“You need a list,” they said. “The money is in the list,” they said. “You need an autoresponder,” they said. So you purchased an autoresponder; you added an opt-in box on your website; you have a couple of subscribers; now what?
Now, you sit down and plan what you’ll send to your list.
The money is in the list ONLY if you stay in contact with the list. If you send out random emails every few months or every few years (yikes!), chances are you’ll have many unsubscribes and maybe even a few spam reports. Because you weren’t consistent in your communication, your subscribers probably don’t remember who you are or how they got onto your list.
Know Your Subscribers
Your subscribers should also be your ideal clients. You may have a few who don’t fit that ideal description, and maybe they subscribed because something about your opt-in offer intrigued them but basically, speak to your ideal clients.
What do they need? What are their pain points right now, this minute? How can you help them? What products or services can they use in their lives right now?
Knowing the general details of your subscribers’ lives and needs will naturally tell you what kinds of offers to make. Of course, offer your own services and products first and investigate affiliate programs that complement what you offer.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
In this social media age, people are gung ho to offer opinions on absolutely everything, so don’t be afraid to ask open-ended questions about what your subscribers need. This is market research and shouldn’t be construed as an invasion of privacy. You want to fill their needs, and guessing isn’t a productive way to use your time.
Get Used to Planning
Consistency is key to developing loyal followers, so plan your emails to correspond with your other content efforts during the month. Decide how often you will email your list, then pick a specific day of the week. Mark it in your calendar so it’s official (yes, you should consider yourself a client). At the very least, tie in your blog content with your email theme/offer or get adventurous and choose a monthly theme. Write it all down, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Your Clients Want Your Content…Are Your Producing?
Email marketing is just one small part of content creation that every online business owner should be doing. Are you new to email marketing and need to know where to start? Find the email marketing support you need here, and let me help you reach and stay top of mind with your clients!
Tracey Lee Davis, founder of ZingPop Social Media, turns busy small business owners into online marketing rockstars! A social media expert and Certified Partner for Constant Contact, she coaches entrepreneurs in how to grow their business using social media and provides total management for their email marketing campaigns. Tracey Lee is also a featured speaker for associations and business groups. She is a 2022 Silicon Valley Woman of Influence, Alignable's 2022 Local Businessperson of the Year for San Jose as well as a Top 25 U.S. Business Mentor of 2021, a Certified Content Marketing Strategist, and the Co-Owner and Vice President of the Women’s Networking Alliance. She also really, really loves cheese.