The Scrappy Founder’s Guide to Email Nurturing

Proven Tactics and Best Practices (i.e. the basic stuff that really works)

Hey there, marketers and growth enthusiasts. If you're just starting out with email nurturing, I get it, it can be a bit overwhelming. Yet learning how to do it may be the only option for many founders out there, who don’t have the budget to hire someone who actually knows what they’re doing. I’ve been one of those in the past. There’s plenty of great content on the topic, but it’s easy to feel swamped by advice, torn between conflicting strategies, and stressed by the pressure to “get it right.” So in this article we’re going back to the basics, the non-fancy stuff that works, and hopefully what I learned along the way can help you out. I’ll also link some material for those who want to go a bit deeper.

Why Email Nurturing?

Before we jump into the tactics, let’s get on the same page. What exactly is email nurturing, and why does it matter? In essence, it’s the process of building relationships with your prospects over time. You’re not just shooting off random emails and hoping something sticks. You’re crafting a journey that helps your leads understand your product, see its value, and feel confident enough to make a move when they’re ready. (More in this article by HubSpot )

1. Segment Your Audience—It’s Worth the Effort

This is where many beginners stumble, but trust me, segmentation is your best friend. Start by breaking your audience into manageable groups based on criteria like:

• Demographics: Think age, location, or job title.
• Behavior: What content have they engaged with? Have they clicked on a blog post, watched a demo, or downloaded a guide?
• Engagement Level: Separate the frequent openers from those who need a bit more coaxing. The savvy users that use all the features, versus the challenging ones who barely use the home screen. For this you need to have product analytics in place, and we’ll discuss that in one of the next articles.

By doing this, you’ll avoid sending one-size-fits-all emails that don’t resonate. Instead, you’ll create personalized experiences that make your readers think, “Hey, this is just what I needed!”. Here is a guide by Zendesk covering more about segmentation

2. Personalize Your Emails—Be Human

Remember how annoying those impersonal, bland emails sound? Don’t make that mistake with your own campaigns. Personalization goes beyond using someone’s first name; it’s about making the content relevant to them. Here’s how:

• Address pain points based on previous interactions: If someone downloaded an eBook on SaaS growth, follow up with content that expands on that topic.

Show empathy: Let your prospects know you understand their challenges. A simple “We’ve been there too” can make your emails relatable and engaging. (Some more tips on personalization from Emma's blog)

3. Content That Adds Value

Don’t overload your emails with sales pitches—focus on providing genuine value. Your leads are trying to solve problems (probably ONE, very specific problem), so make sure your content talks about that. Share:

• How-to Guides and Resources: Help your audience become better at what they do with practical advice.
• Success Stories and Case Studies: Everyone loves to see how others overcame the same struggles they’re facing.
• Limited Offers: Add some exclusivity to your emails with early access or special discounts. It’s a classic move, but when done right, it works. Intuit Mailchimp talks about it here.

4. Don’t Be ‘That Person’—Find the Right Frequency

Here’s a pro tip from someone who learned the hard way: more emails don’t mean better results. Find a cadence that keeps your brand top of mind without annoying your audience. A good rule of thumb for nurturing campaigns is to send emails every few days or weekly, depending on how warm your leads are. And I can’t stress this enough: use automation tools to set up workflows that trigger messages based on user actions.

5. Embrace Automation and Behavioral Triggers

Automation is a game changer. Picture this: someone signs up for your newsletter, and within minutes, they get a welcome email containing a selection of links to previous issues dealing precisely with topic they’re interested in, or guides and tutorials about a problem they are actually trying to solve (based on the behavior you observed). Since you’re already there, make sure to inform the user that solving the problem with your product is faster/cheaper/easier/something than using your competitors' solutions.

Automation tools make this magic happen and can guide users through the next stages with:

• Welcome Series: First impressions matter. Make your new subscribers feel seen and appreciated with a friendly intro sequence.
• Re-Engagement Emails: When someone goes cold, don’t just write them off. Send them a “We Miss You” email or offer a piece of content they haven’t seen yet.
• Follow-Up After Content Engagement: If someone reads an article or downloads a guide, follow up with a related piece or an invitation to chat.

6. Guide, Don’t Push

A mistake I see often is jumping straight to the sale after just a couple of nurturing emails. It’s like asking someone to marry you on the second date—too much, too soon. Instead, use a more subtle approach. Your CTAs should feel like the logical next step, not a leap.

For instance, after sharing a how-to guide, your CTA could be, “Want to learn more? Check out our comprehensive course.”

7. Make Use of Your Knowledge Base

As you build out your nurturing campaigns, remember that your knowledge base or help center is an excellent resource. Don’t hesitate to link to it in your emails when it makes sense. A well-placed link to an FAQ or article can empower your leads to help themselves, fostering a sense of independence and trust.

8. Measure, Analyze, Improve

You’ll only get better by learning from what works—and what doesn’t. Keep an eye on metrics like:

• Open Rates: Are your subject lines engaging?
• Click-Through Rates (CTR): Are readers interacting with your content?
• Conversions: Are your emails driving the action you intended?
• Unsubscribe Rates: A spike here could mean you’re over-communicating or missing the mark on value.

Don’t get discouraged if your metrics aren’t stellar right out of the gate. Testing different formats, subject lines, and CTAs is part of the process. Keep iterating. Mailchimp says it well.

Wrapping It Up: Your Path to Success

If I could go back and give my younger self some advice, it would be this: keep it simple, stay genuine, and always think from your reader’s point of view. Email nurturing is about building a relationship over time, so treat your leads with the same care you would if they were sitting right across from you.

Start small, learn as you go, and before you know it, email nurturing will be a core aspect of your acquisition strategy.

You’ve got this.