By Phil Gee · AI Academy, Southport
I know what you are thinking. "Email marketing? Is that not a bit 2012?"
No. It is not. Email is still the single most effective way to stay in touch with your customers, nurture leads, and get repeat business. The problem is that most small business owners either do not do it at all — or they send emails that are so boring nobody reads them.
AI fixes both problems.
Why Email Still Matters
Social media platforms change their rules constantly. You do not own your followers — the platform does. One algorithm change and your reach drops overnight.
But your email list? That is yours. Nobody can take it away. And when you send an email, it lands directly in someone's inbox. No algorithm deciding whether to show it.
Writing Emails People Actually Read
The biggest barrier is writing. Staring at a blank email, wondering what to say, and eventually giving up. AI removes that barrier completely.
Try this: "Write a short, friendly email to my customer list. I run a [your business] in [your area]. The email should share one useful tip related to [your service] and end with a soft invitation to get in touch if they need help. Keep it under 150 words. Make it sound like a conversation, not a newsletter."
You will get a solid draft in seconds. Tweak it, add a personal touch, and send it.
Subject Lines That Get Opened
If your subject line is boring, nobody opens the email. It does not matter how good the content is.
Ask AI: "Give me 10 subject line options for this email. Make them curious, not clickbait. Keep them under 50 characters."
Pick the one that feels right. Test different styles over time and see what your list responds to.
Building a Sequence
The real power of email marketing is sequences — a series of emails that go out automatically when someone joins your list. Welcome email on day one. A useful tip on day three. A customer story on day seven. An invitation to book on day fourteen.
Writing a sequence manually takes hours. With AI, you can draft an entire 7-email welcome sequence in one go:
"Write a 7-email welcome sequence for new subscribers to my [your business]. Email 1: welcome and what to expect. Email 2: a useful tip. Email 3: how I helped a customer. Email 4: common mistake people make. Email 5: behind the scenes of my business. Email 6: answers to common questions. Email 7: invitation to book a call. Keep each email under 200 words. Friendly tone."
You will have a month's worth of automated emails in five minutes.
The Rule
Same as social media. AI writes the draft. You make it yours. Every email should sound like it came from you, not from a robot.
Send one email a week. That is 52 touchpoints a year with every person on your list. Over time, that compounds. When they need what you offer, you will be the first person they think of.