November 13, 2017

5 Irresistible Reasons to Start Building Your Email List Today

If all the emails I have received were legit, I’d be a multi-millionaire (thanks to my long lost cousin in Nigeria), I’d be ranking #1 in google for every keyword I can dream up, and I’d be saving 80% on printer cartridges.

And while the emails selling viagra will probably continue to make their way into my inbox, every so often I receive emails that I have actually opted into, from businesses that offer value— whether it’s a link to an interesting blog, a new resource or a friendly business tip, these people are focused on creating content that is not spammy, scammy or salesy.

This type of genuine, value focused email marketing has been so helpful to our own marketing strategy, so today, I want to share 5 big reasons you should start building (or re-activating) your email list.

1. It’s one of the few marketing channels you own

While facebook and instagram are great ways to promote your content and connect with potential customers, none of us actually own anything that we post on social media. More importantly, those audiences that we’re all working so hard to build on social media could be gone tomorrow if platforms like Facebook or Instagram decide to change how they operate.

Because we don’t own our audience’s data on social media, we’re also at the mercy of platform algorithms as to who sees our content and how many people are shown it. If you’ve ever followed someone on instagram or facebook, but can’t remember ever really seeing their posts, you’ve experienced this first hand. Due to the sheer amount of content on social platforms, we only see a very small percentage of the content that’s posted by people we follow.

This is why, while we love social media, we use it as a part of a larger marketing strategy alongside assets that we have complete control over — our website and email list. When you contact your email list, everyone on your list receives your messages, straight to their inbox. And, if your favourite social media platform happens to change their algorithm (likely), or some crazy mishap leads to their demise (less likely), you’ll still have your email list of followers to share your updates with.

2. Your email list = your tribe

I don’t know about you, but my inbox is already flooded with stuff I never read (see first paragraph), so I’m not giving away my email address to just anyone. I’ve got to be really picking up what they’re puttin’ down to give them access to my inbox.

So, if someone’s opted in to your email list, they are already engaged. They’ve weighed up the pros and cons of subscribing and they have decided you’re worth it. You’ve piqued their interest and they want to hear what you’ve got to say.

Your subscribers are your people, your tribe. Regular communication with them will help you to build stronger relationships with the people who value what you do. And, when you decide to promote something you’re selling, the subscribers who’ve stuck around are the ones who are most likely to make a purchase, refer a friend and share your content with their friends.

3. Emails are instant, automated & customisable

In case you were wondering, email marketing is not a job for gmail. Platforms like Mailchimp, ConvertKit and Autopilot (our pick) all have the ability to customise and automate emails which is ah-mazing because it means we can trigger a sequence of emails to send out when someone subscribes over a series of days or months. Our subscribers get loads of valuable content, and we can regularly keep in touch, without having to hit send every time.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to email automation too. These smart email marketing platforms can automate a whole series of events, based on the interests and actions of each subscriber, enabling you to completely tailor their experience.

On the occasion we want to send a one-off email, we can create and schedule this in advance, or have it arrive in people’s inboxes instantly too.

4. Email marketing is cheap as chips (actually it’s cheaper)

Depending on the platform you use, size of your email list and features you require, email marketing can either be free or relatively inexpensive. For example, let’s say your platform costs $30 month. If you send one email a fortnight to 1000 subscribers, that’s 0.03c per message. That is pretty damn cost effective compared to marketing through other channels.

5. Email lists allow you to stay in touch with your website visitors

Many business owners are spending time and money on building and driving traffic to their website through advertising, SEO and social media. But, consider what happens when someone visits your website or blog. They might read about you, read some blogs and then leave. A very small percentage will be ready to contact you or buy from you right there and then. If you’re lucky, they might bookmark your page and return later.

By asking someone to join your email list (hopefully by offering them a lead magnet, discount or freebie) you’re able to start building a relationship with the vast majority of people who are probably interested in what you’ve got to offer, but aren’t ready to buy anything just yet.

So, there you have it, the 5 reasons why we recommend making email marketing a core part of your marketing strategy! I was pretty sceptical about spending precious time on email marketing when we first started, but I have to admit, this has been a game-changer for our business and sales.