Generally speaking there are more than 10 types for educational email courses (EECs). Types in are what the define the overall content to be delivered based on a given topic. It will also determine formatting and a sort of rate of revelation to your content.

I will start with the top 5 most effective and as a bonus provide an additional list.

So why top 5 types?

The first 5 are likely the ones that will have broad appeal to most of people’s audiences. Some are so niche that it mostly pertains to “most aware” individuals while others are broad yet scoped to your industry. Technically anything can be structured into 5 segments as an educational email course. This does not mean I favor these 5 more than others. You will see why these 5 as I explain them further below. The first 5 types of educational email courses

  • The Crash Course: Everything you need to know to get started on a topic.
  • The Step-By-Step: Clear action steps you need to be successful at a topic.
  • The Problems & Benefits: What problems do you need to solve most on a topic?
  • The Biggest Mistakes: The biggest mistakes on a topic–and how to avoid them.
  • The Myths & Mistakes: The biggest myths of a topic and how to avoid mistakes.

The Crash Course

Crash course types are in the name – to educate a reader about everything they need to know about said topic. They work best for targeting problem unaware individuals and beginners Additionally they are quite powerful if you want to be known for introducing a new category under the banner of a different name. For example, “full stack writer”, “software 2.0”, etc. Think of it as a crash course about this new approach to a common problem.

The Step-By-Step

I call this the little tutor type. A course organized this way should target something readers want to learn and broken out into clear steps. Each step represented as days so they are digestible without overburdening your readership. By the end of the email course, they should have “done” said steps and achieved something specific as a result. These are great for information dense topics that easily overwhelm at first. Think “how to validate a product feature”, or “how to validate the performance of a Meta Ad”. You can see how this spirals into a rabbit hole at first, so guide your readers with steps based on your experience. Sort of like being with them in person as a daily little tutor.

Problems & Benefits

What problems do you need to solve most on a topic? This is the question to guide your educational email course. It tends to follow a simple structure of do this, not that. Much like alternative options for eating food, you don’t want to just point out the options but also the do nots. You want your readers to unlock a desirable outcome. Give them a balanced approach of the yes and nots.

The Biggest Mistakes

I personally believe these to be most effective and suggest them as the first option. They have performed best out on the field in my experience. This type works so well because people truly want to avoid making mistakes as it’s in our best interest. Don’t just point out mistakes but also carry on each topic with tips on how to avoid them. The overarching idea here is that every industry or niche wants to avoid making mistakes when solving a problem or achieving their goal. It’s natural to pique your interest to want to learn more.

Myths & Mistakes

This one is excellent if you own a business that is generally seen as confusing by the public. It can work wonders for misunderstood businesses. Some example industries include: ⁃ pharmaceuticals ⁃ insurance ⁃ law ⁃ financial services and investing ⁃ Real estate development ⁃ Tax preparation ⁃ Healthcare

If you own any of these businesses consider placing an educational email course as key lead magnet. I’ve known of several law firms who received high traffic but ultimately failed to convert most of it because of their depth of immigration services. Had they used an EEC for the key problem they resolve, it’s more than likely they would have closed more services for clients.

Additional types of Educational Email Courses

As promised, I’ve also included some other effective types of EECs you could create. The difference between these and the first 5 are more about the awareness levels required of a reader. Premature explanation about a topic falls on deaf ears. It will be quite difficult to talk about ”trends & data“ when people are first figuring out what why they should care about a given topic in the first place.

Hard Lessons Learned

This type can can be a compelling way to engage your audience by sharing real-life experiences that offer valuable insights. It may be difficult for newcomers, those who aren’t as well-known (therefore not much punch to the topic), and if the topic is too shallow. However, it can be a time-saver for certain people and provide trust through storytelling.

I would caution with:

  • over-disclosure: with a fine line between sharing enough to be educational without appearing unprofessional or too negative.
  • perception of failure: if not framed correctly, your audience could perceive the failures as undermining your credibility rather than learning opportunities.

The Deep Dive Course

Focus intensively on one specific aspect of a broader topic. It’s quite similar to the step-by-step type but with more intensity. This works best when you have subject matter experience and have opinions about your topic. It will feel weak and watered down if written with generic, surface level advice for example coming from a content writer. Think about this marketing angle “The Perfect Investment Strategy Based on Your Personal Situation” coming from an experienced author versus shallow advice? It will read quite flat if you’re not the one inserting your opinion. So you’re advanced techniques, war stories, and strategies are quite welcomed here.

The “Case Study” Course

Much like hard lessons type only with a more positive take with accomplished outcomes. Walk through your real-world examples and success stories. We all love a good story so use it here as you help learners understand through concrete examples. For every reader, there is someone asking and doubting themselves if it will work the way they imagine it. Your stories will provide insight and a sense of relief to know that even experts have similar struggles.

The next 3 are more educational for students wanting to learn a new craft or up-skill.

The Progress Skills Course

To be frank, this is much like the step by step type that I was doubting if I should include but I did. The reason is the positioning of this type. Progress skills course implies more depth into a said topic while step by step is more high-level overview. In this type you want to build complexity gradually with each sequence building on previous knowledge. It then ends with mastery of advanced concepts. For example: Strength Training Fundamentals 1. Day 1: Introduction to Strength Training - Proper Form and Safety 2. Day 2: Compound Exercises - Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press 3. Day 3: Accessory Exercises - Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions, Shoulder Raises 4. Day 4: Program Design - Full Body vs. Split Routines 5. Day 5: Progressive Overload - Increasing Weight, Reps, and Volume 6. Day 6: Deloading and Periodization 7. Day 7: Nutrition for Strength Athletes

The Interactive Challenge Course

This EEC is excellent for acquiring data of your audience through engagement. Encourage engagement by allowing users to reply to you with included assignments/exercises. You can make this quite fun. Let me give you an example idea for your business:

Digital Marketing Interactive Course

1.	Email 1: Introduction to SEO - Complete a keyword research exercise using a free tool
2.	Email 2: On-Page Optimization - Audit your website's title tags and meta descriptions, then share for feedback
3.	Email 3: Google Ads Fundamentals - Build a simple campaign in the Google Ads Demo account and report back on your results
4.	Email 4: Email Marketing Strategies - Craft a subject line and email copy for your next campaign, then get expert tips
5.	Email 5: Social Media Content Planning - Share your content calendar for the week and get suggestions for improvement

Those motivated enough could even become your pupil and unlock new business opportunities. Say through coaching/mentoring those motivated enough to finish each task.

The Resource Roundup Course

This works quite well if you complement with aspects from the crash course type. Think of it as everything you need to know about a topic plus concrete examples to get you started. You will want to curate best tools, articles, and organize material by theme or difficulty.

Here is a blank template you can use without a specific example:

DAY 1 - [TOPIC] Fundamentals Crash course on the core concepts, terminology, and principles Recommended beginner-friendly articles and videos to get started

DAY 2 - [SUBTOPIC A] Deep dive into a key aspect of [TOPIC] Curated list of the best tools, software, and templates Examples of [SUBTOPIC A] in action

DAY 3 - [SUBTOPIC B] Crash course on another important [TOPIC] skill Roundup of tutorials, courses, and case studies Checklist for getting started with [SUBTOPIC B]

DAY 4 - [SUBTOPIC C] Comprehensive overview of [SUBTOPIC C] Directory of industry blogs, podcasts, and influencers Sample [SUBTOPIC C] projects to replicate

DAY 5 - Advanced [TOPIC] Techniques Expert-level strategies and methodologies Collection of research papers, white papers, and reports Examples of [TOPIC] mastery in the real world

DAY 6 - Common [TOPIC] Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) Myth-busting common misconceptions Troubleshooting guides and expert advice War stories from [TOPIC] practitioners

DAY 7 - Create Your [TOPIC] Action Plan Checklist to consolidate everything you’ve learned Recommended next steps and resources Template to build your personalized [TOPIC] plan

Well it sounds high value with a dense amount of information, do keep in mind the readers who will be most interested in this type.

The key to a successful Educational Email Course is to understand your target audience while providing in depth, subject matter content.

Further reading

This post is a sub topic to our key premise which is people do not care about the solution unless they understand the problem. It’s further detailed here to fully understand why educational content is key for a successful business.