Email & WhatsApp Marketing for Second-Hand Sellers – Building a Customer List 2026

If Vinted bans you or the algorithm changes, your own list is unaffected by these changes.

Whoever subscribed already knows and trusts you – the conversion is much higher than from cold traffic.

Sending a WhatsApp message or email costs nothing – compared to paid advertising.

Direct communication builds deeper trust and longer customer lifetime value.

1–2 emails per month: new stock, seasonal tip, sale. More than this starts to feel like spam.

An introductory email automatically goes on subscription – who you are, what you offer, what to expect.

If you know who's looking for coats and who's looking for children's clothing – send relevant offers to separate groups.

The email subject line decides if it gets opened. A specific, curiosity-triggering subject multiplies the open rate.

Never send messages without the person's consent. This is a GDPR obligation and an ethical principle.

Every email must have an unsubscribe button. On WhatsApp: if someone asks, remove them immediately – don't send further messages.

3+ messages per week creates a spam feeling and leads to mass unsubscribes. Fewer but relevant messages = higher open rates.

Phones get lost, apps get deleted – always back up your list to a Google Spreadsheet or other secure place.

After every sale a potential returning buyer is lost.

Daily messages = getting blocked. Monthly 1–4 messages = expected and read communication.

"Newsletter #5" interests nobody. "This coat will be gone in 3 hours" does.

If there's no link, phone number or specific call to action – the buyer cannot act.

"Dear Customer" instead of "Hi Kate!" – personalisation raises open and click rates.

A good photo of an autumn coat instantly triggers the buying impulse – even without text.

If you don't know how many times a message was opened and how many sales it brought – you can't improve.

For beginners WhatsApp is simpler and delivers immediate results – everyone reads it, no separate registration needed. Email is more professional and scalable but requires a bit more setup. Ideally both run in parallel.

"I usually send an email when a new autumn / winter stock arrives – can I send it to you too?" This is the most natural way. A satisfied buyer almost always says yes.

In a group everyone sees each other and all messages – this can be confusing. In a broadcast list the message arrives as a 1-to-1 private message, nobody sees each other. Broadcast = more professional and comfortable.

Mailchimp (free up to 500 subscribers, English interface), Brevo (previously Sendinblue, 300 emails/day free, multilingual), or MailerLite (free up to 1000 subscribers). All three are suitable for beginners.

Maximum 3–4 times per month. The ideal rhythm: one notification with every new bale, plus 1 monthly seasonal message. Daily or weekly messages are too intrusive and result in blocking.

Yes. EU data protection rules also apply to WhatsApp if you collect and store personal data (phone numbers) for commercial purposes. Most important: asking for consent and immediate deletion on request.

Simple method: keep contacts in a Google Spreadsheet and add an "interest area" column (e.g. coat, shoes, children). This way you can send segmented messages to those who are actually interested in the given item.

A short introduction: who you are, what you sell, what to expect (how often, what content they'll receive). Include a small exclusive benefit too – e.g. "Mention you came from the email list on your next order and I'll include an extra piece."

Above 500 subscribers yes – the automation, segmentation and analytics capabilities are worth the monthly ~€8–14 fee. Until then free tools are perfect.

For email the tool shows open and click rates. For WhatsApp track how many people respond / enquire after each message. If sales jump on the day of the message – it's working.