Email Marketing is The Number One Way to Effectively Connect and Sell to Your Audience
One thing I never do is assume anyone knows anything when it comes to online business and email marketing. In this post I’m going to cover the basics so that we can make sure you understand the importance and the strategy behind growing your email list and deploying an email marketing plan.
What is Email Marketing?
Email Marketing is when you collect emails through a form on your site which gives you permission to market to your email subscribers using your email marketing system. (ConvertKit, Mad Mimi, MailerLite). According to the CAN-SPAM Act, you must use an email marketing system to collect emails and send out emails, you cannot use your personal email.
Why is Email Marketing so Important?
- Emails are more personal and create a deeper connection with your readers. Nothing is more personal than landing in a person’s inbox.
- You own your email list. Unlike your social media followers, you own the emails on your list and have their permission to send them emails.
- While social media platforms come and go email is here to stay.
- You can contact your list at any time and don’t have to fear your message being at the mercy of an algorithm.
- Email marketing converts more sales than any other platform.
Email Marketing Rules
- You must tell recipients where you are located (bottom of your emails must have an address, you can use a P.O. Box).
- Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future email from you (most systems include a unsubscribe option at the bottom of each email template so you don’t need to add it manually).
- Honor opt-out requests promptly.
- Disclose affiliate links (you cannot use Amazon affiliate links in email)
How to Get Started
- Choose email marketing platform. ( I use ConvertKit, here’s my affiliate link if you’d like to check it out)
- Create something free to entice your reader to sign up (PDF, Worksheets, Ebook)
- Create a form for readers to sign up
- Connect your freebie to your form (how you do this will depend on your email system)
- Put the form on your site
- Create a welcome sequence that is delivered after your freebie
- Share your freebie on social media
- Consistently send an engaging weekly newsletter,
What to Send through Email Marketing
- weekly newsletters (be consistent)
- surveys
- launch emails (a series of emails launching your product or service)
- news or updates
Do I Really Need an Email List?
In one word, yes! When I first started online I focused heavily on growing my Facebook page, I even spent money to grow it. I have over 21,000 followers on Facebook and do you want to know what that’s done to help my business?…. Nothing! I’ve grown my email list for this site to nearly 3000 people and I have made deeper connections and more sales with that amount of subscribers than on any other platform.
If that’s not enough to prove to you how important it is, I’ve also seen the benefits of email marketing with others. I personally know many of my own friends who have seen the same results and better. The company I work for as the marketing director has seen an increase in sales by over 80% since we focused on our email marketing strategy. If that’s not proof I’m not sure what is!
What’s Next
It’s your turn to get started with email marketing. Start growing your list and sending out a consistent newsletter! You can download your email newsletter planner to help you plan your weekly newsletters. Don’t skimp out on these. Writing a weekly newsletter is the number one technique to keep your list interested and engaged in what you have to say.
Was this article helpful? Feel free to share it!
