I'll be honest with you - for the first two years of blogging, I completely ignored email marketing. I thought social media was the way to go. Why bother with emails when I could just post on Twitter (now X) or Instagram, right? Well, after watching my social reach steadily decline despite growing follower counts, I realized I'd made a massive mistake. Algorithms were showing my posts to fewer and fewer people, while bloggers with solid email lists were still reaching 40-50% of their audience consistently.
So I started from zero subscribers in 2023, and today I manage a list of over 2,500 engaged readers who actually open my emails and click on my content. Not a massive list by any means, but one that drives more traffic and generates more income than my social accounts with 10x the followers.
The best part? I built this list without spending hours each week on complicated strategies. I'm going to show you exactly how you can do the same, even if you're starting from absolute zero like I did.
Understanding the Value of an Email List
Let's start with the uncomfortable truth: social media platforms don't want you to build an audience you can reach for free. Their business model depends on making you pay for access to your own followers. I learned this the hard way after spending two years building a decent following on Instagram, only to find my posts reaching just 5-8% of my followers unless I paid to "boost" them.
Email is different. When someone gives you their email address, you get direct access to their inbox. No algorithm deciding if your content is worthy of being seen. No platform changes that can tank your reach overnight. Just a direct line of communication between you and your reader.
But there's an even bigger reason email matters: intent. Someone who hands over their email address is demonstrating a significantly higher level of interest than someone who clicks "follow" on social media. They're essentially saying, "Yes, I want to hear more from you, even in my private inbox." That level of permission is gold for content creators.
The data backs this up too. Email marketing consistently delivers ROI of around $36 for every $1 spent, far outperforming social media marketing. Open rates typically range from 15-25% for most niches, meaning you can reliably reach 5-10x more of your audience compared to social platforms.
I used to think email marketing was just for selling stuff. But I've since learned it's actually about relationship building. My most engaged subscribers are people who have been receiving my emails for months, getting value from them, and gradually developing trust. When I occasionally recommend a product or service, they're far more likely to take action because of that established relationship.
Many beginners make the mistake of focusing on list size rather than engagement. I'd rather have 500 people who open and read my emails than 5,000 who ignore them. Quality trumps quantity every time with email marketing.
Another common misconception: "Email marketing is old-fashioned." While social platforms come and go (remember Google+?), email has remained consistently effective for decades. Nearly everyone checks their email daily, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. It's universal in a way that no social platform can claim.
But perhaps the most compelling reason to build an email list is ownership. Your social media account could be suspended tomorrow for violating some obscure policy. Your SEO traffic could vanish with the next Google update. But your email list? That's yours. You own that relationship, and no platform change can take it away from you.
I remember feeling genuine anxiety when Instagram changed its algorithm yet again in early 2024, and my engagement plummeted overnight. That's when it truly clicked for me: relying entirely on platforms you don't control is simply not sustainable for long-term content creation.
Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform
When I first decided to start an email list, I was completely overwhelmed by the options. MailChimp, ConvertKit, AWeber, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, GetResponse—the list seemed endless. Each one claimed to be the best, each had their own pricing structure, and none of them clearly explained what made them different.
After trying several platforms personally (and wasting money in the process), here's my honest assessment of the main contenders specifically for Blogger users:
MailChimp is probably the most well-known option, and they offer a free plan for up to 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 sends per month. Sounds great, right? Well, there's a catch. Their free plan is severely limited in features—no automated email sequences, basic segmentation, and clunky A/B testing. Their editor is drag-and-drop, which seems nice until you realize how limited your customization options are.
I started with MailChimp, and while it got the job done initially, I quickly felt constrained. Their pricing jumps significantly once you pass the free threshold, and honestly, their UI feels dated compared to newer options. That said, their integration with Blogger is straightforward, and for absolute beginners, it's a decent starting point.
ConvertKit is often praised as the gold standard for bloggers and creators, and after using it for six months, I understand why. Their focus on creators shows in their interface—everything is built around growing and nurturing an audience, not just blasting promotions. Their visual automation builder is intuitive, and the segmentation options are powerful without being overwhelming.
The downside? Price. ConvertKit starts at $29/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, making it one of the more expensive options for beginners. Their free plan is extremely limited (1,000 subscribers but no automations), which means you'll need to pay up to access the features that make ConvertKit worthwhile. Still, if you're serious about email marketing and can afford it, the investment pays off in saved time and better results.
MailerLite is what I eventually settled on, and it hits a sweet spot between affordability and functionality. Their free plan includes up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month, with most of the premium features included. Their automation builder is almost as good as ConvertKit's, and their editor gives you more design flexibility than MailChimp.
Integration with Blogger requires a bit more work compared to MailChimp, but nothing too complex. Their pricing is also more gradual as your list grows—$10/month for up to 2,500 subscribers, which feels fair. The UI is clean and modern, though occasionally things are harder to find than they should be.
SendFox deserves a mention as a budget option. Created by AppSumo, it's a lifetime deal (I paid $49 once) rather than a monthly subscription. It's much more basic than the others, but it handles the essentials: broadcasts, simple automations, and opt-in forms. If your needs are basic and you hate subscriptions, it's worth considering. The catch is that they charge for additional subscribers in chunks, so costs can add up if your list grows substantially.
For Blogger specifically, integration complexity is an important factor. Most platforms will provide either a direct Blogger integration or HTML code you can embed in your template or posts. MailChimp and MailerLite both offer embeddable HTML forms that work well with Blogger.
A practical tip I wish someone had told me: start with a free plan on a platform that makes migration easy (like MailerLite) rather than committing to a paid plan immediately. As your list grows and your needs evolve, you might want different features than what originally seemed important.
Another consideration is deliverability—how reliably your emails reach inboxes instead of spam folders. Unfortunately, this is difficult to assess until you're actually sending emails regularly. In my experience, MailerLite has had slightly better deliverability than MailChimp, but this can vary widely depending on your specific audience and content.
The platform you choose matters, but remember: the most important factor in email marketing success isn't your tool—it's what you do with it. A thoughtful, value-focused email strategy on a basic platform will outperform a scatter-shot approach on the fanciest provider every time.
Creating Irresistible Lead Magnets
When I first added a generic "subscribe to my newsletter" form to my blog, guess what happened? Almost nothing. In three months, I gained a whopping 7 subscribers—mostly friends and family who felt obligated to sign up. The harsh reality is that nobody wants more email in their inbox just for the sake of it.
Everything changed when I created my first lead magnet—a simple PDF checklist called "The 15-Point Blogger SEO Audit." Within a week, I had 50 new subscribers. Within a month, over 200. The same traffic, but a completely different result.
A lead magnet is simply something valuable you offer for free in exchange for an email address. The key word here is valuable—it needs to solve a specific problem for your ideal reader, and it needs to do it efficiently.
For tech and blogging niches like ours, here are some lead magnets that have worked exceptionally well:
· Checklists and cheat sheets: My SEO audit checklist worked because it condensed a complex process into actionable steps. Similarly, you could create checklists for "Securing Your WordPress Site," "Python Function Reference," or "Blogger Template Optimization."
· Templates and swipe files: Code snippets, email templates, or content frameworks that save people time. My "7 High-Converting Blog Post Templates" lead magnet has the highest conversion rate of anything I've created.
· Mini-courses delivered by email: Breaking down a complex topic into 5-7 emails creates natural engagement. My "5-Day AdSense Optimization Course" not only attracts subscribers but conditions them to open my emails.
· Tools and calculators: Simple spreadsheets or calculators that solve specific problems. My "Blog Monetization Calculator" (a basic Excel file) took me 30 minutes to create but continues to attract technically-minded subscribers.
· Resource libraries: Collections of tools, links, and templates bundled together. These work especially well once you have created several smaller lead magnets that you can package together.
The biggest mistake I see is creating lead magnets that are too broad or generic. "Subscribe for blogging tips" is too vague. "Get my step-by-step guide to increasing blog traffic by optimizing image alt-text" is specific, actionable, and clearly communicates the value.
For the lazy content creator (I count myself in this category), the best approach is to repurpose content you've already created. I turned one of my most popular blog posts about SEO into an interactive checklist. I extracted the code examples from a Python tutorial and packaged them as a downloadable reference. Work smarter, not harder.
You also don't need professional design skills. I use Canva for simple PDFs, Google Docs for checklists, and Google Sheets for calculators. The content matters far more than the presentation. One of my best-performing lead magnets is literally a plain text document with formatting so basic it's almost embarrassing—but it solves a specific problem, so people want it.
The ideal lead magnet also pre-qualifies subscribers for whatever you ultimately want to promote. If you plan to sell a course on Python programming, a lead magnet about Python best practices will attract exactly the right audience. If you eventually want to promote an affiliate offer for hosting, a checklist about setting up a blog will attract potential customers.
I've found that it's better to create several targeted lead magnets for different audience segments than one generic lead magnet. My technical SEO checklist attracts a different reader than my "Monetization Strategies" guide, allowing me to segment my list from the start.
For Blogger users specifically, you can embed downloadable content by uploading PDFs to Google Drive, making them publicly accessible, and linking to them from your thank-you page or confirmation emails. For delivering lead magnets, I initially set up elaborate automations, but now I simply include a direct download link in the welcome email—simpler for me, faster for subscribers.
One final tip: test your lead magnet before investing too much time creating it. I once spent days creating an elaborate guide that nobody wanted. Now I validate ideas by creating a simple landing page describing the lead magnet, promoting it to a small segment of my audience, and only creating the full version if there's significant interest.
Remember, the best lead magnet is one that provides a quick win—something your subscriber can implement immediately to see results. This builds trust and positions your emails as consistently valuable, setting the stage for long-term engagement.
Setting Up Opt-in Forms That Convert
After creating my first lead magnet, I slapped a generic opt-in form in my sidebar and waited for subscribers to pour in. They didn't. It turns out that putting your opt-in form in the right place with the right message is just as important as having a great lead magnet.
Through extensive testing on my Blogger site, I've identified the highest-converting placements for opt-in forms. Here they are in order of effectiveness:
1. Exit-intent pop-ups have consistently been my top performers, converting at around 3-5%. These appear when someone shows signs of leaving your site. The timing is perfect—they've already consumed some of your content and have a better sense of your value. The key is to make these pop-ups genuinely helpful rather than annoying. Mine says, "Before you go... grab this free SEO checklist to help boost your blog traffic." It feels like a helpful offer rather than an intrusive interruption.
On Blogger, implementing exit-intent pop-ups requires a bit of custom JavaScript. If you're not familiar with coding, there are services like OptinMonster or Sumo that integrate with Blogger and handle the technical aspects. If you're willing to do some coding, I wrote about a free solution in my post on Top 10 Common Mistakes Every Blogger Makes + Infographic.
2. End-of-post opt-ins are my second-best converters at 2-3%. This placement makes perfect sense—if someone reads your entire post, they're clearly interested in what you have to say. My end-of-post forms always relate directly to the content of the article, offering a more in-depth resource on the same topic.
For Blogger users, adding an end-of-post form is straightforward. You can either add it manually to each post, or better yet, add a code snippet to your template that automatically inserts it after each post. This is easily done in the Theme HTML editor by finding the post body closing tag and adding your form HTML before it.
3. Featured box below your header converts at about 1-2% for me. This prominent placement works because it's one of the first things visitors see. I use this space to highlight my primary lead magnet, with a clear headline that speaks directly to my target reader's biggest challenge.
Implementing this in Blogger requires adding a new gadget just below your header section. Use the HTML/JavaScript gadget and paste in your form code. Style it to stand out visually from the rest of your content—I use a different background color and a border to make it pop.
4. In-content forms, strategically placed about 30% into your post, perform at 1-1.5% conversion. These work best when they're contextually relevant. For instance, if I'm writing about SEO, I might insert a form offering an SEO checklist right after I mention the importance of regular audits.
The trick is making these forms feel like a natural part of the content, not an interruption. I use phrases like, "Before we continue, you might want to grab this checklist to help you implement what we're discussing."
5. Sidebar forms perform worst for me at 0.5-1% conversion. They're easily overlooked due to banner blindness. However, I still use them because they're always visible as someone scrolls, and they do catch some subscribers the other methods miss.
For design, I've learned that simpler is almost always better. My highest-converting forms have:
· A clear, benefit-focused headline (not "Subscribe" but "Get the SEO checklist that increased my traffic by 43%")
· Minimal fields—usually just email, occasionally first name
· A specific call-to-action button ("Get the checklist" rather than "Submit")
· A brief privacy reassurance ("No spam, unsubscribe anytime")
Color psychology matters too. I've found that using a contrasting color for the submit button—something that stands out from your site's usual color scheme—increases conversions. My red button outperformed my blue button by 27% in an A/B test.
When it comes to form placement on mobile devices (where most Blogger traffic comes from nowadays), you need different strategies. Pop-ups that take over the entire screen on mobile create a terrible user experience and can hurt your SEO. Instead, I use smaller slide-in forms at the bottom of the screen that don't interrupt the reading experience.
Speaking of user experience, this is where many bloggers go wrong. Being too aggressive with opt-in forms creates a negative impression. My personal rule is no more than two form views per visitor per session. I'd rather have someone return to my site multiple times and eventually subscribe than bombard them with pop-ups and chase them away forever.
One of my most effective techniques is the content upgrade—a post-specific lead magnet that enhances the content someone is already reading. For example, in a post about Python algorithms, I offer a downloadable cheat sheet with all the code examples. These regularly convert at 5-10% because they're hyper-relevant to what the reader is currently interested in.
Timing also matters. I've found that triggering a pop-up after 30 seconds or when someone reaches 50% of an article performs better than immediate pop-ups, which people dismiss before they've had a chance to engage with your content.
Crafting Welcome Emails That Build Trust
I used to think the job was done once someone subscribed. Send them the lead magnet, add them to the list, and move on. Big mistake. I was missing the critical window of opportunity that exists right after someone subscribes—when their attention and interest are at their peak.
Your welcome email (or welcome sequence) is possibly the most important email you'll ever send. It sets the tone for your entire relationship with your subscriber. Get it right, and you'll have an engaged reader for years. Get it wrong, and they'll either ignore future emails or unsubscribe quickly.
My current welcome sequence has an average open rate of 72%, compared to my regular broadcast emails at 34%. That's how significant this opportunity is.
Here's what I've learned about creating effective welcome emails through extensive testing:
First, send the welcome email immediately after subscription. Every minute of delay reduces open rates. Most email platforms allow for instant delivery of welcome emails through automation. Set it up once and let it work for you forever.
Your welcome email should deliver on whatever promise you made to get the subscription. If you offered a checklist, make sure the download link is prominently displayed near the top of the email. Don't make people hunt for what they signed up for. I actually provide the download link twice—once at the beginning and once at the end—just to make sure they can't miss it.
Beyond delivering your lead magnet, your welcome email should accomplish several things:
1. Set expectations for what they'll receive from you and how often. I tell subscribers they'll get my newsletter every Tuesday morning with blogging and monetization tips they won't find on the public blog.
2. Encourage engagement by asking a simple question. I ask new subscribers, "What's your biggest struggle with blogging right now?" This does two things: it gets them to reply (which improves deliverability for future emails), and it gives me insights into what my audience needs help with.
3. Tell your subscriber what to do next. I direct people to one of my most valuable blog posts that helps establish my expertise: 18 Major Dos and Donts Before Starting A Blog in 2020. This keeps them engaged with my content ecosystem.
4. Make it personal. I include a casual photo of myself and write in the same conversational tone I use on my blog. This reminds them there's a real person behind the emails.
For more advanced welcome sequences, I use a 5-email series spread over 7 days:
· Email 1 (Immediate): Deliver the lead magnet and set expectations
· Email 2 (Day 2): Share my story and why I started the blog
· Email 3 (Day 4): Provide an unexpected bonus resource
· Email 4 (Day 5): Address common questions in my niche
· Email 5 (Day 7): Share my best content and ask for feedback
This sequence gradually builds trust while providing consistent value. By the end, subscribers have formed a habit of opening my emails.
Here's an actual snippet from my welcome email that performs well:
"Hey there,
First, here's the SEO checklist you requested: [DOWNLOAD LINK]
I'm Arun, the person behind Blogging But Sexier, and I'm genuinely glad you've joined. Unlike most bloggers, I actually test everything I write about. That SEO checklist you just downloaded? It's the exact process I used to increase my traffic by 43% in three months.
Every Tuesday, I'll send you practical blogging tips that I don't share publicly on the blog. No fluff, no theory—just actionable advice you can implement immediately, even if you're as lazy about implementation as I sometimes am.
Now, I'm curious: what's your biggest blogging challenge right now? Just hit reply and let me know. I read every response personally."
Notice how this establishes my credibility while keeping a conversational, approachable tone. It also clearly states what they'll receive and when, and it ends with an easy-to-answer question that encourages interaction.
Common welcome email mistakes I've made (so you don't have to):
· Being too salesy too soon. Never pitch products in your welcome email. Focus on delivering value first.
· Information overload. Don't try to tell them everything at once. Keep it focused and digestible.
· Using a noreply email address. Always allow and encourage replies.
· Generic, boring subject lines. "Welcome to my newsletter" is far less compelling than "Your SEO Checklist (+ a bonus tip I forgot to include)"
A technical tip for Blogger users: Test your download links thoroughly. If you're hosting lead magnets on Google Drive, occasionally the download links can break or require additional permissions. Always send a test email to yourself before activating any automation.
Growing Your List Organically Without Being Pushy
After setting up my lead magnets and opt-in forms, I expected subscribers to start pouring in. They didn't—at least not at first. I quickly realized that I needed to actively promote my email list, not just passively wait for sign-ups.
The good news is you don't need to be pushy or annoying to grow your list. There are plenty of ethical, effective ways to attract subscribers who actually want to hear from you. Here are the strategies that have worked best for me, especially as a Blogger-based site:
Content marketing is your most powerful tool. I create specific blog posts designed to attract my ideal subscribers. These posts address the exact problems my lead magnets solve, creating a natural path to subscription. For example, my post on "How to Fix the 7 Most Common Blogger SEO Problems" naturally leads into my SEO audit checklist offer.
The key is structuring these posts to deliver genuine value but hint at even more comprehensive solutions in your lead magnet. I provide complete solutions to several problems in the post, then mention that "these are just 3 of the 15 critical SEO factors I cover in my complete checklist."
For this strategy, cornerstone content works particularly well—comprehensive guides that people bookmark and return to. My cornerstone posts drive consistent sign-ups month after month without requiring additional promotion.
Strategic guest posting has been another valuable list-building tactic. Instead of guest posting everywhere I can, I focus only on sites where my target audience already gathers. Each guest post includes a relevant author bio that mentions the specific lead magnet rather than just my blog.
For example, when I guest posted on a site about Blogger customization, my bio read: "Arun helps bloggers optimize their Blogger sites for better performance and monetization. Grab his free Blogger SEO audit checklist at bloggingbutsexier.blogspot.com." This targeted approach results in fewer but much higher-quality subscribers.
Leveraging existing platforms where you already have an audience is often overlooked. I had a YouTube channel with a modest following but wasn't directing viewers to my email list. By simply adding a 15-second mention of my lead magnet at the end of each video, along with a link in the description, I started getting 5-10 new subscribers with each video upload.
Similarly, if you're active on forums, Reddit, or niche communities, create a signature that mentions your lead magnet (where allowed by community rules). Be subtle—contribute valuable information first, and let interested people follow the breadcrumb trail to your lead magnet.
Collaborations and cross-promotions with complementary content creators can rapidly accelerate list growth. I partnered with another blogger in the Blogger ecosystem who focused on design while I focused on SEO. We created a joint resource—"The Complete Blogger Optimization Guide"—that we both promoted to our audiences.
This collaboration exposed me to an entirely new audience predisposed to trust me because of the endorsement from someone they already followed. One successful collaboration brought in more subscribers than a whole month of my regular content.
Repurposing and repackaging existing content is my favorite lazy person's strategy. I turn blog posts into downloadable PDFs, extract key points for checklists, convert tutorial posts into step-by-step guides, and create troubleshooting flowcharts from problem-solving articles.
This approach is brilliantly efficient—you create the content once but use it in multiple ways to attract subscribers. My post on How To Place Google AdSense Ads Between Blogger Posts was repurposed into a downloadable template that continues to drive subscriptions long after the post's publication.
Promoting to existing readers is surprisingly effective. Many regular blog readers simply haven't subscribed because they haven't been given a compelling reason to do so. I periodically publish "subscriber-exclusive" content teasers—showing just enough to pique interest while requiring subscription for the full content.
I also track which blog posts drive the most engagement and strategically place content-specific opt-in forms within those high-performing posts. A well-placed, contextually relevant opt-in form on your top 5 traffic-driving posts can generate more subscriptions than generic forms across your entire site.
A personal anecdote: my most successful list-building effort came from my most vulnerable content. I wrote a detailed post about the mistakes I made when monetizing my blog, including specific numbers and screenshots of my early failures. This authentic sharing of both successes and failures resonated deeply with readers, many of whom subscribed to my list specifically because they trusted my honesty.
The common thread in all these strategies is value alignment. You're not trying to trick people into subscribing—you're connecting people who have specific problems with your solutions to those problems. When you frame list building as service rather than self-promotion, it becomes much easier to grow your list without feeling pushy.
One technical consideration for Blogger users: if you're heavily promoting your list, check that your opt-in forms are mobile-responsive. Currently, over 70% of Blogger traffic comes from mobile devices, yet many default form implementations display poorly on smaller screens. Test your forms on multiple devices, or better yet, use a service like MailerLite or ConvertKit that provides mobile-responsive embed codes.
Maintaining Engagement and Reducing Unsubscribes
Getting subscribers is only half the battle. Keeping them engaged—opening, reading, and acting on your emails—is where the real value lies. I learned this the hard way after building my list to 1,000 subscribers, only to discover that less than 20% were actually opening my emails. I essentially had an engaged list of just 200 people, not 1,000.
Here's how I turned things around and now maintain open rates consistently above 30% (well above industry averages for the blogging/marketing niche):
Consistency trumps frequency every time. I've found that sending emails on a predictable schedule, even if less frequent, leads to better engagement than sporadic blasts. My readers know they'll get an email from me every Tuesday morning. Some read it immediately, others save it for the weekend, but they all know when to expect it.
I used to think I needed to email at least weekly to stay "top of mind." But after testing different frequencies, I found that quality and relevance matter far more than frequency. For my audience, a substantial, value-packed email every other week performs better than shorter weekly emails. Your optimal frequency may differ, but consistency within whatever schedule you choose is crucial.
Segmentation is the secret weapon of successful email marketers. Instead of sending the same content to everyone, I divide my list based on interests and behaviors. I have segments for:
· Beginner bloggers vs. experienced bloggers
· Technical optimization enthusiasts vs. content-focused readers
· Monetization-focused subscribers vs. traffic-building subscribers
This allows me to send more targeted, relevant content. My coding and technical optimization emails go to people who've expressed interest in those topics, while my content strategy emails go to those more interested in writing and audience building.
The simplest way to segment your list is to simply ask subscribers what they're interested in, either during sign-up or in your welcome email. You can also segment based on which lead magnet they signed up for, or which links they click in your emails.
Creating a content calendar specifically for email (separate from your blog calendar) ensures you maintain a good mix of content types. My email content rotation includes:
· Tutorial/how-to content (highest engagement)
· Behind-the-scenes insights (good for relationship building)
· Curated resources and tools (high utility value)
· Case studies and results (builds credibility)
· Occasional promotional content (when genuinely relevant)
I plan this calendar a month in advance, which prevents the last-minute scramble that often leads to rushed, low-value emails.
Subject lines dramatically impact open rates, so I test different approaches regularly. Through extensive testing, I've found that these subject line types work best for my audience:
· "How to" subject lines: "How to double your blog traffic with image alt-text"
· Curiosity-based: "The weird SEO trick that boosted my traffic by 27%"
· Numbered lists: "5 Blogger hacks that took me years to discover"
· Problem-solving: "Fix your AdSense rejection problems with this setup"
I avoid clickbait tactics like fake urgency or misleading preview text. While these might boost open rates short-term, they erode trust and increase unsubscribes long-term.
Email design and formatting matter more than most people realize. After testing various formats, I've settled on a minimalist approach:
· Plain-text feel with minimal HTML (improves deliverability)
· Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences maximum)
· Strategic use of bold for skimmable key points
· A clear, single call-to-action
· My actual reply-to address (not noreply@domain.com)
This approach feels personal and conversational rather than corporate or "marketing-y." I've found that emails that look like they were written by a friend perform better than heavily designed newsletters.
Reengagement campaigns can revive inactive subscribers. Every three months, I identify subscribers who haven't opened or clicked in 60+ days and send them a specific reengagement sequence:
1. Email 1: "Do you still want blogging tips from me?" (clear subject line)
2. Email 2: "I'm cleaning my list - last chance to stay subscribed"
3. Email 3: "You've been unsubscribed (here's how to rejoin if this was a mistake)"
This approach typically re-engages about 5-10% of inactive subscribers while cleaning my list of genuinely uninterested people. This improves my overall engagement metrics and deliverability.
Surveying your audience periodically is perhaps the most underutilized engagement strategy. Every six months, I send a simple 3-question survey:
1. What's your biggest blogging challenge right now?
2. What topics would you like me to cover in upcoming emails?
3. How can I make these emails more valuable to you?
The insights from these surveys have been invaluable, often revealing content opportunities I hadn't considered. More importantly, subscribers appreciate being asked for their input, which deepens their connection to my content.
A case study from my own list: When engagement was dropping, I surveyed my subscribers and discovered that many wanted more technical Blogger customization tips, while I had been focusing on general blogging advice. I created a new segment for these technically-inclined readers and started sending them specialized content. Their engagement rate jumped from 22% to 47% within two months.
For anyone serious about email marketing, I strongly recommend reading my post on Top 10 Common Mistakes Every Blogger Makes + Infographic, which includes several email marketing pitfalls to avoid.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Over the years, I've made nearly every email marketing mistake possible. Some were minor setbacks, others were costly blunders. Let me share the biggest pitfalls I've encountered, so you can avoid them:
Buying email lists is the original sin of email marketing. Early in my journey, I was tempted by an offer to purchase a "targeted list of 5,000 blogging enthusiasts." Thankfully, I researched before buying and discovered why this is a terrible idea:
· Purchased lists have abysmal engagement rates (often <1%)
· Many email providers explicitly prohibit using purchased lists
· You risk getting your account suspended or blacklisted
· Most importantly, it violates the core principle of permission-based marketing
Building a list organically takes longer, but the quality difference is astronomical. My organically-built list of 2,500 drives more engagement and conversions than my friend's purchased list of 25,000.
Over-emailing is a common mistake when you're excited about your new email marketing efforts. I fell into this trap early on, sending 3-4 emails weekly because I had "so much to share." My unsubscribe rate spiked, and my open rates plummeted.
There's no universal rule for email frequency—it depends on your audience and content. But in my experience, most beginning email marketers send too frequently rather than not frequently enough. Start conservative (perhaps bi-weekly), then gradually increase frequency while monitoring engagement metrics.
The curse of perfectionism is another major pitfall. I once spent three hours designing a "perfect" email template, only to discover it rendered terribly on mobile devices. Then I spent another two hours fixing it. Five hours later, I had an email that performed worse than my simple, text-based format.
Email marketing rewards consistency over perfection. A simple, imperfect email that actually gets sent will always outperform the "perfect" email that never leaves your drafts folder. Use templates to save time, focus on your message rather than fancy design, and remember that done is better than perfect.
Ignoring deliverability issues can silently destroy your email effectiveness. I once noticed my open rates declining steadily over several months. After investigation, I discovered that my emails were increasingly landing in spam folders due to a few preventable issues:
· I was using too many "spammy" words in subject lines (free, guarantee, limited time)
· My text-to-image ratio was too image-heavy
· I hadn't properly authenticated my sending domain with DKIM and SPF records
Fixing these issues boosted my deliverability by nearly 30%. Most email platforms offer deliverability guidance—take advantage of it before problems arise.
Legal compliance cannot be overlooked, especially with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and CAN-SPAM. I nearly landed in hot water when I realized my subscription forms weren't explicitly stating how I'd use subscribers' data. The key requirements for most jurisdictions include:
· Clear consent (no pre-checked boxes)
· Privacy policy transparency
· Easy unsubscribe options
· Physical business address in emails
· Honest subject lines that reflect content
Most major email providers build compliance features into their platforms. Use them, even if they seem like extra steps. The alternative—fines or being banned from email providers—is far worse.
Technical mistakes can also hamper your email marketing efforts. Some common ones I've encountered:
· Broken download links for lead magnets
· Emails that render poorly on mobile devices (now ~60% of email opens)
· Forgetting to test emails before sending to the entire list
· Missing alt text for images (critical since many email clients block images by default)
I now have a simple pre-send checklist that covers these technical elements, which has saved me from numerous potential embarrassments.
The biggest pitfall of all: treating email subscribers like ATM machines rather than real people with real problems. I've seen too many bloggers get a few hundred subscribers and immediately bombard them with affiliate offers and product pitches. This approach might yield short-term gains but destroys long-term trust.
My rule of thumb is to provide at least five value-focused emails for every promotional one. This builds a relationship based on genuine value exchange rather than exploitation.
A cautionary tale: A blogger friend built a list of over 5,000 subscribers and immediately launched a course with aggressive daily emails. She made some sales but lost over 1,200 subscribers in a week. Six months later, her engagement rates are still suffering from that breach of trust.
For technical bloggers, a common pitfall is making your emails too complex or jargon-heavy. Even if your audience is technically inclined, email is a more conversational medium. I've found that my technical tutorials perform better on my blog, while my emails work best when they focus on problems, solutions, and real-world applications rather than technical minutiae.
Remember: the goal of email marketing isn't just to build a big list—it's to build relationships at scale. Each pitfall above represents a way that bloggers inadvertently damage those relationships. Avoid them, and you'll maintain a healthy, engaged email community rather than a dwindling list of increasingly annoyed subscribers.
Measuring Success and Iterating
After putting all this effort into building your email list, how do you know if it's actually working? This was a question I struggled with for months. I was collecting subscribers, sending emails, and hoping for the best—but I had no clear definition of "success" beyond list size.
Now I understand that measuring email marketing effectiveness requires tracking the right metrics and using those insights to continuously improve your approach.
The metrics that actually matter (and the ones you can safely ignore):
Open rate is the percentage of recipients who open your email. This indicates how compelling your subject lines are and whether your subscribers recognize and value your content. The average open rate across industries is around 18-25%, but I aim for at least 30% for my list. Consistently low open rates suggest problems with subject lines, sending time, or list quality.
Click-through rate (CTR) measures the percentage of recipients who clicked on a link in your email. This reflects how compelling your content and calls-to-action are. Average CTRs range from 2-5%, but for highly engaged niches, rates of 7-10% are achievable. My best-performing emails reach 12-15% CTR.
Conversion rate tracks the percentage of click-throughs that complete your desired action (signing up for a webinar, downloading a resource, purchasing a product). This is the ultimate measure of email effectiveness, as it connects directly to your goals. I track conversions by using UTM parameters in my email links so Google Analytics can attribute actions to specific campaigns.
Growth rate measures how quickly your list is expanding. I track both raw numbers and percentage growth. A healthy list should grow by at least 5-10% monthly when you're actively building it.
Value per subscriber is a metric I wish I'd tracked from the beginning. It's calculated by dividing your email-generated revenue by your subscriber count. This helps you understand the actual monetary value of your list building efforts and can guide decisions about how much to invest in list growth.
Metrics you can mostly ignore:
· Total subscribers (without engagement context)
· Vanity metrics like social shares of emails
· Unsubscribe rate (unless it suddenly spikes)
Using data to improve your strategy:
I use a simple quarterly review process to analyze my email marketing data and make strategic adjustments:
1. Identify your top-performing emails (by open rate, CTR, and conversions). What patterns emerge? My analysis revealed that emails with specific, problem-focused subject lines consistently outperformed vaguer alternatives.
2. Test one variable at a time. I run simple A/B tests on subject lines, sending times, and email formats. For example, I discovered that Tuesday morning sends outperform weekend sends for my audience, and "how-to" subject lines generate 23% higher open rates than question-based ones.
3. Segment performance analysis by subscriber source. Do subscribers from your SEO checklist lead magnet engage differently than those from your coding template? I found that subscribers who came through technical lead magnets were 3x more likely to purchase technical courses but less responsive to content marketing offers.
Real-world example: When analyzing my data, I noticed that subscribers who joined through my Python tutorial lead magnet had open rates 15% higher than average, but rarely engaged with my blogging content. I created a dedicated segment for these technically-minded readers and developed a separate content stream focused on coding and automation. Their engagement increased by 34%, and they became my highest-converting segment for technical product recommendations.
For Blogger users specifically, combining Google Analytics with your email platform's native analytics provides powerful insights. Set up UTM parameters for all your email links (most platforms do this automatically) to track which email content drives the most valuable on-site behavior.
Tools that help with measurement:
Most email platforms provide basic analytics, but I supplement these with:
· Google Analytics (for tracking on-site behavior from email traffic)
· Simple spreadsheet tracking (to spot trends over time)
· Heat mapping tools (to see which parts of my emails get the most attention)
The right measurement cadence:
Daily monitoring of email stats leads to reactionary decisions based on insufficient data. Monthly or quarterly analysis provides enough data to identify meaningful patterns while keeping you from getting lost in the weeds.
Staying motivated with metrics:
Email marketing is a long game. To stay motivated, I track both leading indicators (open rates, CTRs) and lagging indicators (conversions, revenue). The leading indicators provide immediate feedback on your approach, while the lagging indicators validate that your efforts are paying off financially.
I also celebrate mini-milestones: first 100 subscribers, first 30%+ open rate, first email-driven sale. These small wins help maintain momentum during the slow-growth early phases.
Conclusion: Your Email List Is Your Most Valuable Asset
After six years of blogging and trying virtually every growth and monetization strategy out there, I've come to a clear conclusion: nothing provides more sustainable value than a well-maintained email list. Social platforms come and go (remember Google+?), SEO algorithms change, ad rates fluctuate—but your direct connection to interested readers remains constant.
Building an email list isn't just about collecting addresses—it's about creating a community of people who value your perspective enough to invite you into their inbox. That's a privilege worth taking seriously.
As I've shared throughout this guide, success with email marketing doesn't require complex strategies or expensive tools. It requires consistency, authenticity, and a genuine focus on providing value to your subscribers. Start small, focus on quality over quantity, and prioritize engagement over list size.
For new bloggers especially, email list building should be a priority from day one. Don't make the mistake I did, waiting until year three to start taking email seriously. Those first two years represent hundreds of potential subscribers I missed out on.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the information in this guide, start with these three simple steps:
1. Create one valuable lead magnet that solves a specific problem for your ideal reader
2. Set up a single opt-in form at the end of your most popular posts
3. Commit to sending valuable content to your subscribers at least twice a month
These three actions alone will put you ahead of 80% of bloggers when it comes to email marketing. You can add complexity later as your list and experience grow.
Remember that building an engaging email list is a journey, not a destination. My list is still relatively small at 2,500 subscribers, but it drives more revenue and engagement than accounts with 10x the followers on social platforms. Size truly isn't everything—engagement and relationship quality matter far more.
For more insights on building your online presence, check out these related posts:
· Top 10 Common Mistakes Every Blogger Makes + Infographic
· How to Get FREE Custom TLD Domain Names
I'd love to hear about your email marketing journey. What strategies have worked for you? What challenges are you facing? Drop a comment below, and let's continue the conversation.
Building an email list is one of the few blogging activities where effort compounds over time. The work you put in today will continue paying dividends for years to come. Start small, stay consistent, and watch as your most valuable blogging asset steadily grows.
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