How to Build an Email List for Beginners:
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Email? That's so outdated!" But hear me out, my friend. Email is still one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience and turn them into loyal customers.
And let's just start with 5 reason why I think it's better and more important than both Instagram and Pinterest:
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You own your email list: With an email list, you own the contact information for each of your subscribers. This means that you have direct access to them, regardless of any algorithm changes or social media platform updates.
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Email has a higher ROI: According to data from Campaign Monitor, email marketing has an average ROI of 4400%, compared to just 15% for social media marketing. This means that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $44.
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Email is more personal: When someone subscribes to your email list, they are giving you permission to enter their personal inbox. This is a privilege that shouldn't be taken lightly. With email, you have the opportunity to create a more personal connection with your subscribers, which can lead to increased engagement and loyalty.
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Email is more targeted: With an email list, you have the ability to segment your subscribers based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. This means that you can tailor your email content to specific groups of subscribers, which can lead to higher open and click-through rates.
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Email lasts longer: While social media posts have a short lifespan, email can stay in someone's inbox indefinitely. This means that your email content has a longer shelf life and can continue to drive traffic and sales long after it was initially sent.
Overall, while social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest is super important as the top of your sales funnel and can be great for building your brand and driving traffic, having an email list is a powerful tool that can help you connect with your audience in a more personal and targeted way, with higher ROI and long-lasting impact.
So, let's get started with part one of this blog post on how to build an email list. I'll be sharing some good tips along the way to keep you entertained.
I recently had a client with a pretty big Instagram account, she was clueless about email marketing. She thought, she could just post on social media and people would magically find their way to her website. Boy, was she wrong! She had experienced some dives in her engagement on Instagram and her website was like a ghost town, and her bank account was feeling the effects.
That's when she stumbled upon me and the magical world of email marketing. I learned her that building an email list is essential for any online business and I set up up lead magnets and automated email flows for her. It's like having a direct line of communication with your audience, and it allows you to build relationships and make sales on autopilot.
So, here are some tips on how to build your email list:
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Offer a freebie: People love free stuff. So, create an irresistible lead magnet that your audience can't say no to. It could be an ebook, a checklist, a video training, or anything else that provides value and solves a problem for your audience.
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Create a landing page: Once you have your lead magnet, create a landing page where people can opt-in to receive it. Your landing page should be simple, clear, and visually appealing. Use keywords from Google keyword planner to optimize your landing page for search engines.
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Drive traffic to your landing page: You can't just sit around and hope that people will find your landing page. You need to actively promote it. Share it on social media, run Facebook ads, collaborate with other bloggers, and use any other marketing tactics that work for you.
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Optimize your website: Make sure your website is optimized for conversions. Add opt-in forms to your sidebar, footer, and anywhere else that makes sense. Use pop-ups and slide-ins to grab people's attention. And make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
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How to use funny Call-to-actions to get people to sign up for your email list:
So now we talked about how to build your email list. Now, we're going to talk about how to use strong and humorous call-to-actions (CTAs) to ask people to sign up for your email list.
Now, you might be wondering, "What the heck is a CTA?" Well, it's a fancy marketing term for the button or link that you use to ask people to take action. In this case, we want people to sign up for our email list. And we want to make it as irresistible and fun as possible.
So, here are some tips for creating strong and humorous CTAs:
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Be clear and concise: Your CTA should be simple and easy to understand. Don't use fancy jargon or complicated words. Tell people exactly what they're signing up for and why they should care.
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Use action-oriented language: Your CTA should use active verbs to encourage people to take action. Use words like "get," "download," "subscribe," and "join."
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Create a sense of urgency: People are more likely to take action when there's a deadline or a limited time offer. Use phrases like "limited time only," "don't miss out," or "act now."
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Add social proof: People are more likely to trust and follow others. Use social proof by adding testimonials, reviews, or statistics to your CTA.
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Use humor: Humor is a great way to grab people's attention and make them laugh. Use puns, jokes, or funny images to make your CTA stand out.
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Here are 10 humorous CTA suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:
- "Join the cool kids' club - aka our email list."
- "Get ready to be wooed by our irresistible emails."
- "Don't be FOMO's next victim. Sign up now!"
- "Subscribe to our email list for exclusive content and dad jokes."
- "Enter your email to be part of the in crowd. (Sorry, we don't have leather jackets.)"
- "Join our email list and we'll send you virtual high fives every week."
- "Click here to join the email revolution. We have cookies."
- "Be the first to know our secret recipes. Sign up now!"
- "Sign up for our email list and we'll never send you spam. Just bacon recipes and cat memes."
- "Enter your email and let's be best buds forever. We promise to only send you the good stuff."
Do you want even more humorous CTA's & subject lines? Go download my FREE list of 185 non-boring CTA's & subject lines here
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Where to place your sign-up form in a blog post:
Now, let's talk about where to place your sign-up form in a blog post.
In part one of this blog post, we talked about how to build your email list, and in part two, we discussed how to create strong and humorous CTAs to encourage people to sign up for your email list. Now, let's talk about where to place your sign-up form in a blog post.
The placement of your sign-up form is crucial because it determines whether or not your readers will notice it and take action. Here are some tips to help you choose the best placement for your sign-up form:
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Above the fold: This means placing your sign-up form at the top of your blog post, before your readers need to scroll down. This is a great way to ensure that your sign-up form is the first thing your readers see.
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In the sidebar: You can also place your sign-up form in the sidebar of your blog post. This is a common placement because it's easy to see and doesn't interfere with the main content.
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Within the content: You can also include your sign-up form within your blog post content. This can be done by creating a call-to-action (CTA) within your post that leads to your sign-up form.
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At the end of your blog post: You can also place your sign-up form at the end of your blog post. This is a great way to capture the attention of readers who have made it all the way to the end of your post.
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As a pop-up or slide-in: Finally, you can use a pop-up or slide-in to grab your readers' attention and encourage them to sign up for your email list. This can be an effective way to capture email addresses, but use it sparingly so as not to annoy your readers.
When choosing where to place your sign-up form, consider your audience and the purpose of your blog post. If you're writing a post that is intended to generate leads, you may want to place your sign-up form above the fold or within your content. If you're writing a post that is more informative, placing your sign-up form at the end of your post may be more appropriate.
We've covered a lot of ground so far, from building your email list to creating strong and humorous CTAs and choosing the best placement for your sign-up form. But what about lead magnets?
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How to create a high converting lead magnet:
A lead magnet is something of value that you offer in exchange for someone's email address. It's an effective way to entice people to sign up for your email list and can help you grow your audience. Here are some suggestions for high-converting lead magnets:
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Mini courses: A mini course is a short, focused course that teaches your audience something specific. It's a great way to provide value and position yourself as an expert in your field. And, as luck would have it, I happen to offer email templates that can help you create a mini course for your email list!
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E-books: E-books are a great way to provide in-depth information on a particular topic. You can offer your e-book as a free download in exchange for someone's email address.
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Checklists: Checklists are simple but effective lead magnets. They're easy to create and provide a lot of value to your audience.
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Templates: Templates are another great option for lead magnets. You can offer templates for things like social media posts, email subject lines, or blog post outlines.
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Webinars: Webinars are a great way to provide value and engage with your audience in real-time. You can offer a free webinar in exchange for someone's email address.
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Resource lists: Resource lists are a curated list of tools, websites, or products that your audience might find useful. You can offer your resource list as a free download in exchange for someone's email address.
Remember, the key to a high-converting lead magnet is to provide value to your audience. Think about what your audience needs and create a lead magnet that meets those needs. And don't forget to promote your lead magnet on your website, social media, and other channels to maximize its effectiveness.
If you're keen on whipping up a mini course that can really wow your email list, you've got to check out my email templates! They're like cheat codes for creating a valuable mini course that will keep your subscribers engaged and growing your list in no time. These templates make it easy and fun to create a killer course that your audience will absolutely love. So why wait? Get your hands on them today and start slaying the email game!
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How to get your email opened: Use strong subject lines
We've covered a lot so far, from building your email list to creating strong CTAs and choosing the best placement for your sign-up form. But now it's time to talk about what really matters: sending emails that are worth opening.
One of the keys to a successful email marketing campaign is writing strong subject lines. Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see when they receive your email, so it's important to make it count. Here are some tips for writing strong subject lines:
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Keep it short and sweet: Your subject line should be short and to the point. Aim for 50 characters or less.
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Make it relevant: Your subject line should be relevant to the content of your email. If your email is about a sale, your subject line should reflect that.
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Use humor: A little bit of humor can go a long way in getting your email opened. Try incorporating a joke or a pun into your subject line.
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Create urgency: Use words like "limited time" or "act now" to create a sense of urgency and encourage your subscribers to open your email.
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Personalize it: Use your subscriber's name or location in your subject line to make it more personal and increase the chances of your email getting opened.
Don't forget that your subject line is super important in getting people to open your emails. But, it's not the whole shebang when it comes to slaying the email marketing game. There are other key factors that contribute to email success, You also need to make sure that your email content is valuable, engaging, and easy to read.
Don't miss out on the chance to level up your email marketing! Click that download button and get access to my free list of 185 non-boring subject lines and CTAs right here.
This resource is packed with humorous and engaging content that will help you connect with your subscribers and increase your open rates and click-through rates. So go ahead, give your email marketing a boost.
And what do you do when you have finally started that email list?
Well it's time to be consistent with sending emails on a weekly basis, and I can help you with that too. If you want your emails planned, written and designed for you, check out my email template membership
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