5 Creative Ways to Grow Your Email List (That Most Photographers Aren’t Talking About)

You already know you need an email list. You have heard it a hundred times. And maybe you have even set up a lead magnet, built the landing page, and connected it to your email service provider.

But now what?

Where do you actually share that lead magnet so the right people find it? If your only strategy is “post about it on Instagram and hope for the best,” I want to give you some fresh ideas.

I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer and systems and workflow educator for creative business owners. And after years of testing what works (and what flops) when it comes to email list growth, I have five creative ways to grow your email list that I keep coming back to, because they work on repeat and they do not require you to be glued to social media.

You do not have to try all five at once. Pick one or two, see how they feel, and build from there.

🎙️If you would prefer to listen to the podcast, here you go

💻Or you can read the blog post below

1. Promote Your Lead Magnets Like Podcast Ads

If you have a podcast (or a YouTube channel, or any form of long-form content), you are sitting on free advertising space you might not be using.

Here is what I do: instead of waiting for sponsors, I treat my own lead magnets like commercials in my podcast episodes. I weave them in naturally, so that after a listener hears me teach on a topic, the next logical step is to grab a related freebie.

This works because the listener is already engaged. They are already in your world, consuming your content, and getting to know your voice. A well-placed CTA for a lead magnet feels like a natural next step, not a sales pitch.

And if you want to get more strategic about it, you can create UTM tracking links for each episode so you know which episodes are driving the most subscribers. That is a more advanced move, but it gives you real data on what content is resonating.

The point is this: if you are creating long-form content, use it to drive email list growth. You are doing the hard work of recording and publishing already. Let your content pull double duty.

2. Use Your CRM Tool to Funnel New Leads to Your Freebies

This one surprises people, but your CRM (I use Dubsado) can be a quiet list-builder working behind the scenes.

Now, let me be clear: your CRM is not your email service provider. Do not use it to send newsletters. But you can use the automated emails inside your CRM workflows to point people toward your lead magnets.

Here is an example from my own business. When someone fills out my inquiry form for branding photography, they get an automated response thanking them for reaching out. In that same email, I include a link: “While you wait to hear back from me, want to download a free guide to help you plan your branding session?”

That one sentence does two things at once. It gives the potential client something helpful while they wait, and it funnels them into my email list through my lead magnet workflow. Now they are hearing from me in two places: through my CRM inquiry process and through my email nurture sequence. Both are automated. Both keep me top of mind.

Think about where you already have automated emails set up in your business. Your inquiry workflow, your onboarding process, your post-session follow-up. Each of those touchpoints is a chance to offer a related resource and grow your list without any extra effort on your end.

3. Use Your Blog Content as a Strategic On-Ramp

Blogging is one of the most underrated list-building tools I see photographers overlook. Most blog posts end with… nothing. No next step. No CTA. The reader finishes and clicks away.

Every blog post you write should have a purpose beyond education. It should guide the reader toward a specific next step, and that next step should be a lead magnet that lines up with the topic of the blog.

Here is a practical example: if you write a blog post on what to wear for a family photo session, the natural next step might be a downloadable style guide or outfit-planning checklist. The reader is already thinking about that topic. The freebie becomes the obvious “yes, I want that” moment.

My recommendation: aim for two to three strong lead magnets total. Do not create a new one every week. (I learned this the hard way. Every new lead magnet means new landing pages, new automations, and new nurture sequences to monitor. It adds up fast.) Instead, create a small number of high-quality, broadly useful lead magnets, then weave them into your blog content wherever they naturally fit.

When your blog post and your lead magnet are in alignment, the reader does not feel pitched. They feel helped. And that is how you build a list of people who actually want to hear from you.

4. Collaborate on a Bundle to Grow Your List Through Other People’s Audiences

This strategy is more advanced, and I would recommend waiting until you are a few years into your business before trying it. You need to know your audience well, know what you offer, and have a clear sense of your long-term direction.

But once you are ready, bundles are one of the most effective ways to grow your email list in a short window of time.

A bundle is a collaboration where multiple business owners contribute a product (usually a paid product offered for free or at a deep discount) to a shared collection. Each contributor promotes the bundle to their own audience, exposing your product and email list to a whole new group of people.

I have used this strategy in my own business and seen thousands of new subscribers join my list in a single week. That kind of growth does not happen from Instagram posts alone.

A few things to keep in mind if you go the bundle route: contribute something of real value (not a freebie you already give away for free), promote the bundle consistently to your own audience, and make sure you have a strong nurture sequence in place for the new subscribers who come in. They do not know you yet, so that first impression matters.

5. Add a Supplemental Lead Magnet Inside Your Existing Nurture Sequences

This one is a bit meta, but stay with me: once someone downloads one of your lead magnets and enters a nurture sequence, you can offer them a second lead magnet inside that sequence.

Think of it as a bonus. They already said yes to you once. They are consuming your content and building trust with your brand. If you have another resource that aligns with what they are learning, why not offer it?

For example, if someone downloads your “How to Prepare for Your Newborn Session” guide and you have a second resource called “What to Wear for Family Photos,” you could introduce it in email three or four of that nurture sequence. It is a natural progression, and it gives your subscriber another win while deepening their relationship with you.

I would recommend waiting to implement this until you have at least two to three lead magnets that are performing well. If you only have one lead magnet right now, focus on making that one the best it can be. Once you have a few solid options, start cross-promoting them within your sequences.

This strategy works because it keeps your subscribers engaged longer, gives them more reasons to trust you, and positions you as someone who consistently delivers value.

A Quick Note About Staying Legally Compliant

Before I wrap up, I want to mention something that often gets overlooked: make sure your landing pages include a Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in the footer. When you are collecting email addresses, staying legally compliant is not optional. It protects your subscribers, and it protects your business.

If you do not have these in place yet, I recommend checking out The Legal Paige. She has templates specifically designed for creative business owners, and they are straightforward to set up. (Use the code DOLLY10 for a discount.)

Your Next Step

Growing your email list does not require a massive audience or a complicated funnel. It requires intention. It requires you to look at the content you are already creating, the systems you already have running, and the touchpoints where your audience is already paying attention, and then ask: “How can I offer something helpful here?”

Start with one of these five strategies. Test it for a quarter. See what happens.

And if you want more tools and resources to help you build systems that support your marketing, head over to my Business Tools and Resources page where I have gathered my favorite recommendations in one place.

I am here to help you create a consistent marketing cadence (aka workflow) so you can spend less time second-guessing your marketing and more time doing what you love.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I promote my lead magnet?

Consistently, but not aggressively. Weave it into your regular content (blog posts, podcast episodes, social media, email sequences) so it shows up naturally. If you only promote it the week you launch, you are leaving growth on the table.

How many lead magnets do I need?

Two to three strong ones are plenty for most creative business owners. Focus on quality and making sure each one connects to a specific need your audience has. You do not need a new lead magnet every month.

What if I am just starting out and only have one lead magnet?

That is a great place to be. Focus on promoting that one lead magnet through as many channels as possible and make sure the backend (your landing page, your email sequence, your delivery) is solid before you create another one.

Can I use these strategies if I do not have a podcast?

Yes. The first strategy is about using long-form pillar content, and a podcast is just one example. If your pillar content is YouTube, a blog, or even a consistent email newsletter, the same principle applies: use the content you are already creating to direct people to your lead magnet.

Meet Your Favorite Marketing Strategist and Business Coach for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi, I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer, marketing strategist, and systems educator for family photographers who want structure, clarity, and consistency in their marketing.

My photography journey began in 2006, and over the years, I built a sustainable family photography business while navigating motherhood, client work, and the realities of running a solo creative business. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected: I loved the backend just as much as the creative side.

What started as organizing my own workflows turned into helping other family photographers simplify their marketing, build repeatable systems, and stop relying on last-minute posting or panic marketing.

Today, I focus exclusively on helping family photographers intentionally market their businesses (not with trends but with consistently showing up).

I offer two ways to work with me:

• The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society: a systems-first membership that provides a clear weekly marketing cadence for Instagram and email, so you always know what to focus on without starting over.

• 1:1 Strategic Marketing Support for established family photographers who want hands-on guidance in building a sustainable, SEO-supported marketing system.

Through my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, I teach family photographers how to think like marketers, plan ahead, and create marketing rhythms that support both their business and their family life.

I still photograph families around Nashville because it’s one of my greatest joys. But helping family photographers build calm, consistent marketing systems that actually fit real life is a close second.

I’m so glad you are here, reading this blog, listening to the podcast, or watching the embedded YouTube video. I hope this educational content was helpful. Please let me know what future systems content you would like me to create!