15 Effective List Building Strategies - Side Hustle Nation

      Side Hustle Nation is focused on enhancing your personal profitability. To achieve this, we frequently collaborate with companies that share our vision. If you register or make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may earn a commission—without any additional cost to you. Find out more. It's time to explore effective list-building strategies!

      Given the disruptions in search results and the unpredictable nature of social media, it's clear that building your email list is essential. But what are the steps to accomplish this?

      Today, we present 15 straightforward tactics that truly yield results. Our guest has been analyzing leading newsletters and creators to identify current successful strategies. Chenell Basilio from Growth in Reverse and the Growth in Reverse Podcast joins us to share techniques that produce tangible outcomes.

      Tune in to Episode 681 of the Side Hustle Show to discover:

      - 15 targeted list-building tactics with real subscriber metrics

      - How to convert one subscriber into two with minimal effort

      - Innovative collaboration and cross-promotion ideas

      - Tools and automations for effortless growth

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      1. The One-Click Unlock – Justin Moore’s Referral Program

      Justin Moore runs the Creator Wizard newsletter, which assists creators in securing sponsorship deals, providing weekly opportunities for monetization.

      Here’s his clever approach: Each email features a gray box with a lock. It states, “refer one person to access secret sponsorship research.” When you refer just one person, the box becomes unlocked, revealing highly valuable content such as brand contacts and deal specifics. This simple idea helped Justin gain approximately 5,000 subscribers. Its effectiveness stems from its accessibility and value. Each week, people see the message and think, “I just need to find one person.”

      How to implement this: Utilize Kit email software with liquid code, tags, or snippets. Even if you're not tech-savvy, ChatGPT can assist you in crafting it. Consider what your subscribers will need next, then place that behind the referral barrier.

      Learn more about Justin’s approach.

      Check out his free sponsor audit tool.

      This can likely be done on Kit’s Creator Pro plan or with an add-on tool like Pete McPherson’s List Gadget.

      2. Newsletter Co-Recommendations

      Email platforms such as Kit, Substack, and Beehive allow you to recommend other newsletters. When someone subscribes to yours, they see a prompt to discover others you appreciate.

      A savvy approach from CJ Gustafson: Avoid arbitrarily picking partners to swap recommendations. Engage in conversations with other creators. Have phone calls to establish genuine relationships first, then request mutual recommendations.

      Chenell’s suggestion: When individuals subscribe through recommendations, send them a tailored welcome email. Inform them they came from another creator and include an easy unsubscribe link at the top to maintain list quality. Chenell gained around 10,000 subscribers using this method. It works effectively when done correctly.

      3. Facebook Group to Email List Strategy

      This method accrued 7,000 subscribers over several years. Use a tool called Group Leads, which is inexpensive and enables you to ask questions upon joining your Facebook group.

      How it functions: Ask questions like, “What’s your biggest struggle?” and “If you want our top side hustle tips, enter your email here.” Group Leads sends emails directly to Kit along with a special welcome series. Abbey Ashley employs a Facebook group as a funnel for her virtual assistant training business. This strategy works well since Facebook suggests groups to users interested in specific topics, allowing for free growth that can be captured.

      4. The Viral Google Doc – Olly Richards

      Olly Richards created a $10 million language learning venture named Story Learning. When he wanted to establish a personal brand, he couldn't use his existing email list due to the wrong audience.

      His brilliant solution involved compiling everything he learned into a 118-page Google Doc and giving it away for free. Here’s why it was so effective:

      - No email was required for access

      - Easy sharing capabilities

      - Throughout the document, he provided options to join his list