How to get people to sign up to your mail list (Part 2!)
I can hear the groaning from here - I know you guys don’t wanna do it. But here’s the thing - email lists can be SO valuable. Hands up, how many of us have seen an email ping into our inbox and bought something from it? Hands up, who has read an email and thought, actually - that was pretty valuable? If used correctly, emailing marketing can create some super customers of yours. But, let’s play that game again. Hands up - who has unsubscribed faster than the road runner, from spammy emails selling something you really don’t care about. Or hands up, who does a mass unsubscribe every Black Friday? my hand is up
If done incorrectly, you can be wasting your time, talking into the abyss and loosing customers. But, if done with love and care, email marketing can be so incredibly valuable. Some stats for you - Email generates $36 for every $1 spent, meaning email marketing ROI is 3600%. That’s insane by the way. For every $1 a company invests into email marketing, it usually comes back 70x. So you can see, email marketing can be the difference between a fully booked weekend or not.
So, I hear ya - how the heck do we get email subscribers. I’ve actually written about this before in another blog post, but I wanted to bring some more fresh tips today that may be able to help! Please refer to that blog post here - if you are brand new to this!
Exclusive Content Club:
Create an exclusive content club or a VIP section on your website reserved only for email subscribers. Offer premium content, bonus materials, behind-the-scenes access, or early bird discounts to incentivize sign-ups. By providing valuable and exclusive content, you'll make your email list feel like a privileged community that others would want to be a part of. Want a real life example? A nail salon in New York, offers an exclusive membership club for their customers. This IS paid for, but could easily be free, depending on how much time you have. Inside this area, they offer a monthly manicure, plus nail content, trending nail designs, Q&A’s, discounts and even events. These customers, who would be going to the nail salon anyway, are made to feel VIP with this small tweak. It creates a sense of community, and keeps these customers loyal, engaged and part of the team.
Webinar Series:
Host a series of webinars on topics related to your niche. Promote these webinars as valuable learning experiences and offer them exclusively to your email subscribers. This approach allows you to showcase your expertise, provide actionable insights, and build trust with your audience. During the webinars, invite participants to join your email list for additional resources and future webinar announcements. This is the “oldest tip in the book” (I don’t like to say trick, because I have been to many valuable webinars and signed up to many valuable lists doing this!). Host a free online lesson night with your community, or perhaps host a free 5 day virtual event. Building up that relationship and rapport is a sure way to get them on your list and fully warmed up as a customer or a lead, because simply, they know you now!
Content Upgrades:
Enhance the value of your blog posts or articles by offering content upgrades. These are additional resources, such as cheat sheets, templates, or step-by-step guides, directly related to the content your audience wants to see. Place opt-in forms within your blog posts, inviting readers to sign up and receive the content upgrade. This strategy provides an immediate incentive for visitors to join your email list while offering them valuable resources. An example of this could be - this blog post right here. Perhaps at the end, I have a content upgrade, that encourages the reader to sign up for a PDF download on 10 more mail list ideas, or a month worth of mail list content. My reader is clearly interested in that, because they are reading the post AND made it to the end. This is a way of leveraging your blog, providing a freebie and warming up a prospective lead!
Social Media Giveaways:
Leverage the power of social media by organizing giveaways exclusively for your email subscribers. Promote these giveaways across your social media channels, encouraging your followers to join your email list to participate. Make the prizes relevant to your audience's interests or needs, and highlight the benefits of being an email subscriber, such as increased chances of winning future giveaways or receiving exclusive offers. This is a nice easy one, that doesn’t require too much prep or planning. Just make sure to read those legal rules surrounding giveaways, in your country before hosting.
Partner Collaborations: Collaborate with influencers, experts, or complementary businesses in your niche to create joint promotions that encourage sign-ups. Offer a special bundle of resources, discounts, or exclusive content that is only accessible to those who sign up for your email list through the partnership campaign. This strategy allows you to tap into the existing audience of your collaborators and expand your reach while providing added value to potential subscribers. Plus, the networking potential is endless!
Remember, each of these strategies should align with your target audience's interests and provide value to them. That is KEY to retaining a good email list full of happy subscribers. I remember once, I tried a guide I read on Pinterest and bombarded my list with sell sell sell content. I quickly saw from my metrics, that is NOT what my audience wants, and they certainly don’t resonate with it. Now my email newsletter is a casual diary format that I write weekly, like I am writing a letter to my friends, and I have seen great results from it. I am nurturing my audience, I am creating a close relationship with them, without alienating them. By implementing a mix of these ideas and continuously evaluating their effectiveness, you can optimize your email list growth and build a loyal community of subscribers and hopefully, bookings!