Growing your email list isn’t always a walk in the park and you need to have a solid strategy in place to consistently grow your list month over month. I honestly had no idea the importance of email marketing when I started blogging almost two years ago but I truly wish that I did. A few weeks ago I shared reasons why you need an email list and now I’m here to share how to effectively grow your email list with just a few simple steps. Let’s jump into the post, shall we?

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How to Grow Your Email List

Find your email service provider

There are so many wonderful options out there and it can certainly be overwhelming but first things first, you’re going to need to get an email service provider. Whether you choose Mailchimp, MailerLite, or ConvertKit – it’s completely up to you.

For beginners I recommend either Mailchimp or MailerLite. Mailchimp has a free plan that allows you to have up to 2,000 subscribers for free but automation isn’t included in this package so if you’re going to send content upgrades to your list (which you’re going to want to – trust me on this one) then the lowest package goes for $10/month.

MailerLite’s free subscription includes automation for up to 1,000 subscribers so I definitely recommend starting there if you’re serious about growing your list and don’t want to pay $10 a month when you’re just starting out with list building or your website in general. Once you’ve decided on an ESP that’s right for you, then you can start working towards growing your email list.

Place opt ins on your website

I recommend placing sign up forms on popular places on your website like your sidebar, your footer, at the end of each blog post, at the very top of your website, and also a pop-up. I know that lots of people are anti pop-up but honestly they convert really well and usually result in the most sign ups for me personally. I have also heard that from others as well so it’s not just me. As long as you turn off pop-ups on mobile, then you’ll be good to go.

Utilize Pinterest

Pinterest is not only a huge traffic driver to your website but can also be used to send people to different freebies that you may be offering. By creating multiple different graphics that lead to your landing pages or opt ins you can quickly grow your email list with interested and engaged subscribers. Once you’ve got them on your list, then you can instantly start making those connections with your audience. If you’re interested in customized landing and thank you pages – LeadPages is a great option. LeadPages seamlessly delivers your content upgrades to your subscribers. This tool isn’t necessary to deliver content upgrades because I know both MailerLite and ConvertKit do this, but it’s definitely something worth looking into once you’ve worked to grow your email list for quite some time.

Offer Content Upgrades (or Freebies)

This is the most vital part of starting to grow your email list. If you don’t have anything to offer your list, then why would people want to join it? Surrendering your email to another blogger or business owner can be difficult so make sure you’re offering them an incentive to be a part of your email list that isn’t just “get access to exclusive content” because if they don’t know what kind of content that you’ll be sending, then they are less likely to sign up.

If you check out my content upgrade ideas freebie, you’ll get some ideas on what type of incentive to send to your email list when they hit the subscribe button.

Provide Insane Value

If you’re not consistently providing value in your blog posts, then no one is going to want to sign up for your email list. If someone signs up for your email list and constantly feels like you’re pitching your next product or service, then they’re eventually going to unsubscribe. You need to find the middle ground between providing value and selling yourself because providing value to your readers should be your main goal.

Your Turn:

Are you currently working on growing your email list? What tactics are you using to grow your list? Please feel free to let me know down in the comments.