Are you getting the right people to join your email list?

Is your email list growing the way you want it to?

If your answer to either of those questions is “no, ” you need to look at the foundation you’ve built to ensure it’s designed and created to get the right people to raise their hands and say “yes” to giving you their precious email addresses.

Answering questions from my community is something I love to do, and recently, I did just that, with the result being a series of Ask Me Anything (about online marketing) videos.

The first question I received was about list building, a perennial topic for business owners and marketers.

Below is the video and below the video is an article crafted from the transcript (and yes, I got help from ChatGPT4o to organize the information so it is easier to read than the transcript).

Imagine entering a room filled with potential customers, each eagerly awaiting a compelling reason to stay connected with you. Your email list is that room; the key to filling it lies in your approach to list building.

I recently offered a program called The List Building Lab, which included 12 lessons on my top strategies for effective list-building. The video above and the article below expand on those insights.

I’ll start by emphasizing the importance of a solid foundation. Without it, your list-building efforts might falter. The cornerstone of this foundation is a dedicated, stand-alone page for your opt-in form—#3 on the list below.

Why am I addressing the third essential step?

I’m making an assumption you already 1) know your target audience and 2) you’ve created a valuable reason why (maybe a lead magnet) someone would want to subscribe to your list.

That makes the third step: setting up a dedicated opt-in page. If you haven’t done steps one and two, you must back up and start there.

This page should exist solely to encourage visitors to join your list, whether offering a newsletter, a lead magnet, or another enticing freebie. The dedicated page allows for focused promotion and makes it simple for potential subscribers to opt in without distractions.

Why is a stand-alone opt-in page so crucial?

Many businesses scatter their opt-in forms across various parts of their website – the homepage hero image, the footer, or the sidebar. While these locations are beneficial, they don’t replace the power of a single, clear opt-in page.

This page is a direct, uncomplicated path for your audience to follow, enhancing your promotional efforts. Imagine being a guest on a podcast or speaking at a summit; having a straightforward URL to share can significantly boost your sign-ups.

Creating this dedicated page isn’t just about the opt-in form itself; it’s about conveying the value and benefits to the subscriber.

Here are some key elements to include on your stand-alone opt-in page:

1. Clear Value Proposition: Explain exactly what the subscriber will receive and why it’s beneficial. Be specific about the value they’ll gain.
2. Compelling Headline: Craft a headline that grabs attention and clearly states the offer.
3. Engaging Copy: Use persuasive language to describe the benefits of subscribing. Focus on what’s in it for them.
4. Simple Form: To reduce friction, keep the form fields to a minimum. Ask only for essential information, typically a name and email address.
5. Strong Call to Action: Make your call to action (CTA) stand out. Use action-oriented language that encourages immediate sign-up.
6. Visual Appeal: Ensure the page is visually appealing with a clean design, relevant images, and a layout that guides the eye toward the CTA.

Beyond the stand-alone page, promoting your opt-in page effectively is crucial.

Here are some additional strategies:

1. Social Media Promotion: Regularly share the link to your opt-in page across your social media channels. Use eye-catching visuals and persuasive copy to draw attention.
2. Guest Appearances: When participating in podcasts, webinars, or summits, mention your opt-in page and provide the link. This can attract a new audience who already values your expertise.
3. Email Signatures: Include a link to your opt-in page in your email signature. Every email you send is an opportunity to attract new subscribers.
4. Partnerships and Collaborations: Partner with other businesses or influencers in your niche to promote your opt-in page. Cross-promotion can introduce your offer to a wider audience.

To sum up, my list-building approach involves creating a strong, focused foundation and promoting it effectively. Your dedicated opt-in page is a powerful tool in your marketing toolbox, simplifying the subscription process and enhancing your promotional efforts.

Every email list starts with one subscriber. Treat each one as the individual they are, and your list will grow with integrity.

Author Unknown

Create that stand-alone page, communicate your value, and confidently promote it. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to building a robust, engaged email list that can drive your business forward.

Ready to start? Craft your opt-in page today and watch your email list grow!

Here’s a comprehensive checklist ready to help you succeed with your list building.

Yes, I want the checklist!

Blog header photo by Philipp Katzenberger on Unsplash

The post How to Build a Strong Foundation for Your Email List appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

1. How to convert social media followers into quality leads
2. How to get content on their Facebook business page seen by more followers in the newsfeed

I’ve been experimenting with a strategy to conquer both challenges after I received a quick Facebook page “makeover” from Erin Tillotson.

 I was whining mentioning to Erin that I was tired of having to “pay to play” on Facebook. I want the people who voluntarily liked my page to be able to see my content without having to buy ads. Sounds reasonable, right?

So, Erin showed me how to create an Offer (which is considered an ad) without having to pay for it. This is legitimate, no black hat funny stuff.

In the video, you can watch as I show where to create an offer (starts at 07:44 min).

I decided to experiment with a Facebook offer and promote my free Visibility Boost! eCourse. My goal was to make an offer to get the free eCourse which  would direct my followers to provide their email address in order to get the seven free visibility tips delivered over seven days.  You can see the offer embedded below:

You can see some of the results on the offer (at the time of this post’s publication):

• The offer has been shared 12 times
• 101 people have claimed the offer
• 4 comments on the offer

What you can’t see:

• 13,848 saw the post in the newsfeed
• 51 people actually opted in to get the free tips in the first 5 days the offer was live
• 50% conversion from offer claims to eCourse optins
• 32 new Likes on my Page

While these numbers may not be earth shattering, they do bear mention because my experiment has introduced 51 new people into my world. Over time, some of these new people may become customers when I introduce a new Visibility program, and a few may become mentoring clients. And I did not have to spend a dime on ads to get my offer in front of them.    

What you need to prepare before you create an offer

Before you dive in to the ad tool to create an offer, it will go more smoothly if you prepare a few things first. If you’re making an offer with the intention to build your email list, then of course, you need to have something to give away. I suggest you consider an ebook, video course, checklist, webinar, etc. Offering a subscription to a newsletter may not be compelling enough unless you’re really well known and can make a strong case to subscribe.  Here’s what else to prepare:

1. You offer should be on a dedicated page with it’s own URL. Don’t send people to your home page or a blog post and make them work to find your freebie. Send them to a landing page for your gift.
2. Attention-grabbing headline for your offer – 25 characters
3. Description – 90 characters
4. An image that reflects your offer – 560 x 292 pixels
5. URL for the landing page
6. Use the “terms and conditions” to add info about what your prospect will get when they claim your offer

This is what your prospect receives via email when they claim your offer:

The part outlined in red and highlighted in yellow is the copy you can add under Terms and Conditions. Many people don’t include any additional information which I consider a wasted opportunity.

Bonus Tip: After you create your Facebook offer and it’s live on your Page, pin it to the top so it stays visible when new people click through to your page.

There you have it. I’d love to know how you’ve used offers to build your email list. Post your comments below and share your results and experience with Facebook offers.

The post How to Build Your Email List with Facebook Offers appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Let’s say you agree, and let’s say that you have a really awesome email newsletter yourself. In this era where everybody under the sun is telling you to ditch the email newsletter in favor of social, how do you grow that list? I have some ideas for you…

Best practices

An important thing to remember when incorporating any new marketing idea is to test, test, test. But before you start testing, you should have the foundation of best practices in place. This way, as you test, you know that your newsletter, signup forms, and other fundamental pieces of your email strategy are rock-solid and will be there to help close the deal as you promote your list.

1. Make your email awesome

If your newsletter stinks, no amount of promotion is going to hold a subscriber for long. Be sure to have the entire signup process set up properly, with your welcome email, a clean,mobile-friendly design, and most importantly, content that will keep your subscribers wanting more.

2. Have a standalone signup page

Nearly all of us use a signup form on our websites, either in the sidebar, a pop-up (we’ll talk about that in a minute) or near the bottom of our web pages. But those forms are all “passive intent”, meaning the visitor came to that page for another reason (the content itself) and decided after the fact to sign up for your newsletter. Why not have a “sales page” dedicated to capturing signups?

3. Use your signup page as a funnel

The sidebar/footer/pop-up form is great to have, and important, but you should include links in your copy dedicated to drive people to that signup page, where you can make a better pitch. You can also track conversions this way.

4. Put a subscribe link in the email itself

If your email is forwarded or shared, the new set of eyes viewing it has no way of signing up for their own copy of awesomeness…unless you have a link in your email to that dedicated signup page.

5. Include social sharing buttons (if appropriate for the message) in the email. 

They’ll link to your web version which, you guessed it, includes a signup link to your newsletter!

Boost your signup form’s visibility

Now that you have the essentials in place, it’s time to drive traffic and messaging to your email list signup page. Here are some ideas to test out:

1. Pop-ups, pop-overs, pull-downs oh my!

Love ’em or hate ’em, those pop-ups that ask visitors to sign up for your email list work. Instead of giving you research and examples, I’ll point you to this blog post by email marketing consultant DJ Waldow who already did the work for me here.

2. Post teasers before your newsletter drops, with a signup link

Give your followers a heads-up that you have some exclusive content coming out in about 60 minutes (then 30, then 15), with a link to your signup form. [pullquote position=”right”]On Facebook and Google+, post an attention-grabbing photo that announces your upcoming newsletter.[/pullquote]

3. Set your list to “send last campaign” after your newsletter drops, then tweet/post the link

IMPORTANT: Don’t post a link to the actual newsletter on social, then you give your audience no incentive to sign up. You also dilute the exclusivity for your existing subscribers, who have given you their email address, only to find you posted the newsletter to everyone on the Internet. Not cool.

Instead, ask your Email Service Provider (ESP) if you can set your list to send the last campaign (your newsletter) to new signups, then you can promote the heck out of the fact your newsletter just dropped.

4. Do a Vine, Instagram or YouTube video about why people should sign up 

Video can invoke a level of trust for people who are hesitant to give out their email address, because we see people “face to face” and can read their human emotion in the video. Talking about what their email address means to you as a marketer is a fantastic way to bridge that gap, plus you’re taking advantage of a very hot part of online marketing today: VIDEO!

5. Create a pin on Pinterest that promotes exclusive content and links to your signup page 

Pinterest is fantastic for driving traffic to websites, and pins have a long life span compared to other posts that get pushed “down stream” in your followers’ news feeds. Bonus points: pin your YouTube video! 

6. Encourage audience participation 

DJ Waldow does a fantastic job with this (I’m a fan, what can I say). In his weekly newsletter, he has calls to action to tell him you’re interacting with his email (check out an example). This does three things: first, it makes the email fun and deepens his relationships with his subscribers. Second, it gives him valuable data to use when evaluating his campaign’s performance. Third, he can use those tweets and shout-outs to cross-promote his subscriber list AND his signup page.

Always Be Testing

Hopefully you’ll get some cool ways to boost the visibility of your email list. Some might work, some might bomb. But you’ll only know if you test! If you use any, I want to hear about them, so tweet me @stephanhov or +mention me on Google+.

The post Six Ways to Boost the Visibility of Your Email List appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Expert list building tips concludes with a final installment with seven more ideas you can implement to to build your list and increase the number of people you can serve. If you missed the first three posts, you can catch up here:

Expert List Building Tips – How to Build a Responsive and Lucrative List

Expert List Building Tips – Part 2

Expert List Building Tips – Part 3

The question: What's your #1 tip for building a responsive and lucrative list?

The answers…

15.  A master at building community by offering tremendous value…

Video transcript:

Hey, this is Jeff, and I want to show you a quick blueprint about list building. And you see five steps here, and it's list building with articles. 

 

Step one, obviously, is you create your article, and it's the way you create your article when you do the things that you need to do and create a direct response article, which includes a CTA.

 

What's a CTA? The call to action. You're asking them to take an action at the end of reading your article, then you're sending them to an opt in page, where they enter their name and e-mail address to get some goodies from you, some information from you. 

 

Now most people just do the first three. I don't want you to be most people, because most people are broke. 

 

I want you to add these next two, and that's good follow-up with the people that have joined your list. Following up with auto-responders, broadcast e-mail, tele-seminars, webinars.

 

And the fifth step is TGC, taking great care of your list. And part of taking great care of your list is asking them questions, answering their questions, and offering them resources. Yeah, taking great care of your list is offering them ways to invest with you. 

 

By doing this simple five step process, I've been able to build a list of — what I call a list community of people that are very, very responsive. And it's basically money on demand. You ask them to invest with something, and they spend the money with you. 

 

So follow this five step outline to create a very highly responsive list community and not only in this guest blog post do you have this video, you'll have a link to the transcript as well. 

 

Thanks, Denise, for having me on, and as always, folks, go use this stuff.

 

~ Jeff Herring, JeffHerring.com

16. One of the authors of Facebook Marketing for Dummies, offers a tried and true method for moving your Facebook fans to your list…

My #1 tip for building a responsive and lucrative list is to take advantage of list building opportunities inside Facebook.    When you create a thriving community on Facebook, your fans begin to trust you and are more likely to give you their name and email in exchange for valuable content. The key here is knowing what your Facebook fans find valuable as it relates to your niche. 

Do some research first to find out what they will respond to most.  Once you know what your fans want, you can create a highly successful Facebook lead generation campaign.  

 

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to create a list building opportunity on your Facebook page:

 

1. Brainstorm ideas on giveaways or opportunities you know your audience will find valuable.  For example, do a webinar, offer access to a free video series, create a newsletter, offer free consultations – there's so much you can do here, so get creative!

 

2. Once you decide on your offer, create a custom landing page highlighting your offer on your own Facebook page.  This is where you will include a form to capture name and email in exchange for your free giveaway or opportunity. Here's an example of a lead generating page that produces some great results on a daily basis.

3.Now that your custom page is up and running, you need to get people to see it! Each custom landing page has it's own unique URL, so you can use that link to send traffic directly to it.

 

One of the best ways to drive traffic to a custom page inside Facebook is with Facebook ads. You can laser focus your ads on your target market and send them to a custom page that offers an opportunity you know they will find valuable.  They get great, free content and you get their name and email. This formula makes it a win-win for you and your fans!

 

~ Amy Porterfield, AmyPorterfield.com

17. Next up is an example of "the digital product giveaway"…

This is an approach to list-building that has worked for me and that I'm seeing people using more and more often. 

 

Target a specific niche (real estate agents, coaches, solopreneurs, etc.) and organize a group of service providers to participate in a digitial product giveaway for a limited period of time. 

 

How it would work: 

1. Each service provider would have a digital product to give away for free (e.g. ebook, audio course, video course, email course) 
2. They would each build a landing page for that giveaway that included a way to opt-in to their list (in return for the product) 
3. The event organizer would host a page that markets all of the giveaways with links to the individual landing pages 
4. Each "service provider" promotes the event to their mailing lists, on their websites/blogs and via social media 
5. A person who is interested in the digital products would decide which ones they wanted and then would go each opt-in page to register and claim that particular free product 
6. Each service provider would then build their list – each person who got their giveaway would become a list subscriber 

A hybrid of this model is one in which the organizer charges a small amount for a set of products – combining list-building with the ability to make an immediate return. 

 

~ Tom Treanor, Right Mix Marketing 

18.  This marketer knows how to simplify and focus on what works…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIv7Of0TTaU[/youtube]

 

~ Sydni Craig-Hart, Smart Simple Marketing

19. A word to the wise…

DO NOT BUY LEADS! I can't say it louder than that. Do not buy a list. Do not buy leads. Do not buy a bunch of email addresses to feed into an autoresponder. It is worth the time and effort to build it authentically because you WILL get the responsive list.

The other tip I have (that hasn't already been mentioned) is that Tell A Friend is pretty powerful. If you can encourage someone to get a free ebook or free report by telling a friend, this can increase your list.

~ Devon Brown,  Renegade Success 

20. I include this simple tip because nine times out of ten, it's missing from sites I review… 

21.  Finally, take it offline (this tip can be applied at conferences, speaking gigs, seminars, networking events, lunch and learn events, etc.)…

I attended a trade show where many of my "sweet spot" readers — overwhelmed marketing directors — were in attendance. I targeted specific booths, introduced myself and asked if I could add them to my blog list. That was my main goal for each stop. Added 30 new names by the end of the show, and all had met the real person behind the blog.

~ Carro Ford, WordScience 

That's it for now. There were many, many more contributions, and I appreciate everyone's input. Most of the tips offered similar advice all of which is important to incorportate into your list building routine:

• Target your audience
• Provide excellent content
• Don't pitch too much
• Make sure content is relevant to the target audience
• Create a plan to target and bulid your list
• Be consistent
• Use video on your squeeze page (opt in page)
• Ask questions
• Be generous with your free gift
• Solve the problems of your target audience
• Give more than you ask for
• Listen to what your audience wants

What tip would you add to this list? 

As I was putting this list together, I decided I would create a report including all the tips. If you have a great tip that has generated results for you, add it below and it may be featured in the ebook too!

The post Expert List Building Tips – Part 4 appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

List building tips continue with seven more ways you can build your list. If you missed the first two posts, catch up here:

Expert List Building Tips – How to Build a Responsive and Lucrative List

Expert List Building Tips – Part 2

Onward with the answers to the question: What's your #1 tip for building a responsive and lucrative list?

8. More proof that giving away high-value content pays off, from an Internet marketing legend.

My most successful list-building effort, in terms of the size of list built and profit, was achieved by offering something of extremely high perceived value.  An offer they couldn't refuse.  It should hurt to give it away – that's the test.  We ended up selling over $750,000 to that list a few months after we built it.

 

Look around your market and check out what everyone is offering for free and paid, and "simply" capitalize by offering something truly unique and irresistible.  Opt-in rates for an irresistible offer should be around 60-70% or more.  Settle for nothing less!  You don't have a winning offer until you are at those rates or above, in my opinion.  Also look for the hottest trends that haven't totally taken off yet in your market and get something together related to that trend to capitalize when it hits big.

 

~ Jack Humphrey,  Bending the Web

9. In this video my colleague Ellen Britt share an important tip for cultivating a lucrative list, that is often overlooked.

10. Ironically, the Online Video Guy submitted a tip in text and not video, but that in no way detracts from the value of his tip! 

Perhaps it comes as no surprise that "the online video guy" would recommend video as my top list-building strategy, but here's why video squeeze pages are so powerful…

 

A video squeeze page is simply an opt-in web site with only three elements: A video; an offer or freebie; and an opt-in form.  It's short and sweet by design, and it gives the visitor limited options – watch the video and enter your name and email to receive the freebie.  It's easy and direct.

 

This works because video is a much more personal and engaging way to greet your visitors and ask them to fill in the form.  Video on your opt-in page establishes an immediate 'know, like and trust' factor that can't be achieved by print alone.  And video breaks through the clutter and makes you stand out in a sea of sameness. 

 

You can see a fun example of a video squeeze page here.

 

~ Lou Bortone,  LouBortone.com

11. And now for a contratrian perspective on the "give away a freebie" advice…

For a responsive list that is really into what you are going to say, my number one tip would be to put up an opt-in form with no incentives other than they get your mailings.  Sure you won't have a ton of subscribers, but this way, you know that the people are not on there just for a free eBook or because they thought they would win an iPad.  You'll know it is because they have seen your content and feel confident that your mailing list will be an extension of that great content.  This way, every time you send out a mailing, people will not automatically unsubscribe because they can't remember why they subscribed in the first place.  

 

Of course, the key to keeping your subscribers would be to make sure your mailing list content is as awesome as your public content.   If it is just another mailing list that sends out 100 words worth of product pitches week after week, you're still probably going to lose subscribers.

 

~ Kristi Hines, Kikolani.com

12. Going offline and networking can be very effective for building a highly targeted lucrative list…

1. Seminars and workshops: I conduct live business-building seminars for local business owners. I charge $79 for a 2-hour seminar, plus, I convert about 20% of my students to become clients for big-ticket projects, such as web development and online marketing consulting. 

 

2. My own networking groups: After being dissatisfied with the current offering in the business networking arena I started my own networking group, then another one, and another one…needless to say that some of the members became my clients. 

 

I guess these may not be regarded as very effective for building a huge list, but if all one needs is a few new clients a month, these will do the trick quite nicely.

 

~ Boris Mahovac, JVwithBoris.com

13.  This audio tip circles back to the idea of giving a free taste of your expertise…

 

 

It's a good idea to test both Kristi Hine's tip vs. tips for giving away a gift and figure out what works best for the audience you want to attract.

 

~ Carla Wilson, Wilson Media Services

14. The final tip for this post goes to the heart of nurturing your list…

The post Expert List Building Tips – Part 3 appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.