Email marketing is an often overlooked aspect of your overall business growth. Many business owners forgo building an email list because they can’t resist free posting on Facebook. Social media is great, but there are some problems.
Your social media fans may not be showing up or buying. Why not?
- Many of them are family and friends – supporters but NOT buyers. That’s because you’re not targeting.
- Too many distractions on social media. They saw your post, but then someone else came along to steal their attention away.
- They’re stuck scrolling. People go to Facebook for entertainment, when feeling lazy.
- The timing is way off. You posted your weekend event on Friday but they didn’t see it until MONDAY. (This happens to me from the user end all the time. I pretty much miss every sale that my favorite local businesses are running.)
You also run the risk of Facebook or other popular platforms being overhauled or bought, and having their algorithm change in a major way that may hurt your business sales.
For this reason, you should be collecting email addresses. You won’t lose your customers if you have their email. You can reach out DIRECTLY to them, any time!
How often should you email your list?
It’s up to you. Whatever you decide, let readers know up front what to expect. “Sign up to receive our weekly digest!” “Sign up for our monthly newsletter!”
How do you get people on your list?
Offer them an info handout. You don’t have to do this as a rule, but it’s a good way to drive traffic from ready buyers.
The info handout is offered as an incentive to sign up.
The general method for creating a handout is as follows:
- Identify a common problem of your audience.
- Share tips for solving that problem.
- Break it down simply, in the handout.
All you need to do is set up five or so pages. It can be longer, or shorter… the length doesn’t matter as much as the quality of information. If your handout is a single page, that could work. Then maybe you’d feel inspired to create a longer info handout next time.
The point is to get going. Connect with the customer mindset, and solve their problems before they ask. That’s how you become known as an authority in your field of expertise.
How do you create an info handout to grow your list?
- Write the content in MS Word. Use a “how to” or “basic steps or tips” format.
- Transfer the content to an ebook format using Canva (free membership works just fine).
- Add images.
- Save as a PDF file.
- Download the PDF to your computer.
- Upload the PDF to your server.
- Copy the link to the PDF (a link is just a file path).
- Create a list using your email list manager(I recommend Aweber if you don’t have one. I pay less than $200 per year for my email list manager services and YES you need this. Do not email by sending blind copies from your gmail account. I have done this and it’s a holy wreck to manage. You’ll also get blacklisted and never reach the inbox which is the WHOLE POINT!)
- Create an automation rule that sends out a welcome email. Type out your welcome message and paste the link to the PDF info handout directly into the email. Save and configure for the email to go out automatically each time a new subscriber joins the list.
Need inspiration for what to include in your info handout? Here are a handful of ideas by niche. You have endless possibilities!
That’s it, now you’re list-building. Get into the habit of emailing your list directly instead of communicating from your social media page. It’s much more direct and timely!
This week I’m working with clients to create an info handout for them to enlighten their audience with great information. Email healthyhappynj@gmail.com if you want this for your biz, too! We can talk about pricing when you get in my inbox. See you soon!
Dina