Why and How to Build an Email List

In the last post of this series, the topic was How to Increase Reader Engagement. One thing that bloggers really want when they create their blogs is to have a connection with their readers or audience. 

The Problem is...

Not all readers would leave a comment on your blog posts. Many are just looking for information and would read your posts. How can you engage with such blog visitors?

Well, think about it. Has this ever happened to you? You're browsing online and you find a blog post that you find interesting. You thought of coming back to the blog later but then you've completely forgotten the name of the blog or the URL. So, what are the chances that you will find the blog again? 

Now, think about your readers. Do you think that the exact same thing happens to them when they visit your blog? If you have installed Google Analytics on your blog, just look at how many of your readers are first-time visitors. How many of those first-time visitors ever visit your blog again? 

The Solution

If you want your first-time visitors to come back to your blog again, you should try to convince them to JOIN YOUR EMAIL LIST. 

If you have their email on your list of blog subscribers, you can send them an email whenever you create a new post and invite them to read your latest blog post. 

It's also a way for you to build a better relationship with your readers. When you send an email, you can let your readers know a bit more about who you are. Hopefully, they would get to like you and trust you. If they trust you, they'll gladly read your other blog posts or take a look at your product recommendations. 

You can also share your social media posts and profiles when you send an email to your list. So, it's an opportunity to grow your social media reach as well.

Is it possible to monetize your list, too? Absolutely! But do so without being spammy or salesy. When you get your readers on your list, start building that relationship with them. Just share helpful information, give helpful tips. Then, you can make offers. Invite them to learn more about the product you are offering. 

How Do You Build an Email List?

Building a list may be a bit scary for a newbie, but it certainly can be done. I certainly was afraid about building a list when I began. But after going through this Email Marketing Kickstart course from Faith Lee, I finally found the courage to start building my list.

First, you need to sign up to an auto-responder Service. An autoresponder service allows you to collect the email addresses of your readers and send them automated email messages. Some examples are Aweber, Mailerlite, and Mailchimp. 

I use Mailerlite for my shop email list. But for this blog, I am using Gumroad to build my email list. Below is the opt-in form to follow this blog.

Second, you need to set up your list using the autoresponder service you selected. Here's a short list of what you would need to do. 

Create a form with a short message to ask new readers to join your list. Then, grab the code of the opt-in form. Put it on a visible place on your blog, perhaps on the top bar, sidebar and/or at the bottom of your blog posts. Now, a visitor can sign up to your email list using that form.

The steps may vary depending on the autoresponder you use. If you would like to use Gumroad, here's a free email list course you can get. If you would like to learn how to use Mailerlite, check out Faith Lee's course.

Creating your first email list opt-in form is just the first step. You can learn more about how to expand your list building effort. You can learn to link to your opt-in form from your social media profiles and from your guest blog posts. 

What Would You Say to Your Subscribers?

When you get your first blog or email subscribers, be prepared to email them regularly. What can you talk about when you send them an email? 

Here are three ideas you may like to choose from. You can focus on just one method or mix and match for best results. 

Send an email every time you post on your blog.

This is the simplest things you can include in your email to your list. It's a personal way of informing them about a new blog post and inviting them to visit your blog again. Also, if you mention a product in your blog post, you can further talk about it in the email message. 

Create a Blog Broadcast.

You can also automate the process of sending an email to your list as soon as you publish a new post. All you need to do is set up a blog broadcast. It's also possible to aggregate your posts and email only a link to the most recent posts once a week. But there's a disadvantage to using a blog broadcast. You cannot personalize the email messages. 

To set this up, please refer to your autoresponder service for the how-to guide.

Publish a Weekly Newsletter.

With a weekly newsletter, you can talk about the latest update in your blog, your social media sites, or even in your real life. 

You may create your newsletter in the email itself, which is best, I think because your subscribers can just read your update in their email. Or you can make a pdf newsletter and attach it as you send your weekly email. You may also just invite them to visit your blog and download it there. This may be a bit of a disadvantage as your reader may not want the hassle of downloading something else.

All three are viable options for leveraging your blog posts with your readers. You can focus on just one method or mix and match for best results. 

Okay, I think this post is already a bit long. The important thing I want you to remember from this post is to take action and start building your email list and mail your list on a regular basis. 

This is the 11th post in our Better Blogging Challenge. If you missed the other blog posts in this series, just click the link above to find the other posts at the bottom of the page.

Thank you for reading.