Ask any influencer or successful blogger out there, and they’ll give you numerous reasons why you should have a mailing list. Start building one as soon as you can!
What is a mailing list?
This is a list of subscribers, people who signed up and want to receive your emails, newsletters or regular updates via email.
Why is it important to have a mailing list?
Email is the most effective way to connect on a deeper level with your readers or followers. Now you can also share information that you don’t necessarily want published on your website or blog. Email is perfect for this purpose, because it allows you to build a genuine relationship (online), especially when you’re open to receiving feedback. You could share all your tips and updates for free, but you will also get valuable information from your subscribers. Another reason is to use your emails to help generate some income, which is an entirely different topic. This is called Email Marketing and we’ll share more on that later.
How do you start a mailing list?
The way you start your list is by capturing emails with opt-in forms using an email service provider (ESP) such as MailerLite, MailChimp, Aweber, etc.
- First you create an account with an ESP. (We like MailerLite best, because it has lots of features and is great for startups)
- Next, you need to have something good to offer your readers, in exchange for their email address. This is called a freebie and it could be a resource list, a cheat sheet or eBook 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, so they can now receive your newsletters or blog updates.
A note on opt-ins & GDPR
It’s good to know that there are two types of opt-ins.
- Single opt-in gets someone on your list without requiring their confirmation. The good news is that it helps to quickly build your list, but the bad news is risking your emails going into spam or losing subscribers who mistyped their email address.
- Double opt-in requires that subscribers confirm that they want to receive your emails or newsletters. This ensures the quality of your list because you’ll have people who truly want to get your emails, which may lead to more engaged subscribers. The cons are 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 to be reinforced starting May 25, 2018. This policy will affect anyone who deals with citizens of the EU, meaning that if you get subscribers from the EU, you will have to comply. There has been a lot of buzz on the internet on the topic, but if you’re already using double opt-in, you’re halfway there. You can find more (easy to digest) GDPR information at Amy Porterfield’s website, which is one of my favorite podcasts.
Mailing list vs social media
Finally, there are a few more, compelling reasons to have your own mailing list vs. counting on Facebook, Twitter or other social media account to communicate with your followers:
- The list is yours! It will not be affected by new changes that social media companies can enforce at a moment’s notice, or if one day the social media source closes. Poof! All your followers will be gone…
- Your emails can drive more traffic to your blog or website than social media will, because those entries disappear as soon as something newer is published. (Unless of course you have some viral post or video.)
I hope this overview helps to get a better idea of why you should be starting to build your mailing list soon. As mentioned earlier, our favorite provider for this purpose is MailerLite. Why? Because you can start a list quickly, without incurring any costs except your time. 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! Which startup on a budget would not take advantage of that?
We have been using MailChimp for some of our clients but after giving MailerLite a try, we can honestly say that we truly love the service. There are many more features available and it is very easy to use. Plenty of (video) tutorials, and their customer support is amazing. Please note that buying through the affiliate link may earn us a commission and we greatly appreciate your support.
If you were thinking about starting your mailing list and want to get your feet wet, great timing! We just created a step-by-step MailerLite guide to download FREE! Don’t wait a minute longer and have regrets later, get started now!
P.S. Want to learn more? Take our MailerLite Poll.