It took me nearly two solid years of running my business before I finally learned about the power of landing pages. Two. Years.

Don’t get me wrong, I had always “known” of them, but I never thought they could actually work wonders in my business. I mean, I’m an affiliate marketer. What could I possibly use landing pages for? However, my recent switch to using LeadPages (i.e., the be-all, end-all of high converting landing page templates.) drives home the fact that I was simply wasting time, and losing money, by not using landing pages in my business.

So, how can you harness the sheer list-building power of landing pages? Simple.

But first…

What the Heck is a Landing Page?

Before you can start incorporating landing pages into your online marketing plans you need to know what they are! Basically, a landing page is a webpage on your company website that exists solely to entice a reader to give you something (i.e., an email address, etc.), typically in return for something—an e-book, mp3, video series, PDF guide, discount, coupon code, consultation, auto-responder series, anything you can think of! That means there should be nothing else going on within that page, distracting the reader from your end goal—just an eye-catching headline, some alluring copy, and a sign up form.

How to Use Landing Pages to Grow Your Email List

Now that we’ve got that yawn-inducing definition out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff! One of the aspects I love most about landing pages is the fact that you can let your creativity run wild and use them however you like. However if you need a little help getting your creative juices flowing, here’s a look at five creative ways to leverage landing pages to grow your email list faster than you thought possible.

1. Social Media Bios

   We all know that you get that one coveted spot on your Facebook page, your Twitter bio, your YouTube icon, or your Pinterest page to link to your website. And yes, you could just enter in your homepage and be done with it. Or, you could use that sacred space to host your landing page URL and drive people to sign up to your email list using one of the opt-in bribes I listed above. Sure, it might not be the most creative way to use your social media bios, but how many people can you think of that are using that space strategically?

2. Below-the-Post CTAs

   After testing this over our 20+ websites, I can confidently say that using a clear call-to-action text link below each of your posts is one of the easiest ways to convert a reader (or viewer, or listener) into a subscriber. The key here is to make each call-to-action as relevant to the post as possible, otherwise you risk leaving the reader feeling confused. And trust me, a confused reader does not convert into a customer.