Why You Should Start the New Year Focused on Building an Email List
In celebration of the new year, we are devoting the whole month of January on our blog to the importance of building and nurturing your email list. These next few weeks are traditionally a very busy time for those of us in the wellness space. We want to help you take advantage of this peak time for your growing business.
This week, we are focusing on the reasons why you should prioritize building an email list. Next week, we will discuss how language and wording can play an important role in your emails (in terms of open rates and audience engagement). The following week, we are diving into strategies for crafting compelling emails. Finally, in the last week of January, we are going to give you some list building ideas and strategies that you can implement to get you off to a great start for the new year.
Many of our Hey Marvelous teachers have an email list of zero (or close to it) when they first get started. Although zero is a perfectly good place to start (it’s where all of us begin, after all), you’ll need to prioritize growing your list if you want to be successful in online business. Before any filming gets underway, you should have some clear intentions and processes in place that are focused on building and nurturing your email list.
Our founder started building our email list on day one of Hey Marvelous, and those first 70 or so email addresses she gathered over the early months turned out to be some of the most valuable connections we have made as a business. Those initial people have turned into advisors, clients, partners, mentors, and lifelong friends. Yes, the intention of an email list is to one day provide or sell a service or product, but don’t limit the types of connection that others can have with your business. We are grateful for each and every person that has reached out and requested to be on our list -- connection is key in the online world. Building an email list of people that connect to you and your brand can be the difference between having a successful business and one that never really takes off.
Before you jump into creating your online offering, it is vital that you spend some time on building your email list, especially if you are anticipating selling your teaching to new clients that find you online.
Here are the four reasons why we think email list-building will be key for 2017:
LEARN EXACTLY WHO IS CONNECTING WITH YOU AND YOUR MESSAGE.
Having an email list is your direct channel to communicate with those who are connecting to your message, be it existing students or new ones. A potential student only needs to come to your website once, for you to have the opportunity to begin connecting with her through email. From this one visit to your website, you can begin to build a relationship with her. And who knows what can come of that connection for both parties. We created both the Hey Marvelous software platform and the Soulful MBA training community as solutions to the expressed needs of those on our email list. Listen to those on your list, ask them questions, dig deep, and then serve them what they are asking you for.
Wondering how you even get that first email on your list? Check out How To Start Marketing Your Virtual Studio Online.
EMAIL CAN ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH TO AN OTHERWISE IMPERSONAL ONLINE EXPERIENCE.
Authentic, heartfelt email messages can be deeply personal. You can probably remember at least once when you received an email that touched you in some way. It was offering exactly what you needed at the right time -- maybe it was a product, maybe it was advice, perhaps it was a suggested online tool, or maybe it was just simply a quote that spoke to your soul in a tough moment. Email is powerful. Don’t underestimate it! The communication you send by email comes right into the inbox of your potential clients and customers. Once a person subscribes to your list, she doesn’t have to do anything extra to stay in contact with you.
Although social media can be hit or miss, most people check their inbox at least daily (for some of us, it is far more frequently than that, eh?). As you begin to build a relationship via email, your prospective clients will start to trust you and your advice. In time, when you have something to offer, these subscribers will be more likely to sign up or purchase what you’ve created.
Still wondering if you are ready to launch your online business? Here are 25 Things You Need to Know Before Launching Your Next Online Course.
STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY (SO THEY DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS).
We are all aware of the abundance of information and services available online these days. After going through all the effort of marketing your business (SEO, Facebook Ads, Instagram, and on and on…), don’t fall into the trap of hoping that your website visitors will remember to visit your site again someday when they’re ready to sign up for one of your classes or programs. Perhaps Elise isn’t ready for your online wellness course yet, but who knows, maybe in six months she will be! By having her on your email list, you are ensuring that she doesn’t forget about you and your offerings. In online sales, there is a general rule that it takes seven touch points to make a sale. Coming to your website (or seeing one of your social media posts) is just the first step in a series of events that build up to making an online sale. Be patient, provide value, support your list, and when it is the right time for Elise to buy a wellness program, you will be front and center in her mind.
A newsletter is a natural place to start connecting with your community. Here is Why Every Yoga Teacher (or Studio) Should Have a Newsletter.
YOU ARE IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIST.
Owning your list is probably the strongest reason to begin building one. Yes, there is social media, but it is highly competitive (especially in the wellness space) and constantly evolving. With social media, potential students can unfollow you at anytime, and they will disappear. Gone forever. You have no control over who visits your site and you have barely any control over who connects with you on social media. With the constant changing of Google’s and Facebook’s algorithms, it is comforting to know that email has stayed pretty much the same. Email has been the constant in this ever-changing space, and owning your list is a big deal. Many online marketing experts say that “your revenue is in your list”, and while that is usually true, your list is also the heart and soul of your community. Make it yours. Treat those people well. Create value.
Still, have questions about How to Teach Online? Here is the Toolkit You Need to Launch Your Offering.
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