An email course delivers a lesson to the subscriber’s inbox on a set schedule, usually one a day or a few a week. There’s no video to record, no course platform to learn and no login to forget. For many creators, it’s the easiest way to turn what they know, or a solid PLR package, into a product people can start right away.
This guide walks through the whole process, from choosing a topic to setting up the automation and selling access.
Why email courses work
Email courses have a few built-in advantages:
- They fit into people’s days. A short lesson in the inbox is easier to finish than a long video module.
- They’re cheap to produce. If you already use an email service, you probably have the tools you need.
- They pace the learning for you. Buyers can’t binge and forget; each lesson arrives when it’s supposed to.
- They work free or paid. The same structure can be a lead magnet or a low-priced product.
The trade-off is that email is a limited format. Long, visual or highly technical topics may be better as a PDF guide or video course.
Step 1: Choose a narrow, finishable topic
The best email courses solve one specific problem in a short time. “Learn marketing” is too broad. “Write your first welcome email in five days” is something a reader can finish and feel good about.
Ask yourself three questions:
- What will the reader be able to do at the end that they can’t do now?
- Can that be achieved in five to ten short lessons?
- Does each lesson have one clear action the reader can take that day?
Step 2: Outline the lessons
Kit’s guide to email sequences recommends planning your topics and grouping related lessons before you start writing. That’s good advice for any course. A simple structure looks like this:
- Lesson 1: Welcome, what to expect and a quick first win
- Lessons 2 to 6: One step or concept per lesson, in the order the reader needs them
- Final lesson: Recap, next steps and, if relevant, an invitation to a related product
Write a one-line goal and one action for each lesson in your outline. If two lessons share the same goal, merge them.
Using PLR as a starting point
A PLR ebook or article pack on your topic can give you a head start. Break the material into lesson-sized chunks, then rewrite each one in your own voice, update any outdated facts and add your own examples. Check the license first: some PLR allows use in paid products, while some only allows free giveaways or blog use.
Step 3: Write lessons that get read
Each lesson should be short enough to read in a few minutes. A pattern that works well:
- A clear subject line that names the lesson (for example, “Day 3: Write your subject line”)
- A short opening that connects to the previous lesson
- The core idea, explained simply
- One action to take today
- A one-line preview of tomorrow’s lesson
Keep formatting simple
Plain or lightly formatted emails tend to display more reliably across email apps than heavily designed ones. Use short paragraphs and headings sparingly. If a lesson needs a worksheet or checklist, link to a downloadable PDF instead of cramming it into the email.
Add something to download
A small companion file, like a one-page worksheet or checklist per lesson, makes the course feel more substantial and gives readers something to keep. It’s also a natural place to reuse PLR checklists or templates, if your license allows it.
Step 4: Set up the automation
Most email marketing services let you create a sequence: a series of emails sent automatically on a schedule after someone joins. Kit describes sequences as either time-based, sent on a fixed schedule, or action-based, triggered by something the subscriber does, like clicking a link.
For an email course, a time-based sequence is usually all you need. The basic setup is the same on most platforms:
- Create a sequence or automation for the course.
- Add each lesson as an email, with a delay between them (for example, one day).
- Choose how people enter the sequence: a signup form for a free course, or a tag or list that’s added when someone buys a paid course.
- Send yourself a test run from start to finish before opening it to the public.
Delivering a paid email course
If you charge for the course, you need the purchase to add the buyer to the sequence automatically. Many checkout tools and email services connect directly or through an integration service. Whatever you use, make a test purchase to confirm buyers are added, and that people who haven’t paid can’t get in through a public form.
Step 5: Price and position it
Because an email course is simple to consume, many creators use it as a free lead magnet or a low-priced first purchase. A paid version should clearly offer more than your free content: more depth, worksheets, a specific outcome or a bonus like a template pack.
On your sales page, list each lesson title so buyers can see exactly what they’ll get and how long it takes. Avoid promising results like earnings or guaranteed outcomes. Describe what the course teaches, not what it will make for someone.
Step 6: Stay compliant with email rules
The Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM compliance guide sets out rules for commercial email in the United States. Among them: header information must be accurate, subject lines can’t be deceptive, messages must include a valid physical postal address, and you must give a clear way to opt out and honor opt-out requests within 10 business days.
The FTC says messages whose primary purpose is transactional or relationship content are exempt from most of the law’s provisions, though they still need accurate routing information. Lessons a customer paid for may fall into that category, but promotional emails, including a sales pitch at the end of a course, generally won’t. The FTC notes the categories are read narrowly and that penalties can reach $53,088 per violating email. Keep an unsubscribe link and your address in every email, and talk to a professional if you’re unsure how the rules apply to you.
Step 7: Improve it over time
Once the course is live, check your email stats every few weeks. Kit suggests reviewing metrics like click-through and unsubscribe rates. If many people drop off after a particular lesson, that lesson may be too long, too hard or not useful enough.
You can also reply-to-learn: invite readers to hit reply with a question at the end of the last lesson. Their answers will show you what to clarify, and may point to your next product.
A quick launch checklist
- Topic is narrow, with a clear end result
- Five to ten lessons, each with one action
- Any PLR used is rewritten and allowed by its license
- Sequence tested start to finish, including delays
- Paid access tested with a real purchase
- Unsubscribe link and postal address in every email
- Sales page lists lessons without income claims
An email course doesn’t need to be fancy to be useful. A focused topic, clear lessons and a reliable setup will do more for your readers than any amount of design.
Sources
Featured image: Photo: StockSnap (CC0)