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Email list marketing has been topping the chart as a sales strategy for online business owners. It has worked perfectly well for many and can do the same for you. The secret is everyone can benefit from it regardless of where your business is based. Online or offline. There is a lot of benefits that come with an email list and this post will reveal it to you. Whether you are selling software or hardware if you leverage the internet for marketing you need an email list for business. There are so many easy ways to go about it and we will see that shortly.
What is an email list?
An email list is a list containing the contact information you collected from individuals. They could be your audience if you have a blog or clients. This contact information could be their email address, phone number, and sometimes home address. Depending on what information you requested and what they are willing to share.
The sole purpose of having an email list is to be able to send emails to your subscribers. Subscribers are those who agreed to give their information and sign up for your mailing list. This email you send out is where the gold mine is. That is where you have the power to change your audience to clients and your clients to returning customers. The good news is this post will show you how.
Is an email list for my business important?
The simple answer is yes. There are a lot of benefits to having an email list for your business. You stand to gain more from having one than not having it completely. There is no better time to start building one than now. Whether you are new in business or old, you need it.
How to build an email list for your business
Before I dive into the main business for today which is telling you why you need to consider building an email list for your business. I Would like you to have an idea of how to go about it. To be honest email marketing is not my expertise. However, I would like to share with you the simple way I build mine. Even though I wrote a little about it here, let me give you a summary.
A. Have an email service provider. There are so many good ones out there, but I will recommend the best email service providers that I know. Convertkit and Mailchimp. Convertkit is the number for me because it is super easy to use. They have a great support system and a lot of free resources to teach you how to succeed. Sign up, create an account, and you are set. Next…
B. Create a landing page. You will not be creating anything from scratch because there are templates to choose from. Your only job is to customize them and make it look like your brand. Have a clear headline and go further to tell your potential client what they stand to gain if they join your list.
Convertkit will ask you how, click on landing page.
For mailchimp click on create and from the drop down menu click on Landing page
C. Have a lead magnet. A lead magnet is simply what you have to offer that will want to make someone sign up. The best lead magnets are free things. Free trials, free e-book, or a discount. However, your lead magnet depends on your business type. Hence, give an offer that suits your business.
D. Share the link to your landing page. Sharing it is easy as I would like to assume you have business accounts on social media. However, what is not easy is getting people to sign up. So not only are you sharing it but you have to promote it or make it visible to your followers
That’s just the basics for building your email list from scratch.
Reasons your business need an email list
Once, you are done going through this list, you will see what you have been missing by not starting to build a list. As I clearly stated from the beginning, your business type does not matter. If you use the internet for marketing, then you need an email list. In no order here are the reasons you should have one
1. Easy Marketing
Once you have an email list marketing your old, new, and upcoming product becomes easy. For instance, you launched a product last year and you got 1000 new subscribers this year. You can market this product to your new list, and it becomes new to them even though it is an old product.
This applies to your current product once it is launched you have a loyal customer base you can show it to. There is a 50% chance they are going to make a purchase. Do not forget they are on your list because they love what you have to offer.
The best part of this easy marketing for me is pre-launch. How will you feel knowing there are people you can start sharing your new product with before it is ready? Big companies use this method and I see no reason why you should not.
Above all what makes having an email list for your business easy marketing is this, When the algorithms on search engines and social media start to change and finding new customers seems impossible. You have a customer base no one can take away from you.
2. For a consistent customer base
Do not take your email list for granted. If you think they will not make a purchase again because they have done one already then you are wrong. For instance, your products are to help business owners grow. Therefore, if this product is good and they see results as promised, when you bring out another product they will buy. This is simply what having a consistent customer base means.
Hence, if your lead magnet is a free e-book that promises to show them how to get their first ten customers and it delivers. By the time you launch a paid product that will show them how they can make money with these clients. The rest you already know.
This is where the ball is in your court. You must give quality products with results as promised. So that when you introduce another product it will get sold out in no time.
The consistency here is that your subscribers never get tired of purchasing your products because they always get the results you promise.
3. To reward customers
Any business not ready or planning to reward its customer periodically has no plans for growth.
Rewards come in many forms and having an email list makes it easy to reward your loyal and regular clients. It must not be something big, just something little like sales, discount or a giveaway will go a long way to making your clients feel appreciated. This act alone can bring you more customers. Let them know you are doing it for them, so they feel special.
If you feel rewards are not profitable to a business, then maybe you ask the eCommerce stores and big brands you know why they do it.
I understand you are a small business and now it is not a good time to start doing all of that. However, my first statement was “planning”. Hence, as you grow include it in your strategies. Secondly, I said it must not be big and a simple goodwill message telling your clients you care occasionally can go a long way. If the information you collected includes the date of birth a birthday wish, or a nice downloadable customized birthday card will be appreciated. If it’s too much to handle learn how to be productive.
Your subscribers are your loyal customers who have made purchases from you many times, look for ways to tell them they rock, and show it. The benefits from these are countless and one is a recommendation, and nothing grows a business faster than word of mouth.
4. An email list helps you improves your services
When you want to improve a service or create a product and you do not know what to include in your service that will be good for business. And you are confused about what product to have out there first or what do add to make it superb. Your subscribers can help you out with that.
Ask them to take a survey, give you reviews, or test the tool. As a subscriber to other business lists myself, I have been invited to give reviews, take surveys, or test a tool.
You do not have to pay to get anyone to do this for you. Your clients will be 50% willing to be a part of it. Remember it might benefit them too.
5. For Passive income
If you ask me what passive income means I will tell you the money you make on automation. An income you make while you are away or present.
Email marketing makes that possible. You do not have to be online 24/7 making bargains and pitching your products to potential buyers. Why? Because you can automate your emails and make money while you are away or asleep. However, the wrong emails will get you no way. Hence, grab this evergreen email sequence that will turn your subscribers to customers in just 7 days.
Once you, are done creating your email, with all the sales pitch and marketing strategy enough to make them want to buy. Next is to schedule when you want to send the emails out. Hence, you can literally be asleep when these emails are sent out and you will wake up to some more money in your wallet.
As I mentioned earlier, even when the algorithms are not favoring you before you can get a hold of it you will still be making some cash with your email list.
6. There are no rules
Ok, there might be some few rules to follow if you want to make sales from every email you send. However, these rules are not as difficult as all that Google needs you to do so you can rank on their engine.
When I say there are no rules, I mean this, with your emails you can be you, friendly, playful, jovial, and even free to talk about your life. You can make it work for you your own way. Your email could be as short as 300 words and that will do. Personally, I hate long emails and you will have a lot like me on your list. So simple and short is better when it comes to email marketing. Except if it is an email course then long is ok since you are teaching something.
You can build a personal relationship with your customers by talking about yourself a little. Like you are just a business owner, with life too and you have not figured it all out yet. This kind of sincerity or simplicity can make them trust you more. Ask them to reply to your emails and when they do reply. Trust me this sounds like a lot of work and yes, it is. But it is worth it. The more they feel they can trust you the more they believe you can solve their problems. Hence, they will pay for your services.
In Conclusion…
Having an email list for your business is necessary for all the little things that when added up grows your business. With little effort and the right lead magnet that fits your business, you will start seeing your list grow. When that list starts growing make it work for you and your business. Send the right emails that will make you sales.
Your email list can make your business grow am sure you know that now. Do not hesitate anymore to start growing your email list for your business because you need it.
