BUILD A 10K EMAIL LIST IN 90 DAYS
Your online course launch is approaching fast. You’ve poured countless hours into creating exceptional content. The slides are polished. The videos are edited. Everything looks perfect.
But you’re living in yesterday’s world with today’s tools—and it’s a recipe for disaster.
The Old World: Build it and they will come. Create great content, share it on social media, and watch the sales roll in.
The New World: Platforms have become walled gardens. Algorithms hide your content. Tech giants prioritise their profits over your visibility. The digital landscape has fundamentally shifted beneath your feet.
In 2025, having brilliant content without a substantial email list isn’t just risky—it’s suicidal for your business.
No list = no sales. Period.
While everyone else fights for fleeting attention in increasingly crowded, algorithm-controlled spaces, smart creators are building the one asset that transcends platform changes: a direct line to their audience’s inbox.
The brutal truth? The window for building this asset is closing fast. Each day, privacy changes tighten. Each month, acquisition costs rise. Each year, the barriers to entry grow higher.
If you can’t capture attention and convert it to owned media now, your brilliant course will die in obscurity—not because it lacks value, but because the distribution channels you’re counting on no longer work like they used to.
Successful course creators today aren’t just creating differently—they’re distributing differently. They recognise that in this new world, the email list isn’t just another marketing channel—it’s the foundation everything else is built upon. It’s the difference between being at the mercy of tech giants and owning your business destiny.
Want 10,000 hungry subscribers ready to purchase your course in just 90 days, before these opportunities disappear completely? Let’s break down the exact system that works in today’s reality—no fluff, no outdated theory, just proven tactics that deliver results in the new digital landscape. Here’s how to grow your email list.
WHY EMAIL DOMINATES EVERYTHING ELSE
The data doesn’t lie. Email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent—crushing every other digital channel. While social platforms change algorithms weekly and paid ads grow more expensive daily, email remains the most direct, reliable path to your ideal buyers.
Email isn’t just another marketing channel—it’s your business lifeline. It’s the difference between launching to crickets and launching to credit card notifications.
Consider this: a modest 2% conversion rate on a 10,000-person list equals 200 sales. At a $997 course price point, that’s $199,400 from a single launch. Now you understand why building your email list isn’t optional—it’s essential.
You may be wondering, as a course creator, can you build an email list from scratch?
Is 10,000 subscribers in 90 days actually realistic?
Yes, with disciplined execution. This isn’t about magical thinking—it’s about mathematics. To reach 10,000 subscribers in 90 days requires averaging 111 new subscribers daily. Break that down further: with a 40% conversion rate on your opt-in page, you need 278 daily visitors. With strategic implementation of the marketing strategy below, this is entirely achievable.
Do I need a massive marketing budget?
No. While strategic paid advertising accelerates growth, many course creators build substantial lists using primarily organic methods. The system works regardless of your starting budget. Begin with the free strategies, then reinvest early revenue into paid amplification.
How targeted should my list be?
Ruthlessly targeted. A list of 10,000 random email addresses is worthless. A list of 10,000 people desperately seeking the exact solution your course provides is priceless. Every strategy in this system prioritizes quality over quantity. We’re building a buyer list, not a vanity metric.
THE 5-STEP SYSTEM to RAPIDY BUILD AN EMAIL LIST
STEP 1: CREATE AN IRRESISTIBLE LEAD MAGNET WITH A UNIQUE MECHANISM
Your lead magnet is the gateway to your email list. Most creators fail here by offering generic, forgettable content that provides no compelling reason to subscribe.
The solution? Create a lead magnet built around a unique mechanism—your proprietary approach, framework, or methodology that delivers results differently than anything else available.
Your lead magnet must:
– Solve ONE specific, urgent problem
– Deliver a quick win within 24-48 hours
– Showcase your unique expertise
– Naturally lead toward your paid course
Powerful formats include:
– A 5-day challenge using your signature framework
– A detailed template incorporating your unique process
– A comprehensive guide featuring your proprietary method
– A video masterclass revealing your exclusive approach
For example, if your course teaches Instagram growth, don’t offer a generic “Instagram Tips” PDF. Instead, create “The 3-Day Reels Acceleration Challenge: How to Double Your Engagement Using the Visibility Vortex Method.”
The specificity, urgency, and unique mechanism make this irresistible to your ideal subscribers. Plus, you can include a newsletter as a bonus, or the lead magnet as the bonus to your newsletter.
STEP 2: LEVERAGE HIGH-TRAFFIC CHANNELS WITH STRATEGIC PRECISION
Content creation alone isn’t enough. You need systematic distribution across platforms where your ideal buyers already spend time.
The Ladder of Beliefs: Building Conviction Through Content
Every piece of content you create must strategically move your audience up the “ladder of beliefs”—a psychological progression that transforms casual viewers into eager subscribers and buyers. Your content should systematically address:
1. Bottom Rung: Problem Awareness – Content confirming they have the problem you solve
2. Second Rung: Solution Awareness – Content revealing solutions exist (without pitching yours yet)
3. Third Rung: Method Awareness – Content highlighting your unique approach/mechanism
4. Top Rung: Product Awareness – Content connecting your lead magnet to their desired outcome
For each platform, create content addressing all four rungs, with special emphasis on the middle two, which build the strongest conviction.
Answering the 4 Critical “Whys” in Every “New Subscribers” Campaign
Additionally, your content must systematically answer the four questions every “target audience” prospect subconsciously asks before subscribing:
1. Why You? – Content demonstrating your unique expertise, background, and credibility
Example: “How I went from struggling course creator to 7-figure launches using this exact email campaigns system”
2. Why Me? – Content showing you understand their specific situation and challenges
Example: “The 3 reasons most course creators fail to build their email list (and why it’s not your fault)”
3. Why This? – Content highlighting what makes your approach different and superior
Example: “Why traditional email list building advice fails in 2025 (and what works instead)”
4. Why Now? – Content creating urgency and consequences for delay
Example: “The closing window: Why waiting even 30 days to build your email list will cost you thousands”
For each platform:
Social Media Domination For Your Email List Building:
– Create a content calendar ensuring you address all ladder rungs and 4 whys weekly
– Identify 3-5 core pain points your audience experiences
– Create daily content addressing these specific struggles
– Include clear, direct calls-to-action to your lead magnet
– Engage with every comment, building relationships
– Use platform-specific features (Stories, Reels, Lives) to increase visibility
– Implement the “Problem-Agitate-Solution” formula in every post
YouTube & Podcast Penetration to Raise Your Online Course Awareness:
– Create cornerstone content pieces (15-30 minutes) that deeply explore your audience’s challenges
– Structure content to methodically climb the belief ladder
– Explicitly address each of the 4 whys throughout your content
– Embed multiple mentions of your lead magnet throughout
– Create custom URLs for easy verbal referencing
– Include timestamps directing to solution sections
– Repurpose long-form content into platform-specific snippets
– Collaborate with established creators in adjacent niches
Strategic Partnerships:
– Identify 20 potential partners with audiences overlapping yours
– Create a compelling partnership proposal emphasizing mutual benefit
– Offer to create exclusive content for their audience
– Suggest joint webinars or challenges with shared list-building goals
– Implement cross-promotions with clear tracking
The key difference between mediocre and explosive growth lies in execution consistency. Commit to daily content creation and distribution across at least three high-traffic channels simultaneously.
STEP 3: LIST BUILDING STRATEGIES – IMPLEMENT VIRAL GIVEAWAYS AND CONTESTS
Strategic giveaways can generate thousands of subscribers in days when properly executed.
Critical elements for giveaway success:
– Prize selection that attracts only your ideal buyers (avoid generic prizes like iPads)
– Entry mechanisms that require email subscription plus social sharing
– Viral multiplier incentives (more entries for referring friends)
– Clear timeframe creating urgency (7-14 days maximum)
– Transparent winner selection process building trust
– Follow-up sequence for non-winners offering special consolation value
Example structure: “Win My Complete Course Creation System ($2,997 value) by entering your email and sharing this post. Each friend who enters through your link gives you 3 additional entries.”
This approach ensures rapid list growth while maintaining subscriber quality through strategic prize selection.
STEP 4: ACCELERATE GROWTH WITH TARGETED PAID ADVERTISING
Once your organic systems demonstrate positive results, amplify winning strategies with paid advertising.
Focus your initial ad budget on:
– Retargeting website visitors and video viewers (lowest-hanging fruit)
– Promoting your highest-converting lead magnet to cold audiences
– Testing multiple creative variations simultaneously (minimum 5 per campaign)
– Implementing the “Testimonial Sandwich” ad format (problem → solution → proof)
– Creating custom audiences based on engagement behaviors
– Developing lookalike audiences from your existing subscribers
Structure your ad campaigns to address the 4 whys:
– Why You ads featuring your credentials and results
– Why Me ads speaking directly to audience pain points
– Why This ads highlighting your unique mechanism
– Why Now ads emphasising urgency and consequences of delay
Even modest daily budgets ($20-50) can dramatically accelerate list growth when targeting is precise and creative resonates deeply with your ideal audience.
STEP 5: OPTIMISE LANDING PAGE CONVERSION PATHWAYS
The difference between a 20% and 60% opt-in rate lies in landing page optimisation.
Your landing pages must:
– Open with a headline addressing a specific pain point
– Present your lead magnet as the immediate solution
– Highlight your unique mechanism differentiating your approach
– Include 3-5 bullet points of specific benefits (not features)
– Incorporate social proof from previous subscribers
– Use a simple, prominent opt-in form (fewer fields = higher conversion)
– Remove all navigation and distractions
– Include urgency elements (limited availability, timers)
– Feature a compelling call-to-action that emphasizes value, not work
Critically, ensure your landing page explicitly addresses all 4 whys:
– Why You – Brief credibility section establishing your authority
– Why Me – Copy that speaks directly to visitor’s specific situation
– Why This – Clear explanation of what makes your lead magnet unique
– Why Now – Compelling urgency elements and consequences for delay
Test multiple variations simultaneously, focusing on headline and call-to-action optimization first, as these elements drive the largest conversion improvements.
EMAIL MARKETING RETENTION AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Building your list is only half the battle. Maintaining engagement ensures your subscribers remain responsive when you launch your course.
Implement these critical engagement tactics:
– Send immediate value within 15 minutes of subscription
– Create a strategic welcome sequence introducing your core philosophy
– Segment subscribers based on behavior and interests
– Maintain consistent delivery schedule (same days/times)
– Use story-driven emails creating emotional connection
– Incorporate open loops maintaining curiosity
– Regularly clean your list removing unengaged subscribers
– Implement re-engagement campaigns for declining interest
– Survey subscribers quarterly for feedback and preferences
Structure your email sequences to continue building belief:
– Early emails focus on problem and solution awareness
– Middle emails establish your unique method
– Later emails prepare subscribers for your product offering
Remember: an engaged list of 5,000 will outperform a disinterested list of 20,000 every time.
REAL-WORLD EMAIL LIST SUCCESS IMPLEMENTATION
Consider Jenna Kutcher’s rapid list-building journey. Starting with zero subscribers, she implemented this exact system—creating her signature “Instagram Lab” lead magnet, distributing strategic content across platforms, partnering with complementary creators, and optimizing her conversion pathways.
What made Jenna’s approach particularly effective was her masterful use of the belief ladder and 4 whys framework. Her content systematically built conviction by addressing each rung of the ladder, while her campaigns explicitly answered why her audience should trust her specifically, why her approach was uniquely suited to their situation, why her method was superior, and why immediate action was essential.
Within 90 days, she built a list exceeding 10,000 subscribers. Within a year, that list generated over $1 million in course sales. The system works when implemented with discipline and consistency.
YOUR ONLINE COURSE ACTION PLAN STARTS NOW
Building a 10,000-person email list in 90 days isn’t just possible—it’s a predictable outcome when you follow this system with unwavering commitment.
Start today:
1. Create your unique mechanism lead magnet this week
2. Map out your ladder of beliefs and 4 whys content strategy
3. Implement daily content distribution across three platforms
4. Launch your first strategic giveaway within 14 days
5. Begin testing paid amplification by day 30
6. Continuously optimise your conversion pathways
The difference between course creators who struggle and those who thrive isn’t talent or luck—it’s the strategic asset of a responsive email list built through psychological understanding and systematic execution.
Your move. Your future launches depend on it.
Q: How can a course creator build an email list from scratch?
A: Starting from zero subscribers feels like trying to fill a swimming pool with a teaspoon, but don’t panic!
Begin by creating a simple opt-in form on your website where visitors can sign up for your email newsletter.
Next, create a lead magnet (like a free guide or mini-course) that solves a specific problem for your ideal students.
The secret sauce? Make sure your sign-up process is easier than ordering pizza online. Before you know it, you’ll have complete strangers willingly exchanging their email addresses for your wisdom, and your funnel will start filling up with potential students!
Q: What’s the best way to create a lead magnet that actually grows your email list?
A: Think of your lead magnet as the digital equivalent of those free samples at Costco – but without the awkward person in the hairnet!
The best lead magnets solve a specific problem that gives people a taste of what your full course offers. Try creating a free resource like a cheat sheet, checklist, or mini-course that provides immediate value.
The magic happens when people think, “If their free stuff is this good, their paid course must be amazing!” Just remember: if people are willing to trade their precious email address for what you’re offering, you’re on the right track to building your online course empire!
Q: Which email marketing software is best for course creators?
A: Choosing email marketing software is like picking a roommate – you’ll be spending A LOT of time together, so choose wisely! Popular options include ConvertKit (super user-friendly for beginners), ActiveCampaign (great for sophisticated email automation), Mailchimp (the OG with a generous free plan), or Flodesk (pretty templates for the aesthetically-inclined).
The “best” option depends on your tech comfort level, budget, and how fancy you want your email automation to be. Just pick one and start building – you can always switch later if you discover your email software has annoying habits, like leaving digital dishes in the sink!
Q: How can I create an email list for free when I’m just starting out?
A: Being broke doesn’t mean you can’t build an email empire! Start with free tiers of email marketing platforms like Mailchimp (up to 2,000 subscribers), MailerLite, or SendinBlue.
You can create an email list without spending a dime by focusing on organic methods: utilize free social media platforms to promote your lead magnet, guest on podcasts where your target audience hangs out, or write guest posts for related blogs.
The funnel starts when you convince people to sign up for your email newsletter with the promise of valuable content. It’s like throwing a party with no budget – you can’t offer fancy appetisers, but with enough enthusiasm and a clear value proposition, people will still show up!
Q: What should I include in my welcome email to new subscribers?
A: Your welcome email is like a first date – it sets the tone for your entire relationship! Start with a hearty “thanks for joining” (but maybe hold off on the marriage proposal).
Deliver whatever goodies you promised in exchange for their email address immediately. Next, briefly explain what they can expect from you – content topics, email frequency, and the personality behind the messages.
Add a personal touch by sharing a quick story or asking a question to encourage replies. Finally, include a clear next step, like checking out your most popular blog post or following you on social media. Remember, this is the start of a beautiful friendship that will hopefully lead to them buying your course, so make it count!
Q: How often should I send emails when marketing my online course?
A: Finding the perfect email frequency is like Goldilocks testing porridge – not too hot, not too cold! For most course creators, a consistent weekly newsletter builds relationship without becoming annoying.
As you’re selling your online course (especially during launches), you’ll want to ramp up frequency – maybe 3-5 emails during launch week. The key is setting expectations upfront so subscribers aren’t shocked when more emails arrive.
Remember, it’s better to send fewer, value-packed emails than frequent “buy my stuff” messages that make people regret joining your email list faster than you can say “unsubscribe.” The best approach? Test different frequencies and watch your open rates to see what your audience prefers!
Q: What are some creative ways to grow your email list beyond basic opt-in forms?
A: If your email list grows as slowly as a sloth on vacation, it’s time to get creative! Try hosting a free webinar or workshop where registration requires an email address.
Create quizzes related to your course topic that deliver personalized results via email. Start a challenge that participants join via email sign-up.
Guest on podcasts with a special offer for listeners. Set up your email opt-in form on multiple pages of your website, not just the homepage.
Run a giveaway of resources your audience actually wants. Partner with complementary course creators for list-building bundles.
The funnel gets fuller when you think beyond basic “subscribe to my newsletter” buttons. Remember, people need a compelling reason to invite your marketing emails into their already crowded inbox!
Q: How do I use my newsletter to increase online course sales?
A: Your newsletter is like a party where you’re both the host AND the guest of honor! The secret to sell more online courses through email? Provide so much value that paying for your course feels like the natural next step.
Start by segmenting your list so you’re sending targeted content based on interests. Share case studies of successful students, behind-the-scenes peeks at your course creation process, and answer common questions.
Sprinkle in testimonials naturally. Occasionally offer special deals or bonuses exclusively for subscribers. The best part? Unlike social media, once someone’s on your email marketing list, you own that connection – no algorithm can come between you and your potential students.
As your list grows, your business grows too, and soon you’ll be sending emails from your yacht. Well, maybe a small yacht, but still!
Q: How long does it take to build an effective email list for selling courses?
A: Asking how long it takes to build an email list is like asking how long it takes to become a good dancer – it depends on your moves! Most course creators need 3-6 months of consistent effort to build a responsive list that generates sales.
But here’s the funny truth: it’s not about the size. (Email marketers say this a lot, I promise.) A highly-engaged list of 500 people who open everything you send will generate more online course sales than 5,000 people who forgot they subscribed.
Focus on quality over quantity as you start building. The good news? Once you set up your email automation with a solid welcome sequence, much of the work happens while you sleep! Just keep creating valuable content, and before you know it, your list will be generating sales with every launch!
Q: What are the biggest mistakes to avoid when creating your email list for courses?
A: Want to know how to sabotage your email list faster than you can say “spam folder”? First, buy email addresses instead of earning subscribers organically (nothing says “trust me with your education” like unsolicited emails!).
Second, forget to set up basic email automation like welcome sequences, leaving new subscribers wondering if they’ve joined a ghost town.
Third, make your sign-up process more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture.
Fourth, promise weekly tips but disappear for months, then suddenly reappear only when you’re selling something.
Fifth, send nothing but promotional content without providing value first. And the grand finale of email list disasters? Forgetting to comply with email laws like including an unsubscribe option. Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll be light years ahead of many course creators who wonder why their list isn’t converting!