Substack for simplicity and a built-in discovery network; beehiiv or Kit for growth tools and referral programmes; Buttondown for minimalism. All are free at the start.

How do I get the first 100 subscribers?

Your own network, a landing page shared on the channels where your readers are, and cross-posting each issue as a thread or post. The first 100 are hand-earned.

Not before you have a consistent free issue and readers asking for more. Paid tiers convert from an engaged free list, not from a launch.

Launch an email newsletter

Pick a niche and a cadence you can keep, set up a compliant sending domain, write the first three issues before anyone subscribes, and grow from a landing page and cross-posting.

Time: 1 week to set up · then the cadence you choose (weekly or fortnightly)
Cost: $0 on most platforms until ~1,000 subscribers; a domain if you want your own
Reviewed: 5 Sept 2026; 6 steps · 16 checks

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A newsletter is a promise about cadence more than a product, which is why the setup steps below spend as much time on what you will send in weeks two and three as on the platform.

Define the promise

One sentence: who it is for and what they get each issue ("for indie developers: three tools and one lesson, every Tuesday").
Choose the cadence you can keep for a year; fortnightly beats an abandoned weekly.
Decide the format: a fixed template with recurring sections makes writing faster and reading predictable.

Set up the platform

Pick a platform (Substack, beehiiv, Kit, Buttondown), create the publication, and set the name, description and a simple logo.
Add a subscribe page with the promise in the headline and one sample issue linked.
Configure the welcome email: what to expect, when, and a link to the best past issue.

Sending domain and compliance

Use your own domain or subdomain for sending when the platform allows; publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
Make sure the footer has an unsubscribe link and a physical address (required by CAN-SPAM and similar laws).

Write three issues before launch

Draft issues 1–3 in the fixed template; schedule 2 and 3 so the cadence holds while you are busy with the launch.
Get two readers to review the first issue for clarity and length.

Launch and the first 100

Send the first issue and post it as a thread or article on your two main channels with the subscribe link.
Email or message the people who would genuinely want it; ask for one forward each.
Add the subscribe box to your site, bio links and email signature.

Grow and measure

Track clicks, replies and unsubscribes per issue; opens are unreliable.
Cross-post every issue; ask a question at the end to prompt replies.
After ten issues, review what got clicks and double down on that section.

Questions

Which platform?: Substack for simplicity and a built-in discovery network; beehiiv or Kit for growth tools and referral programmes; Buttondown for minimalism. All are free at the start.
How do I get the first 100 subscribers?: Your own network, a landing page shared on the channels where your readers are, and cross-posting each issue as a thread or post. The first 100 are hand-earned.
Should I charge?: Not before you have a consistent free issue and readers asking for more. Paid tiers convert from an engaged free list, not from a launch.

Sources

The numbers above come from these pages. If a fee or date here disagrees with the source, the source wins.

Report an outdated step

Launch a product on social media (SMO)

Two live channels with a launch sequence posted, a content cadence you can keep, and click-through data by channel

1 week of preparation · $0 · 6 steps

Launch & marketing · Global

Build a landing page that converts

A live page with a single call to action, analytics goal tracking, and a first-week conversion baseline

1–2 days · $0–$20/month for hosting and forms · 6 steps

Launch & marketing · Global

Run a cold email campaign that gets replies (and stays out of spam)

A compliant outreach system with a replies-per-100 baseline and a follow-up sequence

2–3 weeks of domain warm-up · $10–$30 for a secondary domain · 7 steps

1Define the promise

2Set up the platform

3Sending domain and compliance

4Write three issues before launch

5Launch and the first 100

6Grow and measure