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It's a shiny new year, and many business owners are re-committing to their business and marketing action plans. I love seeing this enthusiasm, especially when people say, "This is the year I will master my email marketing!" or "This is the year I will be consistent with sending emails."

But here's the thing: too often, that intention fades away. It could be due to mindset struggles or simply finding it too hard to get started.

If you've been struggling with how to stay on track with your email marketing goals, this blog is for you. Let's build a practical email marketing action plan that will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the year!

Why Email Marketing Is Worth the Effort

Before you dive into your email marketing action plan, it's crucial to understand why email marketing is so important. If you’re not clear on this, it’s easy to keep pushing it off for something that feels more urgent or exciting.

Here’s the thing: numbers like “$44 return on investment for every dollar spent on email marketing” or “emails get 30 times the reach of Instagram” sound great, but they don’t mean much unless you understand how they will impact your business and your life.

Think about how growing your email list can:

• Increase your revenue and help you reach your financial goals.
• Give you the flexibility to schedule automated emails, so you don’t have to be glued to your computer every day.
• Allow you to take those unexpected days off (like attending your child’s award ceremony) because your email system is running in the background.

When you can see these practical benefits, email marketing starts to feel more like a priority.

Knowing What to Do: Getting Specific

One of the biggest hurdles in email marketing is not knowing what to do next. Saying “I want to grow my email list” is vague and can easily turn into overwhelm. Instead, break it down into clear, actionable steps.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Starting from Scratch? Listen to podcast episode 37, where I go over the basics of starting email marketing.
2. Need a Fresh Start? If you’ve been neglecting your list for a while, podcast episode 8 covers my re-engagement process.
3. Already Have a List? Check out podcast episode 58 for my five-email experiences framework, which can help you identify gaps in your current system and therefore improve your email marketing action plan.
4. Check Your Numbers: If you're an Email Experience student, take a look at your Email Marketing Report Card. It helps you see what’s working and what needs improvement, like checking if your lead page conversions are up to par.

The key takeaway here is: Don’t try to do everything at once. Identify your next two or three steps, then dive into the back catalogue of podcast episodes for more guidance.

Making Time for Email Marketing

Here’s the harsh truth: if you don’t make time for email marketing, it won’t happen. But planning for time isn’t just about saying “I’ll do it later.” It’s about blocking out specific time in your calendar to work on it.

You need two types of time:

1. Regular Email Writing: For weekly emails, set aside a time each week to write your email. My top tip? Habit stack your email writing with something you already do regularly, like social media posting. This will help you create a consistent habit.
2. Bigger Tasks: For bigger projects like setting up email automations or writing a welcome series, block out time during your ideal week. Protect this time as your “CEO day” or project day. If you try to squeeze it in between client calls, it won’t get done!

Protecting Your Time

• Set Boundaries: Don’t let clients or customers take over your schedule. Block out time in advance for email marketing, and treat it like any other important meeting.
• Be Realistic: Don’t plan everything for the first quarter. Spread out the work throughout the year, and make sure you’ve protected time for your key projects.
• Don’t Leave It to Friday: No one does their best work on a Friday afternoon. Use your energy earlier in the week for high-priority tasks.

You’ve got the tools and practical steps…

Now it’s time to put them into action. When you understand why email marketing matters, plan your strategy, and make time for it in your schedule, you’ll not only achieve your email marketing goals but also enjoy the ripple effects it creates for your business and personal life.

Ready to take the first step? Get started with email marketing today!

Grab this FREE course, and you’ll have all the guidance you need. With almost 2 hours of video training broken into bite-sized chunks, you’ll:

• Discover what email marketing truly is (Hint: It’s not just newsletters).
• Learn the 8 essential steps to implement your email marketing strategy.
• Get your burning questions answered with our ever-expanding FAQs, like “When’s the best time to send an email?” and “How do I know if I’m doing any good?”

📩 Access it now at yaelkeon.com/start—completely free!