So you want to grow your email list, but don’t know where to start? If content is king, email is the prime minister that really runs the show. We all know it, even those of you afraid to send too many emails know that’s how and where most business is done. So let’s figure out how to grow your email list with some simple tactics literally anyone running a business can pull off.
Dump The Quote Form On Your Blogs
Let’s be real, how many people have submitted a quote from your blog pages? I bet if we put money on it over 12 months it’s a number lower than 10 people. So instead of wasting that valuable real estate, add a form below your blog post inviting people to join your email list.
Now if you can prove to me otherwise you’re getting actual quotes from your blog posts, sure leave the quote form up. If you really feel the need to include them, I would move the quote form off to the side, then slide the email list form at the bottom of your page. Giving your personal information to a stranger is a bit of a stretch, but you want my email address? Sure thing, I bet I give my personal email to at least 1 company a week just to get an ebook I’ll never read.
Checklists or Other Lead Magnets
This one ties into the section above. If you write a blog that should have a checklist or content upgrade make one, they’re super easy. I make them in google docs, export them as a PDF then upload it to my site and ask people to give me their email address so I can send them the checklist, bam! You just got another subscriber!
I normally tell big companies to stop gating their content, they’re better off giving it away, and using it as a retargeting opportunity, but the point of this newsletter is to grow your email list, not spend money on bottom of funnel ads you’re not going to do anyways
Contests and Giveaways!
I know I promoted this issue that you could grow your email list without running ads, but this is a gotcha answer. Running a contest isn’t using traditional paid advertising. But I’ve done it twice last year for an agency. The first giving away a Yeti cooler, the other with the letters from Santa campaign. And yes that does qualify as a giveaway.
I don’t know off the top of my head, but the Yeti cooler giveaway created at least 35 new leads, and the letters from Santa campaign added another 43 new subscribers to that agency’s email list. Not too shabby considering we barely scratched the surface with promotion of either of those events.
Use Your Personal Social Media Pages to Grow Your Email List
As someone who’s livelihood revolves around generating demand and attention, I hate to say it, but I honestly think brand pages are dying a slow painful death. With the exception of Duo Lingo, Scrub Daddy or Wendy’s, everyone else’s brand pages are pretty much desolate islands of desperation. What’s the fix? Reverting back to the days of yesteryear when we didn’t have brand pages, and using our personal profiles to talk about what we’re doing.
Now I’m not saying go out there and bullhorn all day every day about business. Here’s my Facebook strategy: I post pictures of my family, kids and animals. I post goofy things my kid says to me, or troll my friends who don’t like Taylor Swift. And then once a week (sometimes twice) I post what this week’s newsletter will be about.
You’re connected with people in your community, let them get to know you, and then share the content you’re creating by asking them to join your email list.
My twitter strategy is a bit different, I run my mouth in comments, I engage, and even try to be funny or thought provoking. Then once a week I promote what I’m writing about, two days later I do my best to write a summary tweet thread the day after the newsletter is published.
LinkedIn is very similar to Twitter, but I really struggle with LinkedIn.
This is the exact method I’ve grown my list from zero to 224 insurance agency owners, without ever running any ads. It might not seem like a lot, but that’s an intentionally small number. I
There are literally hundreds of ideas you could implement, but these are 4 I know you could implement without a bunch of technical expertise. If you’ve got any questions, and you’re a subscriber, you’ve got my email address. If you’re not, fill out that form below and I’ll be more than happy to answer your marketing questions.