Ep #42: Growing Your Email List

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Bloggers love to share their thoughts. But if a blogger shouts in the woods and there’s no one to hear them, did they really say anything at all? Well, of course, but the problem all bloggers face at some point in time is tapping into the right audience. A lot of bloggers spend countless hours building up a following on social media sites, preferably the one that will provide the most traffic. I don’t want to name names, but let’s just pretend there’s a social media platform that rhymes with Schplacetrook. Spending time on Schplacetrook (SP for short) can be a very successful way of growing traffic. At least until SP changes its algorithm, leaving you high and dry. If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a better way, today’s episode has your name written all over it. Grab a cup of coffee and come sit with me as we talk about Growing Your Email List with Brooke Larke.

Learn about Growing Your Email List with Brooke Lark, the next guest on the Chopped Podcast!

We have so much space to help each other grow. — BrookeGerard, #choppedcon Click To Tweet

If you listen to my interview with Brooke Lark, one thing you’ll notice right away is that she’s not afraid to try new things. When her friend mentioned a blog, Brooke decided to start one. When she decided she needed new content, she started sharing her recipes. She’s changed names of her blog and has even changed the dietary theme of her blog, a few times!

Brooke calls this concept Pivoting. We can all dig in our heels a little on a certain topic and, whether it’s working or not, stay with it. Now sometimes that can be a great characteristic. But there are also times when changing things around can be vital.

The idea behind Pivoting is learning how to change directions in a way that works best for you and your audience. Brooke seems to have this concept down. But it’s not only been effective for her in deciding on the direction for the  theme of her blog, it’s also helped her work on the business side as well. For example, Brooke decided recently to make growing her email list a priority. She purchased the software Lead Pages (see link below) and began creating free downloadable content that people could opt-in to receive. As a result she saw her email list grow substantially in less than a year!

Brooke credits some of her success from hiring folks to help. For example, she has a graphic designer who takes her content and adds a professional touch to them. In addition, she hired a copyrighter to draft emails that she sends out to her audience, so she doesn’t miss an email.

It’s easy to want to do everything yourself. It’s part of our “get ‘er done” way of life. Right? I mean, that’s probably what makes being an entrepreneur so attractive. Not only can you set the course, but you can do it the way you want it to be done. But when you reach the point that you’re in front of the computer day and night, it’s possible you could begin hating the dream job you’ve been hoping for all these years!

Your energy is your currency and once it's spent, it's gone. — Brooke Lark #choppedcon Click To Tweet

So, the theme of my discussion with Brooke today is how to build your email list, but from a wholistic living perspective. Brooke talks about 3 ways to get people to sign up for your email list. These include:

  • An email pop-up
  • CTA Downloadable
  • Lead Magnet Opt-in

The first two are becoming less effective, whereas the Lead Magnet Opt-in is becoming the most attractive option for list building. Not only does creating free, downloadable content on your site in exchange for the opt-in make sense, it helps you grow your audience in a very intelligent matter. You’ll better understand your audience and what their interests are, based on the lead magnet they choose to sign up for.

I put together a handy guide based on my discussion with Brooke that includes the information she discussed and a few bonus items so you can learn more about growing your email list too!

Our goal at ChoppedCon is to help you be your best each and every day. If you’ve been thinking about growing your email list as a way to grow your audience, then you’ll love this interview with Brooke and the complimentary guide I’ve provided above.

I also talked with Brooke about her blog Cheeky Kitchen, and asked her about general blogging advice and social media strategies too. Brooke shares about her favorite social media (it’s a new one to me) and her ideas for collaborating with other bloggers as a way of taking her blog to the next level. Learn about Growing Your Email List with Brooke Lark today!

Featured Content – Growing Your Email List with Brooke Lark

Here are some of the highlights of my discussion with Brooke, where we discuss:

  • How Brooke started her blog Cheeky Kitchen
  • How Brooke’s goal when she first started was to make $500 a month
  • Brooke’s well-thought out philosophy on food photography
  • Brooke talks about why she decided to focus on growing her email list
  • Brooke tells her strategy for tripling her email list in less than a year
  • Brooke shares about her site redesign
  • Have you ever heard of pivoting? Brooke talks about this and why you don’t have to be stuck with the same mission for your blog
  • Brooke talks about her favorite social media platform. It’s a new one (at least to me). See the link below.

Show Notes

This episode includes references to some resources you might find interesting. Here they are:

Announcements

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Posted in Food Blog Resources, Food Blogging, Podcast