As a New Freelancer, How Can Email Marketing Help Me, and What Can I Use It For?
This is a sample chapter from my new book, Smart Email Marketing, which is now available for preorder and intended to educate and inspire freelancers and startups.
Readers from Medium can read this chapter via this link and engage there. Thank you for sharing to inspire more freelance writers to benefit from email marketing as early as possible.
Dear friends, I recently turned my years of work, teaching, mentorship, and education manuscript on ethical email marketing into a draft book and started the alpha reading with a selected group of loyal readers. It was successfully completed with fantastic feedback. Now, I initiate the beta reading through my publication.
My goal is to educate beginners, empower established writers, and, based on my experience, help them solve their email marketing problems. This is not a theoretical book but a reflection of what I did, the mistakes I learned from, and observations of successful email marketers.
During the alpha reading phase, one of the most frequently asked questions was about the benefits of email marketing for new freelancers. I designed this book for freelancers and startups to educate and inspire them to start email marketing quickly. My email list has been the best investment for my retirement, and I invite you to build your list and start smart and ethical email marketing as early as possible.
As I mentioned in the book's introduction, the estimated ROI for email marketing is between 3.600% and 4.300%. However, I managed my personal ROI to 6,500% by following best practices and avoiding pitfalls by learning experimentally and getting advice from the experts.
I explained the purpose of the book in a previous story, so I will not repeat it here. You can read the attached link: Why I Wrote the “Smart Email Marketing & Content Integration” Book.
I also explained the misconceptions and myths about email marketing in a sample chapter, so I link it here too if you are not convinced about the value of this lucrative business investment for freelancers and startups. Here is the link to the sample chapter: Why Email Marketing Is Not Sleazy or Spammy. I will start uploading edited chapters to this publication for beta readers soon.
This book might also take your Substack to the next level as it is the continuation of my Substack Mastery series as a resource for advanced freelance writers. Now, let me answer this frequently asked question to inspire you.
How Email Marketing Helps New Freelancers
When starting as a freelancer, visibility and credibility can feel out of reach. Many turn to social media, but those platforms are noisy and unpredictable. Posts disappear quickly, engagement can be erratic, and algorithms change overnight.
Smart and ethical email marketing offers a more stable and personal alternative to other approaches. Unlike social feeds that demand constant attention, email lets you speak directly to people who already care about your work. You are not chasing an audience but growing a community that trusts you, learns from you, and may hire you when the time is right.
In my research and experience, email is one of the most effective tools for freelancers who want long-term results instead of short-term reactions. I will summarize the value propositions under five headings to help you understand key points and inspire you to start it today.
1 — Builds Lasting Client Relationships
Most clients do not hire on impulse. They hesitate, compare, and observe. With email, you can stay connected without being intrusive. A simple update, a thoughtful tip, or a story from your workday can remind potential clients of your value until they are ready to reach out.
2 — Turns Your Knowledge into Proof of Expertise
It is one thing to say you are skilled. It is another way to share useful ideas that show you consistently understand your field. Email allows you to turn your expertise into clear, relatable evidence, whether it is a case study, a project breakdown, or a lesson you learned the hard way.
3 — Attracts Clients Without Cold Pitching
Cold emails can feel draining and often go unanswered. But when someone joins your list because they found your free guide helpful or liked your perspective, that is a warm lead. Over time, your emails build a relationship, so when they need help, you are already on their mind.
4 — Lets You Sell Your Services in a Natural Way
You do not need to sound like a sales brochure. Instead, you can share what you have been working on, how you helped someone succeed, or why you created a new offer. When done correctly, this leads people to think, “Maybe I need this too,” without pressure or gimmicks.
5 — Gives You Ownership of Your Audience and Stability in Your Work
Unlike social platforms, your email list is not controlled by someone else. You are not at risk of being de-platformed, shadowbanned, or buried by a new algorithm. Your email list grows with you. It becomes a real business asset supporting your independence and income over time.
What Can New Freelancers Do with Email Marketing?
New freelance writers can use email marketing in many creative ways. Based on my experience and observations of other successful freelancers, I want to share some ideas that might work especially well at the beginning.
1 — Portfolio Updates & Client Stories
Every time you finish a project, you can share what you did and the outcome. If you have a happy client, include their feedback. Over time, this builds a living resume that speaks for itself.
2 — Niche Insights and Practical Tips
Even if you are still learning, you can share what you discover in your field. Many clients want to hire someone who stays current and thinks critically, and your emails can reflect that.
3 — Behind-the-scenes Glimpses
People trust freelancers who feel real. Show how you work. Share what surprised you during a recent project or what tools help you stay focused. These honest details create a connection.
4 — Special Offers or First Access
Your email subscribers are your inner circle. Treat them that way. Give them early access to your new service, limited-time offers, or private consultations before publicly announcing them.
5 — Client Education Through Stories
You do not need to pitch to sell. A good story with a small challenge and a simple solution can make clients realize they need your skills — without you ever saying it directly.
6 — Collaborations with Other Freelancers
Email also works for networking. You can feature another freelancer’s resource, invite them to co-create something, or do newsletter swaps. These small acts open big doors.
Conclusions and Key Takeaways
Email marketing is not a quick win but a wise investment. It grows with you. And the earlier you begin, the more naturally your audience, authority, and income will expand.
For new freelancers, it is one of the few tools that simultaneously supports client work, learning, visibility, and stability. Email marketing is not about mindlessly building a list but a business tool with a human voice, accurate information, graceful style, and a reliable foundation.
Email is not just a marketing channel but an archive of your growth. Every email you send becomes part of your professional story. You are not just marketing; you are documenting your thinking, learning, and values. That reflection alone can shape how future clients see you — and how you see yourself.
As a freelancer, you do not need to compete for attention. They need to earn permission. In a world of pop-ups and pitchy posts, your email list comprises people who said, “Yes, I want to hear from you.” That permission is powerful. Respect it by offering value, clarity, and kindness — not clutter.
The clients who read your emails quietly for months or years are the ones who can bring you lucrative opportunities. It is easy to worry when you do not get replies. But silence is not the same as disinterest. Many people read, think, and wait — until the right moment comes. That is why showing up consistently matters more than sounding perfect.
Action Tips
Start small and steady. Choose one helpful idea from your experience — like a challenge you solved, a project you finished, or a tool that helped — and turn it into an email.
Use your natural voice, not marketing jargon. At first, aim to send one email per month or fortnight. As you feel more confident, you can increase the frequency to weekly.
Begin building your list with people who already know your work, such as past clients, colleagues, or community members.
Keep your focus on connection, not perfection. The goal is not to impress but to build trust with your authenticity — one honest and meaningful email at a time, solving your subscribers' problems.
What might change in your freelancing journey if the right clients started reaching out to you simply because they remembered something you wrote in an email months or years ago?
This email marketing book follows my two Substack books, which helped hundreds of freelance writers successfully start Substack and helped some of them become bestsellers. Here are the links to the Substack books if you haven’t heard about them before. They are both available to the subscribers of my Content Marketing Strategy Insights in digital and audio formats.
turned my book into a comprehensive education program on Udemy and also made it available to the subscribers of my Content Marketing Strategy Insights publication on Substack.Substack Mastery: Insider Secrets
A Powerful Toolkit for Advanced Substack Newsletter Mastery
I also wrote a short book for readers to start Substack who want to start this platform. It is called “Substack for Avid Readers”
If you prefer to take the course on Udemy, here are the discount vouchers:
From Zero to Substack Hero — Level 1
Here is a sample video of the course:
Thank you for checking out these resources if you are a freelance writer. They can educate you and increase your confidence. I offer a 20% membership discount to get you started for this low-cost education and marketing service.
Gratitude
Many thanks to
and Alka Joshi, who participated in the alpha book reading process and wrote valuable reviews about their findings:Email Marketing Was Rocket Science to Me Until I Read a SMART Book
‘Smart Email Marketing and Content Integration’ authored by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
Invitation to Join ILLUMINATION Health and Wellness Network and Book Club for Authors
For health and wellness enthusiasts and advocates, I recently authored a book with 82 chapters and 484 pages, now available in many bookstores. It is titled Train Your Brain for a Healthier & Happier Life: A Practical Guide to Stimulate, Rest, and Nourish the Brain for Optimal Health Based on Decades of Research and Experimentation in Cognitive Science.
I introduced the book in a story and published several sample chapters linked to it. I also started uploading all chapters to my Health & Wellness Network on Substack in digital and audio formats. To grow this special network, I offer 50% discounts to healthcare professionals and health advocates, hoping we can make a positive impact.
We also have a book club to help authors and delight avid readers. If you plan to write a book, this network can be a low-cost education and marketing tool for you. You can get your 40% book author discount here.
Thank you for being part of our supportive and joyful network. It is an absolute pleasure to help you, serve you, guide you, solve your problems, and make your profiles and content more visible. Please feel free to reach out when you need help. My doors are open to all authentic writers.