Talking Shrimp’s INBOX HERO Email-List-Building List

AH, LIST BUILDING. EVERYONE’S FAVORITE THING, YEAHNO

Well hey there! Not to brag, but around town, I’m kinda known for my list size.

That is, my relatively small list size. People point and say, “It’s so tiny!”

They’re not being rude, they’re impressed. Because my little list is also mighty.


Click here to join it and get emails that make you a better writer
(of emails and anything else).

My Shrimpers (that’s what I call my subscribers)? They are engaged. And they invest in themselves (that’s self-development/coach-y-pants speak for “they buy”).

They buy from my emails, which I write as if I’m writing to one friend. And it works. It’s what I teach in my signature email copywriting course INBOX HERO.

My tiny-but-mighty email list grew by a lot when I did the things on this list.

In fact, close to tripled.

From over 4k Shrimpers in 2016 to nearly 13k at the end of 2019, to 20k by July 2020, when I first created this Fugly Google Doc, to 33k in 2022. I could keep updating the number here every year, but eh.

So, mine might seem like a tiny list to the million-subscriber Big Kahunas in the marketing space…

...But I think the average person starting a business would say “Wow, how’d you grow your list? What should I do to grow mine?”

And to that question, I say...

Here's what's worked for Talking Shrimp

  • Frequent (if not constant) calls to action, AKA CTAs, in my Instagram captions (posted automatically to FB) to sign up for my epic freebies or my emails.

    Because most people are too lazy to go to a link in bio, or want to look later, the way to go is with a CTA that says “Comment [CODE WORD] and I’ll shoot you the link.” In 2024-2025, I’ve been using these heavily.

For this “Fugly Google Doc,” for instance, my caption directed viewers of the post to comment “FUG.” Which you probably just did.

I used to answer by hand, clicking  “message” from each “FUG” reply and hand-sending the link.

These days, I use…

  • A bot! 🤖 Well, an app — called Manychat. You’ve probably seen everyone using it by now. It automates the DM when someone comments with the key word. So when they type in “FUG,” they instantly get my message with the link to this page you’re reading now. Maybe how you ended up here, too.

    And then, hopefully, they (you)     get on my list because you’re interested in writing the best emails (that make money) and recognize that mine will inspire and teach you how.
  • Making my website an opt-in honey trap. Opt-ins, everywhere you look!
    (Like, on my     About Page. See how many you can spot!)
  • Spotlighting my resources page, where you can also find the opt-ins.
  • Going on podcasts and always offering a gift - usually, the link to my subject lines guide, my 5 Secrets to Non-Sucky Copy, or Story Goldmine: 63 Surprising Ways to Mine Your Everyday Life for Stories that Sell.
  • Guest posting in big publications, especially ones that allow a shirttail bio with a link (like Business Insider).*  

    This one was my most-shared piece ever, pretty sure:


  • Speaking on stages and offering a link to my opt-in at the end.

  • Putting an intriguing headline in my LinkedIn bio: "I write the only emails anyone opens anymore." People sign up to see if it's true. (It is.)


  • Giving testimonials to people I've worked with, especially mentors. Those aren't usually linked, but people look me up. When you offer a testimonial, make sure you include your title (what you want to be called). Otherwise, they'll just put your name. People tell me all the time that so-and-so found them through a testimonial they gave here.


  • Creating NEW lead magnets. I always get a fresh surge of signups with a brand new freebie, like when I released


Story Goldmine:
63 Surprising Places to Mine Your Everyday
Life for Stories that Sell.

It rocks.

  • Masterclasses AKA webinars. Free live or recorded video trainings are a great lead magnet. Most marketers use them to pitch something, usually something big, at the end. But you can use them to get people on your list.

Speaking of…have you attended this free class yet?

  • Having a featured landing page for my emails, with tons of social proof about how good they are. (Seriously, have you not signed up yet? Go here and you’ll be convinced.)


  • Guest teaching in OPP (Other People’s Programs)
  • Writing the occasional epic blog post that becomes a super-resource, full of ways to sign up for my list. This one, on writing emails that sell, is my cornerstone content.
  • Partnering with an indisputable badass like Marie Forleo to create our course The Copy Cure. That course has brought me a vast portion of the exposure I get - both because Marie’s platform is monstrous and because the course is incredible. Get on the interest list for The Copy Cure here.
  • Giving you this list for free! I mean, without even requiring a signup. Don’t you want to click the links and sign up anyway? Here’s another: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP AND BECOME A SHRIMPER
  • Writing a book. Have I mentioned? My book, Tough Titties, came out in June 2023 and is a national bestseller. It’s not the kind of book that’s a natural home run for list building. There’s no QR code in the back that you can scan to go to my site and take a quiz (“How Tough Are Your Titties?”) But I do get emails from new subs who found me through the book, and they’re probably the most engaged kind of readers.

  • A line at the bottom of my personal email signature like so:

Talking Shrimp in your inbox: Get the ONLY emails anyone likes anymore.

  • And, most of all, writing emails worth opening, reading, and spreading the word about — so people tell the world yours are the only emails they actually read. I help you with that in my course Inbox Hero. 

What else I could be doing:

  • Giving testimonials and submitting my site as a case study to apps and platforms I use and love, like Convertkit (for emails to my list) and Kajabi (for digital courses). These two are affiliate links. If you sign up for either, I get a commission! Win-win.
  • Pitching articles more regularly.
  • Paid ads. I have a weird block about these, always have. Part of it is pride in my totally organic list. And fear that the people I attract through ads will suck. That's my own cuckoo thinking. For my therapist. [UPDATE: I’ve been running them. They’re expensive. They get rude comments from clueless cranks. Once in a great while, I hear from a loyal fan and paying customer/student that they found me through an ad, which makes ads feel worthwhile but I dunno. ]
  • Start a podcast. I was going to…and then I didn’t, because I didn’t want to. Who knows, I still might. I’m waiting ‘til everyone on the planet but me has one and it’s way too late. Oh wait, my 11-year-old niece started one, so that’s happened.
  • A quiz! Haven't done one of these, have considered it. I haven't landed on what the quiz would be about. Or tried that hard to. But I’m not opposed.
  • A virtual summit. So much work, but fantastic list builders.
  • Pinterest, Youtube. These are both search engines, great places to be posting regular content that drives traffic back to your site. Some people are everywhere and do it all. Me, I have Real Housewives episodes to watch. Gotta draw the line somewhere. But never say never! (UPDATE: I’ve repurposed a bunch of my existing content for a YouTube channel.)
  • Start a free Facebook group where the questions to join include, “What’s your email? (Providing this gives me permission to subscribe you to my mailing list and contact you)”

WHICH ONES COULD YOU START DOING RIGHT AWAY?

Write me back and tell me. If you don’t know where to write me back, it’s because you’re not on my email list. And if you’re not on my email list, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?

Sign up over here.