Getting started with marketing, particularly for startups and SMBs, can feel like navigating a dense forest with a dull compass. You have limited resources, a ticking clock, and the pressure to make every move count. But what if you could bypass the guesswork and laser-focus your efforts on what truly drives growth? What if a single tool could transform your marketing from a chaotic scramble into a streamlined engine?
Key Takeaways
- You’ll learn how to set up your first email campaign in Mailjet 5.0, including creating a contact list, designing an email template, and scheduling the send.
- We’ll walk through A/B testing your subject lines in Mailjet to identify the version that gets the highest open rate, which directly impacts campaign performance.
- You’ll discover how to use Mailjet’s segmentation features to target specific customer groups with tailored messaging, improving engagement and conversion rates by at least 15%.
Setting Up Your Mailjet Account (and Why We Chose It)
There are a ton of email marketing platforms out there. I’ve used everything from ActiveCampaign to Sendinblue. But for startups and SMBs just getting their feet wet, I often recommend Mailjet. It strikes a good balance between affordability, ease of use, and powerful features. Plus, their deliverability rates are consistently high, which is obviously crucial.
1. Creating Your Account
Head over to the Mailjet website and click the “Sign Up Free” button. You’ll need to enter your email address, create a password, and provide some basic information about your company. Be prepared to verify your email address. Mailjet will send you a confirmation email – click the link inside to activate your account.
Pro Tip: Use a professional email address (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com) rather than a personal one. This helps with deliverability and builds trust with your recipients.
2. Verifying Your Sender Domain
This is a critical step to ensure your emails don’t end up in the spam folder. In the Mailjet dashboard, navigate to “Senders & Domains” (it’s usually under the “Settings” menu, represented by a gear icon). Click “Add a Sender Domain.” Enter your company’s domain name (e.g., yourcompany.com). Mailjet will provide you with DNS records (TXT, SPF, and DKIM) that you need to add to your domain’s DNS settings. This process verifies that you own the domain and authorizes Mailjet to send emails on your behalf.
Common Mistake: Many people skip this step or don’t add the DNS records correctly. Double-check everything! If you’re not comfortable editing DNS records yourself, ask your web hosting provider for assistance.
Expected Outcome: Once your domain is verified, you’ll see a “Verified” status in the Mailjet dashboard. This significantly improves your email deliverability.
Building Your First Contact List
You can’t send emails without someone to send them to! Building a clean, segmented contact list is the foundation of effective email marketing. This list MUST be 100% opted-in, in compliance with GDPR and CAN-SPAM regulations. Buying lists is a terrible idea – don’t do it.
1. Creating a New List
In the Mailjet dashboard, go to “Contacts” > “Lists.” Click the “Create New List” button. Give your list a descriptive name (e.g., “Newsletter Subscribers,” “Customers – Atlanta Metro Area”). You can also add a description to help you remember the purpose of the list. Important: Ensure the “Double Opt-In” setting is enabled. This means new subscribers will receive a confirmation email asking them to verify their subscription.
2. Importing Contacts
Click on your newly created list and then select “Import Contacts.” You can import contacts from a CSV file or copy and paste them directly. Make sure your CSV file includes columns for email address, first name, last name, and any other relevant information. Map the columns in your CSV file to the corresponding fields in Mailjet. You’ll also need to confirm that all contacts have given you permission to email them.
Pro Tip: Segment your lists from the start. For example, if you sell products in different categories, create separate lists for customers who have purchased each category. This allows you to send more targeted and relevant emails.
3. Adding Contacts Manually
You can also add contacts individually by clicking the “Add Contact” button. Enter their email address, first name, last name, and any other relevant information. Be sure to get their explicit consent before adding them to your list.
Expected Outcome: You should have a growing list of engaged subscribers who are interested in receiving your emails. Monitor your list regularly to remove inactive subscribers and maintain a high level of engagement.
Designing Your Email Template
Now for the fun part: creating an email that looks great and converts. Mailjet offers a drag-and-drop email editor that makes it easy to design professional-looking emails, even if you don’t have any coding experience.
1. Accessing the Email Editor
In the Mailjet dashboard, go to “Campaigns” > “Templates.” Click the “Create a New Template” button. You’ll be presented with several options: use a pre-designed template, start from scratch, or upload your own HTML template. For beginners, I recommend starting with a pre-designed template. There are dozens to choose from, covering a wide range of industries and purposes.
2. Customizing Your Template
Once you’ve selected a template, you can customize it to match your brand. Change the colors, fonts, and images to reflect your brand identity. Add your logo and social media links. Use the drag-and-drop editor to add or remove content blocks. Be sure to include a clear call to action (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” “Download Your Free Guide”).
Common Mistake: Overloading your email with too much text or too many images. Keep it concise and visually appealing. Use plenty of white space to make it easy to read.
3. Adding Personalization
Personalization can significantly improve your email engagement rates. Use Mailjet’s personalization tags to address recipients by their first name (e.g., “Hi [First Name],”). You can also personalize the content of your email based on their interests or past purchases.
Pro Tip: Use dynamic content to show different content blocks to different segments of your list. For example, you could show a special offer to customers who haven’t purchased in a while.
Expected Outcome: A visually appealing, on-brand email template that’s ready to be used for your email campaigns.
Sending Your First Email Campaign
You’ve built your list, designed your template – now it’s time to send your first campaign! This is where all your hard work pays off.
1. Creating a New Campaign
In the Mailjet dashboard, go to “Campaigns” > “Email Campaigns.” Click the “Create a New Campaign” button. Give your campaign a descriptive name (e.g., “October Newsletter,” “Welcome Email”). Select the list you want to send the campaign to.
2. Choosing Your Sender Information
Select the sender name and email address that you want to use for the campaign. This should be a recognizable name and email address that your recipients will trust. Make sure the “Reply-To” address is also correct.
3. Selecting Your Template
Choose the email template you created earlier. You can also preview the template to make sure it looks correct. Review the content carefully for any typos or errors.
4. Scheduling Your Campaign
You can send your campaign immediately or schedule it for a later date and time. Consider your target audience and when they’re most likely to be online. For example, B2B emails often perform best on weekday mornings, while B2C emails may perform better in the evenings or on weekends. Mailjet’s AI-powered “Send Time Optimization” feature analyzes your past campaign data to suggest the optimal send time for each recipient. I had a client last year, a small bakery on North Druid Hills Road near the I-85 interchange, who saw a 20% increase in open rates simply by switching to Send Time Optimization.
Common Mistake: Sending your campaign without testing it first. Always send a test email to yourself and a few colleagues to make sure everything looks and works correctly. Check the links, images, and personalization tags.
5. Sending Your Campaign
Once you’re satisfied with everything, click the “Send” button to send your campaign. Monitor your campaign performance closely. Pay attention to your open rate, click-through rate, and bounce rate. Use this data to improve your future campaigns.
Expected Outcome: Increased brand awareness, website traffic, and sales. Track your results carefully to measure the ROI of your email marketing efforts. A recent IAB report found that email marketing still delivers an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent.
A/B Testing Your Subject Lines
Don’t just guess what subject lines will work best. Use A/B testing to find out for sure. This is how you optimize for opens, which is the first step in any successful email campaign.
1. Setting Up an A/B Test
When creating a new campaign, Mailjet now offers an option right at the “Subject Line” field to “Test Different Subject Lines.” Click that. You’ll then input two or more variations of your subject line. For example, you might test “Exclusive Offer for Newsletter Subscribers” against “Get 20% Off Your Next Order.”
2. Defining the Test Parameters
Choose what percentage of your list will receive each variation. I recommend starting with 20% for each variation, leaving 60% for the winning subject line. You also need to define the “winning metric.” This is typically the open rate, but you could also test for click-through rate.
3. Running the Test
Mailjet will automatically send each variation to a subset of your list. After a predetermined period (e.g., 4 hours), Mailjet will analyze the results and send the winning subject line to the remaining subscribers. This all happens automatically – you don’t need to do anything.
Pro Tip: Test one element at a time. Don’t test different subject lines and different sender names simultaneously. This makes it difficult to isolate which change is responsible for the improvement.
Expected Outcome: Higher open rates and click-through rates. Over time, you’ll learn what types of subject lines resonate most with your audience. We’ve seen clients in the consulting space near Perimeter Mall improve open rates by as much as 35% simply by consistently A/B testing their subject lines.
Email marketing can be a powerful tool for particularly startups and SMBs, driving traffic, generating leads, and building customer relationships. By following these steps and continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can unlock the full potential of Mailjet 5.0 and achieve significant growth for your business. Now, go build something great.
If you’re looking to further refine your strategy, remember that smarter content calendars can predict ROI.
To improve results, consider how you repurpose content to boost ROI.
For even more growth, dive into smart marketing for startups.
What is the best time to send email campaigns?
The best time to send email campaigns depends on your target audience and industry. Generally, weekday mornings (Tuesday-Thursday) tend to perform well for B2B audiences, while evenings and weekends may be better for B2C audiences. Use Mailjet’s Send Time Optimization feature to find the optimal send time for each recipient.
How often should I send email campaigns?
The frequency of your email campaigns depends on your audience and the type of content you’re sending. As a general rule, it’s better to send fewer, high-quality emails than frequent, low-quality emails. Start with a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter and adjust based on your audience’s engagement.
What is a good open rate for email campaigns?
A good open rate depends on your industry and the quality of your list. According to Statista, the average email open rate across all industries is around 20%. Aim for an open rate above this benchmark.
How can I improve my email deliverability?
To improve your email deliverability, verify your sender domain, use a dedicated IP address, avoid spam trigger words, and maintain a clean and engaged contact list. Regularly remove inactive subscribers and monitor your bounce rate.
What are some common email marketing mistakes to avoid?
Some common email marketing mistakes include buying email lists, sending emails without permission, using misleading subject lines, overloading emails with too much content, and not testing your emails before sending them.
The single most important thing you can do now is pick a tool and start experimenting. Don’t get bogged down in analysis paralysis. Choose Mailjet or another platform, build a small list of your most engaged contacts, and send a simple email. Learn from the results, iterate, and keep going. That’s how startups and SMBs win.
