Have You Started on Your Email List Yet – Well WTH Not?

I’ve blogged a few times about the importance of building your email list and mentioned it in other posts but due to the importance of the email list, I am clearly not sharing about it enough.  Too many small business owners I know in networking or online groups just aren’t doing it.. and I just don’t get it!

The benefits of email marketing

Consider your social media marketing – you are hoping that your X number of posts will show up in front of your followers and that your ads that you are paying for will show up in front of your target market.  Then there is your website, which is amazing, of course, that is a valuable source of information and super blogs that you share over and over on social media (that you are still hoping your followers will see).  So, what could be better than landing right in your target market’s email where they WILL see your email, your name, your eye grabbing subject and will likely open your super email? What’s better than that – NOTHING.

Still sitting on your a$$ about email marketing?

We just said above that nothing is better than an email marketing campaign, yet you STILL don’t have it? WHAT? Why not? I wrote a blog the middle of last year on 6 Reasons Why You Must Build Your List Right Now and I’ll highlight it here for you, but be sure to check it out.

• Your website is great but they have to know it and they have to go there.
• Your social media that you are posting often (I hope more than 1x a day) isn’t always visible when they are online
• You are top of mind, regularly (like social media if they are lucky enough to see what you post when you post)
• You have their email even if social media goes away or you take down your website for redesign, you can stay in contact
• Rome wasn’t built in a day – it takes time to build so no better than the present to get started
• No miraculous creation – it won’t build itself, it’s all you, so get on it. (Well, I can help, but you know what I meant)

If that doesn’t light a fire under you, sadly, nothing will.. but I must impress on you the importance of it, if I haven’t already. PLEASE…for the Love… start it now.

What starting your list entails

It really isn’t that complicated to start your email list but it just have a few steps and there are a few different email auto responders (that’s what they are called) that you can use like Aweber, MailChimp, GetResponse, Constant Contact and likely some others. I, personally, use Aweber and wrote a review on it last year but I have also created campaigns for clients on Aweber, MailChimp and Constant Contact and all are essentially the same, it’s just where you go to set things up.

Steps to be sure you complete for getting your list

• Settings – once you create your account, you’ll need to update your settings with your name, business, logo, notifications and email address where the emails will come from and to.
  • It is not suggested to use a free yahoo, gmail, Hotmail, aol (gasps, anyone still use that?) email but one from your website like yourname@yourwebsite.com), billing info and etc.
• Create a List – you can have many lists so best to set this up right from the start. Likely your first list will be one that folks on your website sign up for, so this might be your main one.
  • Within creating a list, it will ask you to complete settings for this list, name and description of the list, how they subscribe, oopt-in, signature, notifications, logo, maybe even social sharing, unsubscribe page (if you choose to customize), archive settings, double opt-in and the confirmation message email.
• Create a Form – You will need to have your form set up for this. You can do it inside your auto-responder or you can likely link it to your landing page and integrate it separately. But, if you do it inside the auto-responder, it will help you to create/design the form, settings (thank you page, already subscribed page, tracking) and then the how to publish (install on your own or send to your web geek).
• Follow up message – once someone subscribes, you might want to send them a thank you and give them something in return (see below). You will set this up and schedule it to be sent immediately or X days after they opt-in.
  • You can create a series of follow ups based on when they op-in.
  • The auto-responder has tons of templates for you to use to create something special versus just a standard text message, so take advantage.
• Opt-in WIIFM – We always have to remember, it’s not about us, WIIFM – what’s in it for me. The consumer will be more likely to opt into your email list if they are getting something in return.. so give them something.
  • Provide them with a freebie download, top ten tips of X, how to’s, check lists or whatever your target market typically needs.
  • You’d put this freebie download on your website and send them to your website and likely make it easy for them to download right from the email. Give them options, but make sure one of them is driving them to your website.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but most auto-responders take you through each step, you just want to be sure you go to each one.  But trust me, it is well worth it and I hope you now see this too.

Hopefully you are on board and ready to get building your list. If you need any help with that, your download or other marketing ideas, contact me, I’d be happy to help.

~Kristen

Kristen Day

CEO/Founder of A Visual Business

Kristen is a small business owner and thus dedicated to other small business owners by helping them improve their online presence with search engine optimization, social media marketing, email marketing and pay per click advertising all of which are necessary 'evils' in the digital marketing sphere but enables small business owners the opportunity to compete with larger companies. When not in the digital arena, you can find her riding her Honda VTX1300 or drinking a margarita.