Building an email list is the start of a beautiful–and profitable–relationship with your subscribers.
Having a list allows you to move away from connecting with people just one-on-one, and leverage your time to reach more people, even on a global scale if you wish.
List building, though crucial, is not the glamorous stuff. It’s what most are unwilling to do. It’s time-consuming and the payoff is far from immediate. There’s no magic bullet, and being proactive is a must.
However, the payoffs for keeping the faith are BIG. Plus, if the work you do helps change lives and adds value, staying in touch with your list is actually a service to them.
The longer you wait to build your list, the more you let future money slip through your fingers.
And although it’s not just about the numbers (the old quality vs. quantity argument), you should always focus on growth because only a small portion of your list will ever buy.
Brutal truth.
Roughly 20% of your list will become your buyers and customers. The other 80% are going to be tire kickers and freebie seekers.
If we’re talking numbers, 1,000 subscribers is the tipping point to consistent income, with 5,000 and then 10,000 being additional milestones.
I coach my Impact Academy students that when they’re aiming to reach their first 1,000 subscribers, they should spend a minimum of one hour per day, 5 days a week engaging in list-building activities.
It’s completely worth it, because the size and quality of your list is your main measure of success besides profit.
That being said, if your list is small right now, you may feel bummed. Don’t. Be grateful for those people and treat them right.
Appreciate your list and it will grow, and don’t forget that everyone starts at zero.
And, if list building is new to you—or, you’ve been trying to build your list and it just isn’t happening–you may need a mindset shift.
Every speaking opportunity, every press opportunity, any situation you are in where you get visibility–begin looking at them as opportunities for you to build your list.
Persistence and consistency are the name of the game, like many things in business. Commit to selecting a few list-building strategies and working them religiously.
Make the plan, and then work the plan.
Your leads–AKA your list—become your clients and customers, so the more effort you put in, the more money in your bank account.
And that makes focusing on growth well worth the work.
One thing I’d add to the tips above is to get #s of what’s going on regularly. See how many are getting on your list and how much traffic you’re getting. This will let you know if it’s working at all, and/or help you find ways to improve (better giveaway, more prominent invite).
Btw, nice CD offer. MIght want to improve readability of it in the header, text is ultra small.
Thanks Kenn, I assume you’re referring to the text on the actual CD? The most important thing is the title of the free offer, which is why we have it next to the CD graphic. 🙂
Christine: I am new to building my list and have found the “consistency” factor EXTREMELY important. It is easy to get discouraged, but you’ve just got to keep on it. When you start to see a few trickle in on your list at a time it starts to get exciting. If you get quiet, so does your list.
Thanks for the post.
Totally agree Angeline. And then in between the trickles you get the “gushes” too if you keep at it. Kind of addicting in a way to watch the numbers grow! 😉
Hi Christine,
That is one of the wisest posts that I have read about list building in a while…and I heave read a lot of them. 😉
I think that list building doesn’t get the attention that it deserves because it is not as sexy as social marketing or SEO.
But for me, building a list is the way to go. Not only does it give you a way to create an intimate relationship with your audience, but it is also an incredible asset as well.
Especially if you really know how to monetize it.
Great post. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Fred, appreciate that a lot!