Quick question: do you have an email list?

If you've been in business for any length of time, there's a good chance your answer is yes. Now for the follow-up question: when did you last send something to it?

If that second question made you wince a little, you are in very good company. The most common answer I get from IECs is some version of "I have a list... but I haven't really used it." Which means they technically have an email list, but they don't have an email marketing strategy. And those are very different things.

Here's why that matters — and what to do about it.

Email Is the Most Underused Marketing Asset Most IECs Already Have

There's a reason every marketing expert across every industry eventually comes back to email: it works. Email consistently outperforms social media for conversion, it reaches people directly without fighting an algorithm, and it builds the kind of ongoing relationship that turns a curious family into a booked client.

When someone is on your email list, they've already told you they want to hear from you. That is an incredibly warm audience. And if you're not emailing them regularly, you're leaving that warmth on the table.

Here's what's especially interesting about email for IECs specifically: college admissions is a long-cycle decision. Families might start thinking about working with you a year or more before their student is actually ready to start the process. They're not necessarily ready to book a call the first time they come across your name. But if they sign up for your newsletter and you show up in their inbox consistently with useful, relevant information? When they are ready, you're going to be the first person they think of.

That's what email does. It keeps you top of mind during the long stretch between "maybe we should look into this" and "okay, we need to find someone now."

The Most Common Email Excuses (And Why None of Them Hold Up)

I have heard every possible reason for not having an email newsletter, and I want to address the big ones.

"I don't know what to write about."

You talk to families about college admissions all day long. You know what questions they're asking. You know what misconceptions they have. You know what they're anxious about and what they don't know they don't know. That is an endless supply of content. Every question a family asked you on a recent call is a potential newsletter topic. Every trend you're watching in admissions is a potential newsletter topic. You have more to write about than you think.

"I don't have time."

A newsletter does not have to be a production. It does not need to be beautifully designed or exhaustively researched. Some of the highest-performing newsletters I've seen are basically a few paragraphs of genuinely useful information and a simple call to action. The bar is lower than you're setting it for yourself.

"I don't have enough subscribers to make it worth it."

Start with what you have. Current clients, former clients, colleagues who might refer to you, people in your community who are connected to families with college-bound kids — those people are your first subscribers. You build from there. Every IEC I work with who has a thriving email list started with a very short list. The size of the list doesn't determine whether it's worth doing. The consistency of showing up does.

"I set one up but never sent anything."

This is the most common one, and my answer is simple: send something this week. Not something perfect. Something. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to start, and the whole time you're waiting, you're not building the relationship with your list that could be turning into clients.

What to Actually Put in Your Newsletter

Let me make this really concrete, because I think a lot of IECs get stuck here.

Your newsletter does not need a theme or a brand or a clever name to get started (although those things are nice to have eventually). It just needs to be useful and consistent. Here are some ideas to get you going:

• Answer a question you heard recently. What did a family ask you on a call this week? What confusion came up that you had to walk them through? That question is probably something a lot of families are wondering. Answer it in your newsletter.
• Share something families should be thinking about right now. What's coming up in the admissions calendar? What are families of juniors or seniors typically underestimating about this time of year? One thing I talk to my clients about a lot is the messaging around starting now versus waiting until August — so many families think they have plenty of time, and then August hits and everything is a scramble. A newsletter that addresses this directly is genuinely useful and also primes families to want to take action.
• Highlight schools in your niche that families might not know. If you specialize in a particular type of student or a particular region, share schools that are worth knowing about that might not be on most families' radar. This positions you as an expert, which is exactly the goal.
• Share your take on an admissions trend. What's changing? What are you watching? What are the questions you're hearing more of this cycle than last cycle? Your informed perspective on what's happening in the industry is exactly what families who are subscribed to your list came for.
• Include a gentle call to action. Every newsletter should have some version of "I have spots open on my roster — if you know someone who could use support, send them my way" or a link to book a discovery call. Not in a pushy way, just as a natural reminder. You'd be surprised how many clients come in through that one simple line.

How to Build Your List (Starting From Where You Are Right Now)

The question I get asked most often about email is how to grow the list. And I always start with the same answer: use what you already have.

Think about current and former clients who would welcome hearing from you. Think about families you've had initial calls with who didn't enroll but parted on good terms. Think about colleagues and community connections who might refer to you — school counselors, tutors, coaches, teachers. Think about anyone who's been to a presentation you've given or a webinar you've hosted.

Build a simple spreadsheet. Add everyone you can think of. Let them know you're starting a newsletter and they can expect to hear from you regularly with useful information about college admissions. (MailerLite, which is free to start and easy to set up, is what I recommend for this.)

Then, to grow beyond your existing network, think about a lead magnet: something simple and useful you can offer in exchange for someone's email address. A checklist families can use as they start thinking about the college search. A guide to questions to ask on college visits. A timeline of what to do when in the junior year. It doesn't have to be elaborate — it just has to be genuinely useful to your specific ideal client.

And if you're doing webinars or presentations for local families (which you should be — but that's a whole other conversation), always collect email addresses. Every person who shows up to hear you speak is interested in what you have to say. Give them a way to keep hearing from you.

Consistency Is Everything

Here's the thing I want you to leave with: a mediocre newsletter you send every week is worth more than a perfect newsletter you send twice a year. Consistency is what builds the relationship. Consistency is what keeps you top of mind. Consistency is what makes a family who's been on your list for six months feel like they already know you when they finally reach out to book a call.

You don't need to be a great writer. You don't need a fancy platform. You don't need a big list. You just need to start, and then keep going.

You Don't Have to Build Your IEC Business Alone

You're an expert in college admissions. But building a profitable IEC practice requires marketing strategy, sales systems, and structure — and that's a completely different skill set.

If you're serious about growing your business and getting clients consistently, the fastest path forward is following a proven system instead of guessing your way through it. You don't need another certification. You need better systems. And you can build this faster than you think.

Growth Generator is my six-month group coaching program built specifically for IECs. Inside, you'll get:

• A self-paced course with 70+ lessons, resources, and templates
• Weekly group coaching calls with me, mastermind-style
• Daily access to me and my team so nothing slows your momentum between calls
• A guaranteed return on your investment — if you don't see ROI in our six months together, I'll keep working with you until you do

If any part of this resonated, the next step is simple: watch a free video overview of how Growth Generator works and see if it's the right fit for where you are right now.

Watch the free video overview here.