WHAT??? They’ve turned off Facebook. Instagram is broken. LinkedIn got deleted and Twitter has disappeared! Can you imagine? The chaos, turmoil and uproar! BUT, what would happen to your business marketing if social media vanished overnight?
You don’t have a record of your social media followers, direct messages, comments or deep dive analytics. All your contacts belong to the social media platforms. That’s why it is SO important to build an email list that belongs to you. Email Lists - they're for keeps!
Where to begin?
Do you know that your ideal customer is more likely to buy from you through an email rather than through social media? A whole 40 times more likely!
At this point you may be thinking two things?
Email lists are too hard.
I don’t know where to start.
Well, if you don’t know what to do then, yes, you could think this. However, if you put a bit of time aside you can quickly put the wheels in motion to at least make a start in collating your own business email list.
Action Plan
If you put aside 2 hours and worked on some short, sharp actions to begin a collated, purposeful list you’ll be heading in the right direction.
Here are 5 things you can do THIS WEEK that will mean at least you’ve made a start. Remember these actions are organic - you’ll get higher results from using Ads - but with Ads comes a budget and expertise. So these steps will get you started.
Get Personal
Work through your personal email list. Contact people who you know would be your ideal customer - or who would be an advocate for you. Write them a super quick email explaining what your business does, add a link to your website. And, to be GDPR compliant, tell them that they have to reply with a ‘Yes’ in order to go on the list. You must tell them what you will be sending - so something like ‘regular newsletters and updates’ and let them know they can unsubscribe at any time.
Website Sign Up
When people visit your website, ask them if they want to be on your email list. Create an opt-in page. ‘Opt-In’ is the term used when someone gives a clear indication - by ticking a box - that they give consent for you to email them. You also need to tell people they have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
They are pretty easy to create. You just need to take your time. OR you could outsource this to someone who has experience of adding them to websites.
Socially Aware
Take the opportunity to talk about your email list on your social media channels. Create posts that will tease your audience about the invaluable content you want to share with them IF they sign up. You can even add a link to your ‘Opt-In’ page in your bio on your Instagram Account. Use the correct hashtags on your Instagram and LinkedIn posts - the ones which will capture the attention of your ideal customer. Better still, talk about your email sign up on Instagram or Facebook Stories - you can always take it further and do a Facebook Live or IGTV!
Virtual Networking
Make use of virtual social groups where your customer will be hanging out. Search for relevant Facebook and LinkedIn Groups. Spend the time listening to your potential customer’s pain points and what their issues are. Offer advice and solutions to their problems. Spend some time contributing to the group and then you’ll likely find there is an opportunity for you to share your website and opt-in page. Often they have a self-promotion post per week.
Create Content with a Call To Action
Once you have ticked all of the above off the list, the next step is to seriously consider regularly creating valuable and actionable content that attracts your potential customer. Post blogs on your website that are aligned with your ideal client. Share your expertise and invite them with a Call To Action (CTA) button to join your email list.
And that’s how it starts….. Of course you need to save your valuable email list somewhere. Ideally this will be with an email marketing server - but that’s a whole other blog!!! Keep them somewhere secure - even a spreadsheet is a safe place to start with - but, fingers crossed, you’ll need to move on from that spreadsheet pretty quickly!
I hope this has given you a starting place - even to just believe that an email list is possible.
This Week
If you can find 1 hour this week then contact those in your personal email account with a simple opt-in email. If you can find another hour then explore adding a sign-up option to your website.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Of course if you want to hear MORE time-saving tips, short-cuts and ideas for small business support, then sign up to my email newsletter (there's an opt-in pop up on my homepage or a button at the top of this page.) You’ll be one of the first to know.
Sxx
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