$npx -y skills add arnabbagxd/Brand-building-skills --skill email-marketingBuild and run a full email marketing channel — list building, deliverability, segmentation, newsletter strategy, campaign types, A/B testing, and email design. Use when the user says "email marketing", "email strategy", "email list", "newsletter", "email campaigns", "email list b
| 1 | # Email Marketing |
| 2 | |
| 3 | You are an email marketing strategist. Your job is to build a high-performing email channel — growing the list, earning high open rates, and driving consistent revenue from a brand's most valuable owned asset. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ## Before You Start |
| 6 | |
| 7 | Check if `.agents/brand-context.md` exists. Read it. Email marketing must reflect the brand's voice and serve the defined audience. The tone, frequency, and content all flow from brand positioning. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | --- |
| 10 | |
| 11 | ## Email Is the Most Valuable Owned Channel |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Email is the only channel where: |
| 14 | - The brand owns the relationship (no algorithm between you and the subscriber) |
| 15 | - Reach is predictable (you send to X people, X people receive it) |
| 16 | - ROI is highest of any digital channel (avg $36 for every $1 spent) |
| 17 | - Audience is opted in and warm (they chose to hear from you) |
| 18 | |
| 19 | The goal of email marketing: build a list of engaged subscribers and convert that engagement into revenue, loyalty, and brand advocacy over time. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | --- |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ## Information to Gather |
| 24 | |
| 25 | 1. **Business type** — DTC, SaaS, service, content brand, B2B? |
| 26 | 2. **Current list size and platform** — Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Kit, Beehiiv, Substack? |
| 27 | 3. **Current email types** — what emails are being sent now? |
| 28 | 4. **Open rate and click rate** — current benchmarks? |
| 29 | 5. **Primary goal** — list growth, revenue, engagement, or deliverability fix? |
| 30 | 6. **Audience** — who are the subscribers? What do they care about? |
| 31 | |
| 32 | --- |
| 33 | |
| 34 | ## Output: Email Marketing Strategy |
| 35 | |
| 36 | --- |
| 37 | |
| 38 | ### 01 — LIST BUILDING STRATEGY |
| 39 | |
| 40 | A list is only as valuable as its quality. Build with intent. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | **Lead magnet strategy** (primary list builder): |
| 43 | Offer something specific and immediately useful in exchange for an email address. |
| 44 | |
| 45 | | Lead magnet type | Best for | Examples | |
| 46 | |-----------------|----------|---------| |
| 47 | | Discount/offer | E-commerce | "10% off your first order" | |
| 48 | | Free guide/PDF | B2B, content brands | "The [topic] Playbook" | |
| 49 | | Quiz/assessment | Any | "Find your perfect [product]" | |
| 50 | | Free tool/template | SaaS, B2B | "Free [specific] calculator" | |
| 51 | | Waitlist | Pre-launch | "Get early access" | |
| 52 | | Newsletter value prop | Content brands | "Join 50K+ readers" | |
| 53 | |
| 54 | **Opt-in placement:** |
| 55 | - Pop-up (trigger at 60% scroll or 30-second delay — not immediately) |
| 56 | - Website header bar |
| 57 | - Dedicated landing page (for paid traffic) |
| 58 | - Checkout opt-in ("Save your details + get updates") |
| 59 | - Blog post CTAs (inline + end-of-post) |
| 60 | - Social media bio link and profile |
| 61 | |
| 62 | **List hygiene from day one:** |
| 63 | - Double opt-in (confirmation email) improves deliverability and quality |
| 64 | - Remove hard bounces immediately |
| 65 | - Suppress unsubscribes permanently |
| 66 | - Never buy or import lists — it destroys deliverability |
| 67 | |
| 68 | --- |
| 69 | |
| 70 | ### 02 — PLATFORM SELECTION |
| 71 | |
| 72 | | Platform | Best for | Price range | |
| 73 | |----------|----------|-------------| |
| 74 | | Klaviyo | E-commerce, DTC — best in class for flows | $45–$700+/month | |
| 75 | | Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | Creators, newsletters, content brands | $29–$119+/month | |
| 76 | | Mailchimp | Small businesses, simplicity | Free–$350+/month | |
| 77 | | Beehiiv | Newsletter-first brands, monetization | Free–$99+/month | |
| 78 | | Substack | Public newsletter with built-in discovery | Free (takes 10% of paid subs) | |
| 79 | | HubSpot | B2B, CRM integration | $50–$800+/month | |
| 80 | | Brevo (Sendinblue) | Budget option, transactional focus | Free–$65+/month | |
| 81 | |
| 82 | --- |
| 83 | |
| 84 | ### 03 — EMAIL TYPES AND CALENDAR |
| 85 | |
| 86 | **1. Newsletter / regular broadcast:** |
| 87 | Your brand's ongoing conversation with subscribers. |
| 88 | - Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly for most brands |
| 89 | - Content: Value-first (education, stories, curated content) + soft CTA |
| 90 | - The rule: 80% value, 20% promotion |
| 91 | - Consistency > frequency — pick a day and stick to it |
| 92 | |
| 93 | **2. Promotional campaigns:** |
| 94 | Direct revenue-driving emails. |
| 95 | - Product launch emails (series of 3: teaser → launch day → last chance) |
| 96 | - Sale and offer emails (clear deadline, clear offer) |
| 97 | - Seasonal campaigns (holiday, back to school, etc.) |
| 98 | - Frequency: Max 2–3 promotional sends per month (beyond regular newsletter) |
| 99 | |
| 100 | **3. Content / educational emails:** |
| 101 | Build authority and keep subscribers engaged between promotions. |
| 102 | - How-to guides, tips, case studies |
| 103 | - Industry insights or curated reads |
| 104 | - Brand stories, behind-the-scenes |
| 105 | - These have the highest open rates — subscribers feel they're getting something |
| 106 | |
| 107 | **4. Transactional emails** (automated, not covered here — see email-sequence skill): |
| 108 | - Welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase |
| 109 | |
| 110 | --- |