Hosting events to grow your email list
Are you struggling to grow your email list? Tired of the constant social media hustle? It may be time to consider hosting your own online event to attract a flood of new subscribers.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive into the different types of events you can host, the pros and cons of each, and how to choose the right option for your business. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap to plan and execute a successful list-building event.
Why Host an Online Event to Grow Your Email List?
As an introvert with fluctuating energy levels, I've been on a mission to find faster, more sustainable ways to grow my email list. The traditional methods like content creation, social media engagement, and networking events just weren't cutting it for me. They were slow, painful, and didn't align with my natural working style or capacity.
I needed a "sprint" approach - a way to do a lot of work upfront and then step away to recharge, while still seeing significant list growth. That's when I discovered online events and leveraging other people’s audiences to grow my own.
Over the past couple of years, being a part of dozens (hundreds?) of virtual summits, bundles, and challenges has helped me accelerate my list growth in a much more efficient way than any other tactic I've tried. And the visibility boost for my brand has been invaluable.
If you're in a similar position - looking to rapidly grow your email list without burning yourself out - then hosting your own online event could be the perfect solution. Let's explore the different options and how to choose the right one for your business.
Types of Online Events to Grow Your Email List
When it comes to using events to build your email list, there are several different formats to consider. Each one has its own unique pros and cons, so let's dive in:
Virtual Summits
A virtual summit is probably the most well-known type of online event for list building. It involves curating a collection of pre-recorded interviews or presentations from a group of expert collaborators - often 30-50 or more. The summit typically runs for 3-5 days, with the content available for free during that time.
The main benefit of a virtual summit is the massive visibility boost you get by tapping into the audiences of all your collaborators. When each expert promotes the summit to their list, you get exposure to a huge pool of new potential subscribers.
However, virtual summits also require a significant upfront investment of time and effort. You have to recruit and manage all those collaborators, ensure they deliver their content on time, and then put together any additional offerings like an all-access pass or bundle.
Bundles and Giveaways
Another option is to host a bundle or giveaway event. This involves curating a collection of digital products, courses, or other resources from various creators and offering them to your audience for free or a low entry fee.
Bundles and giveaways require less upfront effort than a virtual summit, as you don't have to coordinate live presentations. You simply need to vet the products, set up the event, and promote it to your audience and the collaborators' audiences.
The tradeoff is that the quality of subscribers you attract may be a bit lower, as people are more likely to sign up just to access the free stuff rather than out of a genuine interest in your topic. But it can still be an effective way to rapidly grow your list, especially if you carefully curate the bundle offerings.
Challenges
Challenges are a medium-effort option that can be a great list-building tool. These are typically 3-5 day guided experiences where you lead your audience through a specific process or transformation. There’s a big focus on action-taking, so it’s very attractive for audiences looking for quick wins and meaningful progress in a specific area realted to your work.
Challenges can be run solo or in collaboration with other experts. The collaborative approach allows you to tap into new audiences, but requires a bit more coordination. Running a challenge on your own is a bit lower-effort, but you miss out on the visibility boost.
The key benefit of challenges is that they tend to attract a more engaged, qualified audience. People who sign up are genuinely interested in the transformation you're offering, rather than just wanting free stuff. This can lead to higher long-term list retention.
Workshop Series
Similar to a challenge, a workshop series involves hosting a sequence of live or pre-recorded training sessions on a specific topic. These can be free or paid, and may include elements of teaching, co-working, and accountability.
However, unlike a challenge where the focus is on action-taking, a workshop series can cover more high-level, mindset or strategic concepts since there are more opportunities to discuss and tailor the content to each participant during the workshops themselves.
Workshop series are a medium-effort option that can be a great list-building tool, especially if you collaborate with other experts to expand your reach. The interactive, educational nature of the workshops helps attract a highly engaged audience.
Interview Series
Finally, an interview series is a lower-effort way to grow your email list. This involves conducting a set of pre-recorded interviews with industry experts and then gating the content behind an email opt-in.
The beauty of an interview series is that you can leverage the audiences of your guest experts to drive new subscribers. And the content creation process is relatively streamlined compared to other event formats.
Plus, you can choose to share your interviews in whatever format fits you best - video, audio or even written interviews work great for this event format!
Choosing the Right Event for Your Business
So which type of online event is the best fit for your business? It really comes down to a few key factors:
Time and Effort: How much capacity do you have to dedicate to planning and executing the event? Virtual summits require the most upfront work, while interview series are the lowest-effort.
Growth Potential: Are you aiming for massive, rapid list growth, or a more moderate, sustainable increase? Summits and bundles offer the biggest list-building boost, while challenges and workshops may attract a smaller but more engaged audience.
Timeline: How soon do you need to see results? Larger-scale events like summits and bundles typically take several months to plan, while smaller formats can be pulled off more quickly.
Personally, I've had success with simpler events with just a few other collaborators like my Clients to Products interview series as well as larger yet still lower-lift events like my Energy Savers private podcast series.
But your unique business, audience, and goals may point you in a different direction. The best way to figure it out is to take my fun, free film-themed Format Finder Quiz and get matched with your perfect-fit event format!
Planning and Executing Your List-Building Event
Regardless of which event format you choose, there are a few key steps to ensure a successful list-building outcome:
Define Your Goals: Start by getting crystal clear on what you want to achieve. Is it a certain number of new subscribers? A specific conversion rate? Increased visibility for your brand? Having a clear, measurable goal will help guide all your planning decisions.
Choose Your Topic: Select a topic that aligns with your business and resonates with your target audience. This will ensure you attract the right kind of subscribers - people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
Recruit Collaborators: If you're going the collaborative route, start reaching out to potential partners early. Build relationships, pitch your event idea, and get commitments from experts who can help expand your reach.
Create a Promotion Plan: Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to drive registrations before, during, and after your event. This should include email campaigns, social media, paid ads, and cross-promotion with your collaborators.
Optimize the Experience: Pay close attention to the user experience, from the registration process to the event content itself. Make it easy, engaging, and valuable for your attendees.
Follow Up Effectively: Don't let your new subscribers slip away! Have a plan in place to nurture them with relevant content and offers in the weeks and months following your event.
Want to skip the guesswork and side-step the bells and whistles that can derail you from actually bringing your event to life? Join me inside my signature supportive, implementation-focused program, Easy Events!
