Don't start with a newsletter

I recently met with a contact from a travel agency. They’re an established, respected business, and they were thinking about starting an email newsletter to stay in touch with their clients.

My immediate advice was: “Don’t.”

At least not yet.

Instead, I urged them to focus on experience-related automations.

This advice isn’t just for travel agents. It’s for every service business owner who feels pressure to “do email marketing” and defaults to the most draining option: the newsletter.

We’ve all seen it. A business starts a newsletter with enthusiasm. The first few issues are great. Then one is late. Then a month gets skipped. Eventually it disappears, another casualty of the relentless content treadmill.

The problem with a traditional newsletter is that it’s a high-effort play for a lukewarm audience. You’re working hard to stay top-of-mind for people who might buy from you someday. That’s a valid long-term tactic, but it shouldn’t be the first or biggest thing you build.

Here’s the positioning shift:

• 80% of your email should be automated. This is the baseline: onboarding flows, post-purchase check-ins, lead follow-ups. The work that happens every time, without you lifting a finger.
• 20% should be timely, human updates. The space you free up for what actually matters: a seasonal update, a new offer, or a sharp take that makes people stop and think.

Get the 80% right first. Otherwise, your newsletter just adds noise.

Think: the travel agency, the accounting firm, the boutique marketing agency, the wellness studio. They’ve been around for years, have a solid client base, and know their processes inside out.

For established businesses, email isn’t about generating leads. It’s about deepening relationships, extending lifetime value, and making the client experience smoother.

Automation First. Newsletter Second (Maybe).

Your greatest asset is institutional knowledge. You know the questions clients will ask before they ask them. You know the pitfalls. You know the little tips that make an experience shine. The goal is to systematize that knowledge so it works in the background.

To make this concrete, let’s go back to the travel agency example.

You don’t have to be in travel to see the point; every service business has predictable stages in the client journey. In travel, that might look like booking a cruise. In your business, it could be onboarding a new design client, preparing someone for a wellness retreat, or walking a student through their first course module.

The details change, but the principle holds: automation makes the experience smoother while blending education, service, and subtle sales.

Confirm the booking, build excitement, and preempt problems.

Example (cruise):

• Immediately: “You’re Going on a Cruise! Here’s What to Expect.”
• 30 days out: “Your Pre-Cruise Checklist.”
• 14 days out: “3 Things Most First-Time Cruisers Don’t Know.”
• 7 days out: “Answering the Quiet Questions.”
• 2 days out: “Final Boarding Call.”

Most businesses stop with a thank-you, a feedback request, or a quick pitch. Better: use automation to help clients reacclimate.

Example (post-cruise):

• Day 2: “Back on land? Here’s what to expect” (normalize the transition, offer practical tips).
• Day 5: “3 ways to stretch the vacation glow” (extend the experience, light educational touch).
• Week 2: “Help the next traveler” (invite a review, framed as contribution).
• Month 1: “Where to after Alaska?” (plant the seed for the next adventure).

These emails blend education, service, and sales seamlessly. And because they’re automated, they run every time without draining your energy.

Once you’ve built these high-value automations, you might layer in a low-frequency newsletter for the 20%: seasonal updates, new services, or a timely perspective. But the heavy lifting — the 80% — is already handled.

Think: the solo travel agent just starting out, the freelance designer, the new consultant. They’re still refining their services, identifying their ideal clients, and maybe even pivoting along the way.

For new businesses, email isn’t about broadcasting. It’s about capturing every spark of interest and learning from it. Every inquiry matters. Every contact is a chance to refine your process.

Manual First. Then Guardrail Automations.

Don’t start with a polished funnel. Start by sending what would eventually become automations by hand — copy/paste from a template, tweak it, and hit send. This is your R&D lab:

• What questions keep coming up?
• Where do people get confused?
• What information brings the biggest relief or excitement?

Once you see the patterns, add light guardrail automations to make sure no one slips through the cracks:

• Inquiry form: Auto-reply that sets expectations (“We’ll reply within 24 hours. Meanwhile, here are answers to two common questions”).
• Direct email: A saved draft you can personalize quickly.
• Resource download: A 2–3 email follow-up.

• Manual first = insight. You learn what actually matters to your clients.
• Guardrails = insurance. Even if you’re busy, leads get acknowledged.
• Blends service, education, and sales. The basics are covered automatically, while you focus your live energy where it moves the needle.

• 80%: Guardrails + repeatable templates handle the predictable parts of early interactions.
• 20%: Your manual, personal replies and real conversations.

Email marketing is not about proving you can crank out content. It’s about creating leverage.

• For established businesses: Automate the client experience — pre-purchase and post-purchase — so every client gets consistent care.
• For new businesses: Start manual to learn, then layer in guardrails so no lead slips away.
• For everyone: Let automations handle 80%. Use newsletters or timely sends for the 20% that truly need your voice.

Let automation do 80% of the work so your 20% actually matters.