Email List: When & How To Make Email Offers
Are you actively focused on growing your list of email subscribers?
Do you know what the biggest source of leads has been to grow your subscriber list? More importantly, how engaged are the people on your list?
Growing and nurturing an email list is an important aspect to a thriving business for most entrepreneurs. It's something I encourage almost all of my clients to build. As many experts will tell you, your email list is an asset in your business, it's something you own.
Email List: Why You Need A List
In the past, a few of my clients have been adamantly opposed to growing a list. They've had reasons like,
“No one in my industry has an email list, therefore I don't need one.”
“Clients find me through my website or on social media, they'll contact me when they're ready to buy.”
And a few other reasons that make even less sense then the two given above. ?
One client in particular held out for years from building a list until this last year when something changed in her business. She developed a product to sell whereas in the past she was only selling a service. We worked on an opt-in offer and started building her email list. Had she started growing her list when we originally talked about it, her list size could have easily been in the thousands vs. the few hundred she ended up collecting. This greatly limited the number of people she reached in her product launch.
Email List: Is Everyone On The Same Page
One of the biggest concerns my clients express when contacting their email list is not wanting to causes people to unsubscribe. It's this fear that keeps them from emailing their list regularly or ever even making an offer to the people on the list.
When you're not emailing your subscribers regularly, people don't actually know (or they forget) that they are on your list. So the next time you send them an email, you'll likely get a bunch of people hitting the unsubscribe link.
It should never come as a shock to someone to receive an email from you. Consistency is key when you want an active and engaged list of subscribers. It's the same thing in sales, people need/want to know what to expect from you.
Email List: Making Offers
It's important that the people on your list understand how to buy from you. When all you do is send out updates about where you've been, your thoughts on a particular topic or free (yet valuable) content you are doing a disservice to prospective clients as well as to your business. People need to know how to do business with you. Your email communication should give simple ways for people to hire/buy from you.
This doesn't mean that every email out to your list needs or should be an offer. There are times and places for specific offer based emails. Don't keep from sending out offers to your list because you're worried people will unsubscribe. The truth is the people who unsubscribe because you're making an offer are not prospective clients. You can't count these people are part of your subscriber list. Learn to celebrate them removing themselves from your list. I refer to this as “Clearing The Field”. It allows you to target and deliver valuable content to your ideal clients.
As you may know, I spend hours putting together what I hope is valuable content for people to consume. Every week for the last 4 years my email subscribers receive a sales tip. People often share that my newsletter is one of the only email newsletters they read. Besides being incredibly flattered by this feedback, I often receive new clients through my newsletter.
Email List: It All Counts
Now it's your turn. When's the last time you contacted your list of subscribers? Maybe it's time for you to touch base with your list. If it's been a while, consider sending out something valuable for them to consume. It could be a tip, a resource or something they'll be excited to read from you. Be sure to include a section on how to get more from you (this means a way for them to hire you).
For those that are regularly in contact with your list, is it time to make an offer? Craft an email focused solely on one offer. Be sure to consider the reader. Write the email to one person, not a whole group. Often times I receive emails that say things like, “Hey All” or “Hey Guys”. These messages don't resonate with me, I'm just one person opening my email, reading it by myself. There's no group of people gathered around my phone. Therefore this message makes no sense to the reader.
Next, pay attention to your use (or in most cases overuse) of “I” statements. These types of statements are instant turn-offs to readers:
- I want to invite you…
- I want you to know…
- I'm here to help you…
- I know how you feel/think…
- I know what you need…
Get these out of your email messages. If you're not sure how to do that, consider booking a Strategy Session and you'll be shown a much more effective way to communicate with your readers.
Wishing you continued success in building an active list of engaged subscribers.
Agree? Disagree? Additional comments or thoughts on this article? Please share.
