I want to talk to you about getting started with email marketing. Why do you need email marketing? Because you don’t own social media, you don’t own followers, but you do own your email list! Not everyone’s on Facebook. Not everyone’s on Instagram. Everybody has email.
I believe all small businesses need an email marketing strategy. So, how do you get started with email marketing? If you are at ground zero, with no subscribers, no signup form, where do you start? Don’t get overwhelmed; I’m going to give you the top things you need to do.
Getting Started with Email Marketing: The keep it simple approach
Number 1: Pick a platform
Pick a platform. I don’t care what platform you use. If you ask for advice from other email marketing strategists or virtual assistants or anyone who works with email marketing they’re all going to tell you which one they like the best. I like AWeber, but you need to decide for yourself, which one works best for you.
If you’re at the beginning of your email marketing journey, choose a platform that you can start with for free. There’s no reason for you to be paying for a service right out of the gate. I personally like AWeber Free because you get all the features you need to get started and to allow for growth.
There are other free services out there. I encourage you to just pick your service, don’t spend a ton of time figuring out which service is the best one for you. Go with your gut, maybe spend a day comparing the top three you think you’d like, and then pick one…because guess what? Remember earlier when I said you own your email list? You can always pick your list up and move it to another platform if you change your mind.
Number 2: Create a signup form
Create a signup form. This does not have to be complicated. A simple signup form should include first name, email address, and a submit button. That’s it!
You do not need a big landing page or a sales page or anything complicated and extreme. Just a signup form, where people can enter their email address. You can also ask for their name. On my signup forms, I ask for the first name and email address because I like to personalize my emails with people’s first names. Check out one of my signup forms and snag 33 lead magnet ideas by clicking the button below!
I used a template to make 33 lead magnets from that button above! Almost every single platform, if not all of them, have templates ready to go. Customize it with your branding colors if you want; just build it and then share your signup form! Remember though, keep it simple to start: first name, email address, submit button.
Number 3: Send emails to your list
You need to email the people on your list. There are two ways you can start. You can create an automated welcome sequence or you can just start sending regular email newsletters.
A welcome campaign or nurture sequence is where when they sign up, they automatically get a message from you. And then a few days later another message and then maybe a week later another message.
We call it a welcome sequence or nurturing sequence because you reach out to them and communicate to them immediately when they subscribe and you start warming them up right away. That gets that know, like, and trust factor going so that, eventually, those subscribers will convert to paying customers and clients.
If creating a welcome sequence when you’re first getting started with email marketing feels overwhelming, here is another option. No matter how many people are on your list, start sending consistent email newsletters to stay in touch. Whether it’s once a week, every other week, or once a month…just start emailing people!
Remember, we are keeping this simple. I do want to encourage you that even if you only have one subscriber on your email list (and it’s your mom), I want you to start sending emails to your list on a regular basis.
Have questions about how often to email them? Check out this post, Email Frequency Best Practices. I always recommend starting with a weekly newsletter, but I know when you’re getting started with email marketing, that can feel overwhelming, so don’t feel like you must do that. Not sure what to say? Check out this post with some content ideas!
Number 4: Create a lead magnet
A lead magnet is not required to get started, but eventually you will need one to keep growing your list.
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like to give my email out to people. But I will give my email out if I’m being offered free value, or if its a solution that solves a problem I have in my business. A lead magnet is an incentive for someone to give you their email address in exchange for something of value, something that solves a problem that they have.
Don’t overthink it. You don’t need to write an eBook. You don’t need to host a free webinar. You don’t need to have a 10-day challenge. Keep it simple, you’re just getting started with email marketing. I just want you to create a simple and easy lead magnet so that you can start collecting email addresses.
Remember your target audience. What problems do they have? What can you offer that fixes that problem? What can you deliver to them quickly and instantly?
Need help coming up with an idea for a lead magnet? Get a list of 33 Lead Magnets to grow your email list, click this link to learn more!
Number 5: Don’t overthink it!
Don’t overthink it. Don’t overthink any of it. You’re just getting started with your email marketing. Again, don’t worry about making it fancy. Keep it simple. Just speak to your readers, connect with them, and build those relationships.
Want more help?
If you have any questions about email marketing shoot me an email or comment below. Not lacking creativity or inspiration, just lacking time? Then let’s talk about me handling your email marketing!
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