Matthew Woodwardmatthewwoodward.kinsta.com/tips/how-to-build-an-email-list/

Do you know the secrets of how to build an email list that you can turn into a reliable income?

It’s definitely not an easy question to answer.

Right?

But you probably know other bloggers that are able to build an effective email list that drives revenue back tothem every month with their email marketing strategy .

Do these bloggers know something that we don’t know?

Absolutely, yes!

And probably I’m one of them

So I decided to interview five phenomenal bloggers to share their practical ideas about how to build an email listthat can be turned into a reliable income.

Introducing Bill Achola

My name is Bill Achola and I run BillAcholla.com, where I teach bloggers and small business owners how tocreate the right content for their business.

What You Will Learn

Where to place your opt-in form prominently in your blog

How to persuade readers to your opt-in form

How to create a high value free giveaway

How to use content marketing to build an effective email list

How to write EPIC content that attracts site visitors and sign-up to your email list

ATTENTION: Download My Email Sequence To Use In Your Own Campaigns Here!!

Let me introduce you to:

Cody Lister, Jasper Oldersom, Mike Wallagher, Matt Thomas, Zac Johnson

And lets start off with…

1. Jasper Oldersom – Opportunity Building

Q1. How do you make your opt-in form prominent in your blog?

I try not to be too invasive, yet pretty aggressive with my opt-in forms. When you visit myhomepage, the first thing you’ll see is attention grabbing and curiosity generating copy witha very prominent opt-in form above the fold.

When they are on the blog, I have an attention grabbing opt-in form on the right-side.

1/9

Sometimes I use call-to-actions for my newsletter within my posts.

Using an exit-intent popup has also been proven to be effective and this is the most invasive method I use. Ichose to only let it show up the first time you leave my site.

I also use an opt-in form below every post, which reminds my readers that if they like my blog content, they’lllove my e-mails, too.

Personally, I highly recommend the Thrive Leads plugin for all of these things (Which Matt also uses on thisblog).

It has all the lead generation tools you’ll ever need and A/B testing is surprisingly easy.

Q2. How do you persuade site visitors to opt-in to your email list?

By not focusing on what I want, but on what the reader wants.

They aren’t just going to give me their e-mail without any reason, they’re asking themselves “what’s in it forme?”.

That’s why I strictly focus on what they’ll receive when they opt-in to my list.

Q3. How do you create an incredible giveaway for your list?

I have my email autoresponder loaded with short, but super valuable lessons on copywriting that drip right intotheir inbox and help me build a relationship with my list.

In every email, I focus on one concept or principle, which makes it easy to digest yet very valuable to mysubscribers.

Q4. What works well, when it comes to list building?

When it comes to list building, I believe in being a little aggressive to increase your email conversion rate.

If you only have one opt-in form on your website saying “subscribe to my list” in the footer of your website,naturally you won’t get a lot of subscribers.

You-

1. Have to tell them why they should subscribe

2. and provide them many opportunities to do so

Guest blogging is also a great way to build your list.

Each time you get on other people’s blogs and provide valuable content, you get in front of a new audience thatopens new doors for you and adds more subscribers to your list.

Q5. How do you pay special attention to who you want on your email list?

I make sure that the copy I use on my opt-in forms appeals to the specific target audience I want to attract.

If you target a broad audience or give a big promise that you can’t deliver on, you might get more opt-ins, butthey aren’t going to serve you in the long-term. You don’t need a big list, you need an engaged list.

Q6. How does content marketing help you to build an email list?

Content helps me to get in front of an audience. It also allows me to show my passion experience, passion,authority and my voice.

2/9

I always keep in mind that people do business with people they know, like and trust. I believe this to be true forlead generation, too. Because subscribe to newsletters from people they know, like and trust. Content marketinggives you the opportunity to show who you are.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” – TheodoreRoosevelt.

That quote also goes for e-mail marketing. Think about the e-mails you always love to receive. You love them.Because it’s from that particular person you subscribe to.

So I show my personality through my content. That way I stand out and don’t want attract everyone, simply thosewho enjoy and benefit from what I do the most.

Q7. How do you write content that attracts people and end up opt-in to your email list?

I haven’t experimented with content upgrades on my own blog yet, but in my opinion, it’s a great, non-invasiveway to add value to a post and build a relevant list in the process.

However, I do always strive to keep my readers engaged. We are all fighting for attention online. I know howdistracted readers can when they visit my site. I want them to be involved.

Out of every 100 blog posts you visit, how engaged are you reading each on of them? I bet you don’t read themall. But a couple of them stood out. They engaged you.

Would you rather sign up for a blog that you scan for information or one that consistently engages you?

Q8. Any tips for bloggers trying to create a loyal list?

If you attract the right audience into your list and treat them right, they could stay on your list for years on end.

Remember: people do business with people they know, like and trust.

Know: don’t be a stranger. Stay in touch. Don’t send 7 emails in one month and one in the next month. Havesome consistency. Make sure that people can expect something from you. This way they become familiar withyou.

Like: do your emails provide value or are they all straight sales oriented? It’s good to sell in your emails. But dothey also inform, inspire or entertain? Do they keep them on their toes for your next email?

Trust: There are tons of affiliate offers to promote. Don’t fall into the trap of promoting something you wouldnever use yourself. Do not try to trick your list in any other way.

Follow Jasper On Twitter >>

2. Matt Thomas – Insider Secrets

Q1. How do you make your opt-in form prominent in your blog?

If you only have one opt-in form on your website, you’re missing out on subscribers!

I usually use the SumoMe scroll box opt-in form instead of a full-screen pop-up. It performsat least as well and is less intrusive. It also lets readers sample my content before they getthe subscription pitch.

The other three places I put an opt-in form is at the top of the sidebar, at the end of each post, and on my aboutpage.

3/9

My advice: use less obtrusive opt-in forms, but use them in many places on your site.

Q2. How do you persuade site visitors to opt-in to your email list?

Except for family members and friends, nobody cares about what you want. They certainly don’t care that youneed more subscribers or more money (or both!). When someone visits your site, they only care about one thing:what’s in it for them!

Your first step is to use your content to provide amazing value. Every time Matthew Woodward publishes apost, I know it’s going to deliver “over the top” value – I never even have to wonder.

When I get a new post notification, I stop what I’m doing and read it because his posts (and guest posts!) alwaysgive me new ideas to grow my business and increase my income.

If I accidentally got booted off his list, I’d miss the content so much I’d immediately resubscribe.

Do people say that about your content? Do they stop what they’re doing to read your posts? If a subscriber felloff your list, would they even miss your emails?

Q3. How do you create an incredible giveaway for your list?

One way is to provide a kick-b*** “lead magnet” that capitalizes on your reader’s desire to avoid loss. As JonMorrow brilliantly put it, “it’s all about knowing what keeps people awake at night.”

What gnawing worry will keep your readers from falling asleep tonight?

Once you know this, you can create an information giveaway to help them solve that problem – and hopefullythey’ll become a loyal, long-term subscriber.

Just don’t over-promise and under-deliver – you’ll quickly lose their trust.

Once you’ve formatted the information in your word processor, head on over to Fiverr’s “book covers andpackaging” category and choose a cover design that roughly matches the page count of the document you’vejust created.

After your beautiful $5 cover is designed, paste the image into your document as the first full-size page, export itto PDF, and voila! – your giveaway is ready to go.

How hard was that?

Q4. What works well, when it comes to list building?

The two SumoMe paid plans offer split (A/B) testing. This lets you add a second kick-b*** lead magnet (seeabove) and test them both to see which one outperforms the other.

I’ve also had reasonably good results creating a call-to-action button on my Facebook Pages. It’s certainly beenworth the very minimal setup effort.

Another important strategy is list retention – keeping folks subscribed. In each of my daily emails, I put a linknext to ‘unsubscribe’ offering the opportunity to switch to a weekly version.

My daily list unsubscribe rate stayed level but now I’m recovering 38% of daily unsubscribers who join myweekly list. I’ve been able to salvage a large number of readers just by giving them the choice to choose howoften they hear from me.

Q5. How do you pay special attention to who you want on your email list?

Your lead magnet giveaway is going to select those people interested in solving a specific problem.

4/9

If you’ve put some thought into how the giveaway relates to your product or service, your subscribers will end upaligning nicely with your desired target audience.

Q6. How does content marketing help you to build an email list?

Pat Flynn uses an interesting content marketing strategy with his ‘ Ask Pat‘ podcast.

In each bite-sized (under 10-minute) daily episode, he answers just one question from a listener.

All the questions are in his niche, and by answering he builds his authority and — ultimately — subscribers to hisemail list.

Whether you use a blog, podcast, YouTube channel – it doesn’t really matter. This strategy can work for you inany niche.

Q7. How do you write content that attracts people and end up opting-in to your email list?

Identify a problem your target audience has and create high-quality content to help them solve it. It really is thatsimple.

I find it’s easiest to create this kind of content when I imagine myself writing an email to a good friend. It keepsthe content conversational and easy to read.

Q8. Any tips for bloggers trying to create a loyal list?

The legendary salesman Zig Ziglar said: “You will get all you want in life if your help enough other people getwhat they want.” It’s that simple and it’s 100% true.

If your goal is to help your audience achieve their goals – helping them gain something they want or, even better,avoid losing something they have – you’ll build subscriber loyalty every time you mail!

Follow Matt On Twitter >>

3. Zac Johnson – Zac Johnson

Q1. How do you make your opt-in form prominent in your blog?

I like to use popup windows and call to actions throughout the site. Not only is this a greatway to see immediate results, but also allows for quick split-testing as well.

I don’t only study how my own popups perform, I also look at what’s working for other sitesin the industry as well. To see what I mean, view these 32 popups being used by other topsites and bloggers.

Q2. How do you persuade site visitors to opt-in to your email list?

Offer something of value that isn’t accessible otherwise through the site, but also making it something not toooverwhelming at the same time.

For example, a single page PDF cheat sheet usually performs much better than if you were to offer somethinglike a “50 Page Resource Guide”.

After all, who has the time to read something like that! Create something of value and make it easy and quick foryour audience to use.

Q3. How do you create an incredible giveaway for your list?

Every once in a while I will hold social sharing contests for my audience to get their hands on a premium courseI created. When running a giveaway, you want to make it easy and beneficial to your audience to share it with

5/9

their audience as well.

Using any of the top contest plugins or apps like Rafflecopter or AppSumo makes the process seamless andeasy. You can then also follow up to everyone who entered the contest (and didn’t win) to offer them the sameprize at a discount.

Q4. What works well, when it comes to list building?

Running webinars and teaming up with other sites has worked very well for me. How the process works is that Iwould contact another site owner (or vice versa), and we would setup a webinar that would be setup on a rev-share.

The site owner then mails out to their list and sends their traffic to the webinar registration page, which thenbuilds out a new mailing list.

Any leads referred through the webinar are then split with the site owner and myself, while also having access toa new list at the same time.

Q5. How do you pay special attention to who you want on your email list?

I try and keep a general focus on all of my lists with a main call to action. For example, if I have a mailing list onBloggingTips.com or Blogging.org, it’s safe to say they want to learn more about blogging or how to make moneywith a blog.

The email autoresponder series for each of these sites then provides the subscriber what they are looking forand they can also branch off into other areas (monetization, outsourcing, blogging guides) along the way.

Q6. How does content marketing help you to build an email list?

A great majority of my traffic and list subscribers are all as a result of my content. ZacJohnson.com has over1,500 live articles on the site — many of which rank extremely well in the search results.

Knowing how to monetize your blog content and having proper call-to-actions and mailing list signup forms inplace is key to long term growth that just keeps coming in month after month.

Q7. How do you write content that attracts people and end up opt-in to your email list?

Knowing your audience and what they want means everything. It’s also about knowing how to walk them througha process.

For example, if someone goes to Blogging.org and wants to start a blog, that’s the first step. Next I would walkthem through how to install WordPress, chose a quality site theme, what plugins to use and so on.

The concept here is that you are building a relationship with your end user and showing them what to do next.Too many sites focus on getting the email subscriber signed up, then just leave them there with nothing to workwith.

Q8. Any tips for bloggers trying to create a loyal list?

Split test the heck out of your signup forms and call-to-actions. Also provide real value.

It means a lot for a person to put their email address in and actually allow you to send them more email thanthey already need. Keep the conversation going and provide more value than your competition.

Follow Zac On Twitter >>

6/9

4. Cody Lister – Market Doc

Q1. How do you make your opt-in form prominent in your blog?

I use a homepage welcome gate thanks to Bryan Harris (VideoFruit).

It’s the most prominent opt-in form you could possibly use to grow your list.

Q2. How do you persuade site visitors to opt-in to your email list?

By offering a lead magnet or email course of real value that complements your site’s core topics and appeals toyour target audience, you can persuade visitors to opt-in to your email list.

Whatever you offer should provide epic value, otherwise people will ignore it.

Q3. How do you create an incredible giveaway for your list?

Think outside the box while making sure that the giveaway addresses one of your audience’s pain points, suchas how to get more email subscribers or build an online course.

One coveted product in your niche can make for an incredibly powerful giveaway.

Q4. What works well, when it comes to list building?

Content promotion works like a charm. Pre-outreach by using commenters and sharers of other posts.

I find that commenters of other related popular posts tend to work best for pre-outreach.

Make sure you combine pre-outreach with a compelling content upgrade embedded multiple times throughoutyour blog post.

I’ve gotten thousands of email subscribers in the past 30 days by performing exhaustive pre-outreach.

Q5. How do you pay special attention to who you want on your email list?

I segment my list with 50 tags and I manually tag influencers who join my list as “VIP” so I know not to send themtoo many emails.

I think it’s important to treat your subscribers as you would your own mother, with care and respect.

If people don’t want to be on your list, that’s fine, but give them an easy way to opt-out and don’t play games.

Also, don’t bombard your list with dozens of affiliate offers (or make them “run the gauntlet”).

Give as much value as possible and treat each subscriber like a human being, not another number on youremail list.

Q6. How does content marketing help you to build an email list?

Content marketing (and guest blogging) is one of the most important things you can do to grow an email listwhen you’re just starting a blog.

By putting your work out into the world, people will look at you like expert and authority in your industry. You alsoget the chance to help people become better content creators by publishing high quality content.

In short, if you publish high quality “epic” content, your list will naturally start to grow if you promote your contentto the right people and write answers to questions your audience has in mind.

By publishing high caliber content, you nurture your existing email subscribers, attract new ones and turnpassive subscribers into long-term customers and friends.

7/9

Q7. How do you write content that attracts people and end up opt-in to your email list?

Focus on keywords that relate to the questions your audience tends to ask.

If you write about list building, then your audience may be interested in how to grow your list by 1,000subscribers in 7 days or new strategies for growing your list that work best today.

Write content that helps your reader become a hero through self-transformation and personal growth. The morevalue you offer visitors, the more likely it is they’ll opt-in to your list.

Q8. Any tips for bloggers trying to create a loyal list?

Don’t spam your readers with offers. Segment your list in multiple ways based on where they opt-in from or howthey joined your list in the first place.

Send those readers relevant content.

Avoid sending too many broadcast emails as you will get tons of spam complaints and upset a lot of people inone shot.

Be thoughtful and careful about how you engage with your audience.

Don’t be selfish, it’s a privilege to earn someone’s trust. Once you lose it, you can try to earn it back but it takes alot more effort than earning their trust the first time.

Loyalty comes from providing lots of free value. It’s why airline and hotel loyalty and rewards programs still workwell today. Offer free value and your readers will become loyal and faithful.

Follow Cody On Twitter >>

5. Mike Wallagher – Start Blogging Online

Q1. How do you make your opt-in form prominent in your blog?

Just add it below your top performing content.

Don’t stuff it everywhere, but rather make it “exclusive”. In case you publish awesomecontent and the “subscribe box” isn’t prominent all over the site – it makes him/her morelikely to convert.

Q2. How do you persuade site visitors to opt-in to your email list?

I’m honest about what I’m offering to them. If they GET what they WANT – they are sure to not unsubscribe. It’spretty simple and straightforward, no rocket science here.

Q3. How do you create an incredible giveaway for your list?

Offer something to FREE. For example, I recently ran a “ free blog contest” and it literally got TONS oflikes/shares and subscribers.

If you give away something for FREE – you’d be sure to have some boost in your email subscribers.

Q4. What works well, when it comes to list building?

Consistency and helping others by providing great content. Take a look at Brian Dean’s ( backlinko.com)subscribe funnel – you’ll learn a ton from him!

Q5. How do you pay special attention to who you want on your email list?

8/9

I’m obviously interested in people who have money to buy some stuff from me, but not always.

For example, someone who has a lot of friends – both online/offline can bring you more followers by the simpleform of ‘word of mouth”.

But the brutally honest, I don’t pay much attention on it.

Q6. How does content marketing help you to build an email list?

Every time I publish a post and do some marketing towards it, it starts to generate some traffic – mostly viaGoogle. If people find your blog and your AWESOME content – they’re more likely to convert into subscriber.

Q7. How do you write content that attracts people and end up opt-in to your email list?

Look around in Quora, Yahoo answers and even some niche related forums. See what people main questionsare.

Solve problems and help. Make sure your content is top notch, though – the longer, the actionable the better.

Q8. Any tips for bloggers trying to create a loyal list?

Be personal and help, really… Don’t stuff you emails with affiliate/product offers, provide value FIRST.

Follow Mike On Twitter >>

ATTENTION: Download My Email Sequence To Use In Your Own Campaigns Here!!

Wrapping It Up

Now that you have seen the full potential of growing your email list, it’s time to take action.

Just fire up your favorite email marketing software and apply the tips you have learned today.

And If you want to get the most value from your list building campaign through content marketing, then read thisguide about How to Spend $1000 a Month for Your Content Marketing Strategy.

9/9