.

No no no.

If you’re sending emails from [email protected], stop reading and go fix it.

Right now.

You cannot set up the right technical records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) from a free email.

And if you don’t have those? Gmail and Outlook send your messages to spam or don’t deliver them at all.

> You’re working hard to build a list. Don’t blow it because you didn’t want to spend $7 a month on a custom email from Google.

4. There’s no clear next step.

People hit your website, scroll your Instagram, check your link in bio—and... then what?

If you're not directing people to a specific opt-in with a specific CTA, you're wasting traffic.

Most websites are digital wandering zones.

People poke around and then bounce.

> Every piece of content you publish should exist to grow your list. Period.

5. You’re not speaking to one person.

You are (probably) not your ideal customer.

When your copy is vague, broad, and trying to please everyone, it connects with no one.

You need to know your audience’s actual language, pain points, and what they want, not what you think they need.

> Get clear on who you're talking to. Write to them like a real person. And make sure your lead magnet attracts that person—not just freebie collectors.

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Clean these up and email becomes what it’s supposed to be:

A simple, scalable way to grow your audience and business without begging the algorithm gods for scraps.

You don’t need a funnel map that looks like a bowl of spaghetti.

You just need to stop making these mistakes and start sending better emails.

Ready?

Hit send.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

HOW I AI’D THIS WEEK

Last week on a coaching call, I worked with someone who runs a used auto parts shop.

She also buys junker cars from people. In fact, she gets up to 10 inquiries a day from folks trying to offload their used vehicles.

But she saw those people as one-offs. Because for here, they were.

I showed her how that traffic is a list-building machine.

We simplified the form on her site to collect emails upfront so every inquiry becomes a newsletter subscriber.

These are people who:

• Owned a car

• Probably just bought or are about to buy another car

• Live locally

Which means: she can send a simple weekly email with 3 helpful links—stuff like car maintenance tips, used car buying guides, or local service deals—and monetize it.

She doesn’t have to write a word.
ChatGPT finds the links.
She pastes them in.
Done in 15 minutes a week.

At 10 emails a day, that’s 3,600 new subscribers a year.

Now she has a media asset, a lead gen funnel, and a potential six-figure side stream.

All from people she was ignoring.

That’s the power of email.

STEAL THIS PROMPT

Five Writing Prompts That Aren’t Garbage

HOW THEY AI

He’s turning his newsletter into an AI-read Podcast

CHECK THIS OUT

I went down the rabbit-hole of AI-powered time management apps this week.

I needed something to pull in emails and to dos from multiple Gmail and Slack accounts, and then help me timeblock those tasks.

Nothing quite does everything I was hoping, but Akiflow looks like it does most of it. Use that link and get $25 in credits when you sign up.

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help

I build personalized AI Email Engines that turn your own words and stories into ready‑to‑send drafts in seconds so you can hit Send on time and on brand.

Book a free 20‑minute Fit Call

I take only a few clients at a time. Even if we’re not a match, you’ll leave the call with some quick wins you can use immediately.