How to build your first email list from zero

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Today's Email: How to build your first email list from zero

If I was starting an email list today with zero subscribers, here's exactly what I'd do.

1. Pick one specific signup offer

I wouldn't put up a form that says "subscribe for updates." Nobody signs up for that.

I'd create something small and specific that solves a real problem, and convert it into:

• A checklist

• A template

• A short guide

• A mini course

• A free tool

"Get our newsletter" converts at 1-2%. "Get the 10-point homepage copywriting checklist" converts at 5-10%. Specificity wins every time.

2. Build one simple landing page

Not a full website. One page with three things:

• What they get

• Why it's useful

• A signup form

Most ESPs (like Mailberry) let you set this up in a few minutes. No design skills. One offer. One form. One CTA button.

3. Use what I already have

I wouldn't spend money on ads from day one. I'd start with what's already in front of me.

• A LinkedIn or Instagram with even 200 followers? Post about what I'm building and link to the signup page.

• A blog post getting some traffic? Add a form in the middle of the post, not buried in the footer.

• A small community or group chat? Share the link with context on what people will get.

• Existing customers? Ask for their email at checkout or during onboarding.

Most first lists come from places you're already showing up. You just haven't asked yet.

4. Set up a welcome email before promoting anything

This is the mistake I see most often. People collect emails and then go quiet for two weeks while they "figure out what to send."

By the time they email, subscribers have forgotten who they are.

I'd have one welcome email ready before I share a single signup link. Even a simple one:

• Here's what you signed up for

• Here's what to expect

• Here's one useful thing right now

That first email sets the tone for everything.

5. Prioritize quality over speed

50 subscribers who signed up because they genuinely want what I'm offering are worth more than 500 who entered a giveaway and forgot about me.

Early subscribers open your emails. They reply. They tell you what they want. Those signals shape everything you build next.

I wouldn't rush the number. I'd focus on getting the right people in.

6. Pick a frequency and stick with it

I wouldn't try to email daily. I'd pick something I can actually sustain.

Once every two weeks is better than three emails in week one followed by a month of silence. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds engagement. Engagement builds a list worth having.

That's the whole playbook.

Best,
Alec

P.S. Have a topic you’d like us to cover in the next edition? Reply to this email and let us know! We're always eager to address.