Deep down you may know you should be building an email list, but you might not be sure where to start.
The good news is that you don't need a huge budget to begin growing an audience and building relationships with potential customers.
One email marketing platform worth considering is AWeber. They have a free plan, and it's the platform we started with and currently use. And we recommend it to everyone we work with.
Let's take a look at what you get, what you don't get, and whether the free plan is enough to help you start building your business.
Why Email Marketing Matters
Take a look at the chart below to understand the difference between followers and customers. Especially check out the headline, and note that "followers don't pay the bills".
It's important to make the connection between social media and email marketing and how both impact your ability to earn money.
As a new entrepreneur, it can be easy to think that having zillions of followers is what you should be striving for.
Because many new business owners place an emphasis on these "vanity metrics," they work really hard to build followers.
While it's great to take pride in your follower count, it's important to note that followers don't have a significant impact on the bottom line unless they convert to leads.
Social media followers, in many cases, like or agree with your content and they hit a button that turns them into your followers.
Building social media followers is great, but without an email list, where do your followers go?
In a lot of cases there is no strategy that helps followers take the next step.
Selecting an email marketing platform and getting started with email marketing fills the gap between social followers and customers that impacts your ability to generate leads and sales.
It's important to turn followers into leads. Leads are people who provide their email address (via email opt-in forms) in exchange for valuable content.
When potential customers sign up, they will receive a lead magnet or resources that potential customers need to make their lives better.
Following up via email is a convenient way to build a relationship that let's the person know that you're trustworthy, you know what you're doing and how you can help them on an ongoing basis.
Social Media is So Unpredictable
Keep in mind that social media platforms can change overnight.
Algorithms shift, accounts get limited, and followers don't always see your content.
In many cases, you have to pay to play. This means you have to invest in ads to gain exposure. In order for anyone (even the people who follow you) to see your content, you have to buy ads. This can add up really quickly.
How Email Marketing Works
The first step in getting started with email marketing involves signing up with an email marketing platform like aWeber.
Once you sign up, you use opt-in forms (like the one in the image above) on your platform. This gives visitors an opportunity to sign up for your list.
An Important Take Away
When someone signs up for your list, it means they are interested in your business. This means they are ready to take the next step and go from a follower to become part of your audience. This step provides a prime opportunity to make a great impression and build on this momentum.
Keep in mind that the words The words list, lead, and subscriber basically mean the same thing.
They are people who have said "yes" to your business, but they have not made a purchase.
The audience and community (these words mean basically the same thing) can consist of leads and customers.
To get people to sign up for your list, you can create what is called a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is an item of value (a mini course, an AI tool, a discount, digital book, etc) that your new subscribers will receive in exchange for their email.
Your lead magnet gives your new lead a sample of what it's like to work with you, while using the value inside the item to improve their lives in some way.
You promote your list and your lead magnet using social media, telling people what they will receive and the benefits they'll get when they sign up.
In our case we've place opt-in forms here on our WordPress site, and our WooCommerce shop, and we drive traffic to those forms using social media.
It's important to have a list of leads, and a separate list of customers. Leads are important, but customers should be your VIPs.
The Benefits of Having an Email List
An email list gives you a direct line of communication with your audience.
When someone joins your list, you have the opportunity to:
- Build trust over time
- Share helpful content
- Promote products and services
- Drive traffic back to your website
- Create repeat customers
That's why email marketing is one of the most valuable assets a business owner can build.
What Comes with AWeber's Free Plan?
AWeber's free plan is designed for beginners and allows you to build an email list of up to 500 subscribers while sending up to 3,000 emails per month.
For many new business owners, that's more than enough room to get started.
Email Creation Tools
One of the biggest advantages of AWeber's free plan is that you get access to the same professional email builder used by paid customers.
This includes:
- Drag-and-drop email editor
- Smart Designer tool
- Hundreds of email templates
- Mobile-friendly email designs
This means you can create professional-looking emails even if you have no design experience.
Marketing Automation
Automation is an important feature to look for in an email marketing platform, and it's one of the best ways to maximize your time.
The free plan includes:
- Autoresponders
- Automated welcome emails
- Basic email campaigns
For example, when someone joins your email list, automation allows you to automatically send:
- A welcome email
- A free lead magnet or resource
- Helpful tips and content
- Information about your products or services
This allows your business to keep working even when you're not actively online.
Landing Pages
Not everyone has a website when they first start a business. And that's okay, because you don't need a full website to start earning money.
AWeber includes a landing page builder that allows you to create simple pages designed to collect leads and subscribers.
You can use these pages to:
- Offer free downloads
- Collect email addresses
- Promote webinars
- Build waiting lists for products
- Sell products
This makes it possible to start building an audience before investing in a full website.
To discover how to set up your landing pages so that you can earn and generate leads from one simple page, check out our one page conversion lab training.
Signup Forms
The free plan also includes customizable signup forms.
You can place these forms on:
- WordPress websites
- Blogs
- Landing pages
- Online stores
This makes it easier to capture leads wherever visitors find your business.
Web Push Notifications
One feature many beginners overlook is web push notifications.
With AWeber's free plan, you can collect up to 50,000 web push subscribers and send notifications directly to their devices.
With web push notifications when a user visits a website, a prompt appears asking if they want to allow notifications. If the user clicks "Allow," the browser generates a unique, anonymous device token for that specific site. This communication occurs through the user's browser.
This gives you another way to stay connected with your audience without relying solely on email.
Integrations with Popular Tools
AWeber connects with many tools entrepreneurs already use.
Popular integrations include:
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Canva
- WooCommerce
- PayPal
- Stripe
This helps streamline your marketing efforts as your business grows.
24/7 Customer Support
One thing that sets AWeber apart from many competitors is its customer support.
Even on the free plan, you get access to:
- Live chat support
- Email support
- Phone support
This can be extremely helpful when you're learning email marketing for the first time.
Free Migration Assistance
Already using another email provider?
AWeber's team will help move your:
- Subscribers
- Templates
- Campaigns
at no additional cost.
For entrepreneurs switching platforms, this can save hours of work.
What Are the Limitations?
While the free plan offers a lot of value, there are a few limitations to be aware of.
Subscriber Limit
The free plan supports:
- Up to 500 subscribers
- Up to 3,000 emails per month
Once you exceed either limit, you'll need to upgrade.
AWeber Branding
Your emails and landing pages will display AWeber branding.
For many beginners, this isn't a deal breaker, but growing businesses may eventually want a more professional branded experience.
Limited Advanced Features
The free plan does not include:
- Split testing (A/B testing)
- Advanced behavioral automation
- Saved custom segments
These features become more important as your list grows and your marketing becomes more sophisticated.
Ecommerce Transaction Fees
If you use AWeber Ecommerce, a 1.0% transaction fee applies on the free plan.
Paid plans reduce that fee to 0.6%.
Is AWeber's Free Plan Worth It?
For most aspiring entrepreneurs, bloggers, affiliate marketers, coaches, and digital product creators, the answer is yes.
The free plan gives you everything you need to:
- Start building an email list
- Create professional emails
- Automate follow-up messages
- Capture leads
- Grow your audience
Without spending a penny.
The biggest mistake many new business owners make is waiting until they start selling products before starting email marketing.
But this is the thing... if you don't have a list, you may be limited in your ability to sell. Without a list you're posting content to social media, crossing your fingers, hoping someone will buy from you.
With a list, you have an interested group of people who expect to to hear from you.
You've hopefully warmed them up with regular communication, and built a level of trust which makes it easier for them to trust you with their purchases.
In reality, it's easier to build your email system while your audience is still small.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a beginner-friendly way to start email marketing, AWeber's free plan provides an excellent starting point.
You can build your first email list, create landing pages, automate follow-up messages, and start building relationships with potential customers—all without a monthly fee.
The most important thing isn't choosing the perfect email platform.
It's getting started.
Because every subscriber you collect today is someone you can continue helping, serving, and potentially turning into a customer tomorrow.
Ready to Start Building Your Email List?
Don't wait until you have more traffic, more followers, or more products.
Start building your audience today and create an asset you own and control—your email list. Check out the deal (below) aWeber has currently for new accounts.
Let aWeber Set up Your Email Marketing System
For a limited time, their experts will set up your email marketing system so that it works to help you build your audience, and grow!
