How to Send Your First Email Broadcast in FableForge (Complete Walkthrough)

You're staring at the "Send" button.

Your finger hovers over the mouse. Your heart's doing that weird flutter thing. And your brain is running through every possible catastrophe: What if it goes to the wrong people? What if there's a typo? What if it looks terrible and everyone unsubscribes?

Here's the thing nobody tells you about sending your first email broadcast: this moment — right here, right now — is the hardest part. Not because it's technically difficult (it's not). But because your brain is convinced that one wrong click will destroy everything you've built.

Let me tell you something that might help: I've sent thousands of emails. I've made typos. I've sent emails with broken links. I've even accidentally sent an email to my entire list when I meant to send it to five people for testing. And you know what happened? The "oops" email I sent after actually got a higher open rate than the original.

People are way more forgiving than you think.

By the end of this walkthrough, you're going to know exactly how to send your first email broadcast in FableForge. More importantly, you're going to understand the difference between broadcast emails, automated emails, and workflows — so you're not just following steps, you're actually understanding what you're doing and why.

Let's do this.

Email Types Explained: What You're Actually Sending

Before we jump into the step-by-step, let's clear up some confusion. There are three main types of emails in FableForge, and they serve completely different purposes.

Broadcast Emails (also called "Campaigns" in FableForge)

These are one-time emails you send manually to a group of contacts. You write it, you choose who gets it, you hit send. Think of it like sending a group text — you write it once, but everyone gets their own copy. This is what this tutorial teaches.

You use broadcast emails for:

• Newsletters and updates to your list

• One-time announcements or promotions

• Time-sensitive information

• Anything you want to send right now (or schedule for a specific time)

Automated Emails

These happen automatically when someone does something specific. These include:

• Form auto-responders (someone fills out a form, gets immediate email)

• Calendar booking notifications (confirmation, reminders, follow-ups)

• Simple one-off automations

Workflow Emails

These are automated sequences with multiple steps and conditional logic. These are more complex automations you build in the Workflows section. Think welcome sequences, nurture campaigns, behavior-triggered follow-ups.

Here's the simple decision tree: If you're manually choosing when to send it and who gets it, that's a broadcast. If it happens automatically based on something a contact does, that's automation (either simple form/calendar automation or a more complex workflow).

For this tutorial, we're focusing on broadcasts — the foundation of email marketing. Once you get comfortable sending broadcasts, you can layer in automation. But you've got to build that muscle first.

Before You Start: Quick Setup Check

Real quick — let's make sure you're ready to send. You need three things set up in FableForge:

1. LC Email (FableForge's email service)

Navigate to Settings → Email Services.

You should see LC Email listed. If it says "Connected" or shows your sending domain, you're good.

If not, you'll need to set this up first — but that's a different tutorial. Reach out to our support team for help if you need it.

2. Verified sending domain

This is crucial for deliverability (aka making sure your emails don't go to spam). You should have a subdomain like mail.yourdomain.com verified. Check Settings → Domains to confirm.

3. Contacts in your system

You need someone to send to! Navigate to Contacts to see your list. If you don't have contacts yet, start by adding yourself and maybe a few trusted friends for testing.

Not sure about any of these? Don't panic.

You can check these settings without breaking anything. If you discover you need help with setup, that's what FableForge support is for — or you can book a curiosity call with us to get your account properly configured.

Assuming you're good to go, let's send your first email.

The Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1: Navigate to Email Marketing

From your FableForge dashboard, look for Marketing in the left sidebar, then click Email.

You'll see three tabs at the top: Statistics, Campaigns, and Templates. Click on Campaigns.

This is where all your broadcast emails live — the ones you're sending manually, as opposed to automated workflow emails. You'll see options for:

• Email Campaigns (this is what we want)

• Workflow Campaigns (automated emails from your workflows — we're not using this today)

• Bulk Action Campaigns (sending to specific contacts from your CRM)

Click Email Campaigns.

Step 2: Create Your Campaign

See that [+New] button in the top right? Click it.

Now you're choosing if you want to use a template or not. You have three options:

Option 1: Blank Template

Start from scratch. After clicking it, you can choose between:

• Design Editor (drag-and-drop visual builder)

• Code Editor (if you want to write HTML — but you probably don't need this)

Option 2: Email Marketing Template

Pre-designed templates you can customize. These look polished right out of the gate.

Option 3: Your Templates

If you’ve created an email template previously, you can use this option.

Option 4: Clone Another Email You Sent Before

If you've sent an email before (or scheduled one), you can start from that design. This option isn’t under the button. Instead, you’d look at the list of Email Campaigns you sent previously on this page, look at the right hand column beside an email > click the 3-dot menu > Clone to make a copy of that email that you can edit and send.

Which should you choose?

If this is your very first email and you're feeling intimidated, I'd recommend starting with the Blank Template using Design Editor.

Here's why: fancy graphics might look impressive, but text-only emails often perform just as well (sometimes better). Research shows that emails with graphics get about 43% open rates compared to 36% for text-only — but text-only emails typically have better deliverability because they don't trigger spam filters as easily.

More importantly, if you're building the "sending email" muscle for the first time, start as simple as possible to get the job done. Send a simple text email. Get comfortable with the process. Then, once that feels easy, you can add designed templates and graphics. You're not locked into text-only forever — you're just building the foundation first.

For this tutorial, we'll use Blank Template → Design Editor.

After you’ve clicked that design editor option, you’ll be taken to a new screen where you can setup your email.

Step 3: Design Your Email

Welcome to the email builder! This is where people usually start to panic. Don't.

The first thing you’ll want to do is click on “Untitled campaign name” at the top and rename the email to something that makes sense to you — your recipient won’t see this, so don’t worry about that. It’s better that you can recognize which email this was later.

On the left side, you'll see Add Elements. These are the building blocks:

• Text (paragraphs, headings)

• Image (photos, graphics)

• Button (calls-to-action)

• Divider (visual separators)

• Social (links to your social profiles)

• Video (embed videos)

• Code (custom HTML if you need it)

For your first email, you honestly only need Text and maybe Button.

Here's how to build a simple text email:

1. Drag a Text element into the center canvas

2. Click on it to edit the content

3. Type your message like you're writing to a friend

4. Use the formatting toolbar to adjust font size, add bold, create headings

5. If you want a call-to-action, drag a Button element below your text

6. Click the button to edit the text and add your link

Design tips for non-designers:

You don't need to be a graphic designer to send professional emails. Follow these guidelines and you'll look legit:

• Stick to 2-3 fonts maximum. More than that looks chaotic.

• Use your brand colors (or just stick with black text on white background — seriously, this works)

• Include breathing room. Don't cram everything together. Use padding and spacing.

• Keep it scannable. Break up text with short paragraphs and subheadings.

• Test on mobile. Click the mobile preview icon — your email needs to work on phones.

What about images?

This is where that "build the muscle first" philosophy comes in. If you're confident adding images and they support your message, go for it. But if you're new to this or the idea of finding/sizing/placing images makes you want to give up, skip them entirely.

Send a text-only email. I promise it will work just fine.

Here's the reality: emails with graphics do tend to get slightly higher engagement when people open them. But text-only emails often have better deliverability (they're less likely to get caught in spam filters), and they feel more personal — like you're writing directly to someone rather than sending a marketing piece.

Start simple. Get comfortable. Add complexity later.

Avoiding spam filters:

A few things will trigger spam filters and tank your deliverability:

• ALL CAPS SUBJECT LINES!!!

• Excessive exclamation points!!! Like this!!!

• Spammy words like "FREE!!!" "Act now!" "Limited time!"

• Too many images, not enough text

• Broken HTML or weird formatting

The good news? If you're writing like a normal human who's sharing something useful, you're probably fine.

👉🏼 When you have your email setup the way you like, click “Send or Schedule” in the top right.

Then you’ll see a bunch of new options to fill in for your email — we’ll go through these next.

Step 4: Write Your Subject Line & Preview Text

This is what determines if people open your email or delete it. No pressure.

Subject line is the main headline people see in their inbox.

Preview text (also called preheader) is that snippet that shows up under the subject line in most email clients.

What makes a good subject line?

• Keep it honest. Don't promise something the email doesn't deliver.

• Create curiosity without being clickbait-y.

• Use specifics instead of vague language.

• Keep it under 50 characters for mobile.

Examples:

• ❌ Bad: "You won't believe this!!!"

• ✅ Good: "The pricing mistake we just caught"

• ❌ Bad: "Newsletter Issue #47"

• ✅ Good: "3 things that surprised me about client onboarding"

What about preview text?

This is your chance to continue the story your subject line started. Think of them as a one-two punch:

Subject line: "Why I stopped using Calendly"

Preview text: "...and what I switched to instead (you might want to do the same)"

Together, they create a complete thought that makes someone curious enough to open.

Step 5: Set Your "From" Information

This matters more than you think.

Sender Name: Use your actual name or your business name — whatever your audience knows you as. "Christina Hooper" or "BLUEprint Business Lab" — not "noreply" or "info."

Sender Email: This should be from your verified sending domain (like [email protected] or [email protected]). It affects deliverability, so don't just make something up.

Why does this matter? Because email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) look at sender reputation. If you're sending from a legitimate, verified email address with a real name attached, you're more likely to land in the inbox instead of spam.

Step 6: Choose Your Recipients

This is where people get scared. "What if I accidentally send this to everyone?"

Deep breath. The system makes you actively select who gets the email. You're not going to accidentally blast your entire database unless you specifically choose "All Contacts" — and even then, there are confirmation steps.

You have several options for selecting recipients:

Option 1: Choose Contacts

Manually choose individuals. Great for testing or sending to a select small group of people. There is an option to send to All Contacts, but please use that sparingly. You generally want to send only to people that opted-in to your emails and segment them further for more increased relevance.

Option 2: Send to Smart List

If you’ve created a segment with a smart list, this can be a good option. For example — everyone that hasn’t opened an email in the last 60 days, everyone that’s subscribed to my emails, etc. These lists update dynamically and will always have the right contacts in them.

Option 3: Choose Contacts by Tags

If you've been tagging contacts (like "Newsletter Subscriber" or "Attended Webinar"), you can send to everyone with that tag.

Option 4: Pre-Built Segments

This is a list of segments that our system has automatically created for you and includes options like:

• Contacts engaged in last 7 days

• Contacts engaged in last 30 days

• Contacts engaged in last 60 days

• Subscribers engaged in last 5 campaigns

• Subscribers unengaged in last 5 campaigns

Option 5: Build Segments

This is a way to create a list of contacts on the fly just for this email without creating smart lists, tags, etc. in advanced.

You can also exclude contacts using this option. This is useful for:

• Not sending to people who already bought what you're promoting

• Excluding unsubscribed contacts (though the system usually does this automatically)

• Avoiding sending to a specific segment

The system shows you a preview of how many people will receive your email. Double-check that number before you send.

Step 7: Send Your Test Email (Non-Negotiable)

I don't care how confident you are. I don't care if you've proofread seventeen times. Send yourself a test email before you hit send for real.

Look for the Test Email option in the top right.

You’ll see a few fields…

• Sender Email and Sender Name should be where you want to send the test email — don’t worry if you end up in your own spam box, you’re sending an email from yourself to yourself, so that can trigger spam filters. It won’t happen when you’re sending it to others.

• Send a Test to = the email you want to send the test to.

• Preview text = same preview text you added to the campaign.

• Email Subject = same subject as your email

• You can optionally check the box next to “Set as default sender and receiver information.” so you don’t have to fill these out manually each time.

• then click “Send Test Email”

Now go to your actual email inbox (not the one in FableForge) and check:

• Does it look right on desktop? Open it on your computer.

• Does it look right on mobile? Check it on your phone.

• Are there typos? Read it one more time.

• Do all the links work? Click every single one.

• Is the unsubscribe link there? This is legally required — make sure it's present.

If something looks off, go back and fix it. That's literally what test emails are for.

This is your safety net. Use it.

Step 8: Schedule or Send Now

You have a few options:

• Send Now does exactly what it sounds like. The email goes out immediately to everyone you selected.

• Schedule lets you pick a specific date and time. The email will send automatically at that time.

• Batch Schedule will send your email out in batches — like 100 at a time. This is a good option if you haven’t sent email before, but you have a larger list. It helps you avoid looking like a spammer that bought a list of emails and is blasting emails at them.

• RSS Schedule connects to an RSS feed, like your blog, and sends emails out when new content is published.

• Smart Send is available after you’ve sent at least 1,000 emails in the last 60 days so it has data to use. It will determine the best possible time to send emails for maximum engagement based on your audience’s activity patterns, when they typically click or open, and suggests the time that is statistically most likely to result in higher engagement.

When should you schedule vs. send now?

• Send now if: You're ready, the timing is right, and you want it gone

• Schedule if: You want to send during business hours but you're writing at 11pm, or you want the email to go out on a specific date

• Smart Send: If you’ve sent enough email to be able to use it to improve performance.

Time zone considerations:

The email sends based on your location's time zone (the one set in your FableForge account settings). You’ll see it listed under the “Schedule At” label to confirm. So if you schedule for 9am, that's 9am in your time zone, not your recipients' time zones.

For most small businesses and coaches, this is fine. But if you have a global audience, you might want to pick a time that works across multiple zones (like 10am EST, which is mid-afternoon in Europe and early morning on the West Coast).

Can you unsend it?

Once you hit send, it's sent. There's no "undo" button like in Gmail.

But here's what you CAN do if you spot a mistake:

Send an "oops" email. I'm serious — these often get higher open rates than the original because people are curious about what you messed up.

Subject line: "Oops — I made a mistake"

First line: "I just sent you an email about [topic] and realized I forgot to include the link. My apologies! Here it is:"

People appreciate honesty. They'll forgive a typo or a missing link way faster than you think.

Common Fears Addressed (Real Talk)

Let's tackle the things that are probably making you anxious:

"What if I accidentally send it to everyone in my list?"

You won't. The system makes you actively select recipients. You'd have to specifically choose "All Contacts" and then confirm. Even then, you see a preview of how many people will get it. You're not going to fat-finger your way into emailing 10,000 people by accident.

"What if people unsubscribe?"

Some will. That's actually healthy for your list. Unsubscribes mean you're removing people who don't want to hear from you, which improves your overall engagement rates and deliverability so you stay out of the Spam box.

A small, engaged list beats a large, uninterested list every time because it’s filled with people that want to hear from you.

Industry average unsubscribe rate is 0.15-0.22%. If you're seeing way higher than that (like 5%+), something's off — maybe you're sending too frequently, your content doesn't match what people signed up for, or you’ve got the wrong type of people on your list.

"What if it goes to spam?"

If you've verified your domain, you're using LC Email through FableForge, and you're not writing in ALL CAPS WITH EXCESSIVE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! — you're probably fine and you’ve done all you can do.

Things that genuinely trigger spam filters:

• No unsubscribe link (FableForge adds this automatically, so you're covered)

• Bought email lists (don't do this)

• Sending to people who didn't opt in

• Spammy words and formatting

• Too many images, not enough text

Things that DON’T actually trigger spam filters:

• Including prices

• Asking people to buy something (as long as you're not being scammy about it)

• Sending promotional content to people who signed up for it

"What if there's a typo?"

There probably will be. I've sent hundreds of emails, and I still find typos after they're sent. Here's what you do:

1. Decide it if it's bad enough to matter, if not, don’t worry about it

2. If it matters, send that "oops" email if you need to

3. Move on with your life

Nobody's judging your typos as harshly as you think they are — and if they do, unsubscribe them. You don’t need that energy in your life and business. Plus, honestly, sometimes a small mistake makes you more human and relatable to the right people.

"What if nobody opens it?"

Your first email will probably have lower stats than you want. That's normal.

Industry average open rates are around 42-43% across all sectors. Coaches and consultants often see 45-48%. But your first email to a cold list might be way lower — especially if people haven't heard from you in a while.

The second email is always easier. You'll learn what subject lines work. You'll understand your audience better. You'll stop overthinking every word. You’ll start earning their attention in the inbox.

What Happens After You Hit Send

Once your email is sent, you can track what happens in the Statistics tab.

Metrics you'll see:

• Open rate — Percentage of people who opened your email. Note: This has gotten less accurate since Apple's Mail Privacy Protection launched, which automatically "opens" emails to protect privacy. Current average is 42-43%, but take it with a grain of salt.

• Click-through rate (CTR) — Percentage of recipients who clicked a link in your email. This is more reliable than open rate. Average is 2-5% depending on industry.

• Click-to-open rate (CTOR) — Percentage of people who opened AND clicked. This tells you how engaging your content was. Average is 10-15%.

• Unsubscribe rate — Percentage who opted out. Average is 0.15-0.22%.

Realistic expectations for your first email:

If you're sending to a list that hasn't heard from you in a while, or if this is truly your first-ever email, you might see:

• 20-30% open rate

• 1-2% click-through rate

Don't let that discourage you. The second email will be better. By your tenth email, you'll have a rhythm.

What to do if something goes wrong:

If you spot a mistake after sending (wrong link, missing information, actual error), send a correction email. Make it friendly and honest:

"Hey — I just realized the link in my last email wasn't working. Here's the correct one: [link]. Thanks for your patience!"

People understand. Technology fails sometimes. Humans make mistakes. It's fine.

What about sending a follow-up?

If you're promoting something specific (like a workshop or a product), you can absolutely send a follow-up email to people who didn't open the first one or didn't click through.

Wait at least 2-3 days, then send again with a different subject line. You're not annoying people — you're giving them another chance to see something valuable if they missed it the first time or life got to life-ing and they forgot.

Key Takeaways (What You Just Learned)

Let's recap what you now know:

• Broadcast emails are one-time sends you control manually — as opposed to automated workflows or form/calendar notifications that happen automatically.

• You can test everything before sending to your real list. There's no reason to be terrified of breaking something when you can send yourself multiple test emails and check everything first.

• Simple emails work. You don't need fancy graphics or complicated designs to send effective broadcasts. Text-only emails have slightly lower open rates (36% vs. 43%) but often have better deliverability and feel more personal. Start simple, build the muscle, add design later.

• Mistakes aren't disasters. The "oops" email often performs better than the original. People are forgiving. Typos happen.

• Broadcast vs. automation: Use broadcasts for newsletters, announcements, and manual sends. Use form auto-responders for immediate confirmation of form-fills. Use workflows for multi-step sequences like welcome series or nurture campaigns. Use calendar notifications for booking confirmations and reminders.

• Quality + relevance > frequency. Don't blast your whole list with everything. Use segmentation (tags, smart lists) to send relevant emails to the right people. You own your email list (unlike social media), so treat it like the valuable asset it is.

Next Steps: What to Do Now

You've learned how to send a broadcast email. Here's what to do next:

1. Send yourself a test email today — even if you don't send it to your list yet. Get comfortable with the process. Click around. Explore the builder. You can't break anything… you can always delete the email you’re playing with or hit refresh on your browser to start over.

2. Build your list (if you haven't already). Set up a simple lead magnet — a free resource people can download in exchange for their email address. Use FableForge forms to collect contacts.

3. Plan your next 3 email topics. Don't just send one email and disappear. Consistency matters more than perfection. What do you want to share with your audience?

4. Join the BLUEprint Business Lab for community support. You're not supposed to figure all of this out alone. Get feedback, ask questions, and connect with other entrepreneurs who are building businesses that work with how they're wired — not against it. Join free at bpbizlab.com and enjoy our free Tech Support calls every Thursday.

5. Consider FableForge for your all-in-one system (if you don’t have it already). You just learned email broadcasts, but FableForge handles way more than email: CRM, forms, calendars, automations, landing pages, courses, payments — all in one platform for $127/month instead of paying $300+ for scattered tools. Start your trial at fableforgesuite.com/join

The hardest part is sending the first one. You've got this.