Turn Your Instagram Followers Into Email Subscribers With This Exact Playbook
After more than a decade of building Pinch of Yum into one of the most successful food blogs on the internet, Lindsay Ostrom thought she had Instagram figured out.
She'd been consistently showing up, posting beautiful recipe content, and building a massive following of engaged food lovers (1.6M, but who’s counting?).
Historically, Instagram has been a place to build awareness around specific recipes with the hopes that people eventually go to the site.
But recently (and with the help of Grocers List), Lindsay cracked the code on turning her existing followers into email subscribers.
Here’s her complete playbook, including the mindset shifts, tactics, and step-by-step systems that turned her Instagram from a traffic source into an email list building machine.
She breaks it all down on this episode of Food Blogger Pro, too!
The Strategy Most Recipe Creators Get Wrong (And How To Fix It)
For years, Lindsay thought about her platforms like a traditional hierarchy. Her website was the foundation, Instagram came next, and email was somewhere down the line.
But recently, everything changed.
Lindsay realized her approach was backwards. She started viewing her website and email as the core of her business, with Instagram serving a completely different purpose.
"I really view Instagram and what we're doing there as a bridge to connect what's happening on the website and what's happening in email," she explains.
The breakthrough came when Lindsay realized her Instagram followers had no idea about the valuable resources she'd already created. She had years of organized content, printables, systems, and curated recipe collections just sitting on her website. Her audience was right there on Instagram, but they didn't know these resources existed.
Instagram's new job became introducing people to her ecosystem rather than just driving clicks to individual recipes. The goal shifted from traffic to email signups, giving her more control over the relationship and the ability to deliver ongoing value directly to her audience.
The Goldmine Most Creators Are Sleeping On (Don’t Be One Of Them)
After years of creating content, Lindsay realized she was sitting on something incredibly valuable that most creators overlook: expertise and data.
Lindsay knows which summer desserts are most popular, which budget dinners actually work for families, and which high-protein recipes kids will eat. This knowledge comes from years of testing, reader feedback, and website analytics. But here's the problem: "A lot of that for us as creators, I think just lives in our head."
The breakthrough was realizing that her most valuable content wasn't necessarily new recipes. It was the organization and packaging of existing recipes into strategic collections.
Instead of constantly creating new content, develop themes based on what you already know your audience loves. For Lindsay, this looks like:
10 budget dinners
My most popular summer desserts
The high protein family recipes that my kids will actually eat
My most viral recipes
The genius is in the curation. These aren't random recipe roundups. They're strategic collections built on years of data and understanding what people really care about.
The Freezer Meals Masterpiece
Lindsay's most successful Instagram campaign ever proves that your biggest wins might come from content you already have.
She had created a massive freezer meals resource years earlier (complete with printables, labels, and a clear system). It was sitting on her website, helping the thousands of readers who found it, but most of her Instagram followers had no idea it existed.
So Lindsay created a video showcasing the resource. Not a new recipe, not fresh content. Just a well-structured video showcasing what she already had.
The result? "It kind of went bonkers. It was one of the most, I mean by far and away the most engaged with posts that we've ever done on Instagram."
Here's what made it work:
The Content Strategy:
Showcased an existing comprehensive resource (not a single recipe)
Used "viral marketing techniques" to make the video appealing and shareable
Focused on the system and organization, not just individual recipes
The Execution:
Created a video that demonstrated the value visually
Made people think "oh, that would be a really helpful thing"
Used Grocers List to amplify engagement and drive email signups
Instead of hoping people would discover the resource organically, Lindsay strategically introduced it to her Instagram audience.
This is the bridge strategy in action. Using Instagram to connect people to valuable resources they didn't know existed on her website.
The Mindset Shift That Will Change Everything
If you've ever felt guilty about asking for email addresses, Lindsay's mindset shift will help you reframe it into something much more positive.
"I don't really think of it as asking for something from people. I think of it as it's a service we can offer you if you're interested. It's an offering. It's not an ask," she explains.
This isn't just semantic. It's a fundamental change that affects both your energy and your results.
Here's How It Works In Practice
When someone comments a keyword on Lindsay's posts, they get a DM card with two clear options (thanks to Grocers List):
"Take me to the recipe" (no email required)
"Email me the recipe" (convenience service)
The key is choice. People aren't trapped into giving their email. They're offered a service that makes their life easier.
Think about it: getting a recipe delivered directly to your inbox is genuinely convenient. You don't have to bookmark it, screenshot it, or try to find it later. It's there when you're ready to cook.
Why This Mindset Matters
When you believe you're providing genuine value, your content feels different. You're not desperately trying to extract something from your audience. You're confidently offering something helpful.
The confidence comes from knowing that your content genuinely helps people, making the signup a natural extension of the value you're already providing.
Steal This System To Avoid Getting Overwhelmed
Lindsay's sustainable approach to email-focused Instagram content centers on one simple rule: one strategic campaign per month.
"Having the idea of one per month helps it not feel so overwhelming. It just helps me feel like I have a plan. I don't have to be doing this every week, but I generally am working on this thing," she explains.
Start with your list of 5 collection ideas (remember those themes we talked about earlier?). Choose one per month based on seasonality, what people are asking about, or what's already performing well on your website.
The Two Types of Campaigns
Complex Projects (Full Month): Some campaigns, like Lindsay's freezer meals video, require significant time investment. "The freezer meal one took me a long time to make that video, prep that video, get that stuff ready. So that one was a one month project."
Quick Wins (Same Day): "But some of them are quick and easy. If we're talking about our most popular recipes, we already have those videos done. We can just pull a clip from each, or we could even just take the pictures from the website and create a carousel, like literally something that simple."
Think about what you already have that can be repurposed.
The goal isn't to create viral content every week. It's to consistently and strategically connect your Instagram audience to your email ecosystem with valuable, curated resources you know they’ll love.
Your Content Library Is Your Competitive Advantage
Lindsay's transformation from frustrated Instagram user to strategic email builder didn't happen because she discovered some secret hack. It happened because she realized she was already sitting on years of valuable content - she just needed to package it differently.
The freezer meals resource that became her most successful Instagram post ever? She'd had it for years. The summer dessert collections, the budget dinner ideas, the high-protein family recipes - all of it already existed. Her breakthrough was understanding that her audience needed to be introduced to what she'd already created.
This is probably true for you too. Right now, you likely have:
Popular recipes that consistently get traffic
Seasonal content that performs well year after year
Resources and guides buried on your website
Years of reader feedback showing what actually works
The question isn't whether you have valuable content. The question is: are you strategically introducing your Instagram audience to it?
Start with one collection idea. Create a simple carousel using existing photos or pull clips from videos you've already made. Set up a two-option DM system that offers convenience without pressure. Test Lindsay's approach for one month.
Your years of content creation aren't just traffic drivers - they're the foundation for strategic email growth. Stop treating Instagram like a traffic source and start using it as a bridge to your most valuable business asset: direct relationships with people who want what you have to offer.
