Email list, subscribers, segments, leads, contacts; all of these are titles used for potential clients. Listen to any business podcast or read any business book, chances are you will hear all about the importance of having an email list.
Why is it so important?
Because it is yours! If all of your sales came from strictly social media, what would happen if Facebook and Instagram shut down tomorrow? Not only is it yours, but it also is where your hottest leads are.
How to build an email list?
What is the question that your ideal clients ask themselves? Then give them what they want! Create a valuable resource and give it out in exchange for email addresses.
Begin by brainstorming what is a resource, aka a freebie, that your ideal client would love?
My first freebie was ‘What should I outsource to a virtual assistant’ it not only helped answer the question I get asked all the time as a VA, but it also planted the seed to anyone that saw it that virtual assistants could help them with their business. This also offered a solution to the pain point my ideal clients face.
What kind of freebie should you create?
Your freebie should be related to whatever it is you wanted to sell. My first freebie focused on selling virtual assistant services.
Your opt-in could be a;
- A ‘how-to’ of something your ideal client would have to do, like create a landing page.
- A cheat sheet; how big images need to be on different social media platforms.
- Templates, once again, think about what your ideal client needs; a unique portfolio template.
- A printable, this could be a cute journal prompt page, a checklist, or a brainstorming question.
What kind of freebie has helped you grow your email list? Do you have more than one?
Rooting for you,
Meridith
