Email Marketing
Plan EDM and newsletter strategy, content mix, and SPF/DKIM/DMARC deliverability for a solo-built SaaS or AI product.
Overview
Email Marketing is an agent skill most often used in Grow (also Launch distribution) that plans EDM and newsletter strategy plus deliverability for AI and SaaS products.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --skill email-marketingWhat is this skill?
- EDM vs newsletter framing with five content-type mix (onboarding, campaign, announcement, features, newsletter)
- Deliverability basics: SPF, DKIM, DMARC for inbox placement
- Bulk-sender compliance context for 5,000+ messages per day (Gmail/Yahoo expectations)
- SEO synergy via article-driven email delivery
- Points to newsletter-signup-generator for signup UI rather than duplicating form work
- Documented email ROI benchmark of approximately $36 return per $1 spent
- Bulk sender guidance referenced at 5,000+ messages per day for Gmail/Yahoo compliance
Adoption & trust: 858 installs on skills.sh; 586 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You have users or a list but no clear email content mix, compliance path, or deliverability setup—and campaigns are not converting or are landing in spam.
Who is it for?
Indie SaaS founders planning lifecycle email, product announcements, or fixing deliverability before scaling sends.
Skip if: Building only the signup form or embed UI without strategy—use newsletter-signup-generator instead; also skip if you need pure paid-ads or social copy with no email channel.
When should I use this skill?
User wants email marketing, EDM, newsletter strategy, deliverability, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, campaigns, automation, or cold email; not for signup UI alone.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a structured email plan—goals, content types, list rules, and SPF/DKIM/DMARC actions—aligned with audience context and optional handoff to newsletter-signup-generator for capture UI.
- Email channel plan with content mix
- Deliverability checklist actions (SPF/DKIM/DMARC)
- Campaign-type recommendations aligned to list size
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Grow/lifecycle is the canonical shelf because retention, conversion email, and list health are ongoing user-compounding work after launch. Lifecycle subphase matches onboarding sequences, campaigns, announcements, and automation that keep subscribers engaged and paying.
Where it fits
Plan a launch announcement EDM and feature drip without tanking domain reputation.
Design onboarding and win-back sequences for a growing SaaS subscriber list.
Pair blog or docs articles with newsletter delivery for SEO and retention synergy.
Clarify list goals and compliance before scaling waitlist invites from a landing page.
How it compares
Strategy and deliverability playbook for email programs, not a UI generator or one-off copy template.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is email-marketing for?
Solo builders and small SaaS teams who own audience growth and need email strategy, campaign planning, and deliverability setup without a dedicated marketing ops hire.
When should I use email-marketing?
Use it during Grow for retention and automation, during Launch for announcement and distribution email, and anytime you mention EDM, newsletter strategy, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or cold-email planning.
Is email-marketing safe to install?
Check the Security Audits panel on this Prism page; the skill is advisory and reads project context files when present, so avoid sensitive secrets in those markdown files.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: newsletter signup generator
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Email Marketing
# Channels: Email Marketing Guides email marketing strategy for AI/SaaS products. Email ROI ~$36 per dollar spent; open/click rates typically higher than social. Covers EDM vs Newsletter, five content types, deliverability (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), and SEO synergy via article delivery. **When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output. ## Initial Assessment **Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for audience and content strategy. See **content-marketing** for content types and formats across channels. Identify: 1. **Goal**: Retention, conversion, brand reach, or SEO synergy 2. **Content mix**: Onboarding, campaign, announcement, features, newsletter 3. **List size**: Bulk sender rules (5,000+/day) require Gmail/Yahoo compliance ## EDM vs Newsletter | Type | Purpose | Use | |------|---------|-----| | **EDM** | Direct marketing; conversion-focused | Promotions, campaigns, announcements; bulk sends | | **Newsletter** | Ongoing value; relationship | Industry insights, curated articles; regular cadence | **Combine both**: EDM for push; Newsletter for nurture. Cover different stages and goals. ## Five Content Types | Type | Use | |------|-----| | **Onboarding** | Welcome + first-use guidance; 5-7 day sequence; behavior-triggered; drive "Aha!" moment | | **Campaign** | Promotions, limited-time; conversion or participation | | **Announcement** | Product launch, major update; one-time important notice | | **Features update** | New features, improvements; help users adopt | | **Blog/Newsletter** | Curated articles, industry insights; sustained touch | ## User Best Practices | Practice | Guideline | |----------|-----------| | **Personalization** | Segment by behavior, source, stage; boosts open/click | | **Timing** | New users: dense; existing: controlled pace; behavior-triggered > calendar-only | | **Welcome series** | Send soon after signup; 5-7 emails over days; guide first key action | | **Unsubscribe** | One-click required (Gmail/Yahoo); honor within 48h; clear entry | | **Complaint rate** | Keep below 0.3%; list hygiene critical | ## Content Best Practices | Practice | Guideline | |----------|-----------| | **Subject** | One clear topic per email; avoid pure promo | | **Value first** | Useful info before promotion | | **CTA** | Single primary CTA; clear next step | | **Mobile** | 50%+ read on mobile; responsive layout, tappable links | ## Deliverability & Domain Config **Subdomain**: Use subdomain (e.g. mail.example.com) for marketing; keep transactional (support@, etc.) on main domain. Isolate risk. ### SPF, DKIM, DMARC | Protocol | Purpose | |----------|---------| | **SPF** | Authorizes mail servers for domain | | **DKIM** | Cryptographic signature; verifies sender | | **DMARC** | Policy for unauthenticated mail; start p=none, then quarantine, then reject over 60-90 days | **Order**: SPF first, then DKIM, then DMARC. Gmail/Yahoo require all three for bulk senders (5,000+/day) since Feb 2024. **Advanced**: TLS-RPT, MTA-STS, BIMI (brand logo). **Postmaster Tools**: Monitor deliverability, spam rate, auth status. ## Delivery Strategy: Articles + SEO Synergy | Article Type | Use | |--------------|-----| | **Retention** | Deep content for existing users; improve retention | | **ToFu** | Top of funnel; awareness (trends, concepts, pro