Let go of “Building an Email List”

Instead, build an engaged audience.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

“How do I grow my email list?”

A lot of people have asked me this question over the years. They hear from many business experts that growing an email list is the most important thing to do in marketing.

Unfortunately, building an email list is the wrong focus. If you talk more deeply with marketing people, I think they’ll agree.

None of us need an email list. What we actually need is an audience who cares about our messages.

It is essential for authentic marketing to switch our mindset from “building an email list” to “building an engaged audience.”

1. When one is fixated on “building an email list,” it is tempting to use any means necessary to “get their email address” even if the tactics erode the relationship. Example: A pop-up window asking for your email address is annoying… but businesses still do it because it does build a bigger email list. The subscribers are initially reluctant, and then increasingly annoyed by unwanted emails. To understand this dynamic, read my post “No More Lead Magnets.”
2. When you instead focus on “building an engaged audience” you’re thinking about the relationship — and whether they care about your message. Your actions will…