Why Email Marketing Is Not Sleazy or Spammy
An Introduction to Ethical and Smart Email Marketing for Freelancers and Startups
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Email Marketing Is a Proven Tool Used by Respected Professionals and Businesses to Build Meaningful Connections
Dear friends, today, I selected an important chapter from my upcoming book, Smart Email Marketing, to answer a common question and correct general perceptions based on my years of experience, observations, and interactions with successful email marketers.
When some people in my circle hear “email marketing,” they immediately think of it as spam — unwanted messages flooding inboxes, shady sales tactics, or relentless promotions that push people away. I managed these perceptions with education. I also helped many freelancers and startups to follow best practices.
This misconception is understandable, given how many poorly executed campaigns exist and annoy people. But the truth is, real email marketing is not about manipulation. It is about connection, trust, and long-term value. When freelancers and startups understood this value, their practice changed, and they turned the misconceptions into understanding.
Thousands of respected professionals, thought leaders, and well-known companies use email marketing every day — not because they want to flood inboxes but because it is one of the most effective ways to communicate with people who genuinely care about what they offer.
Why Reputable Professionals Rely on Email Marketing
I want to give you one personal and one company example to make it clear and relatable.
My family friend, Julie, is a renowned nutritionist, dietician, and psychiatrist who has spent decades researching how food affects mental clarity and energy levels.
She tried to share her findings on social media, but those posts only reached a fraction of her audience due to changing algorithms. She was disappointed.
When my business partner, an expert in the field whom I introduced to Julie, recommended that she use email marketing and coached her to learn the tricks quickly,
So Julie has started sending carefully crafted emails to her audience every Sunday with science-backed advice, case studies, easy-to-follow meal plans, and personal reflections from her research.
She told me that the people who receive her emails are not annoyed. They signed up voluntarily on her website because they value her insights. They look forward to reading her words each week, knowing that what she shares helps them make better choices.
This is email marketing done right, offering real value to those who want it, not pushing content onto those who do not.
I will give another example of a startup I mentor that designs productivity software for freelancers. They could pour money into digital ads, hoping to grab attention in a sea of distractions.
But instead, they chose to build a relationship with their users through email. When someone downloads their free trial, they send an email with simple tips on how to get started.
A few days later, they followed up with a case study on how another freelancer doubled their income using the software. Later, they send a discount code — not as a pushy tactic, but as a helpful nudge for those genuinely interested in upgrading.
At no point does this feel sleazy or intrusive. The startup is not trying to sell to everyone, just those who already showed interest. Their emails guide users, help them succeed and make them feel supported. The sales happen naturally as a byproduct of trust and valuable communication.
Email Marketing Is About Building Relationships, Not Just Selling
Many people in my network used to assume email marketing was all about selling, and they feared spamming people. After they had attended my seminars, they learned that that was not the case.
The most successful email marketers understand that sales happen due to trust and consistent engagement — not through aggressive pitches or deceptive tactics. A well-crafted email campaign is like an ongoing conversation.
I helped many book authors who transitioned from traditional to hybrid or self-publishing like me. Thanks to email marketing, they became best sellers for the first time in their lives.
For example, a best-selling author uses emails to share behind-the-scenes stories, exclusive insights, and invitations to live discussions.
One of my respected lawyer friends sends weekly legal tips that help small businesses avoid costly mistakes. In addition, as a nonprofit leader, he shares heartfelt updates on how donations impact small businesses.
None of these emails feel like spam. They feel like letters from a trusted friend or mentor, delivering value in a way that improves the reader’s life.
The Difference Between Ethical Email Marketing and Spam
The reason some people think email marketing is “sleazy” is because they have experienced lousy marketing. There is a massive difference between them. Let me explain three points:
1 — Receiving a thoughtful email from a brand you admire vs. getting an unsolicited, generic sales pitch from a company you never heard of.
2 — Signing up for a newsletter because you want valuable insights vs. having your email added to an unknown list without permission, possibly sold by someone else.
3 — Receiving personalized content based on your interests vs. getting irrelevant messages that do not respect your time.
Spam is unwanted, intrusive, and often deceptive. No one enjoys spam. Ethical email marketing is permission-based, valuable, and personal.
The difference is not as subtle as you might think. It is the line between trust and annoyance, between engagement and rejection.
Even the Biggest and Most Trusted Companies Use Email Marketing
If email marketing were indeed “sleazy or spammy,” why would some of the world’s most respected companies — IBM, Google, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Gartner, and countless others rely on it as a key part of their strategy?
The reason is simple. It works. It works when done right. It works when done ethically and smartly with care and empathy.
Most of us use Amazon, which does not randomly send emails to people who have never interacted with them. Instead, they use email to let customers know when their package arrives, recommend books based on past purchases, and offer personalized deals that customers appreciate.
As a subscriber, I know that Harvard Business Review sends insightful articles and exclusive industry reports to professionals who subscribe because they value the content.
My outdoor-loving friends are subscribed to Patagonia, which does not just send promotional emails. They use email marketing to update subscribers on sustainability efforts, share inspiring outdoor stories, and build a deeper emotional connection with their customers.
These companies do not engage in spam. They use strategic, well-crafted, and highly personalized email marketing to nurture relationships and empower their clients.
Invitation to Reframe the Way We See Email Marketing
As a leader in the field and now a book author, I invite you to rethink email marketing. It is not about tricking people into buying things they do not need.
Ethical email marketing is about connecting meaningfully with those who already expressed interest. It is about educating, engaging, and delivering value in a way that makes people want to keep reading.
The best email marketers, whether freelancers, startups, Fortune 500 companies, or big corporate organizations, do not spam. They communicate. They respect their audience’s time. They offer insights, inspiration, and solutions to real problems.
There are always unsubscribe options. For example, a loyal reader of my technology newsletter for many years retired and did not want to deal with tech at all. He chose to become a Zen master.
This former colleague and wonderful friend, Brian, asked me to remove me from his email from my list. I had no offense as I know him and his intention. It was not to hurt my feelings by unsubscribing but to protect himself from tech. So, I honored his request graciously. He then joined my well-being newsletter because we had developed an excellent relationship.
So the next time someone dismisses email marketing as “sleazy,” ask them this:
If it were so bad, why do the world’s most respected professionals, entrepreneurs, and brands continue to use it as their most trusted marketing channel?
The answer is clear: when done right, ethical email marketing is not just marketing but relationship-building at its finest.
I unfold these issues and teach my clients to use ethical and SMART email marketing for decades. I will cover the S.M.A.R.T. framework that I developed in the next chapter.
Invitation to Beta Readers for Free Reading
Now, I have compiled those lessons in a coherent framework as a book titled Smart Email Marketing & Content Integration: A Strategic and Practical Guide for Freelancers and Startups, which is now in preorder.
I introduced the book, explaining why I wrote it and its scope.
Why I Wrote “Smart Email Marketing & Content Integration” Book
A Strategic and Practical Guide for Freelancers and Startupsmedium.com
Yesterday, I also invited beta readers to read the book for free and provide feedback to refine it before publishing it in April. Already, 207 people have responded on various platforms. Unfortunately, not many of my readers got a chance to read it on this platform; likely, the story was flagged as spam again.
If you are interested, here is the version you can use to show interest on this platform. When you read the book, please consider leaving an honest review on Goodreads.
Invitation to Book Lovers to Read the “Smart Email Marketing” Book Before Publishing It
Editors of my book will arrange the beta reading process through Substack, the most creator-friendly platform for authors. The process will start soon.
Here are two articles from the alpha readers to show their initial impressions of the book.
Email Marketing Was Rocket Science to Me Until I Read a SMART Book Mike Broadly, DHSc
‘Smart Email Marketing and Content Integration’ authored by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Alka Joshi
Thank you for reading my story. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Please feel free to share your experiences about email marketing and ask questions in the comments sections. I’ll be happy to answer.
Your story entirely changed my perspectives. This book is timely and exactly what I need. Thanks for writing it. I was an alpha reader of your manuscript and now will be happy to be a beta reader.
I read your manuscript with great interest, Dr Yildiz but I couldn't find a time to share my notes. Mike and Alka gave me a good nudge to write about it soon as your totally changed my understanding of email marketing which I have been doing for several years wrongly. I wish I had a book like this when I started. Thank you for writing it. Now I am ready to be a beta reader and help you refine the book before it gets published. I believe it will be a best seller because I haven't seen such a comprehensive book for freelancers and startups yet. All books I read were generic and theoretically repeat many articles on Google. Whereas your content includes nuanced and experienced based information one cannot find elsewhere.