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Resources Capacity Academy Email Fundamentals

email fundamentals

Dates: Spring sessions for this course have concluded. Sign up for our email list to be notified when the next session goes on sale! Prerequisite: Working knowledge of both your email service provider (ESP) and your CRM. All ESPs are welcome. Homework: This course will ask students to share emails with the group for critique and improvement. Who is eligible to register for this course? This program is for nonprofit arts and culture marketers only. For-profit marketing registrants will be kindly refunded. Additionally, please note that Capacity Academy has a one-seat-per-student policy, meaning multiple colleagues from the same organization require separate registrations.  

Email expertise is just a course away

Learn effective strategies for building your email list, segmenting your audience, and crafting compelling content

Whether you’re new to email marketing or looking to refine your existing strategies, this course will help you gain a solid understanding of email marketing best practices. You’ll be inspired by engaging email content from the arts and beyond, develop tactical email skills and find solace with other practitioners in the common challenges faced by arts organizations.
Overview

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

  • ✓ Develop fruitful strategies for building your email list and segmenting your audiences
  • ✓ Craft copy for your own audience
  • ✓ Make a realistic plan for iterative improvements
  • ✓ Execute effective email campaigns

Course Syllabus

Week 1: Build a Strong Foundation

Privacy concerns over the last several years have only increased the importance of owning your email list and getting permission from users. Learn to develop lead generation strategies across your channels to grow your email list, get best practices, and learn about privacy and offering preferences to users.

Week 2: Segmentation & Strategy

When it comes to segmentation, how narrow is too narrow and how broad is too broad? Learn to use segmentation strategically to talk to users across the marketing funnel in ways that are personal and engaging to them.

Week 3: Craft Compelling Content

User-focused content is key to connecting with our audiences and encouraging them to take the actions we want them to take. Learn to develop useful content, calls to action, and subject lines. Understand design best practices and review peer emails to give (and receive) feedback.

Week 4: Measurement, Planning & Next Steps

Learn how to accurately track email performance so that you can benchmark against yourself and measure how changes to your strategies, content, or segmentation impact your own email performance.

Meet Your Educators

This course offers a great foundation to email marketing that you can adapt to your own organization’s needs.

—2025 Email Fundamentals Student

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