There’s no denying that email marketing can be a powerful tool for small and large businesses these days. If you’re just starting out, however, growing your email list can seem daunting.
Forget about newsletter topics, conversions, and list segments when you’re in the beginning stages. Just focus on growing your list and collecting as many emails as you can. Here are a few effective ways to help you gain your first 100 email subscribers.
Add Opt-Ins to Your Site
This is definitely the simplest way to gain your first 100 subscribers. Once you choose an email marketing platform, you need to create sign up forms to place all over your website. You’ll need to place one before the fold on your website, one in the footer, one in the sidebar on your blog page, and one embedded at the end of each blog post or web page at the bare minimum.
Some people also claim that pop-ups convert well but you have to be careful because Google does not favor sites that have pop-ups on mobile. To get people to actually use the sign-up forms on your website, create an irresistible offer or freebie that they will receive in return for signing up. This can be an e-book, printable checklist, discounted service, challenge or guide, etc.
Guest Post
Guest blogging can help bring traffic to your site but it’s also a good strategy to grow your list. In order to use guest blogging to gain new email subscribers, you’ll need to find other sites in your niche that accept guest posts on the blog.
Then, you’ll need to contribute your best content and either ask to link to your email list signup opt-in or just link to your website. On your website, make sure you have an offer that is clearly displayed so visitors can sign up for your list. Jon Marrow, a popular blogging guru, gained 13,000 subscribers by guest blogging. Start by making a list of the top 10-20 sites in your niche, then look through their content to see what their audience likes. After you’ve gathered enough research, you’ll be able to send a pitch for a guest blog post.
Host a Webinar
Hosting a webinar is another great way to get your first 100 email subscribers. If you have something valuable to teach, package your expertise into a 30-60 minute engaging webinar that people can sign up for at no cost. Advertise your webinar on your website, on social media and even through some paid advertising if it fits within your budget.
When people sign up, you can collect their email address to build your list. If you feel you may need some help promoting your webinar, consider doing a joint webinar with another entrepreneur that way you can both share the responsibilities but still get decent exposure.
Run a Giveaway
People love getting free stuff. To build your list, you can offer a giveaway of your favorite product(s) or one of your own services. To join the giveaway, ask people to sign up for your list and share the giveaway on social media. If you use a site like Rafflecopter, you can set up your giveaway easily and allow people to do these tasks to enter and boost their chances of being selected.
By having other people share the giveaway on social media, their followers can join as well and sign up for your list.
Summary
Getting your first 100 subscribers can happen sooner than you think when you use some of these strategies. Start by thinking about what you can offer people in order to get them to subscribe because you’ll find much better results when you give people a reason to join your list.
Once you start getting more signups, be sure to survey your list right away to see what their interests and needs are so you can continue to offer value.
