I’ve spent the last decade building email lists.
And I’ve probably made every mistake.
But I’ve also learned a few things that have helped me earn a full-time living online since 2014.
Here’s what I wish I knew 10 years ago.
Here’s how you build it
Building a list is a long-term game. You can’t wake up to a profitable list overnight.
And as with everything that takes time, you need to take small actions consistently.
The cheat code to consistency is enjoyment. When you enjoy doing something, you have a natural advantage.
I’ve built email lists from all kinds of sources. Here are some of the methods I’ve used:
Free or paid social media
Writing guest posts
Content on my blog
Podcasts
Substack
YouTube
Medium
There’s no right or wrong answer.
The best email list-building methods are the ones you enjoy because you’ll stick with them.
Make email your #1 goal (before followers)
Too many people are obsessed with social media followers. Ring the bell. Subscribe. Give me a thumbs up. Blah, blah, blah.
They’re obsessed with the idea of virality and going viral. The problem is virality is a lottery ticket that rarely pays out.
If you want to build an audience that’s 100% certain to pay you, email is the answer.
Email is the most important game you’ll ever play in your career.
Everything you publish should point back to your email list. Your:
Videos
Articles
Social media content
They only serve one purpose: getting email subscribers.
Each piece of content you post should have a clear call-to-action to join your email list.
Stop saying “join my email list”
Too many creators are lazy and uninspired. The call-to-action to join their email list is boring.
It’s not even a hook. It’s the opposite of a hook. It’s a death sentence.
No one joins a newsletter. People join because there’s something in it for them. A solution to a problem.
Make a compelling offer.
Say something like, “If you want my free email course on how to build your first email list in 30 days, it’s free and in my bio.”
The energy of the statement changes. It’s no longer vague. There’s a clear call to action.
Sell your newsletter as if your life depended on it (because it does).
Don’t make this stupid mistake
Traditional email marketing is filled with guesswork.
You send an email and hope the recipient opens it. Then you hope they read it. Then you hope they click a link. Then you hope they buy something. Then you hope they remember you 2 months later when they get another email from you.
It’s all guesswork. It’s a random game of luck.
The best email marketers take the guesswork out of the equation. They not only send emails like clockwork — but they use a welcome sequence to indoctrinate new subscribers to their:
Unique philosophy
Point of views
Solutions
Write a series of 5 emails that you send to new subscribers after they join your list. It’s something you do once, but it works for years to come.
Welcome sequences make new subscribers feel comfortable. It makes you feel less like a random stranger who just appeared on the internet.
If you want to know how to write an email sequence that turns followers into fans, I have a free email course. Click here to get it.
Make offers early on
The biggest mistake I made when I started an email list was giving away everything for free.
I didn’t offer anything early on and just gave free value. I thought I’d earn the right to sell something down the line and it would be easier to convert people.
Wrong.
The opposite is true. If you never ask people to buy something early on they assume you’ll never ask them to buy anything. It’s a mental loop that’s hard to escape from.
Make an offer early on so your subscribers know you’re a business and you sell stuff.
If it pisses them off, let them unsubscribe. Good riddance.
There’s no point in building an email list full of tire kickers.
Email is not for sending out blog articles
You folks on Substack & Medium will hate me for this.
I get it. You want to build a list. You want people to click on your links and read your articles. Maybe you’re a bit lazy and want to repurpose your content everywhere.
But emails are NOT blog articles.
I send daily emails because it helps build a strong relationship with my subscribers. If each email was a 700-word blog post 95% of people wouldn’t read it.
Email is much more personal. Do you get blog posts from your friends or colleagues? No. You get emails.
And that’s the point. Emails are better than just sending blog posts. It’s for building rapport and establishing connection.
The best way to do that is to share personal stories, insights, and rants that tie back to a problem your audience has.
This gives people a reason to open your emails. It gives them a reason to want to read your words. It makes them feel special. It makes the email feel unique.
And that’s what you want to do.
Send emails or die tryin’
Once you have a list, don’t do the classic “I’m gonna email once I have something to sell” thing.
Heck, even once a week is too infrequent.
I do daily emails. But this might scare you. I get it. You don’t need to be an extremist like I am. But to play the email list game effectively, you need to email your list at least twice a week.
This way, your readers don’t forget about you. You stay top of mind. And you can keep building relationships with them.
Let’s finish here
Building an email list is hard.
I recently found a cheat code to add 1,000 subscribers to brand-new email lists in just 30 days.
If you want to know what it is, click here and I’ll send you the deets. (It’s free — but expect to be pitched on a product later down the road.)
Great read 🙏
Thanks for offering this, I am a budding entrepreneur and creating my first course. I have zero social media following and a baby blog with less than 30 subscribers. However I KNOW I can do this and I am also “working” a few each morning and focusing on LIVING my life, self care, and of course my children.
✨I like your writing style too btw.