How to Start Your e-Newsletter List

Don’t think you can start marketing your services with an e-newsletter as you don’t have a big list?

Get started building your e-newsletter list fast

Here's How to Start Your e-Newsletter List.
Here’s How to Start Your e-Newsletter List.

1.  Go back to your correspondence with current and old customers and grab the email address. Start creating your list in an Excel spreadsheet. All you really need is the first name and email address.

2. Update your website privacy policy before you really get serious about building your list. Make sure that you clearly state that if someone contacts you at your business email address that you will be adding them to your e-newsletter list. Make sure you also state if you will be selling your list to third parties or only using it for your own purposes.

3. Every time you get an email, add that address to your spreadsheet. You will be amazed that in 30 days your list can grow to several hundred people.

4. Take time to review old records of past clients and add them to your e-newsletter address list too. The Can Spam Act does not allow you to harvest emails from people you do not know, but if you have had a business relationship with anyone, you can add them to your list.

5. When your e-newsletter list has about 200 people on it, you are ready to send out your first newsletter. Make your first one the explanation of what you are doing and tell people how to opt out.

Sending to your e-newsletter list

Once you get started, be consistent in sending your notes. I like monthly for my e-newsletters. Quarterly may be too much time apart and weekly for most businesses is too frequent. Whatever you choose, just stick with it.

Make sure you have a subscription form on your website. Allow your website and blog visitors to self-subscribe to your e-newsletter list by putting your subscription services form on your website.

Creating your initial list is not hard and is not really time consuming. The value of being able to contact and promote your business and services to current, past, and future clients is highly valuable to your overall marketing efforts.