When it comes to making money with a blog, few things matter more than building a list from the people who visit.

I know you are likely tired of hearing how “the money is in the list”, but it really is. Of course, having a list is only part if the equation. How you help the people on that list will ultimately determine your level of success with email marketing.

One of the fastest paths to success is to model success, so let’s look at a site that hit it out of the park when it comes to list building. That site is LeadPages.

I’m sure you know LeadPages by now. They are simply the easiest way to create squeeze pages, landing pages, funnel pages and more.

First a very short backstory.

The fine men and women at LeadPages have accomplished something that few ever will. They have gone from zero subscribers to over 140,000 subscribers in under two years.

How did they do it?

In my last conversation with them these key principles came to surface. While not all of these might apply to you most of them can and should be something you try on your own blog.

• Give all visitors many opportunities to opt in

• Always use a two-step opt in form

• Take great care of customers

• Work with affiliates

Let’s look at each and see how they can apply to your online business, on matter how large or small your site is now.

Give all visitors many opportunities to opt in

If you look at their blog you will find they include an amazing eight opt in opportunities on almost every post. If this sounds like too many just repeat the words “0 to 140,000 in under two years” over and over again.

Seriously, most blogs fail miserably on this point.

The reason you want multiple opt in opportunities is as simple as human nature itself. It takes time for people to trust us.

When you have only one opt in opportunity on your site (say the top right of your blog) you are asking people to opt in too soon. They don’t know you yet, or know that they want to hear more.

It’s like a guy walking up to a girl at a party and asking her to marry him. He won’t get any takers with that approach. And if he did, he might not want what he gets!

It takes time to build trust, so don’t stop at one opt in opportunity. Put multiple opt in offers in your post and let readers join your list once they are a little more warmed up to your content.

Let’s look at where and how LeadPages offers readers the chance to opt in.

Location 1 – The Top Banner Area

Many blogs are wasting the incredibly valuable real estate found at the top of their blog. While some today believe that banners don’t work because of “banner blindness” studies prove otherwise.

The key is to offer something of value for free, not try and go for the sale immediately.

LeadPages does that well with their top-of-blog banner, seen here.

Notice how they reassure you with their subscriber count? This is important, even if your subscriber count is low, and the reason you see so many blogs showing their subscriber counts.

My advice is this – if you have a low subscriber count (under 5000) then add the word “passionate” to the wording your use in your banner.

“Join over 3200 passionate subscribers” is much better than “join over 3200 subscribers”. Just adding that one word will help you and help your reader know he or she is joining a group of readers who share their passion.

After all, they are visiting your blog for a reason, and that reason is often to find like minded people who will share information to help them.

Location 2 – Sidebar On Right Side Of Blog

The sidebar is the area on the right where you see images, lists of recent posts, lists of categories and more. Most blogs have them.

Here is the home page of my blog with the sidebar in a yellow box. 

Here are two images LeadPages uses in their sidebar.

Location 3 – INSIDE The Post Content

This is the big one! Putting an opt in form inside the content of your blog post is brilliant, and often overlooked.

By adding the simplest of opt in boxes inside their content, LeadPages dramatically increases the speed at which they grow their list.

This is logic itself. By the time a reader makes it down the page they are engaged and getting value from the blog post. Now you put an opt in opportunity at just the right moment and presto … more subscribers than ever.

Brilliant … and effective.

Best of all, this is 100% free to do! In fact, you can do it today on your own blog.

Notice the blue box at the bottom of this image.

Always use a two-step opt in form

I’ve written about the power of a two-step opt in form before. You can read that article in a new window here if you like.

The two step opt in form works wonderfully well. Some say it works because of a psychological principle that says that people must finish an action they start. Others say that having an obvious opt in form “warns” someone that you are going to ask them for something (their email address) and they shy away.

Candidly, I’m not sure why it works. But I do know THAT it works. In every case where I have tested it a two step opt in has worked better than showing the entire opt in form.

Happily, you can create a two step opt in without having to subscribe to a service like LeadPages if you don’t want to. Many autoresponder companies offer this option now, and some WordPress plugins make it easy as well.

Want more help with your blog? My free report reveals seven ways to make money with any blog!

Additional Principles From LeadPages Success

It goes without saying (or should) that LeadPages offers an excellent value. Although their service is not free, it is reasonably priced and it works wonderfully well.

They also love up on their customers, doing things like …

• Locking customers into their original price, even when LeadPages price increases.

• Providing excellent customer support.

• Giving new bonuses to existing customers.

• Running a private members-only affiliate program.

These things build customer loyalty. And loyal customers send traffic in the way of recommendations, reviews, joint ventures and more.

Work with affiliates

This one might not apply to you right now, but it could in the future. LeadPages does an excellent job of working with affiliates to help them make sales.

They offer affiliate tools, support and a well-rehearsed webinar that converts very well. Rather than a replay where you invite those on your list, this is a co-hosted webinar where the affiliate can participate if they so choose.

The bottom line is simple – how do you go from 0 to 140,000 subscribers in under two years?

• Maximize every opt in opportunity possible.

• Provide high value to readers so they recommend you.

• Give readers many chances to opt in.

• Never stop finding new ways to build your list.

• Work with others every chance you get.

So there you have it. How LeadPages went from 0 to 140,000 subscribers in a little under 2 years. Can you do the same? No one knows.

But what we do know is this – you must have a blog of your own to succeed online today. And you really must have a list of your own as well.

When you build your list from your blog, the organic and natural way to build a list, you end up with a powerful list of friends that get to know you, trust you and buy from you again and again.

And when you have that you will have a powerful and beautiful thing indeed!