Are you looking to put in place a solid email list building strategy? As a business with over 40,000 email subscribers (nearly all organic, not paid) I can certainly vouch that “the money is in the email list.” As my email list has grown, so has my revenue.
There are many advanced list building strategies out there, and many strategies that require you to make a significant financial investment. However, when you are first starting out, building your email list starts with implementing some basic strategies.
Email List Building Essential #1 – Freebie
A freebie, otherwise known as a lead magnet, is a special something that you gift to new email list subscribers. Think of a checklist, template, workbook, guide, or organized collection of information that would help them solve a specific problem. If you’ve already started creating a digital product, often you can offer a piece of your digital product for free.
For example, I offer a free guide with 10 Steps to Building Passive Income with Digital Products.
Email List Building Essential #2 – Landing Page for Your Opt-In
In order to promote your email list, you’ll need a standalone page (like this one) on your website where readers can learn more about your freebie and choose to opt-in.
The biggest mistake I see on landing pages is that they are too short and fail to describe the benefits of the freebie. Your reader is giving you permission to email them, and sometimes that permission is more valuable than their hard-earned money. As ironic as it may seem, you do need to sell your freebie.
Email List Building Essential #3 – Make Your Subscribe Option Visible on Your Website
Once you have your landing page for your opt-in, be sure to add an obvious link to the navigation in your website. Adding widgets to your side bar and below your article pages will also make sure new visitors learn about your freebie and have plenty of opportunities to opt-in.
You can also mention your freebie in your article content. Look at what I did in step 1 of this article as an example. 🙂
Email List Building Essential #4 – Short-term Promotion Strategy
Steps 1-3 are the basics, and give you a solid foundation for receiving a steady stream of new email list subscribers from your website, provided you receive regular traffic.
As a short-term strategy, also look for ways to promote your freebie directly. Share your opt-in on social media. Make it the focus of your headers, pinned posts, and profile content.
Guest post on blogs in your niche. Offer to be interviewed on podcasts. Speak for webinars or in-person events.
In my first business, one thing I like to do when I’m speaking is to bring up a copy of my Business Analyst Career Roadmap and speak to it briefly. Then I mention that on my website there is a 43-minute presentation walking through the entire roadmap in detail.
Anywhere you are connecting with new people, be sure to mention your email list and the freebie.
Email List Building Essential #5 – Long-Term Outreach Strategy
While promotion is necessary to get you going, long term you probably want a more passive, automated strategy. Creating high-value, freely available search engine optimized content is the best way I know to attract a steady stream of new readers.
The simple strategies I’ve put into the SEO Guide For Busy Moms attract 150,000+ organic search sessions and 1000+ subscribers every month.
Focus On One Step at a Time
Email list building is an ongoing activity that gets easier over time. Invest in the basics first, get your foundations in place, and then start promoting and building a long-term strategy to bring new readers and subscribers into your online business.
