In today’s digital age, building an email list has become an essential strategy for businesses and individuals alike. An email list serves as a valuable asset, allowing you to connect directly with your audience, nurture relationships, and drive conversions.
If you’re looking to build an email list fast keep reading. In this post, I will share some powerful strategies and tactics that will propel your email list growth and help you achieve results.
The Importance of an Email List
Before diving into the strategies, first you need to understand why building an email list is crucial for your online success. I started selling educational materials in 2015. I knew nothing about online business, knew nothing other that how to create a classroom lesson and somehow managed to get it up on Teachers Pay Teachers and similar sites for sale. And I was selling right away.
I did take a few courses to learn more. One of them advised finding a way to collect emails from customers, but that did not make sense at the time. After all, if a teacher buys my lesson, likes it, they will come back for more. Why would I need to contact them that I have a new Algebra lesson if they don’t need one?
OK, since that time, I have realized my thinking was very shortsighted and it cost me years of shop growth. I have no data to support my thinking but I really think my TPT store would be more successful today if I had employed some of those strategies that I am sharing today.
An Email List Offers Several Benefits, Including:
Direct Communication: Unlike social media platforms or search engines, an email list provides a direct line of communication with your subscribers. You can reach them right in their inbox, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.
I use Convertkit. I have used Mailchimp and Flodesk but Convertkit is made for content creators. And some email service providers have some restrictions on affiliate marketing. So check out the rules before you sign up or you could have your account closed.
Targeted Marketing: An email list consists of individuals who have willingly expressed interest in your content or products. This allows you to tailor your marketing messages to their specific needs and preferences, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.
Ownership and Control: While social media algorithms and search engine rankings may change, your email list is a valuable asset that you own and control. It provides stability and reliability, ensuring that your messages reach your audience regardless of external factors.
So if you had been thinking that email might not be that important, just as I once thought, I hope I have convinced you. So here are the strategies:
Strategy 1: Create Compelling Lead Magnets
A lead magnet, freebie, optin–whatever you want to call it– is an irresistible incentive offered to potential subscribers in exchange for their email addresses. To entice your audience to join your email list, it’s essential to create compelling lead magnets. Consider the following tips:
Identify Your Audience’s Pain Points: Understand the challenges, problems, or needs of your target audience. This will enable you to create lead magnets that directly address their pain points and provide valuable solutions.
Example: If they are in the self-help niche offer a workbook, workbook templates, PLR they could use to create a product or something similar. Or training could be valuate to teach someone how to organize their content, create a workbook, set up an email form, etc.
Offer High-Value Content: Your lead magnet should provide immense value to your audience. It could be an e-book, a comprehensive guide, a video tutorial, a checklist, or a free course. Ensure that the content is well-researched, actionable, and of exceptional quality.
Craft a Captivating Call-to-Action: Your call-to-action (CTA) is crucial in persuading visitors to opt-in to your email list. Make your CTA visually appealing, use persuasive language, and clearly communicate the benefits of subscribing.
Strategy 2: Optimize Your Website for Conversions
To maximize the growth of your email list, it’s important to optimize your website for conversions. Implement the following tactics to capture visitors’ attention and encourage them to subscribe:
Prominent Subscription Forms: Place subscription forms strategically on your website. Consider including them in the header, sidebar, or as pop-ups triggered by exit intent. Ensure that the forms are visually appealing, easy to fill out, and clearly convey the benefits of subscribing.
Create Dedicated Landing Pages: Design dedicated landing pages that focus solely on capturing email addresses. These pages should be concise, visually appealing, and highlight the value subscribers will receive. Use compelling headlines and persuasive copy to encourage sign-ups.
Utilize Exit-Intent Pop-ups: When visitors show intent to leave your website, trigger an exit-intent pop-up offering a last-minute incentive to subscribe. This can be a discount, an exclusive piece of content, or access to a limited-time offer. Make it compelling enough to persuade them to stay.
Confirmation Emails: And once you have someone sign up, customize your email confirm message so it is a little friendlier. You might remind them what they signed up for instead of the generic “confirm your subscription” email that is sent. Send an email saying something like “I am happy you signed up for product xyz, it will be on it’s way to you as soon as you click the button below”. And you can change the wording on the button as well to say “Yes, I want that freebie now” instead of “confirm”.
Strategy 3: Leverage Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms provide a t pool of potential subscribers. You will want to use the social media platforms that your audience frequents. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are the most likely but do not overlook LinkedIn or Medium.
Utilize the following tactics to leverage these platforms effectively:
Engage and Interact: Actively engage with your target audience on social media by responding to comments, asking questions, and sharing valuable content. This will increase brand visibility, build trust, and drive traffic to your website.
Promote Lead Magnets: Regularly promote your lead magnets across various social media channels. Create captivating posts that highlight the benefits of subscribing and include visually appealing images or videos to grab attention.
Host Giveaways or Contests: Conduct giveaways or contests on social media platforms to incentivize people to subscribe to your email list. Require participants to provide their email addresses for entry, ensuring list growth while generating excitement around your brand.
Strategy 4: Implement Referral Programs
Referral programs are an effective way to leverage your existing subscribers to grow your email list. Consider the following strategies:
Offer Incentives: Encourage your subscribers to refer their friends or colleagues by offering incentives such as exclusive content, discounts, or rewards. Make it mutually beneficial for both the referrer and the person they refer.
Simplify the Referral Process: Ensure that the referral process is simple and user-friendly. Provide unique referral links or codes that subscribers can easily share with others. Consider implementing automated referral tracking systems to streamline the process.
Leverage Social Proof: Highlight the benefits and positive experiences of your current subscribers to entice potential subscribers. Testimonials, case studies, or success stories can be powerful tools in convincing others to join your email list.
Strategy 5: Collaboration
You are not in this alone. There are a lot of online entrepreneurs and opportunities to work with others to promote your lead magnets and gain exposure to other email lists.
One good way is to participate in bundles and giveaways. There are multiple opportunities to join a giveaway or bundle each month. And once you participate in one, you will likely receive opportunities for many more. This will help you not only grow your email list, but gain a following for your products.
For information on several upcoming bundles, you can check out Bundle Bash. There is a membership to receive coaching tools and access to special events, as well as notice of upcoming Bundles. Or you can check out their Facebook group which announces opportunities to participate in different bundles and giveaways.
Building an email list fast requires a strategic approach and a focus on delivering value to your audience. By creating compelling lead magnets, optimizing your website for conversions, leveraging social media platforms, and implementing referral programs, you can achieve remarkable results and outrank your competitors.
Remember, consistently providing high-quality content, nurturing your subscriber relationships, and adapting to evolving trends and preferences will help you maintain a thriving email list.
There are many email service providers. Flodesk has beautiful emails and Mailchimp is less expensive, but you will want to consider all the features that you may need in the future. You may not use tags and segments now, but will you use them in 6 months? You might not feel an automation or sequence is important, but will you change your mind?
If you need help with a welcome sequence to welcome new subscribers, check out this blog post: A Beginners Guide to Sequences in Convertkit. Even if you do not use Convertkit, the terms used are common to most email providers. Any other questions? Email me at hello@creativeplr.com and I will be happy to answer. Just focus on product creation and building your list. Every day.