Growing an email list can seem very intimidating. Plus how do you get the right people to join your list? I mean, you don’t want everyone to join…just your ideal client. Right?

The truth is, that it’s really easy to grow your list once you create something of value for your ideal client. It just takes a little strategy, market research, and an awesome email service provider. (I use and recommend ConvertKit, more on that later…)

Today I’m sharing my 3-step system to skyrocket your email list growth as a health + wellness expert. So, let’s jump right in!

Step 1: Create a Freebie

An opt-in incentive or freebie will always perform better than a simple form that says something along the lines of…“Join my Email List to stay up to date.” This is because you’re giving your website visitor something in exchange for their email address. Not only that, but it’s something that they actually want your help with. That’s really the key here.

Start by listing out the things that your ideal client is struggling with. Then choose one thing on that list to focus on for this opt-in incentive. It should be a simple “win” that your ideal client can go through to make a mini transformation for their life or business.

Next, write out all of the content in a Google doc so you have it somewhere safe that you can access anytime.

As a designer, I have to mention the importance of branding your opt-in incentive to match your brand as a whole. We want to establish brand recognition early on and being consistent is the best way to do that.

Use the brand guidelines your designer made as a guide to creating your freebie design. Or better yet, ask your designer to turn your Google doc into a gorgeous design that your clients will love. I like to offer retainer packages to all of my website design clients so that I can continue to serve their wellness business as a design partner.

Once you have the content and design ready to go, it’s as simple as setting up the automation to work inside of your email service provider. You can keep this simple by sending the opt-in incentive and little introductory email. Or you can create an advanced email funnel with several emails, interactive questions, and tags to get more information about the person who just joined your list.

Step 2: Build an Opt-in Form

Now that you have the automation all setup it’s time to create the opt-in form that will entice users to join your list. Depending on which email service provider you use, this process can be fairly easy-to-do.

ConvertKit has an excellent form creator within the platform so that I can link my forms up easily with the correct automation sequence. Then I simply use their handy WordPress plugin to insert some shortcode and make the form appear anywhere I’d like.

An alternative plugin that I used quite a bit when I used MailChimp, is Bloom by Elegant themes. This plugin allows you to create gorgeous opt-in forms and pop-ups within your website. It connects with so many different email platforms, is easy to use, and works really well!

If you’re wondering what to include on your opt-in form then I’m here to help!

Here’s what I’ve found produces successful opt-in forms:

• A catchy title – focus on the result people will get from the freebie
• Subtitle or description – explain the value the opt-in incentive provides and/or who it’s for.
• Call to action button – think beyond simple phrases like “learn more” that will really get a user to take action. I.E. “Yes! I need it!” or “Count Me In!”
• Photo of Opt-in – This one is optional, but I have found that some of my opt-in forms convert better when I include a little graphic of the freebie itself.

Don’t be afraid to test out different copy and images. You can do some A/B testing to see what performs best. If one opt-in form isn’t converting, change it up until it does or simply use the better performing opt-in everywhere.

Step 3: Put Your Opt-in Form on your website

This is where a good website strategy comes into play. The first thing you’ll want to consider is what is the #1 goal for your website? If it’s to grow your email list then you’ll want to prioritize these opt-ins.

If growing your list is a secondary goal then you’ll still want to include these opt-ins on your website, but maybe they shouldn’t be the most important item on the page.

Two places most people will want to place a call to action to join their email list is on the Homepage and inside various blog posts. And, I’ve got a few pointers for success!

Homepage

Since your homepage is likely one of the first pages a user will see you’ll want to really focus on the results that your freebie offers. We want to entice users to take action and become a part of your tribe (aka email list).

• Focus in on what they’ll learn or get from the freebie.
• What quick win will they achieve?
• Keep the copy simple and to the point.
• If you don’t have room on your homepage for an opt-in form, consider adding a pop-up instead.

Blog Posts

When someone comes to your blog post, they are looking for really specific information on the topic they’ve clicked on. So you’ll want your blog post content to tie in with the opt-in you’ve created. Some tips and tricks for blog posts:

• Your blog post content should flow directly into the opt-in incentive.
• Include a link to the opt-in form at the bottom and a short form in the center of the post.
• You’ll want to have an opt-in on every single blog post you write.
• I find that using an image of the opt-in incentive really helps to convert on blog posts.

I hope that these three steps help you to grow your email list using your website. It all really boils down to creating an opt-in incentive that your ideal client will LOVE.

If you’re not exactly sure who your ideal client is or your audience is too broad then it can be a challenge to stand out as a health + wellness pro. You may be struggling to book clients regularly and make a consistent income.

If this sounds like you, I created the Wellness Website Workbook to help you become a go-to expert. The workbook will help you find who you want to serve and how to attract them with your website. Plus, how to craft a homepage that converts, my super-valuable resource guide, and how to build trust on your website.

Grab your copy of the Wellness Website Workbook to get started!