“I know I should email my list, but I don’t want to sound spammy.”

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had this conversation with fellow business owners.

A lot of business owners put off sending emails because they’re worried about annoying their mailing list.

I used to feel the exact same way. I thought every email I wrote made me sound like I was bragging. Even when I was genuinely trying to be helpful, it felt awkward and a bit… icky.

The “less is more” approach seemed far more sensible. “Let’s just show up when we have something to say.” I thought.

But here’s the thing- email marketing is about building relationships and trust. If you only pop up out of the blue when you’re launching something or trying to sell, that’s when it starts to feel spammy. 

Showing up consistently builds trust, familiarity, and connection. Your subscribers signed up to hear from you, so don’t leave them hanging.

If you’re stuck in the endless pit of overthinking, mouse hovering over the send button, here are five simple tips to help you send emails that actually get read.

1. Be a human

This might sound obvious, but it’s worth repeating: your subscribers are real people, and they want to hear from you, not a robot. 

Don’t be afraid to inject a little of your personality into your emails. Share a quick story. Talk like you would in real life. Ask them a question and invite them to reply.

Think less corporate update, more chat over coffee.

2. Offer value

Nobody wants to open an email that’s just there to sell. But everyone loves a juicy tip, a helpful insight, or a story that makes them nod and smile.

Whether it's a behind-the-scenes peek, a quick win they can implement right away, or just something fun, give your readers a reason to keep opening. 

You could even leave them hanging with a teaser for what they’ll be getting next time.

3. Give more than you take

Here’s a good rule of thumb: for every one sales-focused email, send three that purely offer value or nurture your relationship with your audience.

You’ll build trust, stay top of mind, and see way better results when you do have something to promote. 

Win-win.

4. Consistency > volume

You don’t need to send daily emails to stay relevant. What’s more important is choosing a frequency that works for you and sticking with it.

If your list knows they’ll hear from you every Tuesday, they’ll start to look out for you. 

Predictability creates trust.

5. Start segmenting

Not everyone on your list needs to hear the same thing. 

Segmenting is the term used for splitting your subscribers into smaller groups based on what you know about them, whether that’s their interests, goals, or how they found you.

This allows you to tailor your messages accordingly.

Advertising an in person event? Send only to local sign ups.

The result? More relevant emails. Higher open rates. Happier readers.

You can’t avoid annoying your mailing list completely.

A word of a caveat here- you will always get unsubscribes.

No matter what you send, how non-spammy you are or how inspirational your stories may be, there will always be someone who’s not interested in hearing from you.

And that’s okay. In fact, it’s good! 

Not every person will be the right fit for your business and a smaller, more engaged email list is actually better than email reams of people who never click open.

You don’t need to do it all yourself.

If you’ve been meaning to get regular newsletters out but it keeps slipping down the to-do list, I’ve got you. 

My done-for-you newsletter service is here to take the stress off your plate while keeping your brand voice front and centre.

You’ll be getting non-spammy, non-annoying emails, designed not to annoy your mailing list!

Ready to start showing up in inboxes consistently (without sounding spammy)?

Let’s chat about how I can help!