Email marketing

Every founder I know who built a successful newsletter from day one wishes they’d started even earlier. And every founder who relied on Instagram or TikTok has at some point watched their reach collapse overnight when an algorithm changed.

Email is the only marketing channel where you own the relationship.

Why email wins for early-stage founder businesses

The numbers on email vs social are not close. Email open rates for small businesses average 20–30%. Organic social reach for a business page is typically under 5%. Email subscribers you earned are yours; a platform can’t take them away.

More importantly: an email list is an asset with real monetary value. It can be the basis for a product launch, a community, a consulting waitlist, a newsletter that generates direct revenue. None of this works with a social following you don’t control.

UK GDPR: the part most people skip

In the UK, email marketing to consumers requires their explicit consent. This means: a sign-up form, a clear description of what they’re signing up for, and double opt-in (a confirmation email they must click). Soft opt-in applies for existing customers: you can email them about similar products, but this only applies to people who already bought from you.

Do not buy email lists. Do not add people who gave you a business card. Do not pre-tick consent boxes. All of these can lead to ICO complaints and fines.

Which platform to use

For a new UK founder building a first list:

GetResponse starts free (up to 500 contacts, no credit card required), is UK GDPR compliant, and has excellent automation features even on free and lower tiers. The pricing scales reasonably: £13/month for up to 1,000 contacts. Strong choice if you want automation from the start.

Mailchimp is the most-known name but has become more expensive and complex for what it offers. The free plan no longer includes automation. Better options exist at this price point.

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is popular with creators and newsletter writers. Excellent for subscriber segmentation and paid newsletter features. Free up to 10,000 subscribers with basic features.

Klaviyo: worth knowing about if you’re using Shopify, with native Shopify integration and excellent abandoned cart flows and purchase-based segmentation. Overkill for a new list but worth knowing when you’re ready to scale e-commerce email.

What to actually do on day one

Set up your platform. Create one sign-up form with a clear value proposition (what will they get? why should they subscribe?). Embed it on your website. Write a welcome email that says something real: why you started, what you’re building, what they can expect.

That’s it. Don’t overthink the automation sequences or segmentation until you have 200+ subscribers. The most important thing is having a working sign-up form before you launch anything else.

The full UK email marketing comparison

For head-to-head comparisons of Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, Omnisend, GetResponse and others, with UK GDPR analysis and GBP pricing for every tool, MailStack has the full breakdown.