It’s important to continue to grow your list on an ongoing basis, even during those peak busy periods in your business when you are working on projects that are consuming a lot of your time. Don’t put your marketing efforts on hold completely. It’s easy to let it slide for a while but try to be as consistent as possible because once you get away from it, it’s hard to pick it back up again.

Assuming you already have an opt-in form on your website for your free offering or ‘pink spoon’, and you don’t have much time, here are a few quick ways you can grow your list:

1. Invite people in your social networks to sign up for your newsletter by enticing them with the next hot topic you’re writing about. i.e. “My upcoming newsletter will feature ‘x’. Not signed up? Click here to get your copy (include link to sign up page).”

2. Write and submit articles to the article directories. Include information about your free offering and a link within your by-line that takes people to the sign up form to receive it. No time to create a new article? Repurpose a previous blog post or newsletter article.

3. Ask in person. Are you giving a talk at your local networking group? Pass around a clipboard for those who would like to receive more information from you. Collect names and email addresses while they’re still excited about what they’re learning from you and are hungry for more.

4. Ask your subscribers to share your newsletter with friends and family i.e. “Thanks for reading! Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague who you know could benefit from this…”

5. Within your newsletter, invite people to sign up. For example in mine I have a block that reads: “Did a friend forward this newsletter to you? Make sure you get your own copy – it’s easy and it only takes a second. Sign Up Now (include link to sign up page)”

Marketing takes time and effort and it’s important to continue to grow your list and be consistent. When time is of the essence, there simply isn’t enough time to roll out the big strategies. All of the tips I’ve given you are still opportunities to market and can be implemented quickly and easily. Which one will you try?