If you’ve been around the biz block you might be hearing people talking up email marketing...like a ton!
For the longest time I turned my nose up to email marketing thinking it was old, outdated, or just not “for me”... but the truth is, it’s the only thing that is really “for us”. I’m sure you all know this, but we don’t own our social media followers. Sure, it feels like the are “ours” because they choose to follow our pages, but the cold hard truth is that if social media goes away…. So would most of our businesses. And, another cold hard truth is…. You probably aren’t really “selling” as much on social as you think you are.
So, I decided to get over myself and make the leap into email marketing. Now, be forewarned, I am by no means an expert on this. In fact, I’m a complete newbie… and a lot of you may know this already… but for those who are thinking about dipping your toes in, I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve found so far. There will likely be a part two once I learn more!
Find a platform and go all in- Finding an email platform that works for you is key! I’ve tried a couple so I could really get a feel for what I liked and didn’t. I ended up ladning on Flodesk, which has honestly been the most amazing platform I’ve used! Super user friendly, pretty, and really fun to create on. I went for the paid version, and it’s wonderful because I can automate, create workflows, and do all the things my email dreams are made of.
Mailchimp and I worked together for a bit, on the free plan, and it was OK in my opinion. A little clunky, harder to use, less designed in the way I like, but I think the paid plan could do the job.
Make sure your emails are branded to you- Like everything else, you want to make sure your email is consistent with your branding, you vibe, and the emotions you want people to feel when they see your stuff. That’s what I really love about flodesk, the designs are v in line with my branding, and it has been really beautiful and easy to create on. Add you logo, colors, fonts! The templates make it easy to show off your personality!
Use your voice- It is very important to write like you talk, especially if you are expecting people who read your emails to eventually choose to work with you. So, use words you would use in conversation. Decided what your voice and tone are, lights and casual, conservative and professional? Just be who you are, because your readers what to hear YOUR voice.. And they will definitely sniff out the BS.
Create a lead magnet- I know you’re getting excited and want to start building that list, but whatever you do don’t add people to your list just to add them. Make sure they want to be there! A great way to get them there is to offer something in exchange for their email address. The pros call this a lead magnet. A lead magnet is a little freebie you offer, and will only be delivered once the email is entered. It’s so easy! Start thinking of some things you can offer and throw them into a short list or guide on canva or in a pdf. Make sure there is value and benefit for people to join your list, and then keep them coming back for more!
Create workflows and tags for people- Keep things organized by assigning categories for the people who sign up for your list. What lead magnet did they come for? What are they interested in? Use these categories to make workflows that ensure you’re speaking to their needs and keep filling their cup with what they came to see. Of course you can sneak in some general info as well, but this helps keep you on top of the right people with the right stuff. The workflows can be automated so you can really set it and forget it!
Stay consistent, but don’t be annoying- Choose a drip that is consistent but doesn’t make people want to unsubscribe. Decide if you want to touch base weekly, monthly, less, or more, and make sure that your audience is going to receive this well.
Use your emails as a way to elaborate on your social content- Social media is a great way for your audience to get to know you, but email marketing is THE place to close the deal. Use your amazing social content as inspiration for a longer format email that really nails down your value and what you have to offer. You can also share longer stories, offer more connection, and just get your message across even stronger from an email! Plus, cut content creation time down by creating a large format and chunking things out from there!
Always add a CTA- Ok, they’re on your list and reading your stuff… but now what? Make sure you’re adding clear call to actions in your email! At least twice! As always, we want to make things easy for our audience to do the things we want them to do. Email is no different…. Especially since they invested the time!
Give them a reason to come back- Keep your emails fun, informative, exciting, and exclusive so your readers want to come back. Maybe you offer special discounts or really registration for your email list. Maye they’re the first to know about upcoming projects, or have first dibs on opportunities, whatever you decide, make them feel special so they choose you over and over again!
So that’s it! I dare you to make the leap into email marketing and see how it goes. So far, I’m having a lot of fun expanding my marketing and learning some great tips to really stand out. More on this later!
Until next time, stay bossy!
xo