💬 Soooo, this email got a lot longer than I expected (happy little typy-hands!), so if you prefer to read it on the Duett site or share it with a friend that way, come on over here to the blog.

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Hey Reader,

couple weeks ago, I shared how I grew my email list using the ConvertKit Creator Network by over 22%!

If you’re not familiar with the Creator Network yet, I suggest you watch this 2-minute video.​

However, if you’re like Rachael who replied to my email about the Creator Network, you may have some questions about how to get the MOST out of this ConvertKit feature. She asked:

I have a super tactical question for you – how do you actually find people and connect with them in an authentic and non-salesy way to start collaborating? How do I do the things that help me grow?

First, let me remind you that I got into the Creator Network early — I was part of ConvertKit’s “alpha” cohort, one of a few dozen creators who got to try out this new Creator Network strategy, give feedback on its features, and measure our list growth success.

That said, I was hand-picked and paired with a few other creators in similar niches.

The ConvertKit team can’t do that for everyone, so now they have a whole directory you can search through to a) find people to recommend, and b) connect with people who may recommend you.

So how do YOU get the same kind of quality matches to recommend you to their audiences?

The answer is “through relationships.”

Yes, I got hand-fed a few really great, top-tier creators to connect with directly through the alpha program, but the Creator Network is now designed to help more people (like you!) grow YOUR list through connecting with other creators directly.

Don’t willy-nilly this. Here’s what I suggest to get the most out of the Creator Network:

3 steps to get more recommendations through the ConvertKit Creator Network

Make your niche very clear and easy to understand quickly

One of the things that makes the Creator Network awesome is how quickly you can recommend other creators to your new subscribers. In a few sentences, you can know what kind of content a creator shares.

But the downside is that creating a concise way to explain what you do can feel *daunting.*

Consider these few things when you update your bio on the Creator Network to reflect who you create for and why they should join your list:

• WHO — make sure the bio explains specifically who you serve.
  • Are they busy moms? Founders (aka startup folks)? Fellow business owners?
• WHAT — what kind of content do you share to support this audience?
  • Is it inspiration? Tactical, applicable tips or how-tos? Stories of others in a similar situation? Is it light-hearted humor to get them through the day?

Because here’s the reality — your bio is going to show up alongside HUNDREDS of others. Your bio needs to not only speak to the people being recommended to you through the Creator Network…

…it also needs to clearly speak to those who are searching for quality creators like you to recommend to THEIR audience:

In short:

If your niche + content is not clear to other creators, they won’t have a reason to recommend you.

And if it’s not clear to their audience why they should follow you, they won’t.

Know the audience you want to reach

The pull of “get recommended by everyone so I can grow my list” can be enticing — and maybe you’re inclined to add all sorts of recommendations to YOUR Creator Network and you’re showing up in front of any and all creators willing to recommend you.

BUT WAIT.

Take just onnnnne minute.

Think.

When it comes to being recommended by others…

Who is your ideal prospect for new subscribers?

As much as I love my clients, and they may want to show the love back, it wouldn’t make much sense for Duett to show up as a recommendation to their audience of foodies looking for cookie recipes, now would it?

Like, what would a home baker want to do with a business newsletter about email marketing?

So you want to show up in front of audiences where signing up for your newsletter is a no-brainer. And while it may feel like you’re “competing” with other food bloggers — think of it this way:

• You serve your audience in a different way, with different content than anyone else
• You can add to the palette of content a subscriber gets in their inbox
• Just because someone subscribes to YOUR list doesn’t mean they’ll unsubscribe from the person recommending you

The more love, the merrier! We can trust that subscribers will choose what’s best for them — like the kind of content they get in their inbox or the number of newsletters they subscribe to.

And when it comes to recommending others…

I encourage you to ask, “Who can I recommend that will give even MORE value to my audience?”

For instance, I don’t think that folks looking for email marketing are going to be a good market for non-business things like baking, budgeting or cross-stitch patterns.

So for Duett, a business newsletter about email marketing, I recommend creators who…

• Teach on blogging — like Food Blogger Pro and Spark Media Concepts​
• Have resources on making money online — like Jason​
• Can help improve their email deliverability — like Alyssa​
• Will help them be more holistic business owners — like Angel​
• Do web design for food bloggers — like Madison​

Does that make sense?

Reach out and connect with other creators

The ConvertKit team has compiled a list of tips for getting recommended by other Creator Network creators — namely how to reach out and make authentic connections with other creators.

While we’re in a digital age, relationships are STILL (and will always be) where it’s at.

You are asking someone else to recommend you. Like those names you’ve had listed on your resume, it’s sort of a “character reference.” For someone to recommend you, they need to believe you’re real, that you’ll actually deliver on the value you promise new subscribers, and that your content/niche/message is all a good fit for THEIR audience.

Now, if you’re curious HOW to find these other creators and make sure you’re a good fit for them to recommend, I’ve got some tangible next steps for you…

Boost your Creator Network recommendations, starting now…

Log into your ConvertKit account and then visit this page (or if you’re not a user, just go here to explore) then:

1️⃣ Use the filter + search function and find FIVE creators who are a good fit for your audience AND you're a good fit for theirs.

2️⃣ Recommend them.

3️⃣ Then look up each of those creators on Instagram, send them a message (use the script from ConvertKit right here), and tell them about what you do and how you’re excited to recommend them. Include a link to your Creator Network profile, too, so they can see what you’re all about!

I want to help you get the most out of the ConvertKit Creator Network — and the action you take NOW will only have compound effects on your list growth.

Are you going to take the first step today?! Start browsing for creators right here.​

Once you find 5 good fits to recommend, reply back and let me know!​
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Let’s Duett,

Allea
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​If you’re not a ConvertKit user yet, set up a FREE account right here to check it out (and they make it easy to migrate, for free!) and see if it’s a good fit for helping you grow your list with more ease.​
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​P.S. I’m a proud affiliate of ConvertKit — and have been a happy user since 2017. There are affiliate links in this email, which means I will receive a small commission if you choose to sign up using any of them (at no additional cost to you).