If you’re like many bloggers, the idea of email marketing might make you feel uneasy. Sending out emails to your subscribers can seem spammy or even sales-y. I understand this feeling all too well. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to start emailing your list right away. In fact, building a strong list should be your top priority before diving into email marketing. That’s exactly what I’m focusing on, and I believe in taking things one step at a time.

By gathering your readers’ contact information from the get-go, you’ll have a loyal following of fans and readers who are eager to engage with your content. And when the time is right, you can start sharing valuable insights, tips, and offers with them. The key is to focus on creating a strong foundation for your email marketing strategy, rather than rushing in prematurely.

Important note!

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How to Deliver Freebies to Grow Your Email List

To grow your email list effectively, you’ll need to partner with an Email Service Provider (ESP). An ESP hosts your email list and is where you collect emails and send out freebies I’ve had experience working with various providers like MailChimp and MailerLite, but my top pick is ConvertKit. If you want to send out freebies or set up complex email courses without hassle, Convertkit is the way to go. In fact, I’m so impressed that I think you’ll love it just as much.

You can even start a 14-day free trial here. As we’re about to dive into the step-by-step guide on how to create opt-ins with Convertkit, grab your own free trial with my special link before we begin. Once you get started with Convertkit, you’ll find it’s incredibly easy to send automated emails and sequences, and that’s exactly what I’ll be sharing in this tutorial – a straightforward guide to help you become proficient in sending out freebies.

With practice, you’ll be able to do it blindfolded. The process is similar to riding a bike – once you get the hang of it, you’re good to go.

Step-By-Step Guide to Make & Send an Email Freebie

To grow your email list effectively, you’ll need to partner with an Email Service Provider (ESP). An ESP hosts your email list and is where you collect emails and send out freebies I’ve had experience working with various providers like MailChimp and MailerLite, but my top pick is ConvertKit. If you want to send out freebies or set up complex email courses without hassle, Convertkit is the way to go. In fact, I’m so impressed that I think you’ll love it just as much.

You can even start a 14-day free trial here. As we’re about to dive into the step-by-step guide on how to create opt-ins with Convertkit, grab your own free trial with my special link before we begin. Once you get started with Convertkit, you’ll find it’s incredibly easy to send automated emails and sequences, and that’s exactly what I’ll be sharing in this tutorial – a straightforward guide to help you become proficient in sending out freebies.

With practice, you’ll be able to do it blindfolded. The process is similar to riding a bike – once you get the hang of it, you’re good to go.

Start by going to Convert Kit.

Start by heading to ConvertKit’s website and logging into your existing account or signing up for one if you’re new to their platform. From there, navigate to the ‘Forms’ section where you’ll be able to create a brand new form tailored to your specific needs.

Click ‘create form’.

For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll focus on creating a form instead of a landing page. A form is a fundamental element in any web application, allowing users to interact with your site by submitting information or taking certain actions.

Choose inline form.

When it comes to incorporating forms into their website content, many individuals opt for inline forms that seamlessly blend with related page material. In contrast, modal forms present a distinct experience, popping up at strategic points such as when users scroll 20% down the page, after a 5-second delay, or upon interacting with specific links or attempting to leave the site.

Pick your style.

When it comes to selecting a style for your newsletter, you have three options: Clean, Full, and Minimal. I’ll be focusing on the Minimal Form, which I find particularly useful for opt-in forms due to its ability to seamlessly integrate with your website’s design.

Hit ‘Preview’ to view your form.

Get ready to visualize the seamless user experience you’ll create for your audience. This sneak peek into the design process reveals the end result – a sleek and modern form that effectively captures the essential information required from users.

Style your form and button.

To enhance the visual appeal, let’s modify the button color to harmonize with your brand identity. Simply position your mouse cursor over the magic wand icon in the same window where you’re previewing the design. As you hover, a wand button similar to the one on the right of your browser screen will appear.

Preview after styling.

Now that you’ve tailored your form’s appearance to fit your brand or style, let’s move on to customizing the button. The goal is to make it a compelling call-to-action that encourages users to take action. For this example, we’ll change the button text to ‘Yes, Give it to me’ (or something similar to match your incentive). As you hover over the button, switch its type and apply the changes.

Once you’re satisfied with your form’s design, be sure to save your progress so your customizations are preserved.

Go to settings.

In this section, you’ll have the opportunity to customize various elements of your form and confirmation email. Start by giving your form a name that accurately represents the content it contains, then craft a compelling description that sets readers’ expectations for what they can expect to gain from downloading your free resource. This page will become a familiar haunt as you prepare to share printables and other freebies with your audience.

Click on Incentive Email.

As you hover over the incentive email, locate the ‘send incentive email’ and ‘download’ icons. This is where the transformation takes place. What may seem like a standard confirmation email for subscribers has been cleverly tweaked to include a button with a more enticing name – think ‘yes, give it to me’ or a variation that resonates with your brand’s tone. By doing so, you’re effectively streamlining the process and ensuring that new subscribers receive their exclusive content promptly.

Click download and choose a file.

To streamline the process of providing incentives to our audience, we’ll be uploading our file directly to the sign-up page. This means that as soon as someone expresses interest in downloading an incentive – whether it’s an eBook, a comprehensive blogging course, or a valuable shopping guide – they can access it instantly. In this way, we’ll ensure that our file is always readily available and easily accessible for anyone who needs it.

Save your Form & Embed.

Once you’ve saved your form, head to the ‘Embed’ section and grab the HTML code. This is what you’ll need to add to your WordPress blog post. Next, navigate to a new post in your WordPress dashboard and switch to the text tab (not visual). Paste the HTML code into the post where you want the form to appear. To ensure everything looks correct, click the preview changes button to view it in a new window. You should see your form displayed as intended, and there you have it.

With this process, anyone who opts-in to one of your forms will receive a confirmation email and be added to your list when they confirm their subscription. This is an essential step for maintaining a healthy subscriber list. For maximum efficiency, always test your forms with multiple email addresses before going live; this will save you from potential troubleshooting issues down the line.

If you’re looking for a reliable email marketing platform, I highly recommend trying out ConvertKit free for 14 days. And don’t forget to subscribe to my list and share this post with others if you found it helpful – it’s always great to hear that my content has made a positive impact.