So I’ve been talking to lots of business owners about how they can build their email list, and the main question that comes up time and time again is, “What should I write in my emails so that my subscribers want to buy from me?”
Well, the key to having an email list that converts to clients is engaging with your email list. I believe there are three cornerstones to effective engagement and they are:
- Talk to them frequently
- Regularly give great content away for free
- Ask them questions, listen and respond
So how does this work in practice? Well let’s look at each cornerstone in turn to uncover the best way for you to engage with your email list.
Talk to them frequently
When I say talk to your list frequently, I am definitely not meaning once a month. I’m talking about once a week or at the very least once a fortnight. Think about how much happens in your life in a month – where you are now could be very different to where you are in a month’s time. If you leave your email subscribers that long they will have forgotten who you are.
It is especially important to talk to your email subscribers frequently when they first come on your list. For this I would create an introductory email series of seven emails that go out automatically to all subscribers when they first join your list.
The aim of this email series is to welcome the new subscriber, introduce who you are and the work you do with clients, offer them some valuable content that relates to the problems they need help with and finally find out who they are and what they need.
Regularly give great content away for free
The reality is that people often do not buy the first time they hear about you. Some of you might relate to this – perhaps you launched an online course by hosting a webinar, got 60 sign ups and only 15 attendees, and wondered why you had a handful of sales, if any?
Well, the reason is that this is your first time “out of the box”. It’s the first time your new potential fans are hearing about you. On average people can need as many as eight contacts with you before they buy. So expecting a sale after your first “hello” is like expecting to get a kiss on your first date.
You need to build a relationship with your potential fans first. The way to do this is by consistently offering them valuable content that help them solve their problems. I highly recommend hosting webinars to do this, but what I consider to be equally valuable is emailing blogs to your email list.
Read also: How to build your email list from scratch to 500+ subscribers in 14 days!
If you are now asking, “But what do I put in my blog posts?”. Then, you’ll be happy to know I’m on it already J
Here are ten weeks of blog post topics I recommend you write that will also help your ranking in Google (even better, two for the price of one!)..
Blog 1: What is the type of coaching, therapy or service you offer and how can it benefit people?
Blog 2: How can your approach help a specific problem your audience have?
Blog 3: How can your approach help another specific problem your audience have?
Blog 4: Real people who have benefited from working with you – your client’s story in their words
Blog 5: What informs your approach to your work? Where did you develop your expertise – share your story
Blog 6: How can your email list get to work with you – introduce your programmes and offers
Blog 7: Answer a burning question that your ideal clients always ask you
Blog 8: Answer another burning question that your ideal clients always ask you
Blog 9, 10 & 11: A three part blog series sharing individual pieces of valuable content that relate to the same topic
Blog 12: Write about how you understand your ideal client’s biggest frustrations and are here to help
Ask them questions, listen and respond
You don’t need to know exactly what your email list want to hear about, instead you can ask them. Simply ask them what their biggest problems and frustrations are that link with your area of work. Then create content that helps to solve these problems. In this way you are responding to your email list and their needs. This will help turn potential fans into raving fans.
What happens when you consistently answer your fans questions is that they start to approach you asking you how they can work with you to help them solve their problems.
The reality is that your email list is made up of human beings, you need to talk to your email list as though you are speaking directly to each person. When people on your email list start communicating back to you and asking how they can work with you, you know you are truly listening and responding to them.
It’s not about getting a sale – it is about sharing your gifts and open-heartedly serving your audience in the best way possible.
I’d love to hear from you with your questions, thoughts and if this article spoke to you, email me directly on shelley@clientnectar.com
Read also: How I gained 1500 new email subscribers and 15 new clients!
