Most of the time, when someone asks how to grow their email list, what they’re really asking is, “How can I get 1000 people on my list this month so I can hurry up and start selling to them?” Most people won’t admit it, but honestly, if I could give a secret tip that would answer that question, wouldn’t I do it in a heartbeat?
The truth of the matter is that the very nature of a successful email list has nothing to do with its size. It has to do with the commitment and loyalty of the people on that list. And building loyalty and engagement requires time, attention, and quality content.
There are several things you need to do early on to ensure that you’re giving people as many opportunities as possible to subscribe to your list. It’s not easy to get someone’s email address. It’s your job to make getting on your list easy and compelling.
Using opt-ins to build your email list
To make signing up easy, make sure you have multiple places on your blog where people can opt-in to receive some sort of free giveaway. Your site’s sidebar and header are common locations for a subscription box. But you should also consider adding a popup. Although almost everyone will say that they hate pop-up windows, the truth is that they work. Today’s popups have settings that allow you to customize them however you want. They don’t have to be the intrusive screen that covers up the monstrosities of years gone by.
Other great places to have your opt-ins:
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email signature line
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Social media profiles
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Each blog post (up to five different types that lead to the same giveaway in each post)
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visiting card
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Guest post bios you write for other sites
Using giveaways to build your email list
When creating your subscription, you need a truly amazing freebie. This should be something that offers a quick win to the person receiving it, but shouldn’t take you long to create. Consider the fact that the person who chooses to participate is probably a newbie in your area of expertise. ask yourself:
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What questions do newbies in their field want to answer?
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What questions do you get asked all the time?
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What would you have liked to know when you were starting out?
Stay away from freebies that don’t offer a really quick win for your reader. They will put it aside to work on it later and will probably never come back to it and therefore never realize how valuable your content is to them.
Using great content to build your email list
It doesn’t matter how many places you guest post, how many blogs you write, or how many emails you send, if you want to build your email list fast, you need to provide truly amazing content. Nothing you do will build your list faster than word of mouth.
If you want people to share your great email with their friends, make sure those friends can easily find a way to add themselves to your list. Post snippets of your blog on social media and provide a place on the blog to opt in for a freebie that complements the blog content. Have a place on your social media profiles where people can sign up for your list via an app or a Call to Action in your header.
Building a strong and responsive email list takes time. It takes work. But if you leverage the work you’re already doing to create amazing content that your followers love to read, you’ll have a list of raving fans before you know it!
