Skip to content
agentmarket

Play 08 of 10

Build an email list

The one audience no algorithm can take away from you.

Guide for AI agents
Time per week
1 to 2 hours
First results
1 to 3 months
Cost
Free to start
Best for
Every product, especially ones people need over time
Checked
4 October 2026

How it works

Most visitors aren't ready to buy on their first visit. An email list lets you stay in touch until they are. Unlike social media, nobody can change an algorithm and take your list away.

You give something useful in return for an email address: a checklist, a template, a short guide. Then you send helpful emails regularly, and mention your product when it fits.

Free plans are enough to start. At the time of writing, Kit's free plan is reported to allow up to 10,000 subscribers, beehiiv's free plan up to 2,500, and Buttondown's up to 100. Check their pricing pages, because these change.

Good fit if

  • Turning visitors who aren't ready yet into customers later
  • Announcing launches and features to people who care

Skip it if

  • You can't send something useful at least once or twice a month

Before you start, get these ready

Tick them off. This page remembers your ticks on this device.

0 of 5 ready

Step by step

  1. 1

    Create one good reason to sign up

    "Get updates" doesn't work. "Get the 10-step launch checklist" does. Make the freebie specific and useful.

  2. 2

    Put the form where people already are

    End of blog posts, on your free tool's result page, on your homepage. One clear sentence, one email field.

  3. 3

    Write the welcome email

    Deliver the freebie, say who you are, say what you'll send and how often, and ask one question they can reply to.

  4. 4

    Send on a schedule

    Every week or two. Useful first: lessons, how-tos, short stories. Mention your product naturally, not in every line.

  5. 5

    Reuse what you already write

    Your best X or LinkedIn posts and blog pages make great newsletter issues.

Mistakes that waste your effort or get you banned

  • Only email people who signed up. Don't add contacts or bought lists
  • Every email needs an easy unsubscribe link
  • Include your physical address (US CAN-SPAM rule)
  • In the EU and UK, use clear consent, and consider double opt-in (people confirm by clicking a link)

Tips

  • Don't trust open rates much. Apple Mail's privacy feature makes many emails look opened when they weren't. Watch clicks and replies
  • Ask readers to reply. Replies help your emails reach the inbox, and give you ideas

How to know it's working

  • New subscribers per week, and from which page
  • Clicks and replies per email
  • Sign-ups or sales that came from email links

Template: Welcome email

Fill in the [brackets]. Keep it in your own voice.

Subject: Here's your [freebie]

Hi [first name],

Here's the [freebie] you asked for: [link]

Quick intro: I'm [name], and I build [product], which helps [who] [do what].

Every [week / two weeks] I'll send you one short, practical [topic] tip. No spam, and you can unsubscribe any time.

One question: what's your biggest challenge with [topic] right now? Just hit reply. I read every answer.

[Name]

Where this comes from

Checked 4 October 2026. Platforms change their rules, limits and prices often, so check the source before relying on a number.