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How to kickstart your email list as a brand starting from zero

Author

Max Sturtevant
January 21, 2026

The Inbox Newsletter

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

A friend asked me last week: "If you had a brand and were starting email from zero, and you had to do everything yourself, where would you start?"

Good question.

Most brands either try to build 12 flows at once and burn out, or they do nothing because they think email is too complex.

Here's the 80/20. The bare minimum email setup that actually makes money. You don't need an expensive agency. You don't need 15 flows and complex segmentation. You just need these four things in this exact order.

Key Takeaways:

  • Start with deliverability basics (SPF, DKIM, DMARC records)

  • Priority 1: Sign-up form with mystery discount (converts best)

  • Priority 2: Welcome flow (1 email minimum, 4 emails ideal)

  • Priority 3: Abandonment flows ("Your Order Is Ready To Ship" angle crushes)

  • Priority 4: Campaigns 2x/week, scale to 4x/week

Step 1: Sign-Up Form (You Can't Email People Who Aren't On Your List)

You need a pop-up on your site. Simple offer. Clear value.

The EASIEST way to increase email revenue is just by having a shit ton of people on your list.

I would do something different than the typical go straight to asking for someone’s email…

We need to stand out to get engagement in 2026.

Instead of "Sign up for 10% off," use "You've got a MYSTERY OFFER. Choose a box to reveal."

Why? Curiosity. People sign up just to see what they'll get, even if everyone gets the same 20% off.

Wild's pop-up nails this: mystery boxes with question marks. Clean design. Clear CTA.

If you don't want to do mystery discounts, just offer a straight discount: "Unlock 20% OFF your first order."

Either way, get a pop-up live. You can't email people who aren't on your list.

Step 2: Welcome Flow (1 Email Minimum, 4 Emails Ideal)

Your welcome flow is the most important flow you'll ever build. It gets 60-80% open rates on the first email.

Email 1: Deliver the discount + brand background

Fire this email immediately when someone signs up.

What to include:

  • Clear headline: "Welcome! Here's your discount"

  • Discount code prominently displayed

  • Brief brand intro (1-2 sentences about who you are and why you exist)

  • Product visuals

  • Big "Shop Now" button

JOI's welcome email does this perfectly: "Welcome! We're jumping for JOI, now that you're here." Brand intro (plant milk concentrates, minimal ingredients). Two discount options (23% off or 41% off first Subscribe & Save). Product showcase below. Simple. Effective.

If you only build one email, this is it.

But ideally, you build 3-4 more emails:

Email 2 (Day 1): Founder story or brand history

Give context. Why does your brand exist? What problem are you solving? Keep it short. Always mention the discount is still active at the bottom.

Email 3 (Day 2): Text-based pattern interrupt

Plain text email from the founder or customer support. "Hey, just checking in. Have you had a chance to use your discount yet? It expires in 24 hours. Reply if you have any questions."

Email 4 (Day 3-4): Last chance urgency

Countdown timer. "Your discount expires tonight." Final push to convert.

You can reference the full welcome flow breakdown from [link to previous welcome flow newsletter if you want], but if you're just starting, get Email 1 live first. Add the others later.

Step 3: Abandonment Flows (1 Email Each to Start, 3-4 Ideal)

Cart, checkout, site, and browse abandon flows.

These are your highest-converting automated emails after welcome flow.

The angle that crushes: "Your Order Is Ready To Ship"

Most brands send "You forgot something in your cart!" emails. Boring. Expected.

ButcherBox flips it: "Your Order Is Ready To Ship. You're one click away from premium food made just for your dog. 20% OFF expires soon, click below to claim before it's gone."

Why this works:

Assumption of completion. "Your order is ready" assumes they're already a customer. It removes friction. They're not abandoning. They're just finishing what they started.

Urgency without aggression. The discount is expiring. The order is waiting. It feels helpful, not pushy.

Personalization. "[Dog's Name]'s Custom Food Plan" makes it feel tailored. Even if it's dynamic text, it works.

What to include in abandonment emails:

  • Subject line: "Your order is ready to ship" or "We saved your cart"

  • Show the exact product they abandoned (dynamic content block in Klaviyo)

  • Remind them of the discount or free shipping

  • Add urgency: "Expires in 24 hours" or "Low stock"

  • Multiple CTAs throughout the email

Start with one email per flow (cart, checkout, browse). Send 1 hour after abandonment. Add more emails (Email 2 at 24 hours, Email 3 at 48 hours) once you have bandwidth.

Step 4: Campaigns 2x/Week (Scale to 4x/Week ASAP)

Flows convert intent. Campaigns create it.

Once your flows are live, start sending campaigns. 2x/week minimum. Scale to 4x/week as fast as possible.

Quick campaign topics you can send:

  • One product feature (e.g., "This ingredient does X")

  • One product benefit (e.g., "Why customers love this")

  • Customer testimonial (specific, detailed story)

  • How to use your product (step-by-step guide)

  • FAQ (answer one common objection)

  • Behind the scenes (founder update, team photo, brand story)

Campaigns are how you print money consistently. Flows handle intent-based purchases. Campaigns drive awareness and keep your brand top-of-mind.

Don't overthink it. Pick a topic. Write 200 words. Add a product image. Send it.

This Is the Bare Minimum

That's it. Four things:

  1. Sign-up form (mystery discount pop-up)

  2. Welcome flow (1 email minimum, 4 emails ideal)

  3. Abandonment flows (cart, checkout, browse)

  4. Campaigns 2x/week → 4x/week

Once you have this live, you're making money from email. Then you optimize. Add more emails to flows. Test different sign-up offers. Send more campaigns. Build out post-purchase and winback flows.

But don't try to do everything at once. Start here. Get this live in the next two weeks.

My team and I will help you do this, literally hold your hand through this process if you sign-up for my Mentorship Program.

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Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max Sturtevant | Well Copy

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