When I started in online business I used to think email marketing was ‘spammy’ or ‘outdated’. Thinking to myself –
“I don’t want to be just another email that ends up in the Promotions tab in Gmail”
“I want my readers to spend time on my website, not their inbox”
Was I ever more wrong…
Check out my new Email Content Cheatsheet, filled with email content ideas that actually work!
Your Email List = Your Bussiness
There are two fundamental reasons for building and keeping an email list:
You have a direct line of communication with your audience
We all work hard to create helpful and interesting content for your readers. You may use social media to share your new ideas, but often your posts are only seen by a portion of your audience and engaged with a smaller percentage than that.
Having an email list allows you to personally communicate with your readers, ask them questions about their successes and struggles, provide them more personalized content that will supply value and impact, and give them important updates on your business and brand.
This level of access to your readers comes with a huge responsibility to “respect their inbox”. To do this we must follow a couple rules:
- We must continually offer value to our list.
- The expectations of our subscribers should be managed by making clear what content they can expect from you and how often you plan to send it.
- If you tell your list to sign up for a “monthly” newsletter – send out a newsletter … monthly!
You own the platform on which you build your business
I’m all for utilizing the tools offered by other companies to bring together your audience and share ideas (Facebook Groups and Pinterest Boards). This will end up providing more value to your readers than you can provide on your own; by creating the atmosphere for collaboration and support.
Though these platforms are helpful tools to your online business, they should not be the only way you communicate with your audience. The terms of conditions, rules, and regulations of all platforms are shifting and changing often; this can significantly change how you can run your online business.
Don’t build your online business on rented property.
If our entire online businesses were dependant on the successes and failures of another platform (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy, etc.) we would be affected by the ever-changing, ‘silicon valley’ landscape. There has to be a way that we can build on a foundation that we control and have a say in how it works.
Your email list is that foundation. A list of all your interested readers, customers, workshop attendees, etc. that YOU have total say in the platform.
Remember the Following
To win in the long-run with email marketing remember –
- Always provide overwhelmingly valuable content to your email list.
- Social Media platforms are fantastic tools for growth, but terrible for the foundation of your online business.
Stay tuned for more content this month on Email Marketing!
Check out my new Email Content Cheatsheet, filled with email content ideas that actually work!
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Please note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links – meaning that if you signup and begin using the product, Build Your Stampin’ Site will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I am a paying user of the products and only recommend products I truly believe will be helpful for my readers.
