Wanna learn how to start building an email list? I got you covered.
When it comes to building an email list…we first need to start with why.
Why is it so important to build an email list?
Why can’t you just grow your Instagram account?
Dude.
Your email list is the most valuable asset you have.
You don’t own IG. You don’t own FB.
They could shut down your account at any point, change the algorithm, etc. and you’re screwed!
I became a huge believer in the power of building an email list back in my fitness business when I decided to pre-sell my first online course.
Pre-sell means it wasn’t even made yet.
I sent two emails to my list and made over $1,000…without a course yet!
When I started She’s Making an Impact, I knew list building was going to be a crucial part of our success so I’ve made it our main focus.
We have over 44,000 people on our list in two years.
That gives you FREEDOM.
I was an affiliate for a friend’s course launch, sent a few emails to my list, and did $12,000 in affiliate commission. #insane
I hope you understand the power of list building so you can make this a primary focus in your business.
Let’s dive into my 5 essential steps to building an email list.
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Building an Email List Step 1: Select an email provider
The first step to building an email list is to select an email provider.
There are a ton of choices here, I want to try and simplify this as much as possible for you.
I typically don’t suggest using free platforms like MailChimp since they are super limited in their capabilities and you’ll want to upgrade to a more robust platform, like Active Campaign.
That’s what we use and what I highly suggest. The tagging and automations that you can do are amazing.
I was torn between ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign when I was deciding on an email provider for this business and I’m super happy we went with ActiveCampaign.
If you want to try it out, here’s a link to a 14 day free trial.
Building an Email List Step 2: Create an opt-in page
Once you’ve selected an email provider, you’ll want to create an opt-in page, also known as a lead page. This is the page where you’ll actually collect the name and email. You will connect your opt-in page to your email provider.
Again, there are a lot of different ways you can go about doing this. I simply recommend using LeadPages since they’re proven to convert, super easy to use, and takes minutes to create a high converting opt in page.
Here’s a link for another 14 day trial.
If you want to learn how to create an opt-in page that people actually want to sign up for, I created a guide just for you. I dive into tons of examples of pages that convert and a lot more to help you build your email list fast. Click here to grab your free copy!
Building an Email List Step 3: Create a thank you page
Super simple. If you’re using LeadPages, they have thank you page templates. I suggest you have some kind of call to action on the thank you page.
Here are a few ideas:
- Check your email
- Join our fb group
- Book a call
- Buy something at a discount
Here’s an example of a thank you page we used for one of our 5-day challenges.
Building an Email List Step 4: Create your first welcome email
You have your opt-in and thank you pages done…woohoo!
Now you need to create your first welcome email, in what we call a nurture sequence.
You definitely want more than 1 email in this nurture sequence (more like 5), but let’s start with the welcome email.
The welcome email should be simple–congratulate them on being an action taker, deliver the freebie, and let them know what’s next. How often will you email? What will you send next? Have a lil teaser in that first email.
We also make sure our emails are memorable–we include Friends giffs in ours (because helllo I still watch Friends allthetime.
In the sea of emails out there, how can you let your style and personality shine?
Building an Email List Step 5: Start directing traffic to your freebie
Yay! You have the most essential parts done of building your email list, so let’s drive some traffic to this bad boy.
Luckily I have an entire post that can help you do just that. Click here to check it out.
Conclusion
Look at you, rockstar!
If you take massive action on the steps above, you’ll be so much closer to building your email list and growing your biz!
Comment below: How many people do you want on your email list in the next 90 days?
