Julie why should I build a list? My upline says: List building tactics are overrated and that email marketing is dead!
Paul and I listened with shock at that message from a woman who reached out to us when we suggested she might like to start building a list with her content if she wanted to play the long-term game online!
Frankly, it shocks us how low many so called “Leaders will stoop” to keep their team members paying the auto-ship and buying their products, while they stay the only bull in the kraal.
This man is a known leader, and he definitely is building a list as his Facebook ads literally stalk me!
Listen my friend I told her, let’s call her Jane…
There’s a popular saying among Internet marketers, and that is: “the money is in the list”.
Why do you think these peoples feel the need to push this same piece of advice at anyone who will listen?
Begs the Question…
Is building a mailing list really that vital to your online success?
WHY is List Building Essential for the Modern Entrepreneur and Blogger!
Our answer is…
Yes, it really is that important. And this may sound cliched, but…
Building a list of responsive people means you will have access to an entire list of people who are already interested in your products or services.
If you own a website, it can be tough to maintain contact with a website visitor when they leave and never return.
That’s why you find simple web forms or full-blown sales letters on websites!
This is also why we created a specific set of Articles on email Marketing to maximize your list:
3 Effective Email Marketing Tips part #1
7 Steps to jump-start your email campaigns Today
Case Study: How to use LeadPages for email marketing
With the above resources in your arsenal, you are set for list building like a pro. So, why should you build it?
Your list is your asset that can give you financial freedom, if you set your systems and funnel right and attract the right kind of people! List building is your key to freedom. Whatever that means for you!
You will have the liberty to grow your business on and offline and most importantly, peace of mind.
Anyway, I asked Jane, when she last shopped online? And she said, well yesterday actually!
And I asked further, what details did you have to share to receive your purchase?
And Jane goes: My names, email and physical address…
So, why do you think they need those details? And she went, well I have to receive what I paid for don’t I?
Hmm Of course that and future offers the online store may have. They are building a list, because every customer has a Life Time Value (LTV). Thus, the saying:
“once a customer always a customer!”
Now, you as a marketer online, you must have the same mentality! Understand that…
Online advertising costs are still climbing, which means: you’re paying far more to acquire new customers than ever before.
In our last Facebook Ad, we were paying over £15 for a lead!
Remember a lead is not yet a customer. BUT they are on your list and you have the opportunity to show them the value you offer and build a relationship of trust with them. And sooner or later they buy…Or you cut them loose!
Even an AdWords campaign can have similar results! To drive traffic to your content it could cost you anything from 0.50 cents per click, this would mean you’d pay £50 for 100 clicks to your site.
With an average conversion rate of 2%, this would mean you might make only 2 sales for every 100 visitors you paid for. Begging the question:
How much is your advertising budget?
This leaves you trying to play the social media marketing game…And if all you do is drive people to your sales page, you never get to know who checked out your offers and bounced! Maybe they got called by the post man, decided to think about it and forgot your page, baby cried etc!
Because you didn’t capture their details via a lander before sending them to your sales page.
Comparatively, if you get that visitor to sign up for your mailing list, you have the chance to raise your conversion rates as high as 40%. And with Messenger marketing, this number increased to up to 80% for those who saw the opportunity way back 2017!
These kind of statistics makes it easy to see why list building should be a priority.
BUT, remember: List building is intimately tied to traffic building. Your list and your traffic will possess the same qualities. Untargeted traffic = disinterested people or freebie seekers, which get you nowhere.
There are marketers who have a small list of highly targeted subscribers, which generates them massive profits. Responsiveness is everything in a list, and the size of it is secondary. See our subscriber numbers below!
Wouldn’t you like to have such numbers daily? So you never have to chase anybody or beg family/friends for pity buys? Well, I am here to tell you the good news, you can and will if you decide today!
Responsiveness is everything in a list, and the size of it is secondary.
So, in this article we will discuss a few simple options for creating your own list.
List Building Tactics; The Essentials
#1. Successful list building is all about connecting, communication, crossing thresholds by creating relationships. What we call the 4-C Formula and you can learn more about that here!
It is extremely important to connect with people if you are to get them on your list. And once they are on it, you gotta connect with them on a deeper level.
Many marketers make the mistake of treating their list as only a way to make money and end up sending sales pitch after sales pitch. And the result?
- High drop-out rate as people unsubscribe.
- High un-open rates so even less people are seeing your messages and of course less sales.
Just think how you want to be treated. All customers everywhere only ask to be treated right and not feel like they’re a ‘cash point.’
They got on to your list because they were looking for a solution to a problem or value and if you fail to give them that, then you’ll obviously see a backlash.
#2. A good list building relationship will make people feel like you’re a good friend or adviser. Encourage your list to ask questions or seek help with problems relevant to the reason they’re on your list. Just be friendly and nice.
It always pays to be the good guy.
#3. Ask Questions: Conducting surveys is an excellent way to ask questions that also help you understand more what your list subscribers are looking for.
Find out what your subscribers want from you in particular!
Give your them a chance to talk to you about their needs and wants, this can be done with a survey.
You are building a two-way line of communication with your list. Giving them a chance to respond to your messages by telling you their likes and dislikes.
Apart from this, your subscribers will feel valued and respected because this just shows that their opinion matters and you are there to listen to their views.
You are building a two-way line of communication with your list.
#4. Model Success; BUT, don’t make the mistake of pretending to be someone else or by blatantly copying a popular expert in your niche. What do I mean by this?
Well….when we first started in online marketing, I used to copy every leader I came across. I was projecting whoever I was listening to…It felt pretty empty and inauthentic. And of course, it came across in my messages.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s no need to reinvent the well. Go learn from a successful marketer and even model their sales letters. But be sure to share your journey and personalise your content. Thats what will attract your tribe too!
This is all about building up the image people have of you as an individual, so use that to your advantage.
The only real way to achieve this is to stay your unique self. Keep reminding yourself of this at all times.
After a while, your subscribers will recognize you from your competition by your personality.
As your brand grows, your subscribers will trust you more, making it more likely they’ll buy from you instead of anyone else. And they will recommend you to others. More so If they are your affiliates, i.e. you create your own products!
Your subscribers will recognize you from your competition by your personality.
#5. Starting to build your email list is only the first step, you also need to be clear about how you will be monetizing it.
There are many ways to get money out of your list but the best method happens to be affiliate marketing.
Doing product reviews for your list is one method. It does work because they will buy from you. We have done several on this very blog e.g. this 3-minute expert review!
The whole point is to help your subscribers and at the same time give them your offer.
However, be sure to find that critical balance between helpful content you send and your affiliate offers. Additionally, you can put ads in your newsletter or find joint ventures to do.
Help your subscribers and at the same time give them your offer.
#6. Your own subscribers can be used to bring more in. Simple tactic but it is deadly effective.
Word-of-mouth marketing is the quickest way to build your business. I can tell you that most of our High-Ticket Clients are also recommended to us!
Take a few minutes out of each day to apply viral growth methods to your list building.
Your subscribers know you and trust you, which is why they won’t have any problems recommending you to their friends. But it’s your job to remind them and make it easy for them to recommend your offers. Make it worth their while, offer them an opportunity to be recognised, and benefit from the referral.
We offer an affiliate option or a social mention!
If you’re a marketer with no list, yet, perhaps you’ve been ignoring it for too long.
If you care about your profits and want to build a long-term business, then carefully build a quality list of targeted subscribers.
The fastest way is to do what my friend Frazer Brookes calls L.A.T.E.R!
Wait, this is not me saying asta-la-vista baby…this is me sharing a powerful lesson. Below is what Frazer says LATER means:
L – learn.
Don’t overdo it and become a learning junkie, but get good at the basic skills. Learn how to invite and handle objections. The 2 skills you need to Master to increase your bank balance as an internet marketer
A – apply.
Don’t just fill notebooks with your cool pens and have a shelf full of knowledge.
I can teach you how to swim, but you won’t know how to really swim until you get in a pool, or the sea and actually do the work. So apply the lessons you Learn to your business and Create results!
T – teach.
Once you have the basics, you apply them and start top see results, it’s time to teach others how to do the same.
Don’t ever teach the newbie anything other than the basics, otherwise you’re forcing them into becoming a learning junkie!
E – encourage.
Don’t give yourself or others a hard time. This business isn’t easy. Instead give genuine encouragement.
When players get encouragement from their fans, they play at a higher level. You have to be the fan to your players (your team).
R – recognise.
Don’t forget, a human’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Most people don’t get it in their job, so it’s something you can do easily that separates your business from anything else out there.
A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected. And there you have Frazer’s lessons shared by yours truly! When you do the above for your List, you will win them over every time into buying and return customers!
Apply viral growth methods to your list building.
List Building Tactics – There is Always more!
I know, but we are gonna let the lessons above sink in. Plus, we shared some truly awesome resources to help you build your list!
For you who is focused on getting faster results, you might like to join our Winning Entrepreneurs Den VIP Wait List!
Always remember, that irrespective of what anybody tells you, you are in business for Yourself. And one of the more effective methods is to think about creating your own brand.
People in your niche who are on your email list see you as a trusted source of targeted knowledge. They aren’t looking for rehashed information sent to them in an informal way. They’d much rather see that you’re a real person, with a real personality.
So, when you’re creating your emails to send out to your list, include some of your own style and uniqueness in the writing tone.
So, did you find our List building tactics helpful? If you did, do feel free to Share on Facebook… and your insights in a comment below!
That irrespective of what anybody tells you, you are in business for Yourself.
My List Building Resources and ToolsThe Autoresponder and CRM – We use Aweber to communicate, and automate our communication with our subscribers. Lots of other CRMs out there, we prefer and recommend Aweber, You can take a Free Test drive here! Professional Landing, Squeeze Pages and Forms – We use LeadPages and again lots of others out there, yet Here is why we love LeadPages. How to Build Your List on Speed – We know that the 4-C Formula will help you build that list faster and with less worry about How to do it. DIY almost killed our business, dont be like that! Learn more about the 4-C formula Here! |
**Need a Coach or Mentor to help you with your online marketing? Check out this Form here, fill in the form to see if you qualify.
To your Abundance
Live. Learn. Love
Julie Syl Kalungi

Creator of “The Affiliate Jetset Academy”.
Got a Question? Connect with Us on Facebook
P.S. CLICK HERE if You would like more List Building Tactics to Make More Affiliate Sales, Via a Daily Action Step.
definitely I am going to pin down this post. Great tips shared indeed!
I have heard so much about list building, and I have NOT done a good job with it at all. This is another post of yours I plan to bookmark so I can return to it and read and re-read so I can implement the strategies.
I agree Lists are great for bloggers although havnt done much for it! Your tips are great and i cant wait to use !
Chichi,
why are you blogging? And do you prefer to carry the donkey? Get building that list already and you will testify 😉
These are such great tips!! I think asking questions is one of the most important!
You have to ask Questions, otherwise how do you know what your target audience needs, wants or plain is not interested in Lindsey?
I am glad that you detailed this topic, it is of great interest for me!
Glad you found us Johanna, enjoy and feel free to share with others who may benefit too 🙂
Excellent advice that you are sharing with everyone. I’d say as a consumer number 2 is the most valuable to me. If you can make me feel like your friend I’ll always be back.
Wow Cia,
Lets get to it already 😉 On a serious note, people will not care until they know that you care sop yes #2 is a biggie!
Jules
Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to build a list. And this means being responsive to the people who comment on your material. They love to interact and feel like they know the person they are working with or reading.
Thats it David,
Relationship building is where its at! People love to know that you care then they too will care!
Glad you agree 🙂
These are all important information, Julie! I learned a lot from this post. 🙂
Glad you got value Czjai,
And thanks for always supporting our work! 🙂
Knowledge is power. A phrase so old and so true. The biggest companies pay big bucks for that kind of information. Besides its much easier to track 🙂
Thats the thing Ron, Applied Knowledge is Power and big companies can pay me anytime to help hem too 😉
Thanks for stopping by!
These are not only great suggestions, but they’re also backed up convincingly. Thanks for the helpful post!
I am glad you like Christa 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! So much detailed info here, and so, so useful. Thanks for generously sharing 🙂
You are most welcome Flavia 🙂
I always find your blog posts so easy to read and understand but also jam packed with great and helpful information. Another great post!
Wow thats big praise coming from you Elizabeth, we appreciate you 🙂
This post is really helpful for me as a beginner. Thankyou for sharing it 🙂
Glad you got value Nidhi 🙂
These are some great tactics. List building is a lot of work, but it can have some great benefits. This helps streamline the process!
Exactly Frank, Glad you agree! 🙂
Some great advice. I used to run the paid ads for my company in my last job so I used a lot of these tips x
Way Rhian,
Sounds like an asset, lets talk one of these days about CTR and Results to Ads, shall we?
Julie syl
This was very informative for me. I am beginning to start the list building process for my blog. This taught me a lot that I did not already know. Thank you!
Glad yo got some value Jessica 🙂 Go build that list!
This is a very thorough list! I am not good at building lists and I am glad I could read this and get better insight!
You are as Good as you decide yo will be 😉 So You are Good then you work towards being Good Make sense Amanda?
#1 is so important! Relationships and connections matter most 🙂
Glad we agree Caitlin 🙂
Thank you for these tips, Julie! Very timely since I am working on my email marketing and starting to build my email list. Right now, I have around 3K and targeting around 10K by the end of the year.
Will keep in mind to prioritize responsiveness.
Heya Clarice,
Yes you can and will after all you are serving Humanity right? 🙂
This is very good advice about list building. You have explained it all very clearly indeed.
Glad you got value Sarah! 🙂
This is really insightful, thanks for sharing… would love to implement these.
Yes you can Sania 🙂
Dear, what a wonderful blog … very well written… love it
Hey Urmila,
Glad you love 🙂
Though I already follow this but by elaborating it you made my concept more clear. Thankyou.
Glad you got clarity Moni 🙂
🙂 Brilliant advice, Julie!
Since I am no longer on Facebook and Twitter, this will be shared via Pinterest and Google Plus.
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
Wow Renard,
You Quit Facebook and Twitter? Can I ask Why? We will miss you on there. So we cannot share your content on those platforms?
Thank yo for always stopping by and supporting you are appreciated! 🙂
Julie Syl
🙂 When I created my new WordPress blog, I joined a few Facebook groups with the intentions of promoting it.
A few days after, Facebook started treating the links to my blog posts as spam.
And, Twitter shadow banned me for the third time (Shadow banning is when they hide you from their search; no one from outside of your Twitter following would be able to view your Tweets).
I got annoyed and deactivated my Twitter account.
As a matter of fact, you can still share my content on Facebook and Twitter (The reason being: you have accounts with those social media networks).
Hey Renard,
I wrote a whole article on WHY That can happen and How to reverse it for good. https://juleskalpauli.com/facebook-block-how-to-unblock-false-flags/
It is pretty comprehensive and You may find that the problem is wider and deeper than just 2 social platforms. I would take some steps to ensure thats the case. then present my findings to FB and Twitter.
Of course unless you have discovered some pretty epic social platforms to share your content. I believe you should clear your brad name. Don’t you Renard?
I sure hope you do!