Email marketing is an effective way to reach customers and prospects.
It allows you to send messages directly to people who have opted in to receive emails from you.
Opt-in means a user has given you their email address and permission to send them emails.
Unfortunately for most creators, email marketing is the last thing on their minds. They want followers and Likes and Comments on Instagram. They usually do not think big picture.
If you are serious about growing an online business that grows with you and pays you long into the future, then you cannot afford to do without email marketing.
WATCH VIDEO – How to Optimize Your Email List for Conversions
Why Is Email Marketing Important?
There are so many reasons why you need to start email marketing for your business. Here are a few very good reasons why email marketing is important for any online business.
Generate more Leads for Your Business
Email marketing has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to communicate with customers and prospects. Studies show that email marketing generates more leads than other forms of advertising.
You can see it clearly in your own personal life, with how you consume information online.
I bet you are more likely to sit through an interesting email, but on social media, you are swiping fast and forgetting the content as soon as you scroll.
Own Your Contacts Online
Think about this, every app, social media, or software you use online requires you to have an email address. It’s safe to say if people are on social media, they all have email addresses.
It is the one contact detail we all need in this digital world.
So while you may have a lot of followers online, if you do not have their emails, you are growing your online business backward.
The first thing I think about with every new brand or idea I have for an online business is email.
WATCH CLASS: The Lead-Generation and Tripwire Funnel to Generate Leads on Autopilot
Connect Directly with Prospects and Followers without Distractions
Emails are a more engaging and immersive way to connect with your audience. Unlike social media where there is always another piece of content to distract the user, emails lock you in.
This is why people are more likely to buy a product or service via email than through social media.
I have been using email marketing for as long as I have had an online business.
But to be successful with email marketing you have to know how to write emails that people want to open, read and take action from.
Email Marketing Best Practices
Fail-proof your email marketing efforts by ensuring you are following best practices to keep your list healthy. So many people begin email marketing for business and never optimize their efforts.
One of the most crucial parts of keeping your email list healthy is deleting subscribers who are unengaged. This sounds counterintuitive after all we are trying to grow a huge email list right?
Wrong.
We are trying to grow a healthy, engaged list.
But wait, before you jump in and begin deleting subscribers, watch this quick tutorial below to teach you how to clean your list on Flodesk.
The Basics of Email Marketing
Email marketing is an excellent way to stay connected with your customers and prospects. It allows you to send messages directly to people who have opted in to receive them. This means that you can reach out to your customers at any time and remind them about your products and services.
Which platform is best for Email marketing?
There are two main email marketing platforms I recommend to creators. For ease, simplicity, and functionality, I use Convertkit and Flodesk.
For most creators, Convertkit may be a little too expensive especially as you begin to grow your list more and more.
If you are tight on a budget, then Flodesk is the best choice because it is one of the cheapest email marketing platforms.
Flodesk gives you unlimited emails and unlimited subscribers for a single one-time fee of only $38. If you use an affiliate link, you’ll be lucky to steal Flodesk for 50% off your first year.
That means no matter how many subscribers you have or how many emails you send, you only pay a single fee of $19 monthly.
Compared to Convertkit, that is a big steal and a huge deal.
However, I do prefer the automation and segmentation capability of Convertkit. It is more advanced than Flodesk, and as a Sales Funnel Strategist, I have to work with the best no matter the price.
To grab an affiliate deal on Flodesk and save yourself some coins, use this snappy link for $$ off.
That said, when choosing the best email marketing platform for your business, there are so many things you must consider.
Your Budget
Can you afford the billing month to month for your email marketing provider? Ideally, your online business should be making money as long as you are doing email marketing the right way.
Make a clear budget and plan and choose a platform you can sustain for the long term.
Most creators use Flodesk because you can get unlimited emails and unlimited subscribers for only $19 monthly
The Size of Your List
How large of a list are you hoping to have? For most people, the more subscribers the better right? Unfortunately, most email marketing platforms will charge you more for more subscribers as you grow.
If you don’t want that, you’ll like the peace of mind from knowing you only pay a single monthly fee.
I suggest checking out Flodesk and signing up for 50% off
How Tech-savvy You Are
If you are not big on tech and you want a simpler way to grow your email list, you want to choose a platform that is easy to use. Convertkit and Flodesk and very easy to learn and use.
If you are a complete beginner and would love to learn how to start your email marketing from scratch using Convertkit, this complete beginner’s course will prove valuable.
Flodesk is the winner here as it is generally much simpler to use than Convertkit.
So if you want even more ease, then you must consider trying Flodesk.
Types of Emails in Email Marketing for Business
There are three main types of emails: transactional, promotional, and informational.
Transactional emails are those that help you complete a transaction such as purchasing something online or signing up for a service.
Promotional emails are used to promote a product or service. Informational emails provide general news and updates.
Informational emails do a good job of teaching, engaging, and enlightening your subscribers. This could be in form of tips, helpful guides, and resources.
All three types combined in your email marketing strategy will help you connect with your subscribers on a deeper level.
Building an Email List From Scratch
Building an email list is so easy I wonder why many people never start. If you are already creating content daily online, you should be building your list daily.
To build an effective email list, start by asking people to sign up for your newsletter or a free lead magnet. This will give you a chance to introduce yourself and tell them more about your business.
Once you have their contact information, you can send out regular newsletters with helpful tips and tricks.
Here are Some of the Best Ways to Start Growing your Email list
Depending on the nature of your business, you’ll want a list-building strategy that acquires only the best leads for you. This can be:
Free Trial of Your Product /Service
Ask people to sign up for a free trial. This is great for businesses that offer a product or software or service. People will exchange their email addresses to try your product. But you will have their contact to continue to sell to them even after their trial is over.
Send a Weekly Newsletter
A wonderful resource for your brand and business is weekly newsletters. Newsletters can be a round-up of your best ideas, tips, and resources for your subscribers, etc.
If you cannot maintain a newsletter every week, perhaps you could try a bi-weekly newsletter.
Newsletters are usually deeper, richer content and it works because you’ll be able to move your audience with deeper content.
Giveaway a Lead Magnet / Free Resource
One of the most popular ways of growing your email list is to craft a high-converting lead magnet or free resource. This is a powerful strategy as you will be able to attract your ideal target audience and buyers. You want to ensure you are creating the right lead magnet that is optimized to convert.
Host Free classes and Webinars
As a coach and course creator, this is probably my best way to grow a highly targeted email list.
The people who sign up for your free classes and webinars are usually also the most qualified for your offers. They are the ones who are more likely to buy from you eventually.
You must be careful to create classes or webinars that are very related to your offers so the transition to the sale becomes seamless.
Offer a Coupon / Discount
This is a perfect way to grow your email list especially if you are a product-based business.
You can offer an incentive with a coupon/discount for items in your store. But you must make sure people have to sign up to get it.
For example: “Claim 40% Off your First order”
This will help drive sales, and at the same time grow that email list.
That’s it for now! I hope this guide helps you start your own Email Marketing efforts the right way!
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