Email Marketing is H-O-T.
If you don’t have a list, you don’t have a business.
Top objections/questions we hear are:
“I don’t know what to say to my list, so I don’t say anything”
A: You actually do have A LOT to say. It’s just hard to find the RIGHT thing to say when you’re sitting down to write an email to your list. A way to avoid this feeling like you have nothing to say is to keep a running list of all the ideas of thing you could talk about so that when its actually time to sit down and write, you’re never out of ideas on what to start with.
I use a Trello board (of course) to track all the content ideas and I have well over 75 on my running list.
The second thing I’d add to this answer is that, even if you do have a list of ideas, you may perhaps be running into the problem of thinking none of the ideas are worth talking about. You’re talking yourself out of the great idea you had two days ago and your inner mean girl is telling you it’s not valuable enough. Tell her to pipe down. If you put it on the board, it was a good idea, so just run with it and let your audience be the true judge.
Click below to snag my Content Ideas Trello board template + walk-through video for free.
What makes up a good email?
A: Make sure you A) know the purpose of the email B) list ONE call to action in the email C) spend more time than you think on the subject line D)
You could do a curious subject line where you’re teasing the contents of the email with the subject to get them to open and find out more or a benefit focused subject that shows them exactly what they’ll get when they open up.
You should also start with writing 10 subject lines. Most of the good ones come towards the end of your email.
What platform should I use?
A: ConvertKit is Sarah’s favorite. Mine is Active Campaign.
Whatever platform you end up choosing, select ones that can do more than just send emails. Make sure you can segment and tag your emails. You don’t need all the bells and whistles with an email system, but it is worth paying more if it has a) good deliverability b) features so that you can drill down on your emails and really help your list thrive and c) grows as you grow so you’re not constantly outgrowing the platform.
What do I need to be aware of for deliverability?
A: Deliverability is how many emails actually end up in your leads inbox, as opposed to the spam box. If people aren’t seeing your emails, they don’t have the chance to read your emails — WHICH IS A BIG DEAL.
Things to watch for that affect your deliverability:
1. The size of your email (literally the size of the content in your email). Huge graphics often get flagged as spam and a marketing email.
2. Ask your list to reply to your emails to help you stay in the Primary inbox (Gmail users). People don’t reply to spam, so their email provider will mark it as important moving forward. One insider tip is to ask a question in the first email of your sequence to get them to reply so it shows up in their inbox every time.
Do I do plain-text emails or pretty HTML ones?
A: Most of Sarah’s clients use plain text emails in their business. Most tests show that plain-text emails get higher deliverability (which would equal more click-throughs), while product businesses would do better with pretty HTML graphics to display their work.
How do I know what’s working with email?
A: Split test the ideas you have with your own email list. If you’re curious about something, switch it up for a few weeks and watch your email stats to see what it affects. Your goal always is to increase open rates and click-through rates, and everything can be changed back!
I cannot be consistent with sending out my emails, so I don’t send anything. Help!
A: Consistency really is important for your business because email marketing is a long game. It can sometimes take a lot of nurturing to get someone to take action.
1. Forgive yourself if you haven’t sent out your list in a long time. It happens to ALL of us.
2. Set up a schedule that you can commit to and make it a habit you can build on.
3. Two times per month is the least amount of times I’d send to your list – because it could have them forget who you are in between and increase your unsubscribe rates.
Another suggestion if it’s really hard to sit down and write your emails is to batch more than one at a time, so you don’t have to sit down as often to write.
You can also create an evergreen sequence which is a sequence that contains all of your best content put into email form for as long as you want.
“Is email marketing dead? I feel like all the magic is happening on social media.”
A: Email is DEFINITELY not dead.
Here are a few reasons why:
1. People actually buy from email way MORE than they do off social media.
2. You don’t own the contact info for anyone on social media like you are with a list
3. You’re putting all your eggs in one basket (especially if your platforms are Facebook + Instagram) — do you want one organization having that much power over your business???
4. When someone joins your list, they are raising their hand and telling you they want to hear more. It’s a more intimate and warm connection than a friend on Facebook.
Where do I start with email sequences?
A: They are all the automated emails that go out from your email system when someone performs a task, like optins in your list, for example.
It can be overwhelming at first because there is so much you can do with sequences.
Here are four sequence ideas:
1. The most important sequence to make sure you have is your welcome sequence where they can get to know you and you get to know them a bit.
2. A second email sequence that is great to create in your business is the promo sequence where you’re giving them value through an email sequence, a Facebook live, a webinar, etc. and then you going into promotional emails to sell something that ties back to that value you were offering.
3. If you’re selling something or opening up a new service and have new clients, create an onboarding sequence to help them get the best experience with working with you. This can include everything from login/detail info, how to get the most out of their experience, frequently asked questions, etc.
4. Segmentation, which is related to sequences, is another way to help your list get to know you better and cater to their needs easier. By tagging your list based on their interests, level of business, etc. you can send them more tailored and relevant information and increase the likelihood they purchase something from you in the future or become raving fans because of the attention you pay to detail.
You could segment based on location, gender, length of time in business, pain points, topics most interested in, affiliates they came in through, how you met them, etc.
“I don’t want to send emails to my list because people just unsubscribe.”
A: Unsubscribes are totally normal. A general rule is 1-2% will unsubscribe from every email.
Instead of fearing it or thinking you’ve done something wrong, celebrate it! That means you’re saying goodbye to a few people who aren’t a good fit your you (and if you’re paying by the subscriber, keeping your costs down!)
If you tend to take it personally when someone unsubscribes, don’t check your reports to see who it was. Don’t even go there.
Turn off notifications so you NEVER get an email when someone unsubscribes.
If you a virtual assistant or a team, have someone else manage your unsubscribes so that you never have to know.
On the flip side, scrub your list several times a year so that you have a list that is interested in opening your emails and hanging out.
This means sending out a campaign with several emails to your cold list (anyone who doesn’t open your email between 30-90 days) to try to get them to re-engage with your emails. If they don’t respond, they’ll get cleared off your list.
Connect with Sarah:
Sarah Anderson is a copywriter and email marketing, strategist. She believes that building a relationship with your list is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your marketing. That’s why Sarah works with business owners who want emails that nurture subscribers, give tons of value, and convert into sales.
Links:
Website: https://proemailcopy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
