How to Start an Email Newsletter: Platform, List and First Emails
Practice4 minInnovialabs editorial team
In short
Pick an email platform by the features you will actually use, collect subscribers only with consent via double opt-in, tag them from day one, automate a welcome email and send at a pace you can sustain.
The short answer
Launching a newsletter takes five steps:
- A platform with the features you need and your own domain connected.
- A signup form with explicit consent and address confirmation (double opt-in).
- Segments from day one: where people came from and what they care about.
- A welcome email that goes out automatically.
- A schedule you can actually keep, not an ideal one.
Never buy email lists: it breaks platform rules and data protection laws, and those sends quickly push your domain into spam.
How to choose an email platform
Ignore the marketing promises and check the features you will need over the next year:
| Criterion | What to check |
|---|---|
| Email editor | Drag-and-drop blocks, mobile-friendly output, HTML editing |
| Signup forms | Embedded forms, pop-ups, built-in double opt-in |
| Segmentation | Tags, custom fields, behaviour segments (opened, clicked, bought) |
| Automation | Triggered sequences: signup, purchase, inactivity |
| Deliverability | Sending from your own domain, SPF and DKIM setup |
| Integrations | CMS, online store, CRM, API and webhooks |
| Pricing | Per contact or per email — which scales better for you |
From the start, send from your own domain: bulk email from a free mailbox address delivers poorly, and some mailbox providers reject it outright.
How to collect subscribers legally
The foundation is explicit consent. People type in their own address and understand what they are signing up for.
- State what you will send and how often right in the form.
- Never pre-tick the consent box.
- Link to your privacy policy.
- Turn on double opt-in: after signing up, the person gets a confirmation link, and only after clicking it does the address join your list.
Double opt-in filters out typos, other people's addresses and bots, and it gives you proof of consent. Consent rules depend on where your subscribers live: check your local personal data law, and GDPR for an EU audience.
Where to collect addresses: a form in the site footer, a dedicated page offering a useful resource (checklist, guide), checkout (as a separate opt-in box), and offline events with written consent.
Segment from day one
Even a small list is worth tagging immediately; doing it later is much harder:
- Source: website, store, webinar, lead magnet.
- Interest: the topic or category they picked.
- Status: subscriber, customer, former customer.
- Engagement: opens and clicks, or silent.
Add one optional field to the form, such as a topic choice. More fields mean fewer signups.
The welcome email
This email gets more attention than any other, because the person has just signed up. Include:
- Thanks and the promised resource, if there was one.
- What you will send and how often.
- One action: read your best article, browse the catalogue, reply to a question.
- A request to add your address to their contacts.
Keep it short and written by a real person, not "the team".
Sending schedule
Frequency should match what you promised in the form and what your resources allow. One good email every two weeks, consistently, beats weekly emails for a month followed by silence: subscribers forget who you are and hit "spam".
A practical rhythm:
- Keep a content calendar a month ahead.
- Write emails in batches and schedule them.
- Fix a day and time so the newsletter becomes a habit.
- Once a month, review opens, clicks, unsubscribes and complaints. Open rates are now distorted by privacy protection in mail apps, so rely on clicks first.
Common mistakes
- Importing old or bought addresses without consent.
- No unsubscribe link, or a hidden one.
- The first email arrives a month after signup.
- Every email is a sales pitch with no value.