Short answer
- Start by collecting emails with permission at every point of contact: bookings, checkout, your website and Wi-Fi sign-in.
- Send a few useful campaigns well rather than a weekly newsletter nobody reads: seasonal offers, reminders and news that affects customers.
- Follow the CAN-SPAM basics: honest sender and subject, your physical address, and an unsubscribe link you honor.
Why email still matters for local businesses
Social media reach depends on the platform. Ads stop when you stop paying. Your email list is different: it's a direct line to people who already know you, and you keep it if you switch tools. For a local business, most email value comes from repeat customers, not strangers, which is exactly where many small businesses leave money on the table.
Build your list the right way
A small list of people who chose to hear from you beats a big list you bought. Bought lists hurt deliverability and break the trust you need.
| Where | How to ask |
|---|---|
| Booking or checkout | A clear, unticked checkbox: "Email me offers and reminders" |
| Website | A short form with a reason to join: first-visit offer, seasonal checklist, menu updates |
| In person | A QR code at the counter linking to the sign-up form |
| After a job | "Can I email you a reminder when your next service is due?" |
Tell people what they'll get and how often. "One email a month with offers, never shared" sets expectations and reduces unsubscribes later.
Six email campaigns worth sending
- Welcome. Thank people for joining, say what to expect, and give the offer you promised.
- Seasonal or timely. A landscaper's spring checklist, a restaurant's holiday hours, a tax deadline reminder from a bookkeeper.
- Slow-period offer. A reason to visit in your quiet weeks, sent only to past customers.
- Reminder. "It's been six months since your last service." This is often the highest-value email a service business sends.
- Review request. A short thank-you with your direct review link, sent shortly after a good experience. Don't offer rewards for reviews; Google doesn't allow incentivized reviews.
- News that matters. A new location, new hours, a new service. Skip "news" that only matters to you.
Several of these work best as automations that send themselves at the right moment. I cover that in Email automation best practices.
How often to send
There's no universal right number. Send when you have something useful to say, and be consistent enough that people remember who you are. For many local businesses, one or two campaigns a month plus a few automated emails is a sustainable start. If your unsubscribe rate jumps after you increase frequency, you've found your limit.
Writing emails people open
- Subject line: say what's inside. "Spring lawn checklist + 10% off aeration" beats "Our April newsletter".
- From name: use your business name or "Name at Business". People open emails from names they recognize.
- One main message: one offer or one piece of news, one button.
- Short and scannable: most people read on a phone. Short paragraphs, a clear button, real photos.
- Sound like you: write the way you'd talk to a regular customer at the counter.
CAN-SPAM basics
In the US, commercial email is covered by the CAN-SPAM Act. The FTC's compliance guide lists the requirements, including:
- Don't use false or misleading header information or deceptive subject lines
- Identify the message as an ad where required
- Include your valid physical postal address
- Tell recipients how to opt out, and honor opt-out requests promptly
- You stay responsible even if someone else sends email on your behalf
If you send large volumes to Gmail addresses, Google's email sender guidelines also require email authentication and easy unsubscribing. Most email platforms handle much of this for you once your domain is set up correctly.
What to measure
| Metric | What it tells you | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Bookings, orders or calls | Whether email brings in money | The only number that really matters; use a unique code or link |
| Click rate | Whether the content and offer interested people | Compare against your own past emails |
| Unsubscribes | Whether you're sending too often or the wrong things | A small number is normal and healthy |
| Open rate | A rough sense of subject line interest | Privacy features in some email apps make opens unreliable |
If you'd like this done for you, my Email & SMS marketing plan ($149/month) sets up the automations, sends two email campaigns and one SMS campaign a month to opted-in contacts, and reports what each one brought in.