The Money Is In The List.
You've heard the expression before... And in the screenshot below you can see how this works.
Notice all of those big spikes in my daily revenue?
Those are the days we emailed offers to our list...
This is the result of effective email marketing... The cashflow pours in as a direct response to those emails!
And it's why folks say "the money is in the email list!"
Being able to send out an email and generate cash on demand is very freeing.
From my perspective:
Having an email list of people who know you, like you, and trust you, is the fastest way for you to break free from the rat race.
And this is why you're learning how to grow your email list here, today.
Ready?
Great... Let's grow your email list!
It Starts With You.
The first key:
There's no 'one size fits all' internet marketing tool that can build out the necessary landing pages (your opt-in pages, your bridge pages, your sales pages, etc) while also managing your email marketing campaigns.
Many software companies and greedy gurus promise an all-in-one solution to grow your email and build your business...
None work well.
You need to build your online business on a solid foundation of simple-to-use tech that won't break the bank when you're getting started...
In short, you need:
- 1 system that allows you to publish landing pages... These are your opt-in pages, bridge pages, terms of service, privacy policy and disclaimers, plus your sales pages once you're selling your own products.
- And another system to manage your email subscribers, your automated follow up sequences (autoresponders) and your broadcast emails.
Truthfully...
Both systems required tech for coaches, consultants, affiliate marketers, creators and influencers alike.
Because your email list is the most valuable asset in your business.
But, the guru-promoted tools have BIG markups because they offer HUGE affiliate commissions.
And this is why it's so easy to get led astray.
This blog post will help you gain confidence in your strategy and your "tech stack" (a.k.a. the software tools you personally use and trust)
...So you can move forward in building your most valuable asset in your business, your email list.
A final note before jumping in:
If you already use a tool that works and you are competent with that tool... It's probably better that you just keep using it to collect email addresses. Even if it's a little clunky. Because they all have their clunky annoyances.
The opportunity costs associated with 'learning a new tool' suck up too much time.
You gotta stay focused on growing your list!
Ok.
You can do this...
From a tech perspective, it's never been easier.
So let's get you going in the right direction.
Your Email Marketing Platform.
This is the system that manages your email list.
When users subscribe to your list, this is the software tool that securely stores that person's information.
It's also the tool that follows up with the user on autopilot with the autoresponder emails you pre-populate... It delivers the lead magnet you offered, it shares more value, it makes more offers!
And, this is where you'd go to email your list when you create a promotion or 24-hour sale.
In my professional opinion, you have 3 solid options, today... Here they are in order of my recommendations:
- Aweber
- Fully featured free level with 24 x 7 x 365 live support based out of the USA. They have the best deliverability in the industry, they offer campaigns, tags and free landing pages... Plus the ability to get a support person on chat at ANY HOUR you may be working! If you are a beginner or if you aren't confident with new software and tech, use Aweber, their support is the best and even free accounts get full support access!
- Convert Kit
- Fewer features in their free level than Aweber. Support is not available 24x7 (no customer support for their free level, you gotta pay) and it ends up costing more as you grow. Focus on user experience and user interface. Some would call it 'prettier' but the higher cost mixed with the lack of 24x7 support doesn't make sense to me.
- Active Campaign
- This is what I use. Technically speaking it is way more complex and confusing than the beginner friendly options above... It's also more expensive and has the worst support of the 3, lol. And it's slow. That said, it's an enterprise-grade customer relationship management system on top of an email marketing system. Personally, I really don't like it and I've had my integration guy helping me with it because it's soo confusing to me. But it's the one I'm stuck with as it's so deeply integrated to my business already.
If you are new, or if you don't particularly enjoy confusing software tools, it comes down to Aweber or Convertkit.
If you want to see all the details compared side by side, read this comparison of Aweber vs. Convert Kit.
Final note here...
It's super easy to 'move your list' from one to another later. I started on Aweber and grew there for over 7 years, then migrated over to Active Campaign once the business was generating enough cashflow to pay for my integration guy to do all the work and run it for me...
So...
Choose one... (I recommend Aweber)
Go get your free trial going and let's talk about your landing pages, next.
Your Landing Page Builder
This space has exploded in the last 5 years with many 'all in one funnel software' tools hitting the market.
Over the years, I've tried them all...
Yet again, none are perfect and they each have their annoyances... We all end up choosing one and then stubbornly sticking with it (even though it does annoying things sometimes) because taking time to learn another tool isn't worth it.
So, again... If you have a tool that works... Stick with that.
But, if you don't have a tool that you currently use to publish landing pages online... This will help you find the right one for you.
How to figure out which landing page builder is right for you.
You're a unique person with a one-of-a-kind life. The right landing page builder for you is the one that best fits your personal scenario and needs.
Not the one that pays me big commissions.
Factors like:
- The amount of time you have to work on your business
- How big your budget is to get your business going
- What skills you have (or don't have but need)
- How comfortable you are with web based software tools.
- Etc.
To figure this all out, we're going to do a little question and answer.
Here's the first question:
- Do you have a self-hosted WordPress website or blog set-up already?
If you have a WordPress site up and running, and you've got the skills to publish pages and posts, you really just need the Thrive Architect plugin to build landing pages.
You also get access to their Thrive University Trainings and their suite of fast-loading themes (their Kwik Theme is what my site's built on) plus their Thrive Leads plugin that deploys pop-ups to collect leads from your blog traffic. Learn more here.
But, honestly...
Leverage those WordPress skills if you've got em!
Next question:
- Do you plan to drive organic search engine traffic from Google?
Content marketing on a WordPress blog is a brilliant way to turn your time and effort into traffic. Focusing on finding great keywords and writing helpful blog posts that are optimized for Google (called SEO) you can earn millions of visits per year.
Niche authority blogs rock because they address your target audience and they can get you new customers right away.
I've taught all of the technical 'how to' steps to execute this traffic strategy extensively for free on my YouTube channel. This video is a great starting point if you want help building an authority site: how you can drive massive traffic from google via blogging.
If you're thinking that blogging and content marketing are an essential part of your marketing strategy, start a blog and then use Thrive Themes and Thrive Architect as mentioned above.
I explain how to setup your blog if you're new in this blog post.
This was the strategy my wife and I executed to bootstrap our niche authority site from nothing but time spent nights and weekends... To a multi-million-dollar brand.
Next question:
- Do you need the cheapest possible option to start?
My wife and I bootstrapped our business from a 'finacial rock bottom' point following the global financial crisis in 2008.
I know exactly what it's like piecing together a business with free and cheap tools.
It got me to where I am today!
Ok, so the ultimate bootstrap option is to go with Aweber's free plan that includes the landing page builder, here.
Plus...
I've made a full tutorial showing how to get your first email list and opt-in page built on Aweber, here.
The step-by-step tutorial begins about 1/3 down that page and includes a metric ton of screenshots to make sure you've got the needed free 'how to' training to go along with the free tools!
You don't have all of the conversion components you get with the pro level page builders...
But it can get you started making offers and building skills for $0.
Next Question:
- Do you value simple software that's easy to use and requires no code?
This brings us to the landing page builders.
First, the budget option starting at $19 per year. Their highest account level is $49/year.
NOTE: That's per YEAR, not monthly!
You can test out that tool before signing up to see if you find it intuitive enough.
It's simple and clean. Plus it integrates with Aweber...
The second option is LeadPages, which offers a 14 day free trial, here.
This is what I use.
Mainly because of how easy it is to create new landing pages, offers and split tests.
I'm on the Pro level because it unlocks the A/B split testing which is how I continue to optimize my landing pages for higher conversion rates.
And, when you start paying for traffic, this becomes a bigger deal.
For example:
The landing page above at a 75% conversion rate with over 35,000 leads brought in is converting 3 out of ever 4 visitors from a Facebook ad into an email subscriber.
Older versions of that page converted less than 50%.
Had I not been improving conversions through split testing, I would have only generated 23,000 leads for the exact same amount of ad spend.
Stated another way.
I got a bonus 12,000 free leads from the same amount of money I was already spending on Facebook ads because I've been split testing and optimizing these pages in LeadPages for years.
Now...
This is advanced stuff... So maybe it's for later.
But, if you've got a budget and you like clean, simple tools that give you all the pro-tools you need, LeadPages is what I use.
The last thing here...
You are required to have certain legal documents on the footer of all your pages... It varies with each state and country, to be honest.
Personally, I outsource this with an auto-updating system that keeps my terms up to date forever, once I publish them.
If you want the deep dive into the different documents that are required and how all these fiddly little privacy laws that every state is creating a nightmare for online publishers, click here and watch the full youtube video that teaches how to avoid fines and lawsuits.
It's with the creators of the auto-updating terms system link'd to, above...
They are the best in the game.
Ok, with those done, you can move on to the fun part...
Publishing a high-converting opt-in page.
Once you've got your tech decisions made, it's time to publish...
The first step is always research.
Looking around and figuring out what has worked for the successful marketers who came before you is always a wise idea.
In this post here you can see many of the best-performing opt in pages from some great marketers.
Personally, I write these out in notepads and take screenshots of them to use as inspiration when I'm putting together a new opt-in page.
Here's a video that reveals even more successful and high-converting opt-in pages.
Now...
If you want to fast track this and skip all the research, you can get access to my personal opt-in page template that these pages are based on for you to model, here.
This optin landing page template is based on a deep dive study and it's created those 75% conversion rates I'm enjoying.
If you just want a quick overview of the layout I use, you can see it in this video here.
These are the best opt in campaign trainings for you if you are going with a stand-alone landing page option in your tech stack.
If you are building directly inside of your email marketing platform, I've got trainings for each below:
- How to build your high-converting opt in page on Aweber.
- This is my top recommendation for beginners and those on tight budgets.
- How to build your high-converting opt in age on ConvertKit.
- If you already have a ConvertKit account, this resource shows the steps.
- How to build your high converting opt-in page on WordPress & Thrive Themes' Architect.
- NOTE: With Thrive Themes Architect, you also get access to their Thrive University platform with dozens of training videos and courses that go deeper into how to use Architect.
Writing & publishing your email autoresponder
Once your opt-in page is completed you need a follow-up sequence inside of your autoresponder.
This is the core automation that allows you to start earning income while you are out playing, sleeping or doing other things.
For example...
A user subscribes on your opt in page and then your email marketing system follows up with one email every two days for 2 weeks.
You write it out once...
Set it all up inside of your email marketing software...
And then every lead gets all of those emails on autopilot!
In order to accomplish this step there are two specific tasks you must accomplish. First, you'll write out your emails that deliver your lead magnet and then you'll set them up inside your email marketing tool.
Writing your follow-up emails.
You've got two options here.
First is to dig in as a student of email marketing and learn how to write a great auotresponder that builds trust and drives sales. You can watch this video for a deep dive study on writing your email autoresponder.
The second option is to leverage my autoresponder template that you can find, here.
Add your follow-up emails to your email platform.
Now, every email autoresponder works a little differently, so, depending on which platform you chose, you may have to jump in and learn it yourself...
Because I don't have trainings that teach how to build this out on every platform.
That said...
If you did go with my top recommendation of Aweber, you can learn how to setup your follow up emails into an automated campaign on Aweber, here.
This training also teaches you how to set up a "broadcast" segment that users will enter after they complete the follow-up sequence.
This allows you to send future marketing emails to your broadcast segment with out risking "double emailing" people who are currently going for your follow-up sequence.
It's the only real email list segmentation that I do...
And it helps me stay focused during the week when I want to email… I always know that I just go send an email to my broadcast list a couple times a week to keep that relationship moving forward.
Making long-term money with email marketing
Okay, congratulations…
You made it through all of the technical choices and set up steps at this point.
From this point, your "job" is to consistently deliver value and more offers to your email list while you continue to grow your email list by driving traffic to your opt in pages.
These are the simple business activities I focus on day in and day out that generate millions in revenue, year after year...
But there is a new challenge you must face.
If you are going to send two or three new emails to your potential customers every single week, how will you ever come up with the ideas about what to write?
Because, the truth is...
If you grow your email list and never send broadcast emails…your marketing efforts wonțt pay off... You'll never end up making a full-time income!
Your new subscribers will forget about you if you go weeks without communication.
Then, when you do send your offer, there will be no relationship established since you haven't been delivering high quality content and sending helpful emails to encourage subscribers to convert.
So…
The main question to answer becomes: How do you write great emails, quickly?
Well... It's a bit of an art and a science, but there are some tricks.
First... You can leverage email marketing templates.
This is how I learned email marketing...
It's like adding training wheels to your bicycle when you're learning how to ride a bike.
You can get into motion immediately and start learning by doing.
Plus, you can start generating cashflow faster because many templates will help you sell without being sales-y.
Which is exactly what great email marketers do.
They help people get the things and outcomes that they already want through persuasive emails filled with integrity.
Ok, here are the 2 email marketing templates I recommend you go through:
- Terry's Autoresponder Course & 80 Templates
- This is the course and template pack that kicked my email marketing career into high gear! Before taking email marketing seriously I would struggle to make ends meet with my online business. Once I went all-in on email marketing I've never had to think about "cash flow" again. Terry's course helped me go from feeling intimidated and confused about email marketing to feeling confident and profitable.
- Aweber's "What To Write" Course & 45 Email Templates
- This free course doesn't just give you 45 fill-in-the-blank templates… But they also teach you the strategy and tactics you need to become a more confident writer... This whole world of making money online and email marketing requires a lot of writing. Even if you focus on YouTube like I did, lol! But email writing is the most profitable writing that I do which is why you should focus in on becoming a better writer of emails! Which is exactly what this free course will do.
- You Need Both!
- Just in case this isn't perfectly clear… Your ability to skill up as an email marketer is the key that unlocks the income goals you have online. Honest truth? You need all of the help you can get right now. That's exactly where I was when I was struggling to make ends meet. when you realize there is one skill you can master in order to revolutionize your life, go all in on that skill and study everything you can get your hands on. Become obsessed with email marketing.
Once you realize that the key to success for every coach, course creator, network marketer or affiliate marketing guru is their email list and email marketing...
It's time to go all in.
Following the steps above will get you started... But it's your job to stay fired up and bring the energy needed to build this out for yourself.
It's a challenging path but the rewards are worth all of the BS you will have to deal with.
Like...
Imposter syndrome.
That feeling and internal dialogue that asks annoying questions like: "who am I to start emailing people several times per week?"
Or... "I'm no expert"
Your internal dialogue about what you experience while building this out is going to make you or break you.
Which is why you're going to learn about additional training I recommend you go through, next.
Additional Training, Tools & Courses
First, let's deal with that imposter syndrome idea...
- Cure imposter syndrome in 20 minutes. - A YouTube video that will help you break through that negative self-talk, fast.
And this is a great time to remind you that I've published nearly 700 videos on my YouTube channel.
My videos have no advertisements on them and they are designed to be efficient tutorials that will help you implement so you can get back to work fast.
When you search on YouTube, add my name to your search phrase and you'll see my Youtube videos designed to help you execute quickly.
Plus, there are a TON of mindset videos, deep-dive marketing discussions, and interviews on there that can help you turn time spent commuting, time at the gym, time doing chores into study time.
For example...
Search "Miles Beckler Email Marketing" on YouTube and you'll find additional trainings, courses and discussions you can geek out on!
Again.
Go all-in on the email marketing skill.
It's the big-money skill that funds those gurus who flash their fancy cars, watches and houses.
It also funds thousands of humble, honest, and authentic lifestyle business owners like my wife and I... And so many of our friends.
This is your invitation to join us.
Let's all keep helping our audiences accomplish their goals via email marketing!
This is the way!
Ok... The rest of the trainings, below.
- The Lead Magnet Academy.
- Your lead magnet is the actual item you offer to give away in exchange for the visitors email address on your opt in page. Some call it your 'ethical bribe' to get the website visitor onto your email list. Generally its either a pdf (cheatsheet, template, free ebook), .mp3 audio (interview, guided hypnosis, etc) or a video (slideshow recording, zoom webinar replay, etc). This training will take you down the rabbit hole to help you create a lead magnet that will convert for your site visitors into email subscribers.
- The 'How To Write Anything' training.
- This course helped me a ton in writing more persuasive emails, faster. I road trip and camp a lot. when on the road I generally need to email two or three times in a week and that's all of the work I have to do. The faster I can get these ideas out and sent, the faster I can get back to paddle boarding or hiking or exploring a national Park. This process is my go-to process to write faster.
- Mark's Email Inner Circle
- Mark understands email marketing and this business model better than most. His inner circle is based off of his stand-alone and very helpful Email Infotainer training. His inner circle is your chance to get personal coaching from him and to connect up with a community of email based business builders.
- Aweber's List Building Course
- Another great course free from Aweber that teaches you how to create a lead magnet and setup your landing page so you can start building your list on Aweber. This training is especially relevant to you if you chose Aweber or if you are still undecided on what email system you'll use.
Conclusion
Setting up effective emailing campaigns is one of the best ways to engage with current and potential customers as it allows you to have a personal and meaningful conversation with your audience. Getting more subscribers through sign up forms, opt-in forms, lead capturing forms, and other email marketing strategies, and offering them business news and valuable business information will allow you to increase sales and grow your business fast.
