how to start email list from scratch

  • How to Start an Email List From Scratch The Right Way

    Two years ago I started a brand new Instagram page.

    At the time I already had an Instagram account with over 300,000 Followers, but I needed to branch out into a new niche. So, I started from scratch. 

    I also knew that if I wanted to monetize online correctly and have an online business that thrived, whether I was on Youtube, Instagram or Tiktok, I needed to grow my email list. 

    Fast forward to right now, my new Instagram page has over 50,000 followers and my email list, which I grew from Instagram has more than 11,000 subscribers and counting. 

    Followers are great, and everyone wants more and more followers.

    Unfortunately, followers belong on the platform and you don’t really own them. 

    It doesn’t matter what you do or sell online, you need an email list.

    Your email list is a real business asset that no one can take from you, and when done right, you can continue to earn money thanks to your list. 

    Most people skip this part because they falsely convince themselves that email marketing is not important, and worse, those who eventually take the leap and start using email, just have a list they never send mails to. 

    Here Are 5 Easy Ways to Ensure You are Growing Your Email list the Right way.

    Create an Evergreen Leadmagnet /Freebie

    Your Leadmagnet must be an EVERGREEN resource that can be used again and again, year after year to attract your specific ideal client/audience. Earlier this year, I released a NEW free guide called 32 Digital Products to Create in 2022 that will Make a Lot of Money.

    Come 2030 and this resource will still be a high-value, evergreen offer that will continue to attract my ideal audience, people who want to monetize with Digital products. 

    Heck I can change the title however I want but the content will still be valuable. 

    Remember, just because it is free doesn’t mean people will just take it. They still have to exchange their email address for it and they still have to invest their time going through the content.

    So what can you create as a Free offer that will always be a needed resource for your particular audience?

    Use a Platform You Understand and Can Manage

    Since I started marketing online as far back as 2003, I have tried and tested several email marketing software. I started with Mailchimp, did not like it much so I moved to Convertkit.

    I used CK for a while but eventually fell in love with Flodesk Email Marketing because of its simplicity and the fact that I get to pay only one price forever. 

    As you know, as your list grows and you have more subscribers, you get to pay more. 

    Flodesk canceled all of that with its unique pricing model of a  single fee.

    Even better, if you have an affiliate link for Flodesk, you will get in at a crazy $19 per month forever, regardless of how many subscribers you have.

    Let’s face it, most people never start using email marketing because of the added costs of growing an email list. If that’s you, be honest with yourself here, is this a cost or an investment if your email list is making you money?

    If you spend, for example, $19 on Flodesk month to month regardless of how many subscribers you have, and you are able to earn $200 from your list, is that an expense or an investment in your business?

    You do the math.

    No matter the platform you choose, you want to make sure it is software you can easily understand and one that makes sending email fun for you.

    To Grow Your Email List, Always Promote Your Lead magnet

    Your Leadmagnet/ Freebie is what you give away so people can join your email list. But just because you created it doesn’t mean it will promote itself. Even though this is a free resource, you still have to convince people to download it.

    Every time you create content online, find a way to tie it into your Lead magnet.

    Your list grows when you have people downloading this resource so the more traffic you send to your Opt-in page, the better results you will get.

    If you have done Step 1 perfectly, you’d have created an evergreen Leadmagnet that works for your audience /ideal clients. That means no matter what content type or topic you create, your Leadmagnet will be relevant.

    Commit to Serving Your List, But Know when to Sell

    Do not make the mistake of growing your list but never mailing your list.

    When people opt-in to get your resource in exchange for their emails, they are giving you permission to have their email addresses. You have their email addresses so that you can send them messages, content, offers, updates and serve them continually.

    If you have a list you don’t send mails to, you are just as good as not having a list at all.

    You need to have a mix of serving your list and selling to them. Just as you plan out your social media content, you should also plan out your email content.

    Have a strategy for coming up with content for your email list, and ensure you have a fine mix of content that serves and content that sells.

    Remember, Selling is a service. When you have an offer that can help your audience you are doing them a favor by selling to them.

    Convert Your Leadmagnet to a Sales Funnel

    Here’s something that the pros do but amateurs skip. Pros create a Leadmagnet, then ensure it does more than just get leads, it also gets sales. They do this by building out a simple two-step Funnel, often called a Freebie / Tripwire Funnel. 

    When implemented into your business, your Tripwire Funnel will not only attract your ideal clients and audience, it will also ensure that you are able to make a sale. 

    This makes your entire list-building process even more fun. Not only are you growing your email list, but you also have a Funnel that’s selling for you every time someone downloads your lead magnet.

    I show you exactly how this works and how to set up your own Tripwire Funnel in the Funnel in a Day Masterclass.

    If you haven’t already, secure limited-time access to this value-packed one-hour training here, so you can learn how to create a lead magnet that works and how to build a Funnel that sells for you on autopilot.

    When done right, you’ll only need one Freebie at a time. Don’t be one of those people who are always creating yet another Freebie every other month but never selling anything.

    Create one Freebie, supercharge it with a Sales Funnel, and start growing your email list and making money in your business, by design.

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