8 Tips to Turn Your Blog into an Email List Builder

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Blogging is an excellent way to build your email list. These 8 ideas will help you make the most out of your time blogging.

Make Your Blog an Email List Builder

1. Generate excellent content. And know what it is that makes your content valuable.

2. Use Good SEO Techniques

• Keep your blog site focused on one topic
• Create a keyword phrase for each blog post that reflects the focus of the site
• Know how to use Labels/Tags for each post
• Create compelling blog post titles that get your post found in an organic search

3. Create a good freebie—sometimes called an incentive

• For a fiction writer, it might be a short story or sample chapter or chapter of the next book
• For a nonfiction writer, it might also be a sample chapter or chapter of the new book. 
• For either, it could also be a PDF download with valuable information related to the focus of your site. For a while, my free download was 35 Blog Images You Can Take for Yourself. And the one before that was 21 Ways to Pray for Your Writing.
• Make sure your incentive is valuable, but not so compelling that readers are tempted to subscribe, get the incentive and then unsubscribe
• Keep your incentive printable, black and white or grayscale is great
• Change your incentive at least twice a year
• When you get ready to change your incentive, send it to your current subscribers before you offer it to new subscribers
• Put your website on each page of your incentive

4. Have a professional email subscription service, such as Constant Contact, MailerLite or Mailchimp. 

• Enlist specific recommendations for an email service from writing friends you trust
• Have a static sign up form on EVERY page of your website
• Utilize a pop up sign up form, but set it NOT to be annoying. 
• Only pop up once per website visit (not page visit)
• Set it to only pop up once per day per person

5. Know where to find the subscription link so you can share that direct link on social media and through email.

6. Share your subscription link regularly—and uniquely—on social media,

• Don’t share the same sign up graphic or post over and over again. Instead make each instance you share your sign up link slightly different. 
• When you share, start with the benefits, not the features. The benefit of subscribing to my blog is getting up-to-date and practical information about writing—from tricks to managing the writing lifestyle, to how to navigate the ever-changing world of social media and publishing. 
• The features of my blog include daily posts, well-known columnists and an easy-to-read format. But these aren’t the selling point. The selling point is the relevant content! 

7. Utilize contests to build excitement and interest in subscribing. 

• Giveaways from those who subscribe
• Giveaways from those who REFER someone who subscribes
• Random giveaways from those who are already subscribed. There’s a well-known singer who will randomly go on social media and pic a fan who’s commented to win a prize package. Do the same type of give-away from your fan base of email subscribers!
• Take out social media ads

8. Give your subscribers no reason to leave. Always give your subscribers the best you have. They are your biggest fans and should be treated as part of your inner circle. 

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8 Tips to Turn Your Blog into an Email List Builder from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.