13-Step Guide To Automated Mailing List Growth For Freelance Writers

As a freelance writer, it’s important to have an email list to which you can send your content. The more subscribers your list has, the more money you can make from writing articles and selling products.

In this article, I am going to share with you 13 steps on how to grow an email list for freelance writers in 3 months or less.

I will also show you the tools we used so that you don’t waste any time coming up with ideas on how best to use them.

How to Build an Email List FAST

Takeaways
1. Learn effective strategies for automating mailing list growth.
2. Understand the importance of targeted audience segmentation.
3. Explore tools for creating compelling opt-in incentives.
4. Implement techniques to optimize email subject lines.
5. Discover methods for boosting engagement through personalization.
6. Utilize automation for consistent follow-ups and nurturing.
7. Leverage A/B testing to refine email content and strategies.
8. Gain insights into building long-term relationships with subscribers.
9. Understand the role of content marketing in list growth.
10. Explore the synergy between email marketing and content strategies.
11. Learn how to maintain a clean and engaged subscriber list.
12. Discover tips for enhancing email deliverability and open rates.
13. Get actionable steps to apply automated growth techniques effectively.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Establish Your Goals

Before you start growing your mailing list, it’s important to define your goals. This will help you focus on what you need to do to achieve them and give you a clear vision of what success looks like.

Here’s an example: If your goal is to earn $100/month from freelance writing within one year, then that means you’ll need to make at least $1,200 in revenue by the end of that year (assuming no other income).

It might sound simple enough, but establishing this kind of long-term goal can feel overwhelming for many freelancers who aren’t used to thinking about their income on such a large scale. That’s why I recommend breaking down the process into specific tasks and milestones which we’ll cover next!

Are you struggling to increase your email subscribers? Our guide on boosting your email subscribers by 30% or more can provide you with effective strategies to grow your list.

Step 2: Decide Who To Target

You have a clear idea of who you want to target, but how do you decide what list to send your lead magnet to?

You need to make sure that the people on any mailing list can buy from you. That’s why we’ll go through a step-by-step process for choosing your advertising channels.

Defining Your Target Audience: Who is Your Ideal Client?

The first thing that you need to do is define your target audience. This will be different depending upon who your target audience is as a freelance writer whether it’s copywriters at large agencies or other freelance writers in the same niche as yourself (or even smaller niches). There are three main ways in which I recommend doing this:

Step 3: Create A Powerful Lead Magnet

The next step is to create a lead magnet.

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is something you give away for free in exchange for your audience’s contact information. Its goal of it is to build an email list and convert visitors into subscribers who will eventually become paying customers.

What should I offer as my first lead magnet?

If your target audience loves receiving free stuff, then try offering one of these:

A cheat sheet (a list of tips or tricks that are easy to digest) about whatever subject you write about (for example, “7 Ways To Write More Productively”)

An ebook (a longer version of the cheat sheet) with information on how they can achieve their goals faster and easier than they were doing before they got it (for example, “The Ultimate Guide To Freelancing As A Full-Time Writer”)

Looking to enhance your freelance business through email marketing? Learn from our 12 hacks to grow your freelance business using email marketing techniques that can bring success.

Step 4: Build The Sign-Up Page

The next step is to build the sign-up page. This is where your potential subscribers will go to enter their information and receive your free offer.

The first thing you should do is ensure that it’s mobile-friendly since most people browse the internet on small screens these days.

Use a template that looks good no matter what device someone uses, like this one or this one, and remember, if you don’t know how to do any of this yourself, hire someone who does! You want as many people as possible to come to your site for them to see what they’re missing out on (your writing services).

Now that we’ve covered how important it was in Step 2: Create An Autoresponder Sequence & Giveaway Offer when we talked about creating an irresistible giveaway offer? We’ll talk about how important it still is now when we talk about why not all email lists are created equal…

Step 5: Create A Thank You Page

After your visitors have taken the action you want them to take, it’s important to give them a reason to stay on the page and make sure that they don’t leave. You can do this by offering them a form of content or information that may be of interest.

For example, if they just made a purchase from your store and are now browsing through the other products you offer, then you might offer them access to more information about those items.

You could also offer additional links that lead directly back into your mailing list platform so that they can subscribe again and receive future emails from you (make sure these links are placed in an area where they won’t be missed by visitors). Or perhaps there is another product or service available on your website you could include an image or link within this “thank-you” section directing people back over there.

Avoid common pitfalls in blog email marketing. Discover the 15 common mistakes to steer clear of when promoting your blog through email campaigns.

Step 6: Set Up A Welcome Email

Welcome emails are a great way to make sure your new subscribers don’t get lost in the mail. You can use these messages to give them a warm welcome and let them know what you’ll be sending them in the future.

If you’re mailing out information about your services, for example, explain that you’ll send out a monthly email with news about what you’ve been working on. In addition, if there’s something else they’d like from you (like free resources or other freebies), offer it up as an incentive to sign up for your mailing list!

Add value by offering some kind of bonus content (like an ebook, cheat sheet, or checklist) right away. People love getting something for free and when they do, they’re more likely to stick around and read through all of your emails (because now they know what kind of content is coming).

And if the bonus item happens to be related directly back into one of those emails (i.e., this month’s newsletter), even better! You’ll have another opportunity later on down the road when someone opens up their inbox again next month after receiving your welcome message the first time around.”

Step 7: Set Up A Re-Engagement Email Sequence

There are two main types of email sequences the “reactivation” sequence, which is sent to subscribers who haven’t opened any emails in recent months (and might have forgotten about you), and the “re-engagement” sequence, which is sent to subscribers who have opened your emails but stopped engaging after that.

The first step in setting up either type of sequence is to set up filters in your email provider so you can see these subscribers’ activity. You’ll want one filter for people who haven’t opened any emails from you in the last 30 days or so, and another filter for those who have opened but haven’t engaged recently enough for it to count as a re-engagement (for example 30 days).

Once you’ve done this, it’s time to think about what kind of message should go into each filter’s email campaign. These messages will vary from list to list depending on what content has been successful with that particular group before; however, there are some general rules we recommend following when coming up with an activation or re-engagement strategy:

Keep things personal no generic templates! Use personal phrases like “Hi [NAME],” because if someone doesn’t know who they’re talking to yet then why would they care? Make sure everything feels like it was written specifically for them as well this helps make sure they feel respected instead of just another number on some company’s spreadsheet somewhere back at HQ

Step 8: Integrate With Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool you can use to track things like how many people are visiting your website and where they are coming from. You can also use it to see what kind of content people are most interested in or if certain keywords or topics resonate with readers. If you’re trying to figure out how best to promote your freelance writing business, having this data at your fingertips is invaluable.

Crafting compelling subject lines is key to improving email open rates. Dive into our tips on writing effective email subject lines that entice readers to click and engage.

Step 9: Add A Subscription Form To Your Blog

Now that you have a list of subscribers, you’re ready to make it grow.

First, add a subscription form to your blog. There are plenty of plugins available for this. I use Subscribe2 and Jumbo Forms, but there are others out there too (including free versions).

Make sure your form is in the sidebar, at the top of every post or page where people can find it easily when they visit your site.

If you want to add one inside your posts and pages too (or even just on some pages) then use another plugin like Optin Skin Pro or PopUp Canvas – these allow you to place a popup window anywhere on your site so readers will be able to subscribe right away without having to scroll down through any ads first!

Finally, don’t forget about adding an opt-in box directly inside comments people might not realize they’re able to sign up until they see it right there in front of them while reading other people’s stories on what happened during their own time working as freelancers

Step 10: Add A Feature Box To Your Blog

You can create a feature box for your blog by visiting Feature Box Pro. The cost for this service is $3 per month, and it allows you to create an attractive and informative feature box in just minutes.

You’ll set up the name of your business and website in the “About” section of the platform

Then, you’ll choose from one of their pre-designed templates or use one you’ve created before

After that, all that’s left is entering your contact information, choosing which features will be displayed on your custom homepage (with images), and specifying when those features should be displayed.

Step 11: Craft A Compelling Elevator Pitch

A compelling elevator pitch is brief and persuasive. It’s a speech that you use to spark interest in what your organization does, and it should last no longer than a short elevator ride of 20 to 30 seconds.

A good elevator pitch is easy to understand, memorable, unique, focused on the audience’s needs, benefits your company/organization by solving problems, and tells them what they will get from working with you.

You can also use an elevator pitch as a tool for creating interest in a project or idea (like this one). If someone asks why he should care about something new you’re interested in, try answering with an elevator pitch!

Step 12 (Optional): Run Facebook Ads For Opt-Ins

If you want to grow your mailing list through Facebook ads, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, make sure that the audience you’re targeting is interested in what you have to offer. You can do this by creating custom audiences that include people who have already downloaded your lead magnet or purchased something from your website.

Second, use compelling text and images on your ad copy. Thirdly, test different combinations of text and images until one combination performs well over time (or until you hit a cap on how much money or time you want to spend). Finally, track the results! This will help you understand what types of ads work best for your business.

Ready to create impactful email marketing campaigns? Our complete guide to writing an effective freelance email marketing campaign offers comprehensive insights for optimizing your outreach efforts.

Step 13 (Optional): Create An Automated Affiliate Funnel For Passive Income On Autopilot

If you’ve made it through the 13 steps above, you’ll have a robust and growing mailing list of people who are interested in your services as a freelance writer. But what if you want to go beyond that? What if you want to turn those leads into active clients?

Well, there’s an easy way to do it: through an automated affiliate funnel. An automated affiliate funnel is simply a system that takes the leads from your email marketing campaigns and delivers them directly into sales funnels like ClickFunnels or LeadPages where they can be converted into customers for whatever product or service it is that you’re selling.

It’s important to note that this isn’t necessary unless your end goal is making money from writing services. If all you want to do is grow your mailing list, then by all means skip this step! But if turning readers into paying customers sounds good (and why wouldn’t it?) then keep reading!

All in all, it will probably take you about two weeks to complete this process. It may seem overwhelming at first but many systems make it easier than ever before.

You don’t need to be an expert to set up an automated mailing list and using tools like MailChimp or Aweber can help you get started quickly. If you already have a website, I would recommend using that as the basis for your mailing list instead of creating a new one from scratch.

FAQs

How to effectively collaborate with freelance writers?

Collaborating with freelance writers requires clear communication, well-defined expectations, and feedback loops. Ensure you provide detailed briefs and maintain open channels for communication throughout the project.

What are the benefits of integrating email marketing and content marketing?

Integrating email marketing and content marketing can amplify your reach and engagement. Content marketing provides valuable content, while email marketing helps distribute it directly to interested audiences.

How do I start building an email list for my business?

Starting an email list involves creating compelling opt-in incentives, setting up an email service provider, creating sign-up forms, and strategically promoting your list through your website and other channels.

What are the key components of an effective email marketing campaign?

An effective email marketing campaign includes a captivating subject line, valuable content, clear call-to-action, mobile responsiveness, and A/B testing to optimize performance.

How can I make sure my email list grows and remains engaged?

To ensure your email list grows and remains engaged, regularly offer valuable content, segment your list based on interests, personalize emails, and periodically clean your list to remove inactive subscribers.

What Is The Best Way To Set Up My Mailing List?

The first thing you need to do is choose a good email service provider (ESP). This can be any service that allows you to create and send emails, such as Mailchimp or GetResponse. You’ll also want one that integrates with your autoresponder so you can easily send out automated messages without having to manually enter each subscriber’s information every time they sign up.

What Should I Write In My Welcome Email?

The welcome email is the most important message in your marketing campaign because it sets the tone for all future interactions with your readership.

Be friendly but professional; personalize it as much as possible; explain why you’re sending them an email instead of calling or texting them directly (this will make them more likely to open future messages); and ask how they heard about you so that next time when someone asks how they found out about me, I can point them at this article!

How Do I Add A Person To My Mailing List?

You can add someone by typing their name into the box at the top of your MailChimp account. If you’re using a Chrome extension, simply click on their name in an email message and choose “Add Subscriber”.

How Do I Delete A Subscriber From My Mailing List?

To remove someone from your mailing list, hover over their name and click on the red X icon. This will hide that user’s information from your campaign preview, but it will not permanently remove them from the database or unsubscribe them.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.