How to Start an Email List

A Field Guide to List Building:Pt1

How to start an email list…

It goes without saying that there are many ways to start an email list. Some of them are more effective than others. But you know what else goes without saying?

That about 75% of the people reading this email don’t have an email list at all. Not a real email list anyway. Not one that actually opens their emails and responds to them.

Not one where people actually buy products from them. So if you do have such an email list, give yourself a little pat on the back because you are probably ahead of about 95% of the people out there…

…in terms of achieving success with your online business.

I want to teach you a simple way to get started growing your email list today. These are principle based strategies, not “cheap hacks” so if you are looking for a NEW LOOPHOLE to break out your shiny new A.I. toys…

…well this isn’t for you.

If you are interested in just getting started and building something foundational? Keep reading.

I should probably say that currently I have about 4,500 people on my email list. Most of them are buyers. So I say that, not to brag. Plenty of people have more on their email list than I do.

And my number fluctuates based on what I am doing.

I email my list 3 to 6 times a week. More when I am launching a product. Less sometimes when I get busy, but never less than weekly.

But what matters is that I've made a lot of money with my email list. Hundreds of thousands of dollars at this point. Here’s some of it…

Anyways, it’s stupid for me to keep showing you numbers I could easily fake (I’m not but let’s be honest, people can fake stuff and I see them do it all the time.) I’d use bigger numbers if I was trying to fake stuff, lol.

The bottom line is plenty of people have made more. I'm only showing you a few of these things so that you understand I know what I'm talking about.

But let me not dwell on me here.

I just want you to know I’m not just talking about something I don’t understand here.

The question I want to address today though, is how to get started with an email list. So let’s get into it. Step by step…

How to Start an Email List (according to Kam Jennings)

Step 1) Commit -

Commit to emailing your list at least once a week. Even when nobody is on it. Once a day is optimal. The first 10 or so can be added to your autoresponder as a welcome sequence.

Write about what you are doing in business. They are essentially journal entries. Make sure no matter what you talk about, you circle it back around to your niche. Don’t worry about the pitch right now. Just commit to this. It should take less than a minute to commit to this one task.

Step 2) Lead Capture Page -

Set up a lead capture page where people can join your email list. Consider this the “gateway into your world.” Ben Settle wrote a really good book about this concept of World Building called BizWorld, which you can find on Amazon.

Step 3) Leveraging Foundational Content -

Start a Youtube channel and another social media account of your choice (currently I am using Facebook and Substack.) Every email that you write, consider it a piece of foundational content. It can be repurposed for your Youtube channel. That in turn can be repurposed for the other social media site. It doesn’t take much to point a camera at your face and talk about whatever you were talking about in your email.

Now you have a consistent show going on social media and Youtube. Nice job. Make sure you pitch your email list in every video.

Why should they join? Because if they like what you do, THAT is the home base for what you do. That’s where you put your best content, and it’s also where you offer sales and discounts on any future products you are working on.

Step 4) Be a friend -

Find 10 other people on Youtube in your niche who are publishing content at least weekly, have at least a 1,000 subscribers but not more than 10,000 subscribers. Make a list of these people. Subscribe to their channels. Make your rounds every day to these 10 people and check for new content. When you see a new video, make sure to watch it, thumbs it up, and leave a meaningful comment. By that I mean a comment that adds to the conversation that is started in the video.

Step 5) Be a friend Pt2 -

On your chosen social media site, it works the same way. Create a list of 10 to 20 people in your niche who are publishing regularly on the platform and have a following. Not too big but not too small. Check through your whole list every day and when they post, read and comment in a meaningful way. Interact with other people who are commenting on their work. Follow and friend request people you make positive connections with.

Step 6) Tap existing network -

Reach out to friends and family who you think would be interested in the subject your email writing will be about. You think this step is corny and want to skip it? Well guess what, people who know you are some of the best openers of your emails. It’s a great foundation for your list and will send a message to the ESPs that people care about your emails.

Step 7) Manual Outreach -

Ask your friends and family if they know anyone else who might be interested in the subject who you could read out to manually. Again, this is a step that can generate some more targeted leads for you. People overlook little things like this because they think them cheesy ot stupid, or outside of their comfort zone.

But I’ll tell you, what you want on your email list is a bunch of people who know, like and trust you, and are willing to hear what you have to say if you want to sell something.

Well…chances are you already have some people like that in your current network but you're scared to talk to them about your list. If that’s the case, then you have to question how much you believe in what you are doing.

Step 8) Be consistent in publishing -

As you are publishing those youtube videos and repurposing that content for social media, as long as you are pitching your email list, and “being a part of the scene” on social media, you’ll start to see your email list grow. The key here is to consistently do what I am telling you to do. Don’t skip uncomfortable steps, or get lazy. It’s like baking a cake, man. You need all the ingredients.

Now what?

Okay, I have a lot more steps I could add to this. However, what I’ve told you here can get you to your first 100 subscribers fairly easily if you dedicate yourself.

Remember, this is a foundational beginning. It’s not the main way you are going to add subscribers to your list, but it is a very important beginning to start you on the path of adding the RIGHT people to your list.

Because if you add the wrong people to your list?

If you have 100k people on your list and none of them open your emails?

Or if they open but they don’t click through?

Or if they click through but they don’t buy?

Then that 100k person list is a complete liability, not an asset.

So having the right people is key.

If you’d like to see part two of this “How To” guide, share it with someone you think it might help, drop me a comment and give me a like.

That’s all I got!

Kam

P.S. If this resonates with you, you can find the next 8 steps here.