How to Get Your First 50 Email Subscribers in Less Than 30 Days
I can’t give you a secret formula for list growth. (Unfortunately, there isn’t one. Trust me, I’ve looked.)
But I can let you in on a secret every top email marketer knows: You don’t need a huge email list to be successful. You just need subscribers who open and click your emails.
A list of 50 highly-engaged subscribers is more powerful than a list of 1,000 uninterested subscribers. It can help you launch a profitable online course. Sell your product or service. Promote your non-profit. Raise money for charity. And transform your business.
Ready to get 50 (maybe even 100!) extremely engaged subscribers? Follow the exact steps below.
The Super Simple Way to Acquire Your First 50 Subscribers
Many new email marketers struggle with list growth. Where do you even start? How can you get people to willingly subscribe to your list?
First thing’s first: Ask your current connections to join your list.
That’s right. Reach out to everybody you know. Tell them you’re starting an email list. Explain the benefits. And ask them to subscribe. Send them a link to your hosted sign up form.
Bonus: Not sure how to create a sign up form? This free course will walk you through it.
You might argue, “My connections aren’t my target audience.” That might be true, but they probably know someone who is in your target audience. And it’s surprising how many people will be eager to help you. Just clearly articulate your purpose and the benefits.
Let’s say your a marathon runner who wants to teach other people how to run marathons. Here’s an example of what you could send your connections:
If you’re not a marathon runner, you can use similar copy for your own outreach. Here is a copy template you can fill in:
Hi [first name],
I hope your doing well! I have some big news –– I just started an email newsletter! [Insert how you feel about starting this newsletter.]
[Insert what the newsletter is about and who it is for.] [Insert what subscribers will learn.] [Insert why you’re an expert on this topic.]
[Insert why you decided to create this newsletter. What problem did you want to solve?]
[Insert a request for the reader to subscribe.]
[Insert a request for the reader to share this info with a friend who’d be interested.]
Here is a link to sign up for the newsletter: [insert sign up form link].
Thanks for any support you can give! I’m excited to [Insert why you’re excited about this newsletter].
[Insert your name]
Once you have copy, it’s time to start reaching out to everybody you know. Here’s how …
Who should I message?
There are so many options!
- Message people on your social channels –– like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Check your Gmail or Yahoo address book and email people you know.
- Text your contacts.
- Talk to your close family and friends in person and invite them to join.
Just remember: Tailor your communication to each platform. Depending on where a conversation is happening, people communicate very differently. When you text someone, you should be more casual than in an email. If you’re talking to someone in person, you shouldn’t be reading from a script you wrote beforehand.
Don’t forget: Keep your audience in mind.
Hold up! Follow these best practices
Before you reach out to people, there’s a few best practices you should keep in mind:
- Message people you have a relationship with. That random Facebook dude you don’t remember meeting probably isn’t the right person.
- Use WIIFM. WIIFM stands for “What’s in it for me?” Every time you message someone, make sure to tell them how your newsletter will benefit them or their friend.
- Be yourself. I shared outreach copy for you to use. Make sure to customize this to fit your own personality. Tell your story. Share your feelings. Be vulnerable and real. People will subscribe and share your sign up form because they want to help YOU.
- Be brave. This is intimidating. It’s difficult to put yourself out there and ask people to help you. But this works! And remember: The information in your newsletter will help people. It’d be selfish not to share it with the world.
Don’t put this off. Start reaching out TODAY
If you have less than 10 subscribers, now is the time to act. Start reaching out to your connections today. You could have 50 subscribers in less than a month. Or, even a week! Dare I say it? Perhaps you could even get 50 subscribers today.
Don’t have a hosted sign up form? Get a 30-day free trial of AWeber and build one today.
Already an AWeber customer? Here are step-by-step instructions for launching your form.
The post How to Get Your First 50 Email Subscribers in Less Than 30 Days appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.