How I’ve built my list (and you can too!)

Last week we talked about exactly how to use your free gift to build your list. I shared why having a squeeze page is important, if you’re looking to build your list.
If you’re looking for my top pick when it comes to easily building effective squeeze pages, I share that at the end of this article.
Once you have created your squeeze page, you want to get people to visit that page, so you can build your list.
Now the burning question is, how can you get people to your squeeze page?
Today, I’m sharing the top strategies I have personally used to drive traffic to our squeeze pages and build our list.
As you read through the strategies below, note two or three strategies you’d like to try first. Once you’ve implemented those strategies effectively, you can come back to this list and add additional strategies to your list building effort. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed as you read through the strategies, remember that you’re just going to implement one strategy at a time.
And now onto my top strategies for driving traffic to your squeeze pages…
#1 Promotional Partners
Make a list of colleagues you know (and don’t know), who have the same target market as you and offer a complementary service. Reach out to them and discuss how you can support each other.
Typically, in these cases, you will each agree to promote each other’s freebie to your list and/or on social media. When your colleagues promote your free gift, make sure they link to your squeeze page. This is great because you’re getting in front of a whole list of people who likely don’t know you.
#2 Affiliates
This is a bit of a more advanced strategy, but it can work regardless of how long you’ve been in business. Affiliates are people who agree to promote your stuff, and in exchange, you pay them a commission on any sales that come from their referrals. You’ll need to use affiliate tracking technology for this.
Promotional partners, discussed above, can be affiliates. Past and current clients also make great affiliates because they are likely connected to your ideal clients and they can speak to the value of your content and programs.
Once you have affiliates lined up, ask them to promote your freebie and have them link to your squeeze page.
#3 Social Media
Promote your freebie, including a link to your squeeze page, on your social media platforms. I recommend you do this on your business page, if you have one, and in any groups you’re a part of. Once is not enough. You’ll want to post several times.
#4 Facebook Ads
Run Facebook Ads that promote your freebie. Target your ads, so that you’re reaching people who are most likely to be interested in your freebie and your program. These ads should always direct people to your squeeze page, not your home page.
#5 Ask your subscribers to share
As people are opting in to your freebie, ask them to share it with others. You can do this by placing a share button on the thank you page people get to after they opt-in for your free gift. Another option is to include a click to tweet link in the follow-up email you send to people after they opt-in to your free gift.
Here’s an example of how I asked people to share on one of our thank you pages.
#6 Turn YouTube videos into a list building engine
If you have videos on YouTube, or plan to make videos in the future, be sure to include a plug for your free gift and a link to your squeeze page at the top of the description of the videos.
#7 Guest blogging
Guest blogging is where you write a blog post that gets published on another website. Focus on finding sites that are relevant to your target market. At the end of the guest blog you’ll have a bio. In the bio, include a plug for your free gift and a link to your squeeze page.
#8 Leverage speaking engagements
When speaking live, on a teleseminar, or on a radio show or podcast, share information about your free gift and the URL for your squeeze page. (This one reason you want your squeeze page URL to be easy to say.)
#9 Utilize the signature of your email
Set-up your business email to include a default “P.S.” message that has a short plug for your free gift with a link to your squeeze page.
#10 Use the prime real estate on your business cards
Use the back of your business cards to promote your free gift. Once again, include a link to your squeeze page.
#11 Pay With a Tweet
Pay with a Tweet is an interesting service that allows you to “sell” your freebie for the cost of a tweet or Facebook post. With this strategy, you can promote your freebie on your website or to your list and give the opportunity to pay with a tweet. Once they tweet or post, they get access to your content.
There you have it…my top strategies for driving traffic to your squeeze pages.
Let’s get your list building efforts under way! If you haven’t yet set up a squeeze page, that is your next step.
You can quickly and easily build your own squeeze page, without any technical skills, using an amazing service called LeadPages. (It has a drag and drop editor and loads of templates to choose from.)
If you haven’t yet checked out LeadPages, I suggest you do. This service will free you from having to hire a web designer to build your pages. This will save you money and allow you to set-up and edit pages more quickly.
Don’t have a website yet?
Don’t worry! LeadPages hosts all of your pages, so you can create your squeeze page and start building your list before you launch a website.
Have an IIN website?
If you attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and are using the website they gave you, I have great news! LeadPages integrates with IIN sites, which means you can now easily promote your free gift on your IIN site, using LeadPages’ pop-up functionality called LeadBoxes.
(I am an affiliate for LeadPages, so I will earn a commission if you sign up through my link. I only recommend services that I have used and believe will help you be more successful in your business.)
Now I’d love to hear from you.
Which of these strategies do you plan to implement first? If you’ve already implemented some of these strategies, I’d love to know how they’ve worked for you.