How to grow your blog email list fast!

Every six-figure blogger knows the awesome power of a targeted email list. A well-maintained list can generate traffic – and income – almost on demand, and the cost of marketing to individual customers is virtually zero once you’ve acquired their details.

However, for an email list to deliver solid results, you need to populate it with targeted customers. Growing your email list with any-ol’-body who will sign up won’t get you what you want. You’re just going to be paying out of pocket for customers who couldn’t care less about your content.

So, what does a blogger do?

There are many ways to grow your email list, but the fastest, cheapest and most effective technique is known as a lead magnet.

What is a lead magnet?

A lead magnet is a piece of content that you provide for free exclusively to people who sign up for your email list. Many sites also have one or two simple lead magnets that appeal to a wide variety of their blog visitors. On my site, for example, I have a simple lead magnet for people looking for work at home jobs and a blogging tip. One or the other may not appeal to everyone as my categories cover a few different topics, but between the two I have most people covered.

What is a content upgrade?

“Content Upgrade” is a recent trend in the blogging world. Simply put, a content upgrade is a piece of content that acts as a highly-specific opt-in for readers and website visitors. While a content upgrade works similar to a traditional lead magnet, it’s much more targeted to user needs, preferences, and your blog experience.

Unlike a traditional opt-in, a content upgrade is only offered on specific posts. Instead of a generic free offer, a content upgrade allows you to tailor your free item to the content the reader is currently into. By offering some additional material relevant to what they’re already researching, you can improve your chances of capturing a lead’s contact information. An example of this on my site would be the Airtable base template that I offer in my tutorial. It is not offered anywhere else on my site because it targets that post.

Each content upgrade should complement what the audience is already engaged with. Whether it goes deeper into the content, provides additional information, or offers a sheet that makes the material easier to understand, a content upgrade should be what the reader is already learning. When you catch them while they’re already engaged, you can increase their chances of submitting their name and email address.

When is a content upgrade better than a generic lead magnet?

Bloggers have been using free opt-ins to grow email lists for years. While offering something free is a great way to get people to subscribe, it’s not always enough to capture a large amount of leads Because you have to offer something common to appeal to the different people who come to your website, you may be unable to make deep connections.

A content upgrade allows you to create highly-specific pieces that appeal to different subsections of your target audience. By creating different content upgrades to appeal to different stages of your buyer’s journey, you can capture leads at different points in the buying process. This can increase your lead base and help you improve sales.

Content upgrades help you attract more qualified leads. When a lead opts-in for a content upgrade, you’re able to see what information they’re specifically looking for By segmenting your lists based on how your audience signs up for your email list, you can send them more specific information. When you can better appeal to their unique needs, you have a higher chance of closing the sale.

How to create a content upgrade

Creating content upgrades doesn’t have to be difficult. However, if you want to get a high return from your designed content upgrades, you need to be strategic about it.

Here are a few steps you can follow to create impressive content upgrades for your most popular segments Bonus: If you’re not yet using lead magnets or opt-in freebies at all, this is one of the best ways to get started!

Step 1: Find your most popular content

When creating content upgrades, you don’t want to create something for every blog post you publish. While this might be ideal, you probably don’t have the time or resources. Instead of spreading yourself too thin and creating mediocre pieces, it’s better to focus on a few very powerful content upgrades. You can fill in the gaps with one or two more ordinary lead magnets.

See the most popular content on your blog. Because they bring the most attention from your audience, you’re more likely to convince readers to opt-in to an upgrade. Check your Google Analytics to see which of your posts are most popular with your target audience This piece should be included in the upgrade.

Step 2: Brainstorm upgrade ideas

Your upgrades need to be enticing enough to get someone to submit their email address and name to your website, so you want to think long and hard about what you’re going to create. Based on the main focus of your most popular content, generate some ideas for what might best complement that element.

• Lead magnets and content upgrades can take many forms, but some of the most popular include:
• A cheat sheet, blueprint or checklist for a popular task in your niche. It should be brief but genuinely useful or instructive.
• A report or PDF full of facts and figures about a narrow topic, which can serve as a handy reference for interested readers.
• A collection of links to resources on any topic, expertly curated to save the reader the work of research. (For example, here’s my list of essential blogging resources and links!)
• A case study shows how the use of specific techniques or tools helps a real-world business.
• A tutorial video provides unique insights and tips to achieve a goal
• Free trials or demos of software or services, even fully developed tools or apps if it makes economic sense.
• Straightforward discounts on products, services or subscriptions, redeemable only by signing up for your list.

Step 3: Find the gap you need to fill

You want your content upgrade to fill some of the gaps you’re leaving open with the pieces currently available online However, in order to know what to create, you need to identify what you’re not giving your readers. Then, you need to consider what purpose each piece of new content might serve.

Take a moment to identify what problem your new content will solve. If it doesn’t bring direct value to your target audience, you won’t see many new sign-ups. Additionally, you want to create something new for your website visitors. If similar content is available for free somewhere on your site, users won’t give you their email address. Make sure your content upgrades provide a unique value to your leads

Step 4: Decide on the appropriate content form

Now that you have an idea of ​​what information you want to share in your content upgrade, you want to decide on the best form to provide those details. While a downloadable eBook or PDF might be the most obvious, you’ll want to consider the best way for your target audience to absorb the information. In some cases, this could be through an email course, a webinar or even a video.

Step 5: Create a compelling call to action

The work isn’t over when your content upgrade is created. Even if you have a great idea, you need to entice your audience to take the next step and opt-in for your download.

Your call to action should make it clear that the content upgrade is a continuation of the content the reader is already viewing. When the relationship between the original piece and the upgrade is clear, your audience members will be more likely to enter their email address. You should also feature your opt-in box at a few different points. At the very least, make sure the box is featured at the bottom of the post, letting readers know they can sign up to learn more.

If you’re looking for new ways to grow your email subscriber list, a content upgrade is a great way to entice your target audience to sign up. However, you can’t throw content together and hope to attract attention. If you really want to see results, follow these steps to create the perfect content upgrade to meet the needs of your target audience.