How to Build Your Email List and Gain Marketing Leverage: A Step-By-Step Guide

Hey, what's happening my friend? It's Cameron Malcolmson here, and today I want to share with you a foundational marketing strategy that can change the game for your business. If you’re not doing this already, you're missing out BIG time. Recently, I implemented this strategy for a local business, wrote a simple blog post, and used a little trick I’m about to share with you. The result? We managed to attract over 120 visitors to the website in just one day. That’s the power of this approach!

Let’s start by addressing a crucial point: If you’re relying solely on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform for your marketing, you’re at the mercy of someone else’s algorithm. You don’t own your followers on these platforms. Mark Zuckerberg, for example, could decide to shut down your account, and in the blink of an eye, you could lose your entire following. And with that, your connection to potential customers is gone.

This is why I’m here to show you a strategy that allows you to own the relationship with your customers, regardless of what happens to your social media accounts. It’s all about building and owning your email list.

Think of your email list as a virtual postbox. Whenever someone gives you their email, they’re essentially giving you a direct line to their inbox. And here's the best part: You own that inbox! It’s not controlled by Mark Zuckerberg or anyone else.

Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing because it allows you to communicate with your customers directly, at no cost. And the best part? You can use it to create highly personalized, targeted marketing campaigns that drive results.

Now, you may be wondering: How do I start building this email list? It’s simpler than you might think.

Let’s get into the tools that will help you build this email list. One of my favorite tools recently introduced a free plan that lets you create landing pages and forms to capture emails. It also allows you to send broadcasts and manage up to 1,000 subscribers—all for free!

I’ll give you an example of how this works. Imagine you own a restaurant. You can create a landing page with a message like:

"Enter your email for exclusive VIP deals!"

Once visitors enter their email, they are added to your email list, and you can send them special offers whenever you like.

When it comes to growing and managing your email list, you need a reliable database management system. This is what allows you to store and organize your contacts, track their behavior, and communicate effectively with them.

Platforms like the one I’m using allow you to tag subscribers based on their interests, track where they signed up from, and tailor your marketing messages accordingly. This is crucial when you're trying to convert visitors into customers.

Think of your email list as your "true fans." In marketing, a "true fan" is someone who is highly engaged with your brand and is willing to buy from you repeatedly. If you can get 1,000 true fans, each spending $100 a year on your products or services, you’re looking at a six-figure income!

For example, a local cleaning company could build a list of 400 clients. If each of those clients spends £400 per visit (twice a year), that’s £320,000 in revenue. This is how email marketing can completely transform your business by creating a loyal customer base.

You might be thinking, "But email marketing sounds complicated!" Don’t worry—it's not as hard as it seems. With the right tools, you can create automated funnels that work for you while you sleep. Once you set up your landing page, opt-in forms, and email sequences, the system will run itself.

There are free plans available for building these automated funnels, but if you want to take things to the next level, I recommend investing in a more advanced plan. For only $29/month, you can access unlimited funnels, advanced email sequences, and manage more than 1,000 subscribers.

So, what are you waiting for? The future of your business is in your hands, and it starts with building your email list. Implement this strategy, and you'll never have to worry about losing your audience to a social media shutdown again.

I’ve seen it work firsthand—whether you’re running a local restaurant, a dog-walking service, or any other business, owning your email list can help you grow and thrive. You’ve got the tools, and now you’ve got the knowledge. Start building your email list today!