Why email tech feels so overwhelming

You sit down to “finally sort the email thing.”

You open your laptop, full of good intentions and a steaming mug of tea and just a hint of trepidation asking yourself…“Can I do this?”

Thirty minutes later, your browser has 14 tabs open — tutorials, automations, tags you forgot you made and at least two guides that seem to contradict each other. You haven’t written a single email.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and more importantly, it’s not your fault.

Why email marketing feels so overwhelming

Let’s be honest, email marketing should feel simple. It’s just writing emails after all.

The moment you open your laptop and start actually doing it though, everything changes. Suddenly there are automations, triggers, groups, tags, landing pages, forms and none of it seems to speak plain English.

What should feel like a straightforward way to stay in touch with your people becomes a tangled mess of tools and terms you don’t fully understand and have no desire to.

It’s not just the tech, it’s the way it’s taught, or not taught more to the point.

It’s not you. And it’s not entirely them either.

Platforms like MailerLite, Flodesk, and Sender were designed with small businesses and freelancers in mind. They’re meant to be simpler, friendlier, and more affordable than the big enterprise tools. But even the most “intuitive” platforms can still feel overwhelming, especially when:

• You’re not sure which features you actually need
• You’ve inherited a setup you didn’t build yourself
• The language still sounds like it came from a marketer’s playbook

So while these platforms say they’re built for people like you, and they are, they’re still created by people who live and breathe email tech. If that’s not your world, it can feel like walking into a conversation halfway through.

That’s not a failure, it’s a gap between what the tool assumes you know, and where you’re actually starting from. So, if you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Shouldn’t I know how to do this by now?” — I want you to know: no, you shouldn’t.

Because nobody teaches this stuff in a way that feels calm, clear and genuinely useful.

You’re not bad at tech. You’ve just never been shown gently.

Some people pick things up in an afternoon. Others need to poke around a bit, ask questions, break things, and have someone explain it to them without making them feel like an idiot. That’s not failure, that’s learning.

Then when you do learn, it’s golden. That slightly smug feeling you get when your automation works perfectly, it’s so worth it! Not because it’s fancy, but because it’s yours, it works for you and you understand what’s going on behind the scenes. (Well… mostly!)
You don’t need to become a tech nerd or build a 17-email funnel of dreams. You just need a setup that works for your business and makes your life a bit easier.

That is all.

Most of the people I work with are incredibly capable. They run businesses, serve clients, write, coach, create. But when it comes to email marketing tech, there’s often a moment of freeze, a sense that they should be able to figure it out but they can’t quite make it click.

It’s not that you’re disorganised or behind, you just need a clearer path.

What if we thought about your email system like a garden?

Stay with me here.

Imagine your email system as a garden. Right now, it might feel like an overgrown patch with half-dug beds, some plants sprouting from last year and a seed tin overflowing with a random assortment of plants (ideas) you meant to sow but never did.

That’s okay.

Every garden needs a little looking after (you should see the state of my actual garden right now) and yours doesn’t have to be perfect to start growing again.

Just like gardeners map out what to plant where, what plants do well in certain areas, what the crop rotation should be and what needs space to grow, you can do the same with your email setup.

So let’s talk about how to gently start simplifying things.

How to simplify your email marketing setup (without redoing everything)

You don’t need to burn it all down, find the roots and start from there.

1. Zoom out and ask: What’s the goal?

Do you want to grow your list? Launch a new offer? Keep in touch more consistently?

Different goals need different systems and most people try to build everything at once, which is what leads to burnout. Choose one focus and build from there.

2. Do a light tech audit

Look at your current setup and make a note of:

• Where your main sign-up forms are
• What automations are active
• What emails people get after subscribing
• Any tags or segments that are doing actual work

You’re not trying to fix it all. Just notice what’s there – awareness is progress.

3. Identify what’s working and let go of the rest

• Got an old automation that no longer fits?
• An opt-in that never gets traffic?
• A tag that means nothing to you anymore?

You’re allowed to archive, pause, or delete. Sometimes, the best tech decision is to simplify.

4. Map a simple system that feels clear to you

Think in terms of a path:

Someone signs up → They get something helpful → They’re welcomed in → They hear from you regularly.

That’s it, no advanced filters, no 17-step funnel. Just a simple workflow that builds connection.

Progress feels like calm

The goal here isn’t to master every tech tool, you just need a system that feels like it fits. Something steady and clear that lets you show up for your audience without burning out.

Because when your email system feels calm and clear…

• You actually want to send emails again.
• You trust that your list is being nurtured even when you’re busy.
• You stop second-guessing and start connecting.

And that confidence? That’s worth cultivating.

Fancy a bit of weekly calm in your inbox?

If you’re nodding along and thinking, “Okay, yes, but I still don’t know where to begin” you are not alone. I send out a weekly email that’s a mix of:

• Email marketing ideas
• Gentle tech know-how
• Strategy tips
• And sometimes just a little slice of life or business behind the scenes

It’s thoughtful, useful, and (hopefully) a bit reassuring.

If that sounds like your cup of (Yorkshire) tea, you can sign up here

You don’t have to figure this all out today, but you can start creating a system that grows with you.