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In this episode of the podcast, I telling the whole story of my email list building strategy —from idea to execution – that took my list of email subscribers from zero to 10,154 subscribers in just 57 days—without spending a single dollar on ads.
This strategy isn’t specific to health coaches, but I’ve used it for both online and in-person businesses so I can vouch that it’s a flexible list building option!
What’s inside this episode:
Have you ever wished your email list would just grow itself? Or wondered how to get more visibility in your community—without shelling out for ads or begging for attention?
The BIG Problem
No List, No Traffic, No Recognition
In early 2020, like so many others, I watched local businesses struggle. Facebook was flooded with desperate posts—“We haven’t had a sale in days… we may have to close.”
These weren’t strangers.
They were the people who owned the yoga studios, bakeries, and vintage shops that made our community feel like home.
I realized two things:
- People wanted to help, but didn’t know how.
- Businesses didn’t have a centralized place to share updates or get discovered.
I had an idea: what if I built a website to showcase and support them?
The problem? I had no list, no traffic, and no brand visibility or authority.
The BIG Idea
Run a Contest That Does the Heavy Lifting
I asked myself: how can I build an audience and attract local businesses at the same time?
What’s fun, shareable, and community-driven?
I decided to run a “Best Of” contest, asking locals to nominate and vote for their favorite small businesses in categories like best coffee shop, best personal trainer, best burger, and more.
The plan:
- Nominations Phase: Let people write in who they love.
- Voting Phase: Create a final ballot with the top 10 nominees per category.
- Celebrate the winners—and use the entire process to drive traffic and capture email addresses.
And guess what? It worked way better than expected.
The BIG Results
10,154 Subscribers in 57 Days
Here’s how the numbers played out:
- Day 1: 45 subscribers
- Day 3: 500+ subscribers
- End of Nominations (Week 3): 1,600 subscribers
- Final Day (Week 8): 10,154 total subscribers
During the peak, I was seeing 10,000+ pageviews per day, all from free traffic on Facebook—no paid ads, no dancing on TikTok, and no viral “hacks”,
The Tech Stack
I used tools I already had:
- WordPress + Divi Theme for the site and contest pages
- ConvertKit & SendFox to add subscribers to my email list
- A form builder – I recommend Smart Quiz Builder
- Canva for branding and graphics
- a free Facebook page for traffic—no paid ads, just tagging and engagement
💡 Why It Worked (The 3-Part Framework)
After running the contest and sharing this email list building strategy in a few Facebook groups, I heard from people who tried it and didn’t get the same results.
That got me thinking… what made my experience different?
It turns out, there were three key elements that make a huge difference:
1. Purpose
This wasn’t just a contest, it wasn’t just an email list building strategy —it was a mission. People weren’t voting just for fun. They were helping their community thrive.
I tapped into an existing movement, which was already emotionally powerful and easy to align with.
2. People
I actively engaged local businesses and tagged them when they were nominated. That gave them a reason to share the contest with their audiences. The virality came from people wanting to support their friends, family, and favorite businesses.
3. Plan
I had clear messaging, simple tools, and a way to capture and validate email subscribers. It wasn’t fancy, but it was organized and systematic.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re trying to build your first 1,000 email subscribers or looking for a new way to connect with your community, this email list building strategy works because it’s grounded in real people and real value.
The key? Make it about them. Support the movement your audience already believes in, and the rest will follow.
Listen to the full podcast episode to hear how I did it step-by-step! https://www.lauriemallon.com/10k-60-days/
Or check out the first video in my 10k in Under 60 Days for free:
FAQ
Here are some questions I get about my contest list building experience
Q: Were all of those 10,000+ emails real? What about fake or junk entries?
A: Yes—they were real, valid, and filtered. While the contest used single opt-in for a smoother user experience, I still had a confirmation email go out to each participant. If the email bounced or was clearly invalid, I was notified—and any form entries associated with those addresses were automatically discarded. I actually collected over 11,600 emails, but I filtered out about 1,500 junk or fake entries before finalizing the list. So the 10,154 subscribers I counted were fully verified and ready for follow-up.
Q: What kind of contest is this exactly?
A: It’s a two-phase “Best Of” contest where your community nominates and votes for their favorite businesses, brands, or products in specific categories. It’s time-limited, interactive, and designed to generate massive list growth, engagement, and visibility in a short period of time.
Q: Why did you choose a contest instead of a lead magnet or quiz?
A: I needed something fast, community-driven, and buzzworthy. A typical lead magnet or quiz didn’t have the viral, gamified appeal I needed to get people talking and sharing. The contest created excitement, tapped into the shop-local movement, and let people participate in something bigger than my business.
Q: How long did the contest last?
A: The full campaign was 6 weeks—3 weeks for nominations, 1 week to organize data and prep the ballot, then 3 weeks for voting. You can adjust this timeline to fit your own goals and energy.
Q: What kind of results can I expect?
A: I started with no audience, no list, and no traffic—and ended with 10,154 verified email subscribers in 57 days. While results vary, the key is how well you plan your messaging, categories, prize (or recognition), and community involvement. Some contests bring in more, some will bring in less.
Q: What tools did you use to run the contest?
A: A WordPress site using the Divi theme, a form builder, and an email marketing platform. I started with MailerLite and then switched to SendFox when I outgrew the free tier. I also used Canva for graphics and Facebook for all organic promotion—no ads.
Q: Did you run paid ads?
A: Nope! I didn’t spend a single dollar on advertising. The entire contest was promoted through free Facebook posts and organic sharing by the businesses and people who were nominated.
Q: What if I don’t have a list, traffic, or any business nominations yet?
A: Neither did I! That’s the power of this strategy. The community helped generate the content by nominating their favorites, and their votes created social sharing momentum. The contest becomes the engine that drives traffic, content, and email signups—all at once.
Q: How did you get people to participate and share?
A: I used a “You’ve Been Nominated!” tag-and-share strategy. After people submitted nominations, I created simple Facebook graphics and tagged the businesses. Those businesses were excited to be recognized and asked their audiences to vote and support them. It created viral loops without extra work on my part.
Q: How many categories should I include?
A: I had 144 total across several subcategories (food & drink, pets, home, services, etc.)—but you don’t need that many. You can start small with just a few meaningful categories in your niche or community. It’s better to go deep with fewer categories than overwhelm your audience with too many.
Q: What’s the most important key to success?
A: Having a strong mission behind your contest. My contest tapped into the “support local businesses during COVID” movement. People shared and participated because they believed in the cause. Your contest should connect to something meaningful to your audience—not just free exposure.
Q: Can this work for digital businesses too, or just local?
A: It can work for both! After I ran this for local small businesses, I ran it for one of my other sites that’s 100% online. It can easily be adapted for a coach, course creators, and community builders who want to highlight the best products, services, or voices in their niche.
