Email List Growth In 2026: Why Events Beat Endless Content
If you run an online business, you already know you should grow your email list. You have probably heard the line that “the money is in the list”, then watched your subscriber numbers creep up at a snail’s pace while you tried to keep up with social media, rising ad costs, and everything else.
In 2026, that grind feels even heavier. Algorithms change, ads eat your budget, and it takes more energy than ever to stand out. And if you’re doing business solo or with a small team, it can feel impossible to be everywhere and do everything it feels like you need to do to grow.
But even in this louder and tricker landscape, there’s still one strategy that’s still works - collaborations. Partnering with people who have existing audiences and inviting their audience to join your list continues to be one of the easiest and most reliable ways to grow. And my favourite way to borrow other peoples audiences is by hosting and participating in online events like summits, bundles and other creative collaborations!
In this post, I will walk you through how I use events as the core engine of my email list growth, with organic content and paid traffic supporting that strategy instead of running the show.
Why Email List Growth Still Matters Most In 2026
Plenty of marketing tools will come and go, but a strong, engaged email list still does the heavy lifting for most of my sales.
The shifting marketing world in 2026
Here is what I see over and over when I talk with clients:
Paid ads cost more, and it is harder to dial in targeting.
Organic reach on social keeps dropping, even for solid content.
Search has changed and it’s not as easy as it once was to show up on Google.
The businesses that are growing in 2026 are the ones focusing on genuine connection, not just more content. Especially with the rise of AI, people aren’t looking for more information - they want human to human connections and relationships. That’s how we build that all important Know, Like & Trust with people and get them excited to join our lists!
Things like small but mighty events, behind-the-scenes stories, and thoughtful collaborations are pulling in better quality subscribers than any random viral post.
Why your email list is your most reliable marketing asset
When I email my list, I am talking directly to people who actually chose to hear from me. No algorithm decides if they see my message. No platform can shut it down overnight.
That stability matters. Email marketing still gives one of the best returns for the time and money you put in. A short, honest email to a warm list often beats the results of a polished social post that took hours to create.
The tech and trends will keep changing. A warm list of humans who know and like you will make every experiment easier.
Quality over quantity for long term email list health
In 2026, chasing huge list numbers is a trap. I care much more about who is on my list than how many.
A smaller list of right-fit people will:
Open more emails.
Click more links.
Buy more offers.
Reply, ask questions, and give real feedback.
Collaborative events work especially well for this kind of email list growth. When someone spends a few days listening to your story inside a summit or get one of your high-quality resources in a bundle, they are already warmed up. And they’re much more likely to stick around because they’re invested in what you have to say.
That depth pays off over months and years, not just during one launch.
Use Collaborative Events As Your Fastest Path To Email List Growth
If I could only pick one list growth strategy for 2026, I would keep collaborative online events. They give me a bigger bump in aligned subscribers for the energy I spend than anything else.
Why hosting your own event can grow your list faster than social media alone
When I host an event, I control the topic, the vibe, and the signup process. I choose what I want to be known for and invite speakers who share those values.
Every speaker then promotes the registration page to their list and audience. That means I get warm introductions to many new people at once, not a slow trickle of random followers.
That’s way faster and more reliable than posting on social every day, hoping the algorithm shows your content to the right people and then crossing fingers that they also click through to your bio, find your opt in, and actually sign up.
Inside an event, new subscribers spend hours learning with you and from you. By the time they join your list, they already see you as a trusted guide, not just another account.
Creative event ideas that feel fresh, not like another tired summit
You do not need another overstuffed, 5-day, 40+ speaker event that leaves everyone overwhelmed. Some formats that feel fresh right now:
Short audio summit: A 3 to 5 day, audio-only event that listeners can enjoy like a podcast while they walk, cook, or commute.
Email series with experts: A 2-4 week email series highlighting exclusive content from your guest experts straight in their inbox.
Step-by-step workshop series: A set of 3 or 4 live sessions where each guest expert covers one step in a shared outcome, like “plan, create, and promote your first digital product.”
The goal is practical, focused, and human. Less “information fire hose,” more “come sit at the table with us and get one real result.”
If you want a clear system to host a high‑value audio summit to grow your email list, I share the behind-the-scenes of my approach in my self-paced course Simple Audio Summits.
How to design a low stress event that still gets big results
Most of the horror stories I hear about summits come from events that tried to do too much at once. My approach is to design the event around my actual energy and business goals, not someone else’s “proven formula.”
Here is what helps keep things calm:
Pick a timely topic that fits your goals and piques your audience’s interest.
Keep the run time short, like 3 to 5 days, or even a single weekend.
Invite fewer speakers, but choose them with care so every session feels aligned.
Use simple tech that you already know, even if it is not fancy.
You do not have to host a giant production. A thoughtfully planned, small event can feel light to run and still bring in a wave of new, engaged subscribers eager to learn more from you.
Why joining other people’s events is a powerful list growth shortcut
Hosting is not the only option. Participating in someone else’s event is a fast way to reach new people without managing all the moving pieces.
This could look like:
Being a speaker in a summit.
Sharing a paid offer for free inside someone’s bundle.
Joining a panel conversation or live Q&A.
The host introduces you as a trusted expert, so your message lands faster. And you get to gather up emails from attendees who want to learn more from you!
Let Organic Content And Paid Traffic Support Your Event First Strategy
Events are my main engine for email list growth. Organic content and paid traffic help that engine run longer and smoother.
How blogging, YouTube, and Pinterest quietly grow your list over time
Event content is a goldmine. I like to recycle my summit talks and interviews it into:
Blog posts that answer questions from attendees.
YouTube videos that break a session into short, focused topics.
Pinterest pins that lead people to key posts or evergreen workshops.
Each piece of content points to a next step, like a related lead magnet or the waitlist for the next collaborative event. Over time, this creates a steady trickle of new subscribers from search, without me needing to show up live every day.
It is slower than running a big event, but it is also a gentle, long term way to keep fresh people coming into your world.
Use social media to promote events, not just chase random followers
I think of social as a spotlight, not the whole stage. Instead of posting every day just to stay “top of mind,” I like to run focused promo bursts around key events.
This might look like:
Talking about the theme of an upcoming summit or event on Threads or LinkedIn.
Sharing speaker highlights or short clips from their sessions.
Answering common questions in Stories or posts.
Sharing behind-the-scenes prep to build curiosity.
The main goal is to move people from social into my email list through event registrations, not just to grow follower numbers.
This focus feels lighter and more intentional, especially if your energy for daily posting is low.
When paid ads make sense to boost email list growth
Ads can be helpful if you have the budget for them, but they’re not a magic fix.
In fact, I don’t tend to invest in ads myself, but rather have explored boosting my visibility by sponsoring events instead.
If you were to invest in paid ads, I’d suggest making sure you:
Have a registration page that already converts from warm traffic.
Know your follow-up sequence is set up to sell.
And you’ve allocated a clear budget before starting to invest in ads.
Compared to collaborations, ads cost more upfront and feel less personal, plus you have to pay to play so it’s not my favourite strategy for those of us with smaller budgets.
Experiment, Track, And Improve Your Email List Growth Strategy
There is no single “perfect” way to grow your list in 2026. The most important shift is to treat events, collaborations, and content as experiments you can keep improving.
Simple numbers to watch so you know what is working
You do not need complicated dashboards to make smart decisions. Start with:
How many new subscribers came from each event or partner.
Open and click rates on emails you send right after.
Which topics or lead magnets attract the most engaged people.
Look for patterns over time. Maybe smaller, story-heavy events pull in fewer people but much higher sales. Maybe one type of lead magnet keeps popping up in your best subscribers’ paths. Let those patterns guide what you repeat and what you retire.
Adjust your events and collaborations based on real feedback
Numbers tell one part of the story. Real humans tell the rest.
So whenever you do host a collaborative event, make sure you:
Send a short post-event survey with a few open questions.
Pay attention to replies to my emails and DMs about the event.
Ask speakers what felt easy or heavy, and what they enjoyed most.
Then based off that feedback you can make small tweaks which often make a big difference. Often I find it just takes trying out a new topic, testing out a new event format or even experimenting with different timing to make your next event a bigger success!
Bringing It All Together For Email List Growth In 2026
Email list growth is still the backbone of a healthy online business, and that will not change in 2026. What is changing is how we bring people onto those lists in a way that feels human, sustainable, and fun.
Collaborative events let you grow faster with the right people, not just more people. Hosting or joining summits, bundles, and small focused collabs helps you build trust, authority, and connection long before you ever pitch an offer.
You do not have to hustle on every platform to grow. Pick one simple event idea, invite a few aligned partners, and use it to start building a more engaged list, one meaningful connection at a time.
