5 Email Marketing Tips For Daily List Growth with Tracy Beavers

Daily list growth is simpler than you think.

I’m joined by Tracy Beavers, host of the top-ranked Create Online Business Success podcast, for a refreshingly real conversation on how to grow your list automatically, without ads or endlessly creating new freebies. Tracy shares the habits and mindset shifts that create sustainable list growth for values-driven entrepreneurs…plus some fun, overlooked ways to make your list love hearing from you!

Whether your list feels tiny or neglected, this episode will remind you how powerful it can be when you treat every email address like their is a real human behind it (because there is!)

Listen to this episode to catch:

• The mindset shift that makes email marketing actually work
• How to get your subscribers to actually reply back to you.
• The email real estate most entrepreneurs waste (and the easy way to fix it)
• The content “broken record” moment that signals you’re close to converting
• Tracy’s favorite no-ad strategies for daily list growth
• Why your list-building isn’t working—and what to adjust before you give up
• Are free lead magnets still worth it in 2026?

🎧 Listen now and then join us inside Copy Clarity Club to build the kind of messaging that grows your list every single week—without burnout.

➡️ SHOW NOTES: Grab all the links and resources mentioned in this episode on the blog here!

https://www.megankachigan.com/email-marketing-tips-tracy-beavers

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Transcript

TRACY BEAVERS is here with us today. She is the creator of the top-ranked business podcast called Create Online Business Success. She has been featured by CBS Television, The Wall Street Journal, and Kajabi, to name a few. And today we are going to be talking about how to get email list growth happening automatically every day in the background of your business without having to rely on paid ads and without having to create more of those free lead magnets. So I know that most entrepreneurs say that they value their email list. We know that this is something we need to be doing. This is where the money is. But oftentimes what we know and what our actions say can be two different things. So even though we say we know we want to build our email list, but our behavior shows that we're still relying on Instagram or some other social media or word-of-mouth. So let's start with what... What is that mindset shift that entrepreneurs need to make if they want their email list to become a real revenue-producing asset and not just an afterthought? TRACY BEAVERS Love this question. And thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Megan Kachigan This is going to be so good. TRACY BEAVERS Yes. So I love email list growth. I love talking about it. I love helping people implement it because, as you know, this is not news, but your email list is one of the only things you own in the online space. If we rely solely on a social media platform or maybe several, we are building on rented land. And that's not new. We've heard that for years. But it is really true. I mean, if you look at what has happened with TikTok in the past year, it's here. It's not. It's back. Who owns it? We don't know. And that's just frightening. So I hope the people that are on TikTok are building an email list. And a couple of years ago, Facebook and Instagram both went dark for about 36 hours. And the only people that really... They made any money during that time were the people who had a list. And it's not just a matter of having a list. Anybody can collect emails and put them in their email service provider. But we have to cultivate, take it a step further, and cultivate relationships with those beating hearts that have joined our list. They're not just an email address. There's a human being on the other end of that email address who said and raised their hand and said, I want to be on Megan's list. I like her. I want to be in her community. And so it's our job to then cultivate that relationship further so that it does convert into a buyer, somebody that you can help. And so a lot of people talk about having an email list, and they probably do. But when I ask them, when was the last time you emailed your list? They're like, three months ago, six months ago. And I'm like, well, OK, you might have to start over at this point, because if you email them right now, they're not going to remember who You are. So we've got it. We have to cultivate that. It is a resource. It's an asset that we can use to really increase our income. Yeah, absolutely. Megan Kachigan I hear that all the time, too. And it's like, no shame, no guilt. Like it's it's OK. It happens to the best of us. We can reengage. But I love what you said that there's to remember that there is a beating heart behind like a real human behind those email addresses on your list. And like, even if you feel like your list is, quote unquote, like small, like 100 people on your list, like if you had 100 people in a room, like how would you feel? You know, if you had a microphone from 100 people sitting in the room who said, yes, I want to listen to you because that's what they did by opting in. Then like you'd feel pretty good. And like it doesn't take a huge list necessarily to really be profitable and impactful and make a difference. It doesn't. TRACY BEAVERS There's a friend of mine who teaches LinkedIn. She's She has 250 people on her email list and she has an over six figure a year business. Wow. And I'm a prime example of that, too. I have a multi-six-figure business, and it surprises the heck out of people to learn that the healthy part of my list is about 3,200 people. They're like, wow, really? Because when I say to people, because, you know, the strategies that I teach, I'll do a live masterclass when we're in launch of my program, and I'll just say to them, how big do you think my list is? And they're all like, 10,000, 15,000. And I'm like, nope, nope. But I love what you said, and it made me laugh because I say that all the time. My students will go, oh, I only have 15 people sign up. Or, oh, I only have 25 people on my list. And I'm like, okay, I want you to picture all those people standing in the bathroom with you. Suddenly, that feels like a whole lot of people. They're like, okay, thank you. Yes, it does. Megan Kachigan Yes, and love them well when it's few, you know, heavy air quotes there, so that you can love them well when it's so much bigger, too. Um, yeah, so. I'm so glad we're on the same page there. What do you think it is that, like, the difference between successful entrepreneurs, what do they do with their email list versus maybe the average business owner? They're just not even thinking to do that yet. TRACY BEAVERS Yeah, it's one thing that we've already mentioned is corresponding with the people on your list. These are the people who want to be with you, like you said. We need to love them well. We need to reach out to them, ask them to reply back. So the smart entrepreneurs are emailing their list, and I recommend once a week. Now, if that feels like too much, that's okay. Whatever someone chooses to do with their list, they need to stick with it, though. So if once a week, if your listeners just said, Tracy, I can't do once a week, I'm already strapped for time, that's okay. What about twice a month? Let's start there. But don't stop. Because, again, if you stop for a period of time... And then you go back and try to talk to them again. They're going to be like, where have you been? You know, and they might not even remember your name. The other thing smart marketers do with their list is find fun ways to get them to reply, subscribers to reply back, because it not only builds that relationship, you can get back into dialogue with them, having a conversation, asking them how they are, uncovering their needs. But also it helps your email deliverability. So the universe that's in charge of Hotmail and Gmail and whether or not somebody lands in your inbox or your spam, they love it when people are replying back to your emails. So this is a super simple strategy that I teach. Think about the lead magnets you have. Chances are they've opted in for one to get on your list, but there's probably others you could offer them. So a really fun thing that I did at the first of 2025, the very first email I sent out in the PS, said, did you talk crap to yourself for most of 2024? Like a lot of. My colleagues and I have done. Well, I have a less than 60 second exercise that'll help you rewire your brain for success in 2025. Reply back the word rewire and it's yours. And I had about 30 people reply back, just the word rewire. Or if I'm talking about selling without selling, I have a free lead magnet for that. And I'm like, reply back the word sales and it's yours. And they do. And then I can say, I'm so, hey, Megan, I'm so excited to see that you want this free training. Here's the link to go grab it. By the way, how are you? And if I know anything about you, which I should, because I should be having DM conversations with you on coffee chats and things like that, then I can take it a step further. I had one of my subscribers email me today and I knew, I know she had shoulder surgery a month ago. And I said, how are you? How's the shoulder? She was like, oh my gosh, I can't believe you remembered that. And I'm like, you know, I'm just a human being a human. Megan Kachigan Checking it out. makes such a difference. Yes. Yeah. I love that. When you can throw in that personal touch and like. It took you one sentence to ask, how is your shoulder doing? You know, but it meant the world to her. made her day, I'm sure. And it strengthened that relationship so much more. I love that you asked them to write back because I think that is such an underrated tactic. I mean, not even tactic, but like being a good human, being a good business owner, because it's often the best market research. You have such different conversations through email than you do through Instagram or social media, where it is more of a highlight reel. But people get so much more honest when it's over email. That inbox is so much more intimate. And like you said, that deliverability is also another huge plus to getting those responses back as well. What would you say? I had this come up in my Copy Clarity Club, but I'm curious to see how you would respond to it. It is, she's like, okay, I sent this email, I asked for a response. I gave him like a, you know, a simple question and just, you know, respond. C, C, or D. it's like literally all they have to do is click a letter. Like they don't have to, they don't have to think about it too much and just respond. And she's like, man, you know, like no one, no one hit respond to that. TRACY BEAVERS Oh, man. Okay. Tell me the scenario again. Megan Kachigan So she wrote an email to her list. She wanted to basically take this advice that you're giving of like, I want to correspond with the people on my list, ask them a question, get a response, start that dialogue. And so she asked that question, but then no one on her list responded back to her. Okay. TRACY BEAVERS My guess is it was in the phrasing and I would like to see that eat the whole email. Yeah. And at what part did she ask that question? Because if the email itself is super long and people have to get to the bottom to see that part, they probably never saw it. Because we have to remember that people are skimming, they want white space. They want, like, I am breaking every rule my mother ever taught me. She was an English teacher. And at the beginning of my career, I had her on my email list just to make myself feel better. And she would get my emails and she would go, why are you just doing one sentence at a time with all this white space and all these dot, dot, dots and bullet points? And I was like, mom, that's the way you write an email. She goes, well, I think it's tragic. She was used to the five-point, you know, essay paragraph style or whatever it was. So I would love to see, I would like to have seen that body of that email because my guess is it got buried in there somewhere and they never made it to that. So I either would have put it at the top, maybe even just a standalone, hey, Megan, what's your favorite side dish with turkey? Is it cranberry sauce? Is it mashed potatoes? Is it gravy? Let me know. You know, know, because we have to be, we have to, we have to shorten things. I'm learning for sure. Megan Kachigan Yeah. Yeah, that's something I've noticed as well in my copywriting work is the shorter emails are just working better. And I had a client who had an automated email sequence that was working decently well, but she wanted to make it even better. And she's like, I just shortened all the emails. Like, I didn't say anything different. I just made them more concise. And that was it. That's what needed to happen. TRACY BEAVERS And people don't utilize the PS enough either. I know this because you're a professional, but the most subject, the most read parts of the email are the subject line and the PS. And so, and in the subject lines, a lot of times that will trigger them to even open. So I also wanted to have asked her, what was the open rate on that? Because maybe it was a subject line change where like you put a colorful emoji as the first character to grab the eye, grab the attention in the inbox. And then maybe even a one word subject line like opinion or this week I sent an email because I truly was bored with myself. And it. And it had an upside down smile emoji. So the guy's upside down. And it said, I am bored with myself. And the open rate was outstanding because people were like, oh, my gosh, what's the matter with her? she okay? So you could do that. But we really want to make sure they open it. Then we want to grab their attention. And something like that that's important, you might even want to put in the PS if the body of your email is going on for any length of time. Yeah. Megan Kachigan Yeah, I think that's a great idea. And I totally agree. Hers in particular, and this maybe was not a fair question because you didn't have enough context. It was decently short. was pretty concise. But I would include, like, I agree and reiterate what you were saying is, you know, people are skimming. We don't want the essay that your English teachers taught you to write that doesn't work the same way here. To utilize that PS section at the bottom. Totally agree with that. And I would also add, like, just because they didn't respond once. Like, yes, correct. Yes, correct. TRACY BEAVERS It's like when I, when I help my students, they're like, Tracy, nobody's giving me a testimonial. And I'm like, how many times did you ask them? Once? No. Oh, you know, it's like, follow up, you know, get, get, you know, anyway, yes, correct. So we have to ask one time. Yep. Yep. People are busy. Megan Kachigan Life happens. The inbox is crazy. Yeah. Good. Okay. Love this. We are, we are so on the same page here. So I'm thinking if I'm in my listener's head right now, I'm thinking that they're thinking, okay, I'm posting the content. I'm showing up. I feel like I'm doing all the right things. I have a freebie. I have the welcome sequence set up, but I'm not seeing the list growth. Are there typical like gaps that you're seeing or reason? What are the typical reasons why their visibility isn't translating into either subscribers or. TRACY BEAVERS Great question, because there's a couple of things that I want to look at. Is it a visibility problem? Or is it a messaging problem? So for example, I had a student that said, I have this awesome $97 offer, nobody's buying it. And I said, okay, she goes, I think I'm gonna have to throw it out and get something else. I said, hold on, you know, or they'll say that about their lead magnets. Nobody wants this lead magnet. I'm like, hold on. How many times did you share it with the public? Once. Three months ago, three a social post. And then I asked my list if they wanted it once. And I'm like, nope, nope. So we have to make sure when we get really sick and tired of hearing ourselves, and feeling like we're posting the same thing, we feel like a broken record, that is exactly when your audience is starting to pay attention. So you've got to get sick of your own content before it's really going to start to convert. And so just Promote it more than you think you should, but make sure you are putting a free lead magnet out on social media, that you're using it in a call to action when you go live, that you are thinking of every nook and cranny you can tuck that thing in as a call to action. So if you're doing that, and people, and if you had a listener that said, Tracy, I am promoting this lead magnet once a week on social media, and it is not, nobody's doing anything, then I'm going to look at, okay, are they clicking on the link that you're giving them in the copy? Okay, maybe they are. And then when they get to the landing page, is that where they're not taking action? They're not actually opting in? Because if that's the case, then we probably have a disconnect between what they're seeing in the social media post, the marketing messaging there about this awesome thing that'll do X, Y, Z, and help you PDQ. And then they get to the landing page, and we miss, we miss the messaging match, where on the land. Landing page, it's, I want to help you ABC so you can X, Y, Z. We're not saying the same things. And so when they get to that landing page, their brain goes, am I in the right spot? I thought I was coming in here for this, this, and this. And this is talking about that, that, and that. And they're not going to do anything. Or the landing page is so jumbled because a lot of my students will put, like, if there's a foot, if there's a header at the top that has anything that they can click on, you're going to lose them. If there's a footer at the bottom that has anything they can click on, you're going to lose them. So on that landing page, one call to action above the fold, get the thing. This is what's in it for you to get it. And then, so we look at where, what is happening in the funnel? Where are the, where are the potential disconnects? Yep. Megan Kachigan Love it. That's exactly what I do as well. Exactly. Twins. Yes. Yes. We are totally on the same page. I. Love that you are so data-driven and break it down into like looking at each of the different parts because oftentimes we don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Like it could just be so often I see it like it's just this headline tweak or it's just this placement here or it's just, you know, X, Y, Z. And then like that could be the thing that really turns around and makes a big difference. And I love the mindset shift too of like you should be sick and tired of sounding like, you know, sound like a broken record. Like because that until you feel that way, it's likely that no one is is hearing you yet. And for me as a former high school teacher, you got to say things a million times. And you're like, I already said this a million times. I got to say a million and one because they're like, I've never heard that before. And, you know, these are people who are almost adults going to live on their own. And I know all the moms of college bound students are laughing right now, but yeah. What do you mean we have a pop quiz today? TRACY BEAVERS I've been telling y'all for two weeks. Megan Kachigan We're going to be having a pop quiz. Yep. Yep. It's written on the board. I verbally told you it's online. Like how many other ways can I tell you? And I feel like this is somewhat similar. It's like you need to tell them a million times in a million ways. And they'll be like, oh yeah, I think you said this thing. So I think we think that like there's this spotlight on us when we post something and everyone's seeing all the things. And it's like, no, they're not, especially on social. Like if you're primarily on social, like that algorithm, no, they are not seeing every single thing that you post. So yeah, you're going to feel annoying, quote unquote, but like that is, if you're really passionate about your message, I don't think you'll feel annoying. Like you'll be very passionate to be like, this is going to be the thing that, that is really going to help people. Right. Yeah. And then that messaging, not having it being mismatched, having it be coherent throughout the whole thing and one CTA. Just one. If it's a separate CTA, have a separate email. Right, right, right. Yes. Yeah. Good. Okay. So part of what we talked about was like, I want this list growth happening automatically. I know growing my email list is important. I know that's where the money is. But like, that's kind of where it's always been, but especially in 2026 and beyond, what are the systems or habits or things that I can do to continue growing that list? Great question. TRACY BEAVERS So I teach my students that all roads should lead to list growth. And what I mean by that is every action you take in your business every day, I want you to think, how can what I'm about to do grow my list? And then we have to stay consistent with those things. So for example, right now, I'm a guest on your podcast. I have to make sure this grows my list. So when you ask, where can everybody find you to connect with you? I'm going to send you to a place that grows my list. But I can't forget to do that. Otherwise, this is a wasted opportunity. So when we're talking about collaborations, whether you're going live with somebody or you're presenting to somebody's group membership or mastermind or whatever, or you're on their podcast, that's a list growth opportunity that we cannot miss. It's amazing to me how many times people miss that. When they're going live, I highly recommend we go live as often as we are comfortable doing on the platform of our choice because the algorithms love it. They love it. And you will reach a new audience. Well, there again, if you're going to go live, give them a call to action that leads to your list. If you don't, that's a wasted opportunity. Your social media content, like we're talking about, are you promoting a lead magnet every week? At least one or potentially two, depending on how many you have, because if you're not, that's a missed opportunity. And so what happens is when you put I have over 10 strategies I teach in my group coaching program. Program, that when you put them together in the proper order and we layer them, then it is a matter of you focusing on the actions you need to take in your business and then remembering that all roads to lead to list growth and the list growth starts to happen. You don't have to think about growing your list. My list grows by hundreds of people every single month. People think that I spend, they're like, you probably spend 10 to 15 hours a week growing your list. No, I focus on my daily activities of being a podcast guest or asking for a collaboration or asking for a freebie swap or going into Facebook groups where my ideal clients are hanging out, even ones that don't allow promotion of any kind. DM conversations. How can all of those things, including your social media content, grow your list? Yeah, that's so good. Megan Kachigan I mean, you just listed one, two, three, four, five, like six ways there. To grow your list. It's like, I feel like none of that was surprising, but it's also like, but are we doing that? You know, like you said, make it a daily checklist. Like you could do that, some of that stuff in like 15 minutes a day. And that could really add up because I know so many of my audience, like we don't work full time. We have other things going on in our lives that mean like we cannot. And so how can we be strategic about like, I know I need to grow my list, but how can I do it in a way that still honors my life? TRACY BEAVERS Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Yeah. Good. Megan Kachigan Okay. And then so I know that I feel like I've been having, hearing conversations lately about like, well, people don't download freebies anymore. I don't want freebie seekers. Lead magnets don't work anymore. It's really about like, you need to get them on your list with like a low ticket offer, like a $7 or a $17, maybe a $47 something digital product. type of thing. What have you seen with that, if anything? Or what are some other non-download type of ways to grow your list that still attract those high-quality leads? Sure, that's a good question. TRACY BEAVERS What I have seen in the online space is like 2020 to 2023, you could make a checklist, a cheat sheet, a PDF, whatever, and it didn't have to be that great. And people were snatching it up right and left. That is not the case anymore. We have to put out high-quality work. Now, I do not want people giving away all their secret sauce in a free lead magnet. That's not what I'm saying. But that free lead magnet needs to be pretty darn good. And the marketing messaging has to be there if you're going to really entice them to give up their email address. They're being very picky. They're they should be. You know, because like we're talking about, time is precious and we're all juggling a bunch of stuff. So, the lead magnets that we create, they still work. The ones that don't work. Are the fluffy ones that have vague messaging that people can't look at it and go, oh, she made that for me. That's I need that now kind of a thing. So and low ticket offers, there's an argument to be made for those. But but what I would say about that is, in my opinion, it's easier to get people on your email list when it is a really great free thing versus, hey, buy my seven. dollar thing when you're cold to me and you don't know who I am. To me, that feels like I'm sitting down next to you at the bar and I'm going, hey, Megan, you're cute. Let's get married, you know, buy my thing. And you're like, but I don't know you. And so I think we run the risk if all we're going to do is put out some paid stuff. I think we run the risk of just not not allowing people to come in and stick their toe in the water with a free thing. And then it's our job to warm them up. To that next thing, what is that? Probably the low ticket thing, then a little higher thing, then a, hey, do you want to buy my big thing? Kind of a deal. So that's what I would say about the lead magnets. And some really great lead magnets are things like people forget, they always think a lead magnet is a PDF or a checklist or a cheat sheet. This podcast, this is a lead magnet. And it's an easy yes for people to find it and listen to it. They don't even have to tell you their name. You know, there's probably a million people listening to this that are going, Megan knows no idea who I am, but I love her content. And they'll join your list when they're ready, when you give them something worth joining for. My free Facebook group grows my list by hundreds of people every single month because it's a place where online entrepreneurs want to come and hang out. And by the way, I've got the membership entry questions set up. They want to give me their email address. So that's a great lead magnet. You know, the book you wrote could be a lead magnet. Now that that could be a free thing if you want to give it away for free. for a short period of time. I've seen that work really well. I had a $37 visibility guide two years ago. I gave it away in Q4 as a holiday. Hey, here's my holiday gift for you. This is normally $37. You can get it for free. Share it with all your people. And it grew my list by a couple hundred people because they got it for free and they felt like they got loved on and they were excited about it. Hmm. Megan Kachigan Yeah, that's so good. And I think we can underestimate because we don't always see what other people see. I think even just this week, I had two or three people tell me, Hey, I like the algorithm been showing me your content or I've been reading your emails or I've been listening to your podcast. And I'm just like, wait, I don't, I don't know who you, who you are. Um, and they're like, yeah, I really love the content that you, that you're putting out. And it was just like, Whoa. And like, even in, in-person settings, they're like, Oh yeah. Like I heard you on this pod. Cast, I'm like, what? And it's just like so crazy to walk into a room, either virtual or in person, and be like, people knew who I was because of this stuff. And I'm just like, oh, it's working. TRACY BEAVERS This stuff works. Yeah. Yeah, imagine that. Megan Kachigan Yeah, I co-sign everything you're saying. And it's cool to like, now, and I'm seven years into business, getting that feedback. And so, but I mean, whether they, had the courage to tell me that or not, like, it was still working. So I think, believe in yourself, trust the process. It's working, even if, like, you're not necessarily getting that feedback yet. Right. TRACY BEAVERS Good. Megan Kachigan Awesome. Well, let's wrap up this conversation. One question I like to ask guests is, what is a small joy outside of business that is fueling you right now? TRACY BEAVERS Well, I, our fur baby. He's the only baby left at home. Our kids are grown. We're empty nesters. His English Labrador named General Patton, and he's the most precious baby. But taking him on a walk and just getting out in the sunshine, I just am like, I got to get out of the house. Or, you know, going and riding bikes with my husband on our river trails. Megan Kachigan That's fun. TRACY BEAVERS So, yeah. I feel like that's been a popular answer. Megan Kachigan like just the simplest things, you know, walking my dog, going for a bike ride. It's been so great to hear. And I'm just like, me too. Like getting for a walk in the sunshine, riding bikes with my husband. That's beautiful. And such a good reminder to like, we want a strong, profitable business and we want a joyful life too. And we get to have both. Yeah, for sure. TRACY BEAVERS Awesome. Megan Kachigan Well, let's get to the question that we talked about. How can we connect with you beyond this episode? TRACY BEAVERS Thank you so much for asking since they love podcasts, apparently, because they're listening. I have a show that I'm really proud of. It's called Create Online Business Success. And yes, my audio and my show notes lead to my email list. So if they'd like to join me on my list, that'd be amazing. But they can start with the show, get to know me, get to know my goofy style. And then also, I teach, one of the strategies I teach is having your own free Facebook group as a community. A lot of people want to start with like Circle or Mighty Networks or Heartbeat. Just do Facebook because it's free. You can start there, see if there's any traction on it. But I love my free Facebook group. It's called Be a Confident Entrepreneur. Get Visible, Grow Your Email List and Your Income. We have over 4,000 online entrepreneurs in there. We have experts on every subject. You are allowed to promote your stuff anytime, even including links. You're encouraged to network and set coffee chats because in a community, that's what we do. We share and we share and and we network and we, you know, we give feedback. We support. And so that's what it's become. It's become a beautiful community. Awesome. Thank you so much. That will be linked in the show notes. And thank you again for sharing your experience and your expertise with us today. Thanks for having me.