One of the best ways to keep traffic consistently coming to your blog is by building a list. Ask readers and viewers to subscribe so your posts or announcements are delivered to them regularly. Where do you start? What will keep them coming back for more? Here are some list building basics for bloggers to help grow your audience and position yourself as an expert.
Offer a Freebie
One of the best ways to get subscribers to opt-in to your (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) newsletter is with a freebie or free offer. You must make it clear that by signing up with their email address, they’re agreeing to get periodic notices from you. Otherwise, delivering content to someone’s email without their permission is considered spam.
Laura Fuentes from Momables.com has more than 70,000 subscribers who receive her weekly emails with school lunch meal planning advice. She says, “I recommend bloggers look at their top content and overall theme of their post and put together a downloadable PDF. Going into google analytics and looking at your top 10 posts will tell you exactly how people are finding your site, use that to build your freebie. The free offer has helped tremendously with list building as well as give people something they want. I’d like to take it a step further and add that if you can solve a problem with your freebie, you’ve got a list-member for life.”
For instance, C Lee Reed of Helicopter Mom and Just Plane Dad created a “Tip Sheet on 3 Ways to Improve Communication with Your Kiddies.” She’s also stayed engaged once a subscriber gets the tip sheet: “I ask the recipient how the “3 tips” worked for them on the tip sheet and when they respond via email, we continue the conversation. Many are surprised at how easy my tips are and how quickly they can change things.”
Related Topic: How to Repurpose Your Blog Content for Periscope
What kind of content belongs in your blog’s newsletter?
- Blog posts
- Exclusive content & invitations to events
- Promo codes and discounts
- Affiliate links
Set up a newsletter delivery service
Free Services
Mailchimp is what we use to deliver announcements to our community members. It’s free for up to 2,000 subscribers.
Bloglovin allows readers to get your blog and other blogs in their feed when they login.
Paid Newsletter Services
Mad Mimi pricing starts at $10 per month and provides simple templates for your content.
Constant Contact is one of the most popular newsletter delivery services for small businesses. Try a 60 day free trial, then pricing starts at $20 per month.
Aweber integrates with popular apps like Facebook and WordPress to deliver content. Sign up for a free trial, then continue with quarterly ($49) or annual fees ($194).
InfusionSoft is a popular marketing service designed to drive sales. Get sign ups and track your relationship with readers for $199 per month.
What if people unsubscribe from my list?
When you get that first notice that someone no longer wants to receive your emails it may be immediately upsetting. But it’s better to let a reader “go” so you can focus on existing subscribers while adding new ones.
If you have a mass un-subscription where multiple people opt-out after receiving your latest newsletter, take note. Maybe you content was controversial or deviated from your niche.
Comment below: Have brands asked you about the number of people who subscribe to your blog? How do you plan to grow your subscriber list?
