If you are a new blogger, welcome to the club! I started blogging last year during lockdown, and I fell in love with it. Over the past year, I’ve learned a lot about blogging by taking online courses, reading lots of blog posts, and going through a lot of trial and error.
Recently, I reached an important milestone as a blogger: 300+ subscribers! As an amateur blogger, I am very proud of this achievement. Mailing lists are a huge asset for bloggers. With it, you can connect with your readers and send them updates privately.
I’ve learned a lot from other bloggers and I look forward to paying back by sharing some of the strategies that have helped me grow my mailing list.
Here are three in particular that have made a huge difference for me:
Make attractive lead magnets
A lead magnet or freebie is something you give customers in exchange for their email address. Not long ago, I launched a freebie for my customers (e-book + Excel template), and the response was overwhelming!
When it comes to lead magnets, the options are endless! It can be in the form of e-books, downloadable PDFs, spreadsheet templates, how-to guides, and more.
Ideally, your freebie should be something that’s relevant to your niche market, and addresses a specific problem your target readers are facing. I’ve noticed that my audience (especially adults in their 20s) have questions and doubts about personal finance, so I decided to design a freebie that might help them.
If you’re having trouble identifying specific pain points, consider posting polls and questions on social media platforms to better understand what your audience needs.
Create a landing page
Once you’ve created a killer lead magnet, it’s time to design a landing page where people can easily sign up for your freebie. A landing page is where people ‘land’ when they click to get your product or freebie. Prior to this, I didn’t think landing pages were a big deal, but I’ve learned that they are very important!
In the past, when someone asked me, “How do I sign up for your newsletter?” or “How do I download your e-book?”, my answer would be: “Go to my blog, scroll down until you see the subscriber form, and subscribe!”
This is definitely not the most user-friendly approach to growing your mailing list! You need to make it as easy as possible for people to sign up for your freebie. If it takes more than 10 seconds to register, people tend to lose interest.
Hence, creating a landing page to promote your lead magnet is important. You can share the link to this landing page on your social media pages, and people can register via one click.
Launch a monthly newsletter
This has also been a game changer for me! I saw an increase in subscribers when I first announced my monthly newsletter, and every time I promote my newest newsletter on social media, I’m still asked how to sign up for it.
Monthly newsletters are a great way to connect with your readers and provide customized content exclusively for your subscribers. In my newsletter, I share the tips and lessons I learned that month along with recommendations for books, movies, and TV shows.
Your newsletter is also a great place to share special items like promo/discount codes for new products you launch. This provides an added incentive for readers to subscribe to your blog, plus you can grow your mailing list. Don’t forget that you can also use SMS channels to send your newsletters. Just use a bulk text messaging platform to reach your readers. It’s a win-win situation!
I set up my blog on Wix and used Wix email marketing tools to send out newsletters. You might also consider other options like MailChimp to get started.
I hope these tips help you on your way to growing your mailing list as a blogger! Keep writing and inspiring others in your own special way.
