Lately it feels like gaining followers and getting traction on social media is harder than ever. For me, growing my email list has been more effective and more profitable for my pet business.
I’ve been working on growing my email list with lead magnets, contests and promotions for over 6 years. It’s worth it, but it’s a lot of work! That’s why I’m so excited about Creator Recommendations, a feature in my email service provider, ConvertKit.
Through ConvertKit Recommendations, I’ve added more than 770 pet lovers to my email list without lifting a finger!
As someone who’s found a lot of success with the Creator Network within ConvertKit, I want to share some tips and strategies that have helped me gain hundreds of subscribers in my target audience.
These small changes will have a big impact on how many other creators recommend your email newsletter and how many people are inspired to hit that “subscribe” button!
*This blog post contains affiliate links. When you click and buy something I might earn a small commission that helps me keep Wear Wag Repeat up and running. Thank you in advance for your support!
How ConvertKit Recommendations Work
If you’re aConvertKit user, there’s no extra charge to be a part of the Creator Network and start getting recommendations. It’s a free feature designed to foster community and connections.
This is right up my alley because I’m all about supporting other women in the pet industry! Plus, when I recommend a great email newsletter to my subscribers it builds trust with them. They think, “Tori introduced me to this awesome person!”
And the same goes in the opposite direction. When someone recommends my newsletter to their people, it builds trust for them because I consistently send high-quality emails.
If you’re not a ConvertKit user, first you will need to sign up. If you’re already using ConvertKit to manage, grow and connect with your email list, then follow the step-by-step guide below to optimize your Creator Recommendations.
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimize Your ConvertKit Profile and Get More Recommendations
- Locate Your Creator Profile and Customize it with a Captivating Headline + Description
- Optimize The Visual Elements of your Creator Profile
- Feature Your Best Content So Potential Subscribers Can See It
- Leverage the Recommendations Section
Step 1: Find Your Creator Profile + Make It Stand Out
Let’s dive into how you can optimize your creator profile within the network.
First, log into your ConvertKit account and navigate to the ‘Grow’ tab. You’ll see sections for ‘Creator Profile’ and ‘Recommendations’. This is where we’ll do most of the optimization!
Enhance Your Headline and Description
You want to edit the standard headline and craft one that captures attention. On my profile, I use “Tori Mistick, I also answer to dog lady.” Within seconds of viewing my profile, this statement immediately resonates with dog enthusiasts! And that’s exactly who I want to sign up for my email list. I don’t want just anyone… I want the dog lovers!
Below the headline, you’ll have space for a short description. This space is all about being concise and telling people what you write in your emails.
My description section reads, “Learn how to live your best life with dogs as a pet parent and petpreneur.” Adding personal touches, such as “I have a soft spot for senior dogs,” adds an extra touch to connect with potential email subscribers and let them know that I’m a real person who loves dogs… just like them!
ACTION ITEM 1: Navigate to your Creator Profile on your ConvertKit account and customize your headline and description to make it “on-brand” and tell potential subscribers what to expect from you if they join your list.
Step 2: Make Your Profile Visually Engaging
You can have the best information in the world about dogs, but if you can’t capture someone’s attention visually you won’t be able to get your information out there. To make the most of the Creator Network in ConvertKit, you need to optimize your Creator Profile to look good!
One must have, is a friendly and approachable photo of yourself. When people see your face, they will be able to connect with you as a person and will be more likely to sign up for your list.
Customize Visual Elements of Your Profile
Within your Creator Profile, you can customize the colors and layout. Choose colors that are visually pleasing and in alignment with your brand. Always opt for dark text over a light background. In general, black backgrounds with light text are hard to read.
ACTION ITEM 2: Make sure you have a unique featured image on every email and that you’re publishing your emails to the web (AKA enabling them on your Creator Profile). Empty profiles where we can’t see the emails you send are much less likely to get recommendations or new sign-ups.
Step 3: Share Your Content Strategically So We Know Why To Sign Up For Your List
A critical yet often overlooked step is sharing your emails on your profile. When I’m looking for new people to add to my own list of recommended creators, I always click to view their profiles. If they don’t have any emails published to their profile, I will not recommend them.
If I can’t see a sample of what kind of emails someone sends, then I can’t risk breaking trust with my audience by recommending them. Make sense?
Display Your Best Content
You want to publish your best emails to your profile so we can see what type of information you send out.
But another element you can control is the preview image for your emails. I recommend that you assign a unique featured image to every single email that you send. You can see what this looks like on my Creator Profile. This will add more visually appealing content to your profile. It will get you more recommendations and eventually, more subscribers.
ACTION ITEM 3: When sending an email, select the option to ‘Share to your profile’ or ‘Publish to the Web’. This transparency allows potential subscribers to see what joining your list will look like, making them more likely to take action.
Step 4: Building Community Through Recommendations
By optimizing your ConvertKit profile, you’re not just expanding your reach; you’re also nurturing a community. When someone subscribes to another creator’s list, they see a prompt to check out other recommended newsletters—like yours!
Actively Recommend Other Creators on ConvertKit
Navigate to the Recommendations tab and then “Discover” within the ConvertKit Creator Network. Here you can search by keyword and find other creators in your niche. Since new people are always signing up for the Creator Network, I usually search for new people to recommend about once a month.
I search for keywords like “pet” and “dog” to find people who send out emails that compliment my own. When I find someone I want to recommend, I often take it one step further and reach out to them on Instagram or via email to let them know I’m now recommending them and would love to connect further.
ACTION ITEM 4: Search for relevant people that you can recommend and build your community. I find that many people will recommend you back, so this is an important step in your organic email list growth.
Unleash the Full Potential of Your Email List with ConvertKit Recommendations
A personal connection while trying to grow our communities in the digital space is crucial! I’ve found that ConvertKit Recommendations is a great way to do that while staying true to who you are and what your pet brand does.
While the visual components of your ConvertKit Profile are important, growing your list through recommendations isn’t just about aesthetics.
It’s about effectively communicating the value you bring to pet parents and pet pros while engaging with a community of like-minded individuals.
Here’s your next steps:
ACTION ITEM 1: Navigate to your Creator Profile on your ConvertKit account and customize your headline and description to make it “on-brand” and tell potential subscribers what to expect from you if they join your list.
ACTION ITEM 2: Make sure you have a unique featured image on every email and that you’re publishing your emails to the web (AKA enabling them on your Creator Profile). Empty profiles where we can’t see the emails you send are much less likely to get recommendations or new sign ups.
ACTION ITEM 3: When sending an email, select the option to ‘Share to your profile’ or ‘Publish to the Web’. This transparency allows potential subscribers to see what joining your list will look like, making them more likely to take action.
ACTION ITEM 4: Search for relevant people that you can recommend and build your community. I find that many people will recommend you back, so this is an important step in your organic email list growth.
By implementing my tips and action items, you’ll be able to use ConvertKit’s creator recommendations feature to its fullest! If you have any questions, please reach out to me. A great place to connect is in the Wear Wag Repeat Labs Facebook Group.
And of course, you can reach me via email! Just join my list and reply to any email I send you.
Did you like this post? I have more content to help you grow your pet business online:
4 Steps to Figure Out the Best Blog Topics for Your Pet Business
How this Pet Blogger Makes $5-10K Per Month
A Membership to Grow Your Pet Business Online
My Favorite Pet Business Tools and Resources
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