Here’s how to build an email list you actually own. Create a simple freebie, start driving people to it, and show up consistently.
The goal is to take people off something you’re renting and put them on something you own.
Nearly 40,000 orders, almost a million dollars in sales, then one morning it’s gone.
That’s exactly what happened to Etsy seller Courtney Nichole. No warning, no appeal.
She built her business on someone else’s platform that she was renting, and that’s exactly what’s happening with most people.
Your email list is something that you own. In this video I walk you through the five keys to building one.
Is Email Dead?
A lot of people have said email is dead. Well, I’m here to tell you it is absolutely not dead.
It is the one major asset that you need today to secure your business, not only today, but 5, 10, and 20 years into the future.
I’ve seen it out there way too many times. People build their business on rented land.
They’re not truly building something that they own and that they can hold onto.
The email list, your email list, is the number one thing that you own.
Why Is Social Media Rented Ground?
This is the first key you need to understand. You are building on rented ground.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the other platforms you’re using are essential in building a business. There’s no question about it.
Social media, video, all those things are absolutely essential. You need them to build a business and build an audience.
But the very first goal you should have is to take people off something that you’re renting and put them on something that you own.
That should be the goal of using social media or any platform that you don’t own.
If you constantly rely on those platforms, at some point the rug could be pulled out from underneath you. This is just a reality.
I’ve watched people build incredible assets online. I actually saw a woman one time who had over a million subscribers on YouTube.
Her channel got hacked, and she lost access to it. She lost all that work and everything she had put in.
So if you think building an email list is outdated or old technology, I’m telling you right now it’s not.
There are a lot of people who would lead you to believe that, but it’s just not true. You need to build an asset you own.
Do You Need a Big Audience to Make Real Money?
No. You don’t need a big audience to make real money, and I’m living proof of that.
Over the years I have generated well over 200,000 leads, maybe more. I’m probably being pretty conservative there.
But the truth is, my active list right now is very small.
And I make multiple six figures a year in my business due to that one email list. I have worked my email list for many years.
I know some people with very small lists who earn hefty six figures because they have an engaged audience.
So the size of your list does not matter. It’s all a matter of how you engage with your list.
A large list is not necessary.
What Do You Use to Build an Email List?
You really need a simple freebie.
We’re in a day and time where AI is really big. It’s not hard to create some type of a freebie.
Now, I will say I have shifted away a lot from PDFs and things like that. They are absolutely beneficial, and you can use them.
The problem today is that people’s attention spans are very short.
So if you create a freebie, a PDF, or a giveaway, make sure it’s something that will really engage people and give them something that really matters.
I’m a big fan today of using AI to create some type of an app. It can take you 30 minutes to an hour.
I use a tool called Replit, and I absolutely love it.
You can get some free credits to use it. Then you can build your own app, put it online, and give it to people.
It engages people much more.
But you could create a guide, a PDF, a template, or an app. Something that walks people through a process and helps them solve one major issue they need help with right now.
I’ve had some of my clients create a weight loss calculator and a diet plan generator.
Those give people something very specific to their needs.
You know your customers best. You know what they need, and you can create something around that.
And of course, you can use AI to help you research that and flesh out the idea.
How Much Is Every Email Subscriber Worth?
Every subscriber you have on your email list is worth money.
One of the best quotes I ever heard on this was from Yara Golden. She said, “Most people treat an email list like a late-night booty call.”
I heard that and about fell over laughing, because it is so true.
Some people create an email list and rarely ever email it. Then they only email it when they have something to promote.
If that’s all you do, you’re probably not going to get great results from it.
I see it all the time. I just got two emails from people who haven’t emailed their list in literally three years.
But they’ve got something they’re going to launch, and they want you to know about it.
You really should not do that. If you have an email list, you should be sending emails very frequently.
Every subscriber should be worth at least $1 to $5 on your email list.
If you’re using it and showing up consistently, that should be the case. But you also need to learn how to write some good emails.
How Often Should You Email Your List?
I already mentioned this, but it’s important enough to be its own point. You need to show up consistently.
If you built an email list and you’re not sending emails regularly, you are not building a relationship with those people.
Know, like, and trust means showing up consistently.
A lot of people get afraid to email their list once they’ve built it, because they don’t want people to unsubscribe.
But let me share this with you. When people unsubscribe from your email list, that is exactly what you want.
You want the people who are not interested to leave. In a funnel or an email list, the goal is to let the emails do the work.
Imagine if you had to talk to people one-on-one over and over and over.
Now say you send one email out to 100 people. That’s a whole different thing.
If two people raise their hand, then awesome. If five unsubscribe because they’re not interested, that’s great.
You’re letting the technology do the work for you, and that’s so important.
Followers or an Email List: Which Matters More?
I cannot overstate the importance of an email list today.
Many people put this off. They just don’t put importance in it.
They think it’s all about the followers, but it’s really not, my friends.
It’s about how many leads you can get on an email list, nurturing that list, and selling at the same time. That is the goal.
One of the keys to writing really good emails is knowing what to say.
So I put together a list of over 300 power words you can use in your emails. You can feed it into AI to help work some of these words in.
It’s called my Copywriting Power Words Cheat Sheet.
If you’re using AI to help you write emails, I know this can help you.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been involved in this for almost 20 years now, and I cannot stress it enough. I’m always pushing the fundamentals.
The fundamentals are not followers, my friends. It’s not subscribers on YouTube.
It is how many people are on your email list and how you are engaging them. If you can get that part right, you can go out and build an amazing business.
So go out, build your email list, create that freebie, and start driving people to it. You won’t regret it.
Am I wrong here? Leave a comment on the video and tell me the one freebie you’ll offer first.
You rock,
PS: If you don't have a step by step blueprint for success then check this out (Unless you currently have to many leads and sales then you can handle) - Click Here
