How to build a mailing list: A step-by-step guide

You may have heard that it is important to have a mailing list. But what is meant by it or why should you have one? You are not the only one with these questions! Many bloggers and business owners don’t realize how important it is to build a mailing list when they’re first starting out. After I have explained the how and why, you’ll be ready to start one!

What is a mailing list?

A mailing list is a list of subscribers, people who signed up and want to receive your newsletters and emails with offers or regular updates.

Why should you build a mailing list?

Email is the most effective way to connect on a deeper level with your readers or followers. When you have them on your mailing list you can share information that you don’t want to publish on your website or blog. It helps to build a genuine relationship (online), especially when you’re open to receiving feedback. You could share all your tips and updates for free and get valuable information from your subscribers. Your mailing list can also help generate some income, which is a different topic. It’s called Email Marketing and we’ll share more on that later.

How do you start a mailing list?

You can start a mailing list by capturing emails with opt-in forms using an email service provider (ESP) such as MailerLite, MailChimp, etc.

• First you create an account with an ESP. (We like MailerLite best, because it has lots of features and is great for startups)
• Then you need to have something good to offer your readers, in exchange for their email address. It’s called a freebie and it could be a cheat sheet, a resource list or an eBook which you give out when someone signs up with your opt-in form.
• As soon as they sign up, the subscriber will be added to your mailing list and from then on receive your newsletters or blog updates.

About opt-ins & GDPR

There are two types of opt-ins.

•  Single opt-in gets someone on your list without requiring their confirmation. It helps to quickly build your list, but the down side is that your emails may go into the spam box or you may lose subscribers who mistyped their email address.
• Double opt-in requires that subscribers confirm that they want to receive your emails or newsletters. In this way you’ll be sure that the people on your list truly want to get your emails, which may lead to more engaged subscribers. The bad side is that the signup process is a bit longer as it takes more steps, and people sometimes forget to confirm their opt-in.
• A note on GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which is a European Union (EU) policy, reinforced on May 25, 2018. It affects anyone who deals with citizens of the EU, meaning that if you get subscribers from the EU, you will have to comply.

Mailing list vs social media

There are a few more reasons to have your own mailing list vs. counting on Facebook or other social media account to communicate with your followers:

• The list is yours (!) and will not be affected by new changes that social media companies can enforce or if one day the social media source closes.
• Your emails can drive more traffic to your blog or website, because on social media the entries disappear as soon as something newer is published.

I hope this overview helps to get a better idea of why you should start building your mailing list soon. As I have already mentioned earlier, our favorite provider to do this is MailerLite. Why? Because you can start a list quickly, without incurring any costs except your time. It is also very easy to use, has plenty of (video) tutorials, and their customer support is amazing. Further more the service is free up to 1000 subscribers and there are so many tools at your disposal, you’ll feel like you paid for a premium service!

Free resources

To help you on your way we have created a step-by-step MailerLite guide to build a mailing list.

Download it FREE!

Don’t wait a minute longer and have regrets later, get started with your mailing list now by clicking on the logo!

 

Want to learn more? Go to our Courses or Tutorials page.

Need help building your mailing list? Contact us at ADF International. We’re happy to help you!

 

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