How to Start Email Marketing with Brevo (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

Email marketing remains one of the most reliable and cost-effective ways to grow an online business. Whether you’re building a personal brand, running a small business, or managing a growing eCommerce store, email gives you direct access to your audience without algorithms getting in the way.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is one of the tools many marketers choose because of its simplicity, scalability, and ability to handle email + SMS + CRM from one dashboard. But if you’re new to email marketing, getting started can feel overwhelming.

This detailed step-by-step tutorial will guide you through starting email marketing using Brevo—from initial setup to sending your first automated workflow. The goal of this guide is to be purely educational, beginner-friendly, and deeply practical.

Throughout the article, you’ll find natural references to related topics such as Brevo Explained: How It Works & Why Businesses Use It, Brevo vs Mailchimp: Which Email Tool Is Better in 2025?, and What Is Brevo? Complete Beginner’s Guide (2025 Edition) to help you learn in a structured, non-promotional way.

Introduction

If you’ve decided to start email marketing, you’re making one of the best decisions for long-term business growth. Unlike social media, email gives you control, ownership, and the ability to nurture relationships at scale.

Brevo offers an intuitive platform for beginners, but what truly matters isn’t the tool—it’s learning the right email marketing process. This guide will walk you through that full process step-by-step, ensuring you understand not just what to do but why it matters.

By the end, you’ll know how to:

• Set up your Brevo account properly
• Create your first contact list
• Build professional, on-brand email campaigns
• Set up automation workflows
• Track performance and optimize your strategy

This is a practical tutorial, not a promotional one—perfect for beginners or business owners who value clarity and results.

Why Start Email Marketing with a Platform Like Brevo?

Email marketing tools help streamline tasks that would otherwise require significant manual work. A platform like Brevo lets you:

• Collect and manage subscribers
• Create and send email campaigns
• Automate follow-ups and sequences
• Segment your audience
• Track performance analytics
• Integrate with websites, landing pages, and eCommerce platforms

But what sets Brevo apart for many beginners is its simplicity. Unlike some advanced platforms, Brevo doesn’t overwhelm you with unnecessary complexity. Its visuals, automation builder, and CRM features are designed to help even non-techy users get up and running quickly.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: How to Start Email Marketing with Brevo

Let’s go through the full setup process from zero to your first automated email workflow.

Step 1 — Create Your Brevo Account

Visit Brevo’s official site and create your account. You’ll need:

• Business name
• Email address
• Basic business details

Once inside your dashboard, take a moment to familiarize yourself with:

• Campaigns
• Contacts
• Automations
• CRM
• SMS
• Forms
• Email templates

Understanding the layout early helps make the process smoother.

Step 2 — Set Up Your Sender Identity

Before sending any emails, you must verify your sender identity. This step is essential for deliverability.

Here’s what to do:

1. Go to Settings → Senders & IPs
2. Add your sender name and email address
3. Verify ownership (Brevo sends you a confirmation code)

Optional but recommended:

Authenticate your domain using SPF/DKIM records. This improves email deliverability and reduces the chance of landing in spam.

Step 3 — Create and Organize Your Contact Lists

Your email success depends heavily on clean, organized lists.

Create a list for different categories, such as:

• Leads
• Customers
• Newsletter subscribers
• Webform sign-ups
• Ebook or lead magnet downloads

Important Tip:

Never upload purchased or scraped email lists. This harms deliverability and violates email marketing guidelines.

Step 4 — Import or Add Your Contacts

You can import contacts via:

• CSV upload
• Manual entry
• API integrations
• Website forms
• eCommerce plugins

Brevo lets you map fields like:

• First name
• Last name
• Phone number
• Tags
• Signup source

Well-organized fields help later with segmentation.

Step 5 — Create Your First Signup Form

To grow your email list, you need an opt-in form on your website.

Inside Brevo:

1. Go to Contacts → Forms
2. Choose the type:
   • Embedded form
   • Popup form
3. Customize fields (email, name, dropdowns, etc.)
4. Add branding elements
5. Configure confirmation settings (double opt-in recommended)
6. Embed on your website using
   • HTML code
   • WordPress plugin
   • eCommerce plugin

Pro Tip:

Use a clear, benefit-driven form headline, such as:
“Get weekly tips to grow your business—sent straight to your inbox.”

Step 6 — Create Your First Email Campaign

Now it’s time to design your first email broadcast.

Steps:

1. Go to Campaigns → Email
2. Choose a template (or create from scratch)
3. Add your subject line and preview text
4. Write your email body
5. Add buttons, links, and visuals
6. Choose your audience
7. Enable tracking (open, click, and Google Analytics parameters)
8. Send or schedule

Crafting a strong subject line:

• Keep it under 45 characters
• Include curiosity or value
• Avoid salesy language

Example:
“Your first guide is ready 🎉”

Step 7 — Create Your First Automation Workflow

This is where Brevo becomes powerful for beginners.

Common automation workflows include:

• Welcome email series
• Post-purchase emails
• Abandoned cart reminders
• Lead nurturing sequences
• Re-engagement campaigns

To build an automation:

1. Go to Automations → Create Workflow
2. Choose a template or start from scratch
3. Select the trigger (e.g., “contact added to list”)
4. Add actions like:
   • Send an email
   • Add a delay
   • Add to list
   • Send an SMS
   • Add a tag
5. Activate your workflow

Best Practice:

Start with a simple welcome sequence—it has one of the highest engagement rates in email marketing.

Value-Added Section — The “C.L.E.A.R.” Email Marketing Framework

To make email marketing easier for beginners, here’s a simple framework you can follow:

C.L.E.A.R. Framework

C — Collect

Use forms, lead magnets, or content upgrades to collect high-intent subscribers.

L — Label

Tag and segment your subscribers properly from day one.

E — Engage

Send useful, value-focused content regularly—newsletters, tips, resources, guides.

A — Automate

Create workflows that nurture, follow up, and support your audience hands-free.

R — Review

Track key metrics like opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. Improve continuously.

This framework works with any email tool, including Brevo, and gives beginners a clear roadmap.

Expert Insight — What Professionals Do Differently

Experienced email marketers follow specific habits that significantly improve results:

• They focus on consistency over frequency. One high-quality email weekly beats five scattered campaigns.
• They personalize beyond the first name, using behavior-based segments.
• They clean their lists regularly to avoid deliverability issues.
• They send plain-text-style emails when necessary, because overly designed templates sometimes reduce conversions.
• They test small elements, like call-to-action text or subject line structure.

If you apply even a few of these habits using Brevo, your campaigns will perform better from the start.

Conclusion

Email marketing remains one of the strongest digital marketing channels, and getting started with Brevo is both accessible and beginner-friendly. The platform offers all the essentials—campaigns, contacts, forms, and automation—without overwhelming complexity.

By following this step-by-step tutorial, you can:

• Set up your account
• Build a healthy list
• Create professional email campaigns
• Launch automated sequences
• Track and optimize your strategy

Email remains a long-term asset for your business, and tools like Brevo make the process smooth and scalable.

FAQ Section

1. Do I need technical skills to start email marketing with Brevo?

No. Brevo is designed so beginners can set up forms, campaigns, and automations without coding.

2. Is double opt-in necessary?

While optional, it improves list quality and protects you from low-engagement subscribers.

3. How often should I send emails?

Consistency matters more than frequency. Many businesses send 1–2 emails per week.

4. Can I automate emails in Brevo?

Yes. Brevo includes an automation builder for welcome sequences, follow-ups, abandoned cart flows, and more.

5. What kind of emails should beginners start with?

A simple welcome email, a weekly newsletter, and a basic nurturing sequence are great starting points.

6. What’s the difference between campaigns and automations?

Campaigns are one-time broadcasts, while automations are triggered sequences that run automatically.

7. Can I use Brevo for both email and SMS?

Yes. Brevo supports multi-channel messaging, including email, SMS, CRM, and automation tools.