Email List

An Important Recurring Task for MailChimp Users

November 14, 2019

Hey—want some one-on-one help getting this set up? Book a 20-minute consultation and we can work through it via video chat!

Because I blog as a hobby, instead of as a full-time job or side hustle, I try to be conservative about my blog spending. That’s why I still use MailChimp for my email marketing, even though a lot of bloggers have moved onto “bigger and better” email marketing systems.

MailChimp is free for users with fewer than 2,000 contacts, which is why I love it! I can practice email marketing and connect with my audience while keeping my overall blogging expenses low.

However, MailChimp has updated their policy on contacts recently, which means there’s a new crucial step for bloggers who use MailChimp!

AB Testing: What is It, and Why Should You Be Doing It?

March 28, 2019

As a blogger, you’re getting first-hand experience in digital marketing. Whether you want to pursue it as a career or not, it’s a marketable skill that can help you in the future, especially as our world leans more and more on the digital realm.

(See, for example, me sending my husband a post on Instagram just now, instead of walking across the room to show him the photo on my phone.)

One really valuable tool at digital marketers’ disposal is AB testing. And it’s something you can practice as a blogger!

Where to Put Opt-Ins When You Really Don’t Like Popups

May 30, 2017

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

You’ve probably heard that popups are super effective ways to grow your email list.

There are so many different kinds. Welcome mats take over literally the entire screen when someone gets to your site. Delayed popups appear after a given amount of time. Exit-intent popups that appear when someone gestures like they’re about to leave your page.

No matter what type of popup, there’s one thing that pretty much everyone agrees on: they’re super annoying.

Okay, so there’s one type of popup that isn’t: on-click popups, which appear after you click on a button. But more on those later.

So, what do you do when you’re morally opposed to popups, but still want to grow your email list? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of options! Here’s where to put opt-ins when you really don’t like popups.

How (and why!) to Clean Out Your Email List

November 15, 2016

Hey—want some one-on-one help getting this set up? Book a 20-minute consultation and we can work through it via video chat!

I, like many others (yourself included, I’m sure) love seeing my email list numbers grow. I’ll get random emails from Mailchimp saying one or two people subscribed to my email list and it doesn’t seem like a big deal… until I realize I’ve got about 100 more subscribers than I expected!

Talk about an awesome feeling, right?

And yet, every four months or so, I go through my email list and clean it out. I find subscribers who aren’t opening my emails and unsubscribe them from my email list.

Say what?!

Here’s why it’s a good habit to get into, and how you can clean out your email list as well!

9 Ways to Skyrocket Your Email List

October 19, 2016

You’ve started your email list. Congratulations! That’s a huge step toward growing your blog.

You’ve shared your opt-in form, invited people to subscribe, and…. crickets.

I hear you. You’re thinking, how are you actually supposed to get people to sign up for this thing?!

For a long time, I thought the same thing. Getting your email list off the ground is tough. But it can be done! I promise. Here are my nine favorite ways to skyrocket your email list!

What Should You Be Sending in Your Newsletter?

September 28, 2016

Hey—want some one-on-one help getting this set up? Book a 20-minute consultation and we can work through it via video chat!

You’ve heard that you should grow your email list. But what should you be sending in your newsletter?

The truth is there’s no right answer. People handle their email list and newsletter in so many different ways.

It’s awesome! But… it can be overwhelming, too.

To help you discover the best content to send in your newsletter, here are my favorite ideas!

How to Create an Email List (for free!) in Mailchimp

August 17, 2016

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

Today, we’re going back to basics. You’ve heard that you need to have an email list for your blog, but… how? Well, here’s how to create an email list in Mailchimp.

I promise, it’s super easy, and it’s free!

Why Are Email Lists So Important to Bloggers?

July 27, 2016

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

As a blogger, you’ve probably (hopefully!) got goals that involve building a community, engaging with your audience, and, well, making money. Amirite?

When you first start off, these are super exciting, but super intimidating. Veteran bloggers make it seem so easy! Where the heck are you supposed to start?

Well, if I may… I highly suggest you start building your email list right now, if not sooner. Email lists are an awesome way to engage your audience, pitch your products, and more. The sooner you start, the more subscribers you’ll get, and the more subscribers you have, the more you can accomplish!

How to Send Content Upgrades with MailChimp

June 15, 2016

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

If you want to grow your email list, it’s absolutely critical that you offer content upgrades to your readers.

You’ve probably been told that the best way to send content upgrades is through programs like Leadpages and ConvertKit, right? While these tools are great, they’re really expensive. We’re talking $25/mo and $29/mo each, minimum.

Yeah, no thanks.

I’ve talked before about how to give out content upgrades fo’ free, but that involves a redirection away from your blog post. Not ideal, but it’s doable when you’ve got a nonexistent budget.

So, what if you wanted to send content upgrades with MailChimp, so it sends the new subscriber an email? Luckily, it’s 100% possible to send content upgrades with MailChimp, and as long as you have fewer than 2,000 subscribers, it’s free!

How to Create Fake Leadpages Popups for Mailchimp

May 25, 2016

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

If you’ve been in the blogging world for any amount of time, you know Leadpages is a big friggen’ deal. But it’s got an equally big friggen’ cost to it.

And really, when your blog is just a hobby or isn’t quite making money yet, who can afford $37 per month just on one program? Ain’t nobody got money for that!

So I was super pumped to discover that the lovely Marianne of Design Your Own (Lovely) Blog came up with a FREE way to create fake Leadpages! The only downside: you had to use ConvertKit to get the Leadpage-esque popups. At $29 per month, ConvertKit isn’t exactly in my budget either.

Womp womp.

Luckily, after some research, I found out how to create similar popups for a whopping $21 total. That’s a one-time payment of $21 to create infinite fake Leadpages landing pages, popups, and thank you pages, as opposed to $37 for one month’s worth. Yes please!

Want to find out how? Let’s get started!

6 Ways to Take Your Content Upgrades Up a Notch

March 14, 2016

Content upgrades are an awesome tool to grow your email list. But here’s the thing: if you’re not sharing helpful content in those upgrades, the people who download your content upgrade are likely going to unsubscribe from your email list and stop reading your blog.

So, how can you take your content upgrades up a notch? It’s actually not as hard as it sounds. Here are six ways you can do it today.

7 Blogging Tools That Helped Me Grow My Blog

March 8, 2016

This post contains affiliate links that I could make commission off of. All opinions are my own. Learn more.

Growing your blog is on every blogger’s wish list. And because of this, that’s the #1 sales pitch of most blogging tools, be they products or services.

So, among all of the crap, how do you tell which blogging tools are helpful and which ones aren’t worth the investment?

Experience. Whether it’s your own experience or someone else’s.

So today I want to share the seven blogging tools that have helped me grow my blog over the last 2+ years.