Email in 2026: What Local Businesses Need to Know

Email is still the most direct line to your customers. As it gets harder to break through algorithms and AI recommendations, newsletters, automated sequences, and email win-back campaigns are becoming popular again.
Drawing on lessons from building The Lancaster Review’s audience and working with multiple local businesses on their email strategy, I will be sharing:

• How we grew our list, and the tactics we’d skip if we started over
• What subject lines are working best for each email category
• Picking the right platform (e.g., MailChimp, Kit, Beehiiv) for your goals
• Deliverability basics, getting your emails through spam and promotions filters
• Using automation to stay top of mind without being annoying

We will wrap up with practical ideas you can put to work this week, whether you’re sending your first campaign or trying to get more out of the list you already have.