How would you like to see your email list grow by 50%, 100%, or even 200% annually? If you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, coach, or freelancer who relies on email marketing to bring in new business, you’ll want those numbers. I mean, who doesn’t want a bigger audience for their products and services?
The problem is that many people get hung up on the “how” of growing an email list quickly. How do you build your email list fast? What if you’re just starting out as a content creator? Will it take too long if you don’t have a big social media following yet — and how do you build that following anyway? And what if no one wants your freebie offer — will they even sign up for your emails then? We’ve all been there. So here are some ideas for faster list building in 2022:
1. Create amazing content
The most effective way to build your email list is by creating amazing content. Your subscribers are signing up for exclusive content that they won’t find elsewhere, so naturally you want it to be great. The quality of your content can make or break your entire business. It needs to be relevant and easy-to-read and digest, original, helpful and actionable (even if it’s not immediately obvious).
2. Create an opt-in incentive
One of the best ways to build your email list is by giving something away for free, but we’re not talking about just any old freebie. You need something that’s going to be useful and relevant to your audience, and hopefully something people will want to share with their friends, too!
The best way to do this is by creating a free ebook or checklist or resource guide that offers concrete value—not just fluff like “10 ways you can be happier” (no one wants that). The more specific the information you share in your opt-in incentive, the better—but most importantly it should include real solutions rather than vague promises of how great things could potentially be if only someone would buy something from them (because guess what? That doesn’t work).
For example: Instead of promising general advice like “10 ways you can bake better cakes” or “15 steps on how change careers into baking cakes,” offer specific tips such as “How To Decorate Your Cakes Like A Pro.” Or say: “The Top 5 Mistakes Most People Make When Baking” instead of “Baking Tips For Everyone And Anyone.” Those titles sound different enough right?
3. Promote your opt-in incentive on social media
Promote your opt-in incentive on social media. Social media has always been a great place to market products, but now more than ever, people are using it as their first stop when looking for new content. Make sure you are posting on multiple social media platforms and promoting your opt-in incentive in a way that connects with the audience of that particular platform.
You should also consider posting on your own social media accounts—especially if they have a large following already! If you don’t have a large following yet, then consider reaching out to other people who do have larger audiences and ask them if they will share one of your posts about why joining your email list is important for them.
4. Get some paid traffic flowing to your opt-in page, like you would a new blog post or product page
The best way to get paid traffic to your opt-in page is by using Facebook ads. You can also use other paid traffic sources, like Google ads and content marketing.
Another great way to get paid traffic is by promoting your opt-in page on social media. But only do this if you already have a decent following on Instagram or Twitter! Otherwise, it will be expensive and ineffective.
If you don’t have much experience with online advertising or just want a quick win, I recommend testing out the Facebook ad route first. You’ll spend less than $100 and get a pretty good idea of how well your opt-in page converts visitors into subscribers versus people who just click away after reading it once or twice (which is what happens with most blog posts).
5. Include a “join my email list” link at the end of every guest post you write
Guest posting is a great way to build your email list fast in 2022.
There are two ways of doing this:
- Write a guest post on another site, and include a “join my email list” link at the end of it. If you’re already an expert in your niche, there will be people who want to hear from you or follow up with you on social media. So don’t hesitate to ask them for their emails by giving them an easy way to subscribe (for example, use SumoMe for that).
- Find blogs related to yours and pitch them ideas for guest posts. Make sure there’s something in it for the blogger too—they have time constraints just like you do! Include links in your blog that link back to a page having a pop up or a clear call to action.
6. Add an email signup pop-up to your site
A pop-up is a good way to get subscribers for your email list. The main thing you need to keep in mind is that it shouldn’t be too annoying, intrusive or small. With the help of some smart coding, you can easily make a pop-up that doesn’t take up too much space on the screen and looks good at any viewing angle.
7. Add a freebie to your existing products!
You can also leverage your existing products to build your email list. This is a great way to get new customers and at the same time, it is also a great way to build relationships with them.
You don’t have to offer your freebie to everyone! People who bought from you previously are more likely to buy again if they feel that they are getting something special when they buy from you. So offer them a discount code or something else if they purchase again within a certain period of time after their initial purchase.
8. Exit intent pop-ups
You need a way to get people’s attention and get them interested in what you have to offer so that they’ll give you their email address in return.
That’s where exit intent pop-ups come in! Exit intent pop-ups are one of the easiest ways to build your list fast, because they appear right when a visitor is about to leave your website or blog post. They appear just as a visitor is about to click away from the page, so they’re more likely than other forms of advertising like display ads or social media posts (which are often ignored) to actually get someone’s attention. You can offer them a lead magnet in return! It will simplify the decision making process of the reader.
And once someone has agreed that they want more information from you? That’s when it pays off: now you have their contact information! You can use this info in all kinds of ways—from sending them regular updates on new products or special offers, or even setting up an email marketing campaign with automated emails that help
9. Discounts and deals
Discounts and deals should appear somewhere in your visitors journey. Its best to have then pop up when they stop scrolling your page or when they are likely to exit the page. You offer them a promotional offer in exchange for their email address. Its a win win for you and the visitor.
10. Create a personalized CTA (call-to-action) for each blog or landing page.
If you want to collect emails fast, create a personalized CTA (call-to-action) for each blog or landing page.
CTAs are the buttons that people click on to sign up for your email list. They should always be clear, concise, and relevant to the content of your page. For example, if you write a blog post about how Instagram influencers can use social media to grow their businesses, your CTA might be “Sign up now to learn more about using Instagram for business.”
When creating CTAs, be sure to:
* Include a benefit statement (i.e., “Learn how to get more followers on Instagram”)
* Link directly back to the action required (i.e., “click here”)
* Make it easy for people to take action (i.e., “sign up”)
11. Gated content
If you want to collect emails, create a valuable form or discussion platform that adds value to people in your industry. This is gated content, to access this a visitor needs to enroll with their details including their email address. Make sure you have a privacy policy and a content handling policy in place.
Your content needs to be amazing if you want people to subscribe and stick around on your email list!
Here’s what I mean: when someone clicks through your link, they should feel like they are getting an awesome deal. If you have a product that costs $100 and you’re selling it for $5, that’s a pretty good deal! People will be much more likely to click through if they think they’re getting something valuable in return for their email address (which is why we’ve seen so many eCommerce stores succeed lately).
But here’s another important point: make sure that whatever information or products you’re sending out via your newsletter is relevant. Your audience should feel like they are receiving something helpful or interesting with each new email from you (and not just another advertisement). If not…then chances are good that most people won’t stick around long enough for the next one either!
Conclusion
Hopefully you feel more confident in your ability to grow an email list. It’s a very exciting journey that can be rewarding when you start seeing results. Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the ways you can get people to subscribe, it’s time for you to put them into action.
