There is lots of information and courses on how to grow and build a list and people have made a fortune by teaching this. But first, what is a subscriber list? Call it a mailing list, a subscriber list, or an email list; you’re talking about the same thing. A subscriber list is a targeted group of people interested in the solution you bring to the market place. That’s no all; these people have opted in to receive information from YOU. This is a crucial thing: it’s not a list you scrubbed off the Internet, rented, or borrowed. For example, as a weight loss coach, your subscriber lists consist of people who want to lose weight and have subscribed to receive information from you on how to lose weight..

Why do you need to grow a subscriber list?

The main reason for having a subscriber list is because a subscriber list is very significant part of building a business, especially those who work in the coaching, speaking, and consulting space. Here’s the thing: if you don’t have a list of people who see you as the person who can help them go from where they are to where they want to be, you will find yourself hustling a great deal. I want you to imagine that there are 3000 people who have opted in to receive information to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. Of those 3000 people, 600 spend $100 over 12 months––about $10 a month. This works out to be $6000. Basically you’re making about $6000 a month and this can be from products that you promote to your list. When you have this kind of money coming in monthly––for a lot of people, they don’t need to work a 9-5 job because it substitutes that full-time income. When you have a list that generates 6000 a month, you’re not desperate for money. You’re more likely to focus on adding value to people other than trying to make a quick buck. When you do that and people notice you, they feel more comfortable with you and are wiling to spend more money with you.

Before you get started...

You need to set up your system to capture email addresses. The whole idea is that you offer something for free in exchange for people’s email addresses. For every blog post, there is an opportunity for people to opt in for your free gift. If you want to build your community, you want to give people access points to join your community. Focus on pages that are created to give things away.

7 FREE ways to grow your community

1) Promote your offer at live events

When you go to speak at live events, it is good to have something to sell. Always have an offer. Study your target audience and ask yourself what product would really enhance them and make the biggest difference for them. At the event, offer that product at a discount that is not available anywhere else. The caveat is to have something to give away for free. I also do a free offer and get them to take action right away. Promoting your offer at live events is a very powerful thing. If you’re not doing it, you should be doing it. Look for opportunity to speak at live events. Have something to sell but also have something to give away.

2) Create and Share videos

Videos get viral and can give you a lot of leverage. The point is to share great content and let your offer be something that you add on. At the end of the video, let people know what your free gift is and where they can get it. If people like what they hear and connect with you, they will like and share your video.

3) Blog regularly and promote your offers and your blog posts strategically

Write blog post regularly and make sure you upgrade them by providing options to get your free offer. If they like what they see, they are likely to opt in to get more. The more consistent you are with blogging and promotion, the more viral traffic you get. The key thing: is to have your offer visible so people can see them.

4) Get involved with relevant groups, forums, and high traffic blogs.

There are many ways to get this right but a lot of people get this wrong. The wrong way to do it is to take your promotional blog posts, webinars and paste is on all groups. These kinds of posts get literally little engagement because they talk about you. What is the right way to do this? The secret to getting people to join your list from groups and forums is to actually get involved in the conversations that are happening and actively engage with others. Another way to grow your community is to get visibility on high traffic blogs. Some people have established credibility and grown a big following in your niche. To get on their radar, you need to subscribe to these blogs, read, and share your comments on a blog post. When you do this, people click on your name––which takes them to your website. If they like what they see, they’ll join your list.

5) Seek opportunities to guest blog and invite others to guest blog with you

Go ahead and look for websites where the theme and values line up with the market and people you serve. Ask them about writing opportunities and you would be surprised that they might say yes. There are some people with the knowledge and resources but no clue on how to set up a platform for themselves. Invite these people to come and guest blog with you. When they share their blog post, they’ll promote it with their network, which sends traffic to your blog. If you have your system set up––your free gifts, they will join your list.

6) Joint Venture (JV) Webinars

Webinars give you the opportunity to define your community, grow your community, add value, and upgrade your community. Webinars can also explode your list, grow your income, and share your experience with other people. But a JV webinar is one that you do with another party. There is nothing as exciting as partnering with someone, and at the end of the day, you both get paid. With a JV webinar, you set up your webinar, set a broadcast date, and you give a partner a link to host it. Your partner promotes this to his contacts via email and social media. If 100 people sign up through your partner, you have added 100 people to your list.

7) Affiliate or Partnership Program

How does this work? You need to set this up. Let’s say you have packaged products or services that you sell to your subscribers and customers. When people sign up for your free opt in gift and/or purchase a product from you, they get a special referral link that they can share with others. When someone from their network clicks on this link and purchases a product, your partners get paid a certain percentage of the sales. Affiliate and partnership programs are a no-brainer. When people have a financial incentive to do things, they will do it. People know people, and when they refer them to you, that grows your list.

8) Bonus: Infographics/Quotes

Go back to your blog post and pick some powerful quotes. There are a number of apps to create visually appealing quotes. Share this quote on your social media platforms––make sure it has your name and website. The more people see it, they more likely they are to check your website and opt in to your mailing list. The key thing is consistency, mixing and matching these strategies. Which one of these 7 tips are you currently using? Share in the comments below!