Welcome back to {Day 20} of 31-Days to Build Your Own Creative Business here on Marketing Creativity. If you’re just joining me, you can click here to catch up from Day 1. Today we’re talking about building an email list for your business.
Ask any successful online storefront, small business, or popular persona how they achieved their success, and across the board, the answer is:
Build an email list. You must have a way to capture and engage with your customer base, and the email list is the most important marketing tool you could possibly utilize.
Keeping in touch and updating your customers regularly will do wonders for your bottom line. Here’s where to start:
Get a host
In order to organize your mailings, as well as have a place to invite your customers so they may sign up for your email list, it’s best to get an email service. I have experience with two such services:
Mail Chimp (Sign up for free)
Aweber (Paid service)
You can also google “email marketing services” for a long list of options. The benefits of using a service are countless: they provide tracking information, website forms, web pages where your customers can join, they handle “unsubscribes” (which complies with SPAM laws), and it’s a cheap (sometimes free) way of connecting with your customers directly, just to name a few.
These services and their templates may seem unfamiliar and overwhelming at first, but give it a chance. With a few explorational clicks and a little practice, you’ll be navigating your list like a pro.
Invite your customers
In advertising speak, it’s called “Opt-in” or “permission” marketing. It’s the friendliest way to advertise because your customers have actively requested more information. And by all means, please …
Help people find the sign-up form! I keep a link to my email list in my shop announcement on Etsy, and every time I get a custom or restock request, I remind the customers that they can keep an eye out for my new designs by signing up for my newsletter. I also post the link for email sign-up on Facebook and Twitter when I’m about to run a special promotion. Speaking of which:
Entice them
Don’t just ask customers to sign up, give them a reason! People are protective of their email accounts, and if they’re going to invite you in, they want to know what’s in it for them.
Always make them feel special
The number one reason email marketing works is that, when done correctly, it enhances the relationship between you and your customer. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds affection. Over time, your customer will grow to know and trust you, and you’ll get plenty of opportunities to show them that you care.
Remember: The customers on your list are the biggest fans of your business, and they want to be the first to know what’s going on! I give my Energy Shop list V.I.P. treatment. If I’m hosting a sale on Thursday, they get the coupon code Wednesday night so that they may have first dibs on all available inventory. Additionally, I host a private sale once a year at the deepest discount I’m able to offer, and only my email list gets access to the coupon code. It’s always a big event!
The customers on my list are the people that have built the Energy Shop into a success! I always think of them first, and I make sure to treat them with the utmost respect and gratitude at all times.
That’ll do it for Day 20! Only 11 posts left to take advantage of the sale: As promised and in honor of the 31 days to Build Your Own Creative Business Series, I’m offering my complete business-boosting e-program, Shop Fundamentals ($57) for $31 while it runs! Click here to learn more.
