6 Tips To Improve Your Squarespace Email Campaigns

Why This Matters

Let’s not sugar-coat it: even in a sea of shiny new marketing trends, email quietly gets the job done. For many business owners, freelancers, and creative professionals, sending a newsletter or campaign is the difference between a trickle of leads and a reliable stream of fresh work. Trouble is, most people’s inboxes look like a hoarder’s garage, jammed with half-opened promos, unread newsletters, and those mysterious “we miss you” emails from companies you barely remember.

If your Squarespace email campaigns aren’t getting opened, clicked, or even noticed, that’s wasted energy (and potentially wasted money, if you’re paying for sends). Worse still, all that effort in growing your list goes right into the void. Nobody wants that. Whether you’re using email to share helpful insight, keep your brand top-of-mind, or drive folks to your amazing new product, improving your campaigns is absolutely essential.

Common Pitfalls

Most people end up treating Squarespace email campaigns as an afterthought. You hit ‘duplicate’ on the last campaign, swap out a few words, maybe drag in a big image, and away it goes. Unfortunately, this cookie-cutter approach leaves your emails looking like the rest and just as forgettable.

Another common mistake is assuming pretty design is enough. A gorgeous layout doesn’t fix bland content, muddy calls-to-action, or (my personal branding bugbear) unclear sender identities. Or, even more basic: you want to link subscribers to your social media, but Squarespace doesn’t offer a magic ‘social’ block in its emails like it does on your site. As a result, your audience never finds your Instagram or LinkedIn, missing the chance to build a real relationship.

I see these mistakes all the time from clients and students keen to get their newsletter off the ground. The good news is these are all fixable, and you don’t need to be a web wizard to sort them out.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Be Transparent (and Human) With Your Email Strategy

If you remember just one point this month, make it this: people subscribe to your mailing list because they want genuine value. They expect tips, behind-the-scenes news, sometimes a cheeky discount (we’re all human). That unwritten deal matters. If you start disguising sales pitches as “updates”, sending epic essays with no relevance, or flooding their inbox too often, expect a stampede for the unsubscribe link.

Explain, in plain English, what people will get when they sign up, and stick to it. Set expectations from the start: for example, “You’ll get one email a month, with practical design tips and the odd special offer. No spam, no nonsense.” Then deliver on it, every time.

2. Make The Most of Squarespace Email Templates

Designing a campaign from scratch can quickly turn into a three-coffee problem. Luckily, Squarespace’s templates aren’t just there to look pretty, they actually help you stay organised and focused. Don’t be a hero: start with a template that roughly matches your goal, whether it’s announcing an event, sharing a blog, or promoting a sale.

Once you’ve picked your template:

• Swap out stock images for your own (even a quick snap from your phone is better than generic stock)
• Edit all placeholder text, including the footer, with your brand voice
• Check fonts and colours. Consistency with your website is what builds trust.

Customise lightly at first. Over-design is a common trap, so less is more. The important part is thinking like your reader. Does your layout help guide their eye from headline, to content, to button? Or does it feel like a jumbled mix from a font foundry?

3. Write Like a Real Person, Not Like an Algorithm

It’s tempting to fill your campaign with “exciting offers”, “solutions for busy professionals”, and all the other buzzwords that sound like they escaped a 90s business seminar. Avoid this. Write how you speak. Focus on being helpful, concise, and clear.

Keep your subject lines honest. They’re your first (and perhaps only) shot at an open. The body copy should:

• Get to the point quickly
• Speak to a single reader (“Here's how you can solve X…”)
• Explain what’s in it for them, not just you

Format for skimming: break up long paragraphs, use bullet points for lists, and never send a dense block of text. Spellcheck. Proofread. Read it aloud before you send. Typos or confusing sentences quickly hurt your credibility.

4. Squeeze Social Media Links Into Your Squarespace Campaigns

Now, a practical tip. At the time of writing, Squarespace email still doesn’t offer a simple “add your social icons” feature like its page builder. It’s frustrating, and hopefully they’ll fix it. But in true Pixelhaze fashion, here's an approach that works:

• First, grab your social icon images (make your own, swipe your site versions, or use royalty-free icons)
• In your email, insert a basic image block where you want your icons to appear (usually in the footer)
• Upload each icon, side by side. Keep it simple with two or three icons.
• For each image, use the built-in link option to point to your social profile

This approach is not perfect, but it’s quick and easy, and it gets the job done. Test your emailed version in both desktop and mobile to make sure the icons are visible and links work.

5. Use Images and Video Efficiently

Humans are distractible creatures; a single image often outshines even the wittiest heading. Use good visuals in your campaign, but resist the urge to overdo it.

• Use relevant images that support your message (a photo of your team, a product shot, a diagram)
• Optimise your images for web—nobody wants to spend bandwidth on a 4MB photo of your cat
• For video, you can’t embed a player directly in Squarespace emails, but you can add a snapshot image with a play button graphic and link that to your YouTube or Vimeo page

People like to watch, but they don’t like slow-loading or glitchy emails. If you run a YouTube channel, mention your latest upload, embed a teaser image, and invite people to watch.

6. Make Every Call-to-Action Crystal Clear

Don’t assume your reader knows what you want them to do next. Spell it out. Want them to visit your portfolio? Try a bold “See What’s New” button. Want them to get in touch for a chat? “Reply to this email—I read every message.” Every campaign should nudge your reader to take some kind of action, even if that’s just a quick reply.

Your CTA should:

• Stand out visually
• Be action-oriented (“Download the Guide”, “Book a Free Call”, “Read the Latest Post”)
• Avoid too many choices. One clear action is better than several vague ones.

What Most People Miss

Ask most folks where they go wrong with email campaigns, and you’ll hear “design” or “list size.” The real improvement comes from listening to your subscribers and being willing to adapt. The best campaigns aren’t set-and-forget; they’re adjusted based on what actually works.

For example: one Pixelhaze client doubled their click-through rate and sold out a workshop simply by adding a direct sign-up button above the fold, rather than hiding it at the bottom. This small change made a big difference.

The most effective creators also use email as a genuine two-way channel. They ask readers for input, run the occasional survey, and share mini-stories rather than just announcements. This leads to higher engagement, more replies, and conversations that are much more enjoyable.

The Bigger Picture

Nailing your Squarespace campaigns leads to more opens or link clicks, but more importantly, you’re building brand trust. When people get used to hearing from you (and enjoy it), they’re far more likely to recommend you to their mates, share your stuff, or actually buy what you’re offering. It changes you from being “that person from LinkedIn” to “the designer whose newsletter I always read.”

When managed well, a good email system reduces your admin time. You spend less time chasing leads or explaining things over and over, because your campaigns do the hard work. As your audience grows, so do your opportunities. And if you ever decide to try something totally new, like a product launch, a course, or a pop-up shop, your list is ready and waiting.

Wrap-Up

Effective Squarespace email campaigns rely on genuine value, staying true to your audience, and making every contact count. Start with clarity, use templates to your advantage, write like a human, add your social links (even if it takes an extra step), use visuals wisely, and always finish with a clear call to action.

Keep asking for feedback and stay curious. Those small adjustments made week after week are what turn ordinary emails into a business asset you can depend on.

Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.