Building a Mail Marketing List plays a central role in your online strategy.
Email marketing gives you the opportunity to gain consumers details, and nurture and build trust through regular contact.
The decision making for a consumer is a process, and you don’t know what stage your consumer is at when they first see your offer. One of the great benefits is that you can stay in touch with someone who may not be ready to purchase your product or service just yet.
If you don’t capture leads, you may well lose your potential client forever. They will most likely forget about you, and move on. With so much saturation in nearly all markets, the likelihood of them remembering you isn’t high.
Benefits of Having a mailing list database
- You get to stay in touch with potential clients for as long as they stay on your list
- Email marketing will send out a notification to your entire contact list. Compared to something like social media, only a small percent of followers actually see your post without running an ad
- You can send out tests for future products with existing email list and determine whether it will be a hit or miss. It’s a really cheap way to test!
- Think of a mailing list as an asset you own. You have complete control over your list and it can not be taken away (social media is borrowed real estate and could disappear overnight)
How do I get people onto my mailing list?
The best and most proven effective method to get an audience onto your mailing list is to offer something in return. A great term I’ve heard is an ‘ethical bribe.’ This isn’t a bad thing, it just means that you are offering something of value in exchange for the person’s details.
In other word – free stuff! People love free stuff. Give out content that is relevant to a product you want to sell. This way you will know the people who sign up are interested in what you have to offer.
Remember, each of these people may be at different stages in their journey, so it’s a great way to introduce yourself to potential future clients.
Lead nurturing – what is it and how do I do it?
Lead nurturing is critical in the marketing process.
You have the opportunity to build close relationships with your prospects. By emailing regularly, with relevant and educational content, you will keep your business at the forefront of the clients mind.
Remember not to ‘sell’ in every email you send, but rather focus on the problem you are solving and give value to readers.
How do I build trust through email?
- Be Human – emails are personal, don’t write them like you’re a robot.
- Give Value – educate your audience, don’t just sell
- Personalise and keep in touch – nurturing slowly, but frequently allows your leads to get to know you.
- Give ‘aftercare’. You can follow up and stay in touch with clients who have purchased from you. This shows them that you genuinely care and weren’t just going after the sale. Done correctly, this should entice clients to buy from you again in the future.
How many other businesses are staying in contact and giving clients valuable information? You may very well be the only one.
In Summary
By offering value in exchange for consumer details, you avoid asking prospects to make a decision about you when they have no idea who you are, or what you are about.
You have the opportunity to build trust, and show them that you’re the expert your field. You will have a higher chance of converting sales with a client who trusts you and is at the right buying stage, rather then pushing a hard sell upfront.
Who would you prefer to buy from? A pushy business asking for the sale, or the expert educator who has your best interest at heart and wants to help you?
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