Email lists are ALL the buzz (and in my world, they have been for years!) But maybe you realized that you never really took action on one… or you don’t even know where to begin in starting yours! Let’s break it on down and show you exactly where to start with growing that list of yours. Why? Because my email list is the #1 way I drive profits in my business. It’s better than Instagram, Blog, and Facebook put together.

People check their email every single day, and they trust me because I focus on serving them well instead of constantly selling them something. If you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, Jenna, I don’t want to spam people with sales and specials or pump out crazy marketing campaigns.” I get it, you don’t need to. In fact, you don’t even have to have something to sell to start your list in this very moment to start…  it’s my biggest business regret that I didn’t start mine sooner.

Step 1: Pick a service provider

Are you wondering where in the heck you’re even going to store the email addresses you’re about to collect? First things first, you’re going to need an email marketing service provider. There are a few companies that have free entry-level accounts and free trials. My advice here is to keep it simple, make a decision, and stick with it.  You can always get fancier later! I’m rounding up a few of my favorites to get you started…

Flodesk – created with you in mind to create and send beautiful branded emails in just minutes. It’s email marketing simplified.

Convertkit – free trial, plans that are starting at $29/month. Elevated features like subscriber tagging, reporting, funnel building and automation.

What do I use? Infusionsoft. But it wasn’t always that way and as your needs grow and you need more bells and whistles. This is a far more complex and expensive option for once you’ve grown your list substantially. I wouldn’t recommend it as a place to start. It’s super easy to export and import your list to your new provider. Whatever option you choose, just pick it and go with it. There is no “perfect” option so I want you to realize the fact that done is better than perfect and the important thing is to simply start.

Step 2: Ask for permission

Now that you have a way to collect email addresses, let’s start growing your list! Don’t make the mistake of simply adding all of your Gmail contacts to your newsletter list without first getting permission. Why? It will not only feel spammy and annoying to everyone you just added but surprise: it’s also illegal to do this!

What could you offer someone as an incentive to sign up? Could you offer an exclusive invite, a coupon code, or even just an opportunity to serve them more on a certain topic they might be interested in? You want to think of giving people a reason to join your list and hear from you more! People want less junk in their inbox, so think of what you could offer that is of value.

If you’ve already been in business, you likely already have a list of people you’ve worked with in the past. These people already know about you and would be a great addition to your list. Write an email that shares about how you’d love to keep them up to date about future events and services and will be emailing (insert frequency) with helpful topics (insert how you intend to serve them) and give them the option to click the link and join you. Think of this as an invitation and NOT a sales pitch.

Step 3: Make it easy to sign up for your list

How do you get people to excitedly sign up? Make it an easy (and fun) experience so that people are eager for what’s next! All of the email marketing service providers I mentioned above allow you to create very simple sign up forms that you can share direct links to via social media or put onto your website (you can even include that link into your email signature!) Check out the support of your provider, they have great help guides to walk you through this process so you don’t have to stress about the tech, it’s seriously simple!

You need a provider to collect emails, a sign-up form that you can link to, and then a place to share that link with people who are likely to be or become your ideal clients! Places you could share your email sign up form: the homepage of your website, your “about me” page (the most read page of your site!), social media URLS, calls to action on your blog posts and social media posts and your email signature.

Don’t hesitate or let the overwhelm sink in! Start small, get things started, and then you can start to dream about an actual strategy! When you approach email marketing from the point of view of an act of service and not a sales pitch, it becomes a great way for you to connect with people that are eagerly awaiting what’s coming next from you!

Is this the year you’ll finally grow your email list?

Save a seat for my FREE Training:  “The How-to Guide to Email Lists”