Step 1: Traffic
The first thing you need is traffic. Without eyes on your content you won’t be able to build an audience. But like any content for your business, you want to attract your ideal customer, they are the ones you can convert to paying ones. So you want to create targeted content that is valuable and interesting to your audience.
- Some of the best places to source your traffic are:
- Social Media
- Blog Posts
- SEO – Search Engine Optimisation
- Paid Advertising like Google Adwords or Facebook Ads
- Face To Face Networking like events and speaking engagements
There is no point getting the traffic if you don’t do something with it, so that leads us to step 2, your Opt-In Method.
Step 2: Opt-in Method
This is a crucial step to building your list. You want to funnel the traffic you gain from those different sources onto an Opt-in page. That is a page on your website that allows you to capture people’s contact details in exchange for a valuable free gift. The ultimate goal of this free offer is to get the contact details of your ideal customer so that you can add them to your email list and send them your regular newsletter and sales booster opportunities. If you can’t capture their details then it is a missed opportunity to create a lead. For this tactic to work, your freebie offer needs to deliver fantastic value. It is not enticing enough to simply offer people to sign up for your newsletter. You need to give them something truly valuable like an e-book, a tip sheet, a template, or a mini-course. Your freebie content should be of the same quality as your paid content and be a logical lead into your products or services.
Step 3: Build Your List
This is the step where interested parties agree to join your list. So you need to make the process easy for your prospects. Here is what you need:
- An Email Marketing platform
- A functioning Opt-In page that will add subscribers to your email database
- An irresistible freebie offer
- The perfect wording to entice them to enter their details
- A Thank You Page to thank your leads for signing up and to provide them with another touch point for
your business
Step 4: Deliver the Freebie and add Subscribers to your regular Newsletter
Once they are on your list, you need to deliver what you promised them. It is very important that you don’t over promise what they will receive in the freebie, or miss this step. Trust is key in any relationship, so you need your readers to be able to trust your word.
This is the step where you send your valuable freebie and add them to your regular newsletter.
Step 5: Build a relationship by sending great content to your list
Would you part with your hard earned money if you don’t know what you are going to get out of it? No, I didn’t think so. Then why would your audience buy from you without knowing who you are or what you do?
This is the step that takes commitment and consistency. Every month you need to commit to sending a newsletter to your list. It needs to be packed full of useful information that will interest them and also prove that you are an expert in your field.
A large list that you never contact is a wasted resource. Until your audience Know, Like and Trust you, they are unlikely to buy from you. Quality newsletters are not a nuisance for your list to read, in fact if you do it right, they will look forward to receiving your content.
Step 6: Send Sales Campaigns
This is the step where you reap the benefits of the relationship you have been building with your list. Now that they Know, Like and Trust you, it is time to encourage sales conversations. Capture your readers interest with a question they can’t help but answer, send them a notification of your new product launch, give them an offer they can’t refuse, or simply introduce them to your products. If you have done your groundwork correctly, this is the step that will generate ongoing sales for your business.
Step 7: New Clients & Income
The last step is the best step – funny that! Because if you have built a relationship with your list and make irresistible offers to them, new clients will follow. This is a celebration step. You have done all of the hard work in the previous 6 steps and now you get to celebrate the fact that you have great new clients to work with and income flowing into your accounts.
But don’t fall into the trap of taking your foot off the accelerator at this point. You need to keep consistently sending your monthly newsletter and offering your list the chance to buy from you. Email marketing is an ongoing tactic that needs to be maintained to be effective.
This constant pressure to send valuable content can be overwhelming. Also, it is difficult to know what to send and when to send it. Wouldn’t it be great to have an expert strategy to follow?
If you book in a FREE 30-minute Strategy Call with me, we can plan your whole email strategy in that time.
Book your strategy call here: http://bit.ly/MeetWithLara
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