Quick update, 58 became 64 since the last post.

Nobody's sent me their star sign, which is disappointing, but a few of you replied, which is excellent.

Sooo, I set out to write about building a list of buyers. That's not wrong, but it's not quite right either.

If someone pays you a few quid for something, they're a buyer. It doesn't matter that it's cheap. They made a commitment, and we like that.

But a buyer is not the only thing worth having.

Some things are way smaller than a sign-up and infinitely more valuable than the money.

A reply doesn’t grow your list, but curiosity and engagement are all proof someone's paying attention. And when somebody tells you whether they like what you’ve got, or they don’t, or what would be better. That’s gold.

And of course, having ace people on your list like Sam..

Before I get to what I'd actually do, let's talk about the advice you've already heard, because some of it is optimises for the wrong thing (or the wrong time in your business).

Give away a free lead magnet

It’s not wrong on its own, it's a really decent way to test which problem people care about. As well as which headline gets clicks and what offers land etc. Where it goes wrong is when the freebie itself is the whole strategy with nothing after it. You gotta sell them in the back with what you gave them in the front. (I said this in my head in a fat tony kinda accent).

Add a subscribe link and let er rip

Passive, and passive means unfiltered. Anyone lands there with limited context on who you are. Might be a hot lead, might be your neighbour, Ron.

Run a giveaway to boost sign-ups fast

People join for the prize, not for you (you are the prize, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). It spikes your numbers, tanks your engagement and hurts deliverability for the people who do want to be there.

Build it and they will come

True eventually. But creating endlessly is also easy to hide behind. "I'm just being consistent" can become an excuse not to make an ask, or create an offer.

So you create content that solves your reader's problem and write about it on LinkedIn or talk about it on YouTube (and direct viewers to sub). It’s not wrong, actually, I think it's great long-term asset. But it’s long, y’know?

If you have space and cash, DO IT, if you need to eat this week, I wouldn’t start here. (if this is you, reply to this email).

Moarrrr

The most common advice of all is to grow x infinity. And whilst you do want to grow the list, a smaller engaged list > a massive list that doesn't open your emails.

Most of these approaches focus on volume, because volume is easy to measure. Less of it is about whether the person joining has the problem you solve.

So here's easy mode instead. No funnels, no tripwires and no tech to set up. Just five things you can do today with what you've already got.

Invite your clients - 1/5 difficulty

They already paid you. They know what working with you is like. If they're not on your list, what are you doing man?

And yet, none of my previous clients are on this list. Not one. So I’ll do this with you. I’ll prob send a 'hey billybob, I know you're interested in (avoiding big problem/achieving great dream) would love for you to come and read along at [link]'

Ask people to join, and say who it's for - 1/5

This is what I did. Posted honestly about having 58 people and asked people to come along. Easy, free, immediate. Not as unfiltered as it looks either, the ask wasn't "everyone welcome". It was "if you're building an expert-led business and wondering the same thing, come join." That's a qualifier doing a little work in one line. It doesn't filter as hard as a quiz would, but it's honest about who it's for.

Add the link somewhere people already are - 1//5

Your email signature, your LinkedIn bio, the confirmation message after a discovery call. Doesn't ask anyone to do anything extra, it's just present when they're already interacting with you for another reason.

Go through your phone book or LinkedIn contacts - 1/5 difficulty, 3/5 for nerve

Not your existing clients. Old colleagues, someone from a course you did, that one good call two years ago you never followed up on. But they must be relevant to the work you do.

Genuinely free and no tech. The catch is it takes more nerve than the difficulty score suggests, "hey long time no speak, join my newsletter" can read as using an old contact rather than reconnecting with one. So don't blast your whole list. Pick five people you'd be glad heard from you, and message em like you mean it.

Ok, one thing on content..

Make it specific enough the wrong people bounce

I mean, this is just a good idea overall isn’t it? By making specific content we're letting people feel heard and seen. Annnd, it's a filter built into your writing. Write to exactly one kind of ache and the people who don't resonate opt out. Slow, cheap and works in the background of everything else.

One more thing, once you've got people through the door. We need more info, and we want that reply to the first email however we can get it.

The first thing anyone gets from me now isn't a welcome email, it's a short questionnaire. What describes them. What they're stuck on. Where they hang out online.

We're not trying to convert anyone in the first ten mins. We just need to know who they are, because we don't know yet, and pretending would be worse than admitting we don't.

Props to my pals on filling out the typeform HEH.

Growing the list gets you subs. Asking them questions is what makes them feel like the "people" they are.

Ok, that's easy mode.

No landing page funnels, no tripwire offers and no automations. Just the list you've got, used properly, plus the honesty to ask instead of assume.

Do we even want to do a hard mode next week? I’ll noodle on that..

For now, if you've never asked your own list what they actually want, that's this week's homework.

Or just tell me your star sign.

Either works.

xx