How to organically grow your email list in 2023
Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash
Amandine Liepmann is an expert-vetted, Mailchimp certified, top 1% email marketer on Upwork. She's also the founder of LISTBURST.
Growing an email list is essential to success for marketers, small businesses, and people who use Mailchimp. Unfortunately, many of us don't know where to start or feel overwhelmed with the thought of spending a ton of money on advertising. That's why I'm here today to give you all the knowledge and tools you need to grow your MailChimp email list quickly and organically - without breaking the bank!
I get asked regularly what the best way to connect with your target audience and website visitors is to create your highest ROI. It isn't about collecting email addresses; it's ultimately about finding ways to connect with your audience through valuable informational content marketing.
The key to email list-building success is to create valuable content your audience wants and needs. The more relevant and helpful the information you provide, the greater your chance of creating a strong connection with your readers. You want them to trust and value what you share so they will be more likely to subscribe to your list or click through to your website.
In this blog post, I'll share strategies for creating a successful opt-in flow, including ways that you can get more people signed up for your emails without spending too much time or money. So if you're ready to increase your subscriber count and start gaining some traction from your emails, keep reading because there are many helpful tips ahead!
Offer something of value to entice people to subscribe, also known as a lead magnet.
You'll need to give them a compelling reason to sign up to build a loyal subscriber following. One effective way to entice people to subscribe is to offer them something of value. This could be anything from access to exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes footage or interviews with experts in your field, to discounts and coupon codes that they can use to save money on your products or services. Another option is to offer a free course on a topic related to your business or industry. By providing tangible benefits like these, you'll encourage more people to sign up for your mailing list, build a deeper relationship with your audience, and keep them coming back for more.
Here are more examples of lead magnets I've seen work well recently to grow your email list:
Quizzes
Quizzes and email marketing go together like peanut butter and jelly—or milk and cookies. You get the idea. You can create fun, engaging quizzes to get new subscribers and grow your email list. For example, I recently spoke with a nutritional supplement company and offered them a few ideas for a fun quiz. One of which was, 'What's your allergy type?'
Quizzes are a great way to whittle interest into desired funnels for better targeting. For example, if someone were to take the quiz and determine their allergy type, you can offer product recommendations specifically for them.
Targeted free content
You want to create free content that feels too valuable to share. Someone once told me that you're not doing it right if giving away something for free doesn't feel painful.
I'll typically create a landing page with the content I want to share so people can quickly and easily sign-up for my email list and become subscribers.
I recently wrote a detailed report on increasing your email subject line open rates. You can download it here.
Webinars
Webinars are a great way to capture people's attention and provide them with valuable information that can help them in their lives. You can then use the webinars to collect email addresses from those interested in your content.
Webinars are incredibly wonderful because they can become bespoke content you can share repeatedly.
Blog posts
Writing blog posts is a great way to attract new email subscribers. When blogging, you want to focus on topics your target audience cares about and give them information they can use. Share helpful tips, how-tos, and resources within the content.
Hot tip: Make sure to include a sign-up form in your blog post so people can quickly and easily subscribe to your content, like this one:
Discount or incentive
If you sell a product or service, enticing people to sign-up for a discount lead magnet is an excellent way to build a digital relationship. If you don't feel comfortable offering a discount for email sign-up, you can also offer other incentives, such as free shipping.
Include multiple Signup forms everywhere.
When getting more email subscribers, you'll want to try a range of tactics to figure out what works best for your audience. Email sign-up forms aren't limited to a landing page. There are many places to share an email sign-up form you may have never considered. Here are my top recommendations for places to place email signup forms:
Social media pages
There are so many ways email sign-ups can be utilized using all of your social media accounts.
Facebook page
Did you know you can create a form directly on Facebook to show up on your page to gather leads? Mailchimp has a great how-to guide you can check out here.
Another great way to grow your email list on social media is to include a link to your landing page or email opt-in in that specific social media account's profile.
Social media posts
Referencing you're trying to grow your email list in your social media posts is a great way to grow your email list. A link in your bio for people to sign up will simplify the process.
Blog posts
As mentioned above, including an email signup form in your blog posts is a great way to capture traffic and turn them into email signups.
Email Signature
One of my favorite and most effective tricks for getting more email sign-ups is to include an opt-in in your email signature. This way, when people interact with your emails, they'll see your email signup form every time they receive an email from you.
You can check out what I mean by watching this Tik Tok I posted about how to do this:
Website pop-ups
A standard website pop-up will create an opportunity for someone to sign-up for your email list.
Engage with potential subscribers on social media platforms by asking questions and hosting giveaways.
Social media platforms are more than just a place to post photos and updates. They offer a unique opportunity to engage with your audience. One way of doing this is by asking questions and hosting giveaways. By asking questions, you can learn more about your potential subscribers, help them feel valued and thought about, and build a relationship with them that encourages them to sign-up for your email list.
Hosting giveaways is another effective technique to cultivate an engaged community on social media. Not only does it create a sense of excitement and buzz around your brand, but it can also attract new followers.
Collaborate with people in your industry.
Social media influencers hold immense power in shaping people's opinions and buying behavior in today's digital world. As a business owner, it is crucial to tap into this potential by collaborating with influencers in your industry. By having them share your content with their followers, you can reach a wider audience and increase your brand visibility. Not only does it give you exposure to a relevant audience, but it also builds credibility and trust. People are more likely to trust a recommendation from someone they follow and admire. Collaborating with influencers can help you establish relationships within your industry, gain more customers, and ultimately grow your business.
Nurture new subscribers with a welcome sequence.
Once you've acquired new email subscribers, the next step is to nurture them with a welcome sequence. This automated series of emails is designed to get new subscribers acquainted with your brand, establish trust, and build a long-term relationship with them. You can use this nurturing sequence to educate your audience about your products or help them better understand you and your brand or company.
Post regular updates about your work to show subscribers they’re in the loop.
Being transparent with your audience is crucial to building strong relationships and gaining their trust. One effective way of doing this is by regularly updating them on your work. Sharing progress updates keeps your subscribers informed and shows them that you value their support and want to keep them in the loop. Whether creating new content or improving existing work, posting regular updates lets your subscribers feel invested in your journey and keeps them engaged with your brand. It's a win-win situation for both parties!
Take the time to create great marketing content - written and visual
Creating interesting content that keeps people engaged is essential to any successful business. When creating content for your company, it's important to focus on topics related to your industry. This not only helps establish your expertise but also helps pique the interest of your target audience.
Understanding what your audience wants to read or watch and investing in professional writing or video services can help elevate your content and draw people back for more. A solid content strategy can also help drive traffic to your website, increase email subscriber conversions, and boost your bottom line. With the right topic and approach, you'll be able to cultivate a loyal following that is eager to engage in conversation about your brand and industry.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your email audience to help you find ways to connect and grow your email list:
- What problem are you solving for them?
- How are you making life easier for them?
- What transformation do they need or want to go through?
Did you find this helpful? Have another topic you're interested in learning more about? Reach out to me at amandine.liepmann@listburst.com.
Final thoughts...
Growing your email list in 2023 is creating engaging content and offering something of value to entice people to subscribe. Creating exciting content related to your industry will keep subscribers wanting more. Engaging with potential subscribers on social media platforms and posting regular updates about what you are working on is also essential. Lastly, leverage the influencers in your industry by having them share your content with their audiences. Doing these things can help grow your email list into a more successful endeavor this year so you can have a thriving community backing you up!
