Build a List Of Buyers, Rather Than Freebie Seekers
Traditional marketing advice says to grow your email list as quickly as possible—using freebies to attract sign-ups, then nurturing them through an automated email sequence.
But that fast-growth, quantity-over-quality approach never sat right with me. So, I did the opposite. I slowed things down, removed the easy opt-ins, and built my list with intention. Not only did it feel right to my core, but it also led to something even better—a list full of buyers.
In this article, I’ll share my quiet, intentional, high-friction approach to list-building—and why it works.
— In this article —
The Conventional Approach to List Building
Following this conventional list building strategy means we can expect a 30-35% email open rate, a 3% click-through rate, and a 2-5% buyer conversion rate.
Let's run some numbers using these industry averages. With a list of 1,000 subscribers, a 3% conversion rate would result in 30 sales. If your product is priced at €299, this equates to €8,970 in revenue.
To generate a six-figure income, you'd need to scale this model, either by increasing your list size, product price, or launch frequency. This is why building a list of at least 10,000 subscribers is often recommended.
But what if you could generate a six-figure income on a much smaller list?
I knew early on that this fast list building approach wasn’t the path for me. Instead of chasing numbers, I decided to build a list of people who were truly interested in me, not just my free things. Over time, I refined and tweaked my approach to attract buyers, not just browsers.
Letting Go Of Lead Magnets
My shift began when I moved away from lead magnets. Instead of offering freebies, I simply invited people to join my list — on the condition that they answered a couple of market research questions. 😁
For a while, I was happy with this setup. But then I noticed, from the responses to my questions, that many people were joining my list for free tips on applying Human Design to business and marketing — rather than purchasing my course on this topic.
Yes, I know. We’re meant to be okay with that too. We’re meant to ‘nurture’ them by giving away our expertise for free.
But it felt misaligned. So, my next tweak? I made my email list exclusive to students and clients.
This felt like a bold move. People expect to be able to join an email list! My rational mind told me this wasn’t a good business decision. But I chose to listen to my body — and I did it anyway.
As a result of this decision, my course sales doubled the following month, and then tripled! With the option of simply subscribing off the table, people bought the course they actually needed.
"If You’re Not Sure About Me, That’s Okay."
My thinking was simple:
“If you’re not sure about me, that’s fine — enjoy my blog articles, YouTube videos, and social media posts. Check me out from a distance. Then, when you’re ready, come back and buy the thing you need.”
Results From My Tiny List of Under 1000 Subscribers
Today, I did a clean sweep of my email list, archiving people who joined years ago — back when you didn’t need to be a client or student.
Now, my list sits at 926 subscribers.
95.14% have purchased one or more of my offerings. The remainder are either highly engaged supporters of my work, or on a waiting list.
The Quiet Marketing Mastermind is already 50% sold out, just from my email list — four weeks before it even begins!
For the past few years, my business revenue has been over €100K with a similar size list, and my projected revenue for 2025 is closer to €200K.
All from my tiny, yet mighty email list!
Having a list of buyers fills my heart with joy. There’s an equality in it — we are both giving and receiving.
Going my own way and trusting my body has created the path of least resistance — allowing me to do so much more, with so much less.
What comes up for you, having read this article? I'd love to know — let's chat in the comments!
Danielle Gardner
The Quiet Marketer
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