MY FIRST 1000 SUBSCRIBERS: BY THE NUMBERS

For a couple of reasons, I’d like to document this madness before I forget how it happened (although, to be honest, I’m still not totally sure how it happened):

REASON 1: I’ve been asked about it a LOT over the past couple of months, so it’ll be handy to have a timeline (link) for future reference.

REASON 2: I’m a sentimental cheeseball. It may seem like a weird thing to be mushy about, but I know this is the first 1,000 of many. It is (YOU ARE) extra special :)

All that to say: If you want to see the nitty gritty details (I’m talking exact numbers and screenshots) of how I got my first 1000 subscribers, you’re gonna love this post. (2014 UPDATE: If you want the nitty gritty on my first YEAR, you’re gonna love this one.)

I created my list (and my opt-in box) when I learned that in the world of online marketing, the most important factor to online success is quality list-building. If you do NOTHING else on your website, you should create an opt-in box so folks who love your content can join your list and get free updates. So literally. I did nothing else.

I had one lovely subscriber in the month of March: my friend Ashley, who tested it out for me ;))

It’s hard to give a quick summary of what happened next, because it’s ridiculous. It deserves its own blog post. (There’s a little more detail here in this video.)

In the most BASIC nutshell: I knew my value, knew exactly who needed it most, and I met them where they were (Facebook) to let them know I could help.

The response was insane. And the response to the response was insane. Hundreds of comments and likes. Hundreds of subscribers. In that span of about 10 days (from first mention 4/21 to final day of the offer 5/1), my list grew by over 500 subscribers. My (paying!) client list grew by over 60. (Remind me to write another post about that side of the coin!)

I sent my offer details via email a few times a day as more and more folks signed up. Since it went out in smaller segments (those who’d subscribed since the last campaign went out), I don’t have a good screenshot of this period. You can just imagine: It was nutty.

The funniest part is that from March through April 29, over 500 people signed up for my VIP list when my site looked like THIS:

After realizing I could use some help in the digital brand department, my amazingly talented friend, dream client, and digital branding guru Suzi Istvan offered to help me upgrade my splash page. Until I launched the first draft of my site on June 7, new subscribers were treated to this lovely edition:

Yeah. You read that right. Still no website, but after the crazy (unexpected) launch in late April, early May, my list got to a comfy point in the 750 range. I settled into writing actual (helpful) content as opposed to just sharing the offer. I got to work actually HOLDING all the appointments that I’d booked during the whirlwind, and put up some copy on my site.

Launched the humble “first draft” June 7, just in time for my birthday weekend:

For most of the summer, my list held steady in the 750-850 range. There were even a few dips from week to week! (Say it with me: It’s OKAY when people unsubscribe. It’s okay when people unsubscribe…)

Let’s rewind a little bit. I started creating my first opt-in offer, The Conversational Copy Cheat Sheet, back in May. I didn’t have any intention of sharing it until ….now…when I launched my swanky new site design. In June, I visited with the lovely Jenny Shih, superstar business coach. She told me about her Get Your First 1000 Subscribers program, which sounded fabulous. I already had 75% of my first 1000, but who knew how long it would take to cross the 1k milestone?! (Plus, I had a hunch the tips would be helpful not just for the first 1000, but for every 1000 after that.)

Jenny’s Get 1000 program includes step-by-step action plans and guidance on anything and everything you can think of when it comes to list-building – from guest posting to marketing, free calls to freebies. I can’t wait to put them all to use! For now though, I’ve just focused on the freebie. At the start of July, I used her tips to beef up my little PDF. Then last week, I updated my subscriber forms in preparation for this week’s big reveal.

What I forgot is that some people would be signing up between now and then. I didn’t even think about people seeing mention of the freebie before I actually posted it. I got a few notes Friday morning saying, “Hey Nikki – the download link isn’t live!” OOPS! I stuck the PDF up there, and that was it. My e-baby was out in the world.