How to Grow Your Newsletter Subscriber List

We all want our mailing list to be full of avid readers who are interested in what we have to say and what we have to promote. So how do we attract the right readers? How do we get the people who are reading our posts to sign up for our newsletter?

Why Your Email List is Your Most Valuable Asset

Before diving into how to grow your list, it's vital to recognize why the list is more important than social media followers. While platforms like X/Twitter and Facebook are great for visibility, your email list is the one asset you fully own and control.

• Direct Access: You control the message and the delivery; you aren't subject to unpredictable social media algorithms that can suddenly restrict your reach.

• Deep Connection: Email subscribers have given you explicit permission to interrupt their day. This means they are generally more engaged and already trust your brand or expertise.

• Future-Proofing: If a social media platform disappears or changes its rules, your email list remains a direct, reliable line to your community.

Remember, this all relies on getting traffic to your blog in the first place (but that is a whole different issue!).

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Attracting the Right Subscribers: Focus on Value

Secondly, think about your reader and what they want. When someone signs up, they are making an exchange: their personal data (their email) for something of value (your content). Frame your opt-in methods around maximizing this value exchange.

High-Impact Strategies for List Growth

Here are actionable tips to help you attract the right readers and encourage them to subscribe:

• Write good content on a regular basis geared toward your reader. This is the foundation of trust.

• Ask permission to send content to people’s emails. This is typically done through an opt-in form on your blog. Test Different Placements: If the sidebar opt-in does not work, try one at the top of your page, on your about page, or use a pop-up triggered by user behavior.

• Promote your newsletter through your social networks (i.e., X/Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

• Use a Facebook newsletter signup button directly on your business page.

• Offer a high-value Lead Magnet for free for people who subscribe to your list. This is often the single most effective growth strategy. It could be a free guide, resource, or template that immediately solves a problem your readers might have (e.g., a "Fibro Flare Pacing Checklist" or a "Doctor Appointment Prep Guide").

• Place a postscript at the bottom of your most popular posts that invites people to sign up to your newsletter if they enjoyed your post.

• Hold a contest or a giveaway that people join in by leaving their email.

• Provide a series of articles or videos and ask for an email address after the first post to unlock the rest (a content upgrade).

• Try different approaches and test which works best. Always analyze your sign-up rates to see which method converts best.

The Power of Automation

If you use a great email marketing product like Mailerlite  (my favourite), you get to easily see what emails are working best as well as access to hundreds of opt-in forms, email automation, and autoresponder follow-ups.

You can start a free trial of Mailerlite with access to every feature by clicking my affiliate link. (you know I only recommend products I use and love)

We'd love to hear what has worked well for you in growing your email list, so please let us know in the comment section.

On this same topic of emails you might also like to read What should I send in my emails? which offers ideas for WHAT to write.