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Hi, it’s Pat! 👋

We talk about building email lists all the time here at SPI.

Email lists are critical, and not just for communicating with your audience and automating your business. If you don’t have one, that means your business is relying solely on other platforms that can change their rules at any moment.

I’ve seen too many people get burned this way, building a following on a platform only to lose the connection to their audience because of an overnight algorithm change. 😔 Don’t let that be you: keep your email list strategy front and center!

After you create an email list, a great way to speed up its growth is with a lead magnet — something specific that you offer your audience in exchange for a person’s email address such as a checklist, ebook, worksheet, or some other bonus content.

If you’re building a list and lead magnets are already a part of your plan, then you definitely don’t want to miss the tip in this email. It could save you and your audience from a major headache and a ton of confusion — especially if you’re not tech-savvy.

Let’s get unstuck.

THE STORY

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I started building my email list in 2010 thanks to the help of a guide I wrote called Ebooks the Smart Way. It was an ebook about how to write an ebook. (I know — very meta.)

Anyway, it was a 30-page PDF guide that was delivered automatically to anyone who subscribed to my list.

Whether you were on my homepage, reading a blog post or listening to a podcast, I had a call-to-action to subscribe to my list and get the guide.

And, it worked like a charm. At least for a while.

Over time, the ebook about ebooks just wasn’t as attractive anymore. So I decided to create a different lead magnet guide, Email the Smart Way; as expected, growth increased again.

But then another year went by, and downloads slowed down again. So naturally, I decided to create yet another lead magnet, The Podcast Cheat Sheet, which gives new podcasters a checklist for every single step required to start a show.

Over the years, we’ve created over a dozen lead magnets that are sporadically mentioned here and there on the website; the sad part is most people don’t even know most of these wonderful resources exist.

(I bet you didn’t even know! 😉)

When you begin your own lead magnet journey, focus on one or two lead magnets that are best suited for your audience. As your library begins to grow, however, you have to make a change.

You should still continue to promote individual lead magnets where it makes sense, but as your list of resources grows you should also create a resource library or a toolbox that lives on the other side of that email opt-in.

For example, check out the new SPI Resource Library here.

A page like this becomes an incredible “surprise and delight” for new subscribers: they came for one thing, but now they’ve got a whole library more.

This also becomes an incredible way to organize your lead magnets. They all live on this one page, a place you can drive all your new subscribers to no matter what resource they originally signed up for.

For example, you can use copy like this in your initial email to new subscribers, and/or the thank you page they land on after they subscribe:

You’re in! Thanks for subscribing, and as promised your [INSERT NAME OF LEAD MAGNET] is ready for you. In addition, I also included free access to my entire library of resources that can help you with [INSERT ULTIMATE GOAL HERE]. Be sure to bookmark the page when you get there!

Click here to go to your resource library now.

You can call it a resource page, a toolbox, a tool kit — get creative with it. Whatever you call it, every time you create a new lead magnet to promote, just add it to the library.

And here’s the “money” tip: After you add a new lead magnet to your library, send an email to your existing email subscribers and tell them you just added a free gift for them on that page (and include the link). This offers another “surprise and delight” opportunity, and reminds people on your list why it’s so beneficial to stay on it.

This way, you don’t need to have them sign-up on another page to get access to whatever new thing you came out with — this tactic removes that unnecessary step since they’re already on your list!

Oh, and in that new resource announcement email, don’t ask for anything in return. Just give, give, give! They’ll love you for it.

Your Call to Action

First, be sure to visit the SPI Resource Library to see if there are any helpful resources you may have missed. We even have them categorized to help you find what you may be needing most.

Second, think about how a page like this can help you! If you don’t have more than one or two lead magnets yet, just considering about a page like this can be a great exercise. It solves the problem of how to organize your lead magnets and can help you get excited about creating more resources for specific segments of your audience.

You got this!

We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the latest news, trends, and events to support your business. Check it out:

1. It’s almost here: the special free webinar with our friends at Ocho Money about money strategies for entrepreneurs. This stuff is SO important but, honestly, usually not something folks like us prioritize. That’s why I’m so grateful for what Ocho Money is doing to serve entrepreneurs like us. I’ll be there. Matt, my business partner, will be there. I hope you’ll join us. Click here to register!​
2. Have you ever wanted to write a book but aren’t sure about how to get started? You’re in luck! This Thursday, March 23rd at 2pm PT(5pm ET) Pat Flynn will be sharing his knowledge on the Book Writing Process in a live AMA webinar. Don't miss this opportunity to get the real scoop on how it all happens! Register here for the free event link!​
3. Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to generate additional income online. You don’t need to create your own product, you don’t even really need to sell anything. So how do you get started and what are the different options? In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about affiliate marketing including what it is, how it works, and best practices. Learn more here!​

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