Setting Up Email Campaigns on Squarespace
Learning Objectives
- Set up Squarespace Email Campaigns and connect them to your website
- Create and position signup forms to capture visitor emails
- Manage your subscriber list and keep it organised
- Maintain consistent branding across your website and email campaigns
Introduction
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience and grow your business. Squarespace makes this easier by building email campaigns directly into your website platform. This means you can create signup forms, manage subscribers, and send campaigns without juggling multiple tools or worrying about design consistency.
In this chapter, you'll learn how to activate Email Campaigns on your Squarespace site, create forms that actually convert visitors into subscribers, and keep your email list healthy and engaged. By the end, you'll have a working email system that feels like a natural extension of your website.
Lessons
Setting Up Email Campaigns on Your Site
Squarespace Email Campaigns work differently from external email services because they're built into your website's admin panel. Here's how to get started:
Step 1: Log into your Squarespace account and open your site's admin panel.
Step 2: Click on 'Marketing' in the main navigation, then select 'Email Campaigns'.
Step 3: If this is your first time, you'll see a setup screen. Click 'Get Started' and follow the prompts to activate Email Campaigns for your site.
Step 4: Choose your sender name and email address. This will appear in your subscribers' inboxes, so use something recognisable like your business name.
Step 5: Review the terms and complete the setup process.
Once activated, Email Campaigns will automatically inherit your site's fonts, colours, and branding. This means your emails will look consistent with your website without any extra design work.
Creating Signup Forms That Work
Signup forms are your main tool for growing your email list. Squarespace offers several ways to add these to your site:
Newsletter Blocks:
- Go to any page where you want to add a signup form
- Click the '+' button to add a new block
- Choose 'Newsletter' from the block options
- Customise the text and button copy to match your site's tone
- Position the block where visitors will notice it without being annoyed
Promotional Pop-ups:
- In your Email Campaigns dashboard, click 'Promotional Pop-up'
- Choose when the pop-up appears (after a time delay, when someone tries to leave, etc.)
- Keep the message short and clear about what subscribers will receive
- Set the frequency so returning visitors don't see it repeatedly
Form Blocks:
- Add a Form block to any page
- In the form settings, check 'Add to mailing list'
- Customise the fields to collect the information you actually need
- Fewer fields usually mean more signups
The key is placing forms where they make sense in your visitor's journey. A signup form works better on a helpful blog post than buried in your footer.
Managing Your Subscriber List
A healthy email list is more valuable than a large one. Here's how to keep yours in good shape:
Viewing Your Subscribers:
- Go to Marketing > Email Campaigns > Subscribers
- Here you'll see everyone who's signed up, when they joined, and their engagement level
- Use the search function to find specific subscribers when needed
Organising with Tags:
- Create tags to group subscribers by interests, location, or how they found you
- Click on a subscriber's name to add tags manually
- Use these tags later to send targeted campaigns to specific groups
Cleaning Your List:
- Remove subscribers who haven't engaged in months (they hurt your delivery rates)
- Click the three dots next to unengaged subscribers and select 'Remove'
- Don't worry about the numbers – engaged subscribers are worth more than inactive ones
Handling Unsubscribes:
- Squarespace automatically adds unsubscribe links to all campaigns
- Respect these requests immediately – it's legally required and builds trust
- Review why people are leaving to improve your content
Remember, buying email lists or adding people without permission will damage your reputation and may violate regulations like GDPR.
Keeping Your Branding Consistent
One advantage of Squarespace Email Campaigns is automatic brand consistency. Your emails will use your site's colours, fonts, and style without extra work. However, you can fine-tune things:
Template Selection:
- Choose email templates that match your site's layout style
- If your site is minimal, pick clean email templates
- If your site is bold and colourful, your emails can be too
Logo and Images:
- Your site logo automatically appears in email headers
- Use the same image style in emails as on your website
- Keep file sizes reasonable for quick loading
Tone of Voice:
- Write emails in the same voice as your website copy
- If your site is professional, keep emails professional
- If your site is casual and friendly, let that show in your emails
Practice
Set up a basic newsletter signup form on your homepage this week. Place it somewhere visible but not intrusive – perhaps after your main content or in a sidebar. Monitor your subscriber count and note which pages drive the most signups. This will help you understand where your most engaged visitors spend their time.
FAQs
Do I need a separate email service if I use Squarespace?
No, Squarespace Email Campaigns is included with most plans and integrates directly with your site. You won't need MailChimp, ConvertKit, or other services unless you need advanced features.
Can I import subscribers from another email service?
Yes, you can upload a CSV file with your existing subscribers. However, only import people who genuinely opted in to hear from you.
What's the difference between Squarespace 7.1 and 7.0 for email campaigns?
The email campaigns feature works the same way on both versions. The main differences are in how you add newsletter blocks to your pages.
How many emails can I send per month?
This depends on your Squarespace plan. Check your plan details in your account settings for current limits.
Can I schedule emails to send later?
Yes, when creating a campaign, you can choose to send immediately or schedule for a specific date and time.
Jargon Buster
Newsletter Block: A content block you can add to any page that displays a signup form for your email list.
Promotional Pop-up: A pop-up window that appears on your site encouraging visitors to subscribe to your email list.
Subscriber Engagement: How actively your subscribers interact with your emails (opening, clicking, replying).
Email Deliverability: The likelihood that your emails will land in recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders.
Unsubscribe Rate: The percentage of subscribers who opt out of your emails after receiving a campaign.
Wrap-up
You now have the foundation for email marketing on your Squarespace site. Email Campaigns integrates seamlessly with your website, automatically maintains your branding, and gives you the tools to build and manage a subscriber list.
The most important thing is to start. Create your first signup form, begin collecting subscribers, and focus on providing value in every email you send. Your list will grow naturally as you create content people want to read.
Ready to take your email marketing further? Learn how to create your first email campaign and write content that your subscribers will actually open and engage with.