How to Build an Email List as a TPT Seller (Even If You've Failed Before)

Every successful TPT seller Amanda and Jess have ever talked to credits the same thing for their success: their email list. Not their TPT store. Not their social media. Their email list. So why is it the one thing most teacherpreneurs never actually follow through on? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess have a raw, numbers-on-the-table conversation about building, neglecting, and trying to revive an email list — including what it actually costs, what a good conversion rate looks like, and why Jess keeps starting over while Amanda hasn't emailed her list of 5,000 subscribers in two years.This isn't a polished masterclass. It's two teacherpreneurs doing math on screen, confessing their email marketing failures out loud, and trying to figure out the next move together.In this episode, you'll learn:How Amanda originally built her email list using Mailchimp, WordPress, and OptinMonster — and the pop-up strategies that actually workedThe real cost of email list tools: OptinMonster ($313/year), ConvertKit pricing tiers, and why Kajabi at $200/month wasn't worth it for JessMailerLite as the best free starting point: 1,000 subscribers free, recommended by Claude for teacherpreneurs just getting startedWhat a good email opt-in conversion rate actually is (3–5% is solid) and how to calculate yoursJess's real numbers: 100 subscribers in one weekend from Instagram stories, a 2.5% conversion rate, and why she still felt like a failureAmanda's real numbers: a 28.5% conversion rate on her podcast-to-opt-in campaign — but only 7 total visitors (and why that's still useful data)Why Amanda is mining her 5,000-subscriber list for her top 1,000 "super fans" (à la Pat Flynn) instead of emailing everyoneThe critical difference between owning your audience (email list) and renting it (TPT, Instagram, Facebook) — and what happens if a platform disappears tomorrowHow to scrub a dormant email list and re-engage cold subscribers without getting flagged as spamAmanda's secret locked page strategy: using podcast episodes to drive listeners to a hidden page with editable slides behind an email opt-inAI agents for email: Amanda's vision (and fear) of using Claude Code to automate email replies and list managementWhy big lists aren't everything — and why Amanda would rather have 1,000 people who love her than 35,000 strangersTools and platforms discussed:OptinMonster (pop-ups and opt-in forms)ConvertKit (email marketing platform)MailerLite (free for first 1,000 subscribers)Mailchimp, AWeber, ActiveCampaign (alternatives)Kajabi (course platform with built-in email)Claude by AnthropicSuperfans by Pat FlynnWatch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda surrounded by puppies (and one is her real dog) while Jess interrogates her about email strategy.Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.