Why You Need an Email List + Email Marketing 101

You’ve probably heard you need an email list once or twice before, and for good reason. Email marketing does so much for your business that social media can’t do. If done correctly, email marketing can make you a lot more money and can be super effective in increasing your audience and sales. In this post, I’ll cover why you need an email list + email marketing 101. 

 

 

One of the reasons why you need an email list is because it’s something you own. You can’t say that about your Instagram account (or any other account on a social media platform). If you don’t see how this is a positive, think back to when Instagram shut down a few months ago for almost a whole day. People…freaked. 

I’m not wishing any doom or gloom on social media, but it’s nice to know you always have your email marketing where you’re in control of it and don’t have to lean on the owners of social media for the welfare of your business. Speaking of being in control, did you know your audience needs to hear something at least 7 times before they take action? Email marketing can help with that. 

You want to make sure you are giving your audience plenty of opportunities to see your messaging. A message is 5 times more likely to be seen in an email than on Facebook. The algorithm for Facebook and Instagram makes it so you don’t get to choose who sees your content. With email marketing, you’re in complete control of what content your audience sees and how often they see it. See how effective email marketing is now? 

 

Email Marketing 101: How to Get an Email Marketing System

Email marketing is software you pay for that allows you to collect people’s emails and send your content to them. It helps organize the email contacts by putting tags on them, which makes it easy for you to send out emails to different groups at a time. 

If you’re wondering if you could use just a regular email for your email marketing, it’s not a practical choice. You can’t use a normal email like Gmail, for example, because you will grow larger than what a normal email has the capacity to house. But, don’t worry, there are options for you that can help you get started! Keep reading to find my top 3 recommendations. 

 

Email Marketing 101: How to Get People on Your Email List

So, how do you get people to sign up on your email list? You can create an opt-in or something of value that people will give you their email in exchange for. This could be some kind of freebie, e.g. workbook, download, training, coupon code, etc. 

Once they sign up for your email, you will send them an email sequence every week or so that is made up of 3-5 (sometimes 7) emails. These emails can welcome them and help them get to know you and your brand. They could also be a sales funnel that is leading your audience to purchase your product. Both of these options are good. Depending on what your goals are, you’ll know which one will work best for your business. 

I recommend spending a good amount of time on a welcome sequence or sales funnel so that whenever anyone emails you and gets on your list, you can actually get them purchasing from you automatically. It’s like your very own built-in salesperson! How cool is that?

 

Email Marketing 101: How Often You Should Send Emails 

After this initial sequence is over, you can send emails periodically. I send out emails twice a week. This may seem like a lot, but it’s actually not. I’ve found that people like getting emails from me. It’s fine to send them once a week as well. 

The important thing is to look at your business and see what you’re able to do with the capacity that you have. Once that is settled, you can set up your email marketing system where it sends consistent emails and your customers can come to expect it. 

It’s important that you’re emailing your people regularly and not just when you’re having a sale. You have to take time to nurture your relationships throughout the customer journey. Nurturing your audience is what gets them to trust you and buy your products. (Hence, why this level of the Money Maker Method is called “Nurture & Notify.”)

The notify type of email is what gets your audience to take action and to buy. You need to have both, nurture and notify, emails because that is how you are not just another salesman. You are an actual person wanting to help them in their personal life. 

 

Email Marketing 101: 3 Top Rated Email Marketing Systems 

• Mailchimp – A lot of people start here because it’s free up to 2k subscribers. If you’re brand new to email marketing, Mailchimp is a great place to start. 

• Flodesk – Flodesk creates absolutely beautiful emails and is very easy to use. The ease of setup and sending out an email is so much faster and easier than Mailchimp. This one costs $19/month when you use my coupon code. 
• Davinci – This is the email marketing system I use. I love it because it can do so much more than just send out emails. It can host your courses, do text messaging, accept payments, and more. If you’re looking for something that offers more, Davinci is the best option for you. It’s cheaper than the other email systems that have the ability to have courses on them! Use my coupon code to get a 14-day free trial. 

 

Email Marketing 101: 9 Tips on How to Write an Email that Gets Opened 

Tip #1: Write to one person with one problem with one call to action. 

The biggest mistake I see with email marketing is trying to write to everyone. This means you aren’t being specific enough and you’re asking them to do too many things. Instead, have one goal for one person, leaving them with one call to action. 

Tip #2: Write in your voice. 

Sometimes when people sit down to write, they all of a sudden start second-guessing everything they write. You don’t need to be polished or professional in your email marketing. Just make it sound like you. Think about how you talk and write it that way. 

Tip #3: Be engaging. 

The best way to be engaging in your emails is to use stories, testimonials, and examples that will entertain your audience. There are tons of things for people to read today and it’s constantly in their face. Why are they choosing yours to read? Give them something that will catch their attention right away. This could be something funny or something of value. 

Tip #4: Add value. 

There are different ways to add value to your emails. Remember, people don’t want to read just to read. They want to feel seen and heard and know that you get them. These feelings can be touched on through entertainment, education, or empathy. Choose one of these methods and then write your email accordingly. 

Tip #5: Create headlines that draw people in. 

Effective headlines use numbers, make a promise, or make inflammatory claims. No matter what type of headline you write, be honest and deliver what you promised, so you can build trust with your audience. While the headline may appear as clickbait, the actual email needs to follow through and add value to your reader. Remember, just have fun and do your best to stand out among the other emails in the inbox! 

 

Tip #6: Add preview text. 

Preview text is where people can read a bit of your email before they open it. A lot of people are wary of opening an email from a sender they are unfamiliar with. The preview text is really important for that reason. 

Tip #7: Include a call to action. 

You need to know what you want your person to do at the end of the email. This could be checking out your new blog post, listening to your podcast, signing up on your text list, etc. Whatever it is, make it clear and remember to only have one call to action per email. 

Tip #8: Always have a P.S. 

The P.S. is often the thing that people read first. It may even be the only thing they read. With that in mind, think about what you would want your reader to know the most and put it in your P.S. 

Tip #9: Sign the email as you, not your business.

People want to see an actual person sending them an email, not a business. Signing it with your own name will make it more personal and strengthen your bond with your audience. 

 

Email Example of Using a Story

I’m going to paste in an email that I sent out recently to show how you can use a story to relate and connect with your audience. A shared experience is really powerful because it’s something you can remember 20+ years later like it just happened yesterday. 

 

Hey, Michelle!

I stepped on a snail yesterday. 

I definitely didn’t mean to, it was dark, I’m sorry. There is just something about that crunch-squish that really grosses me out.  

When I felt that crunch, I immediately thought of my BFF in college.  (I know, weird correlation, but stick with me.)

It was freshman orientation and my new BFF, Jessica, and I had to get all the way across campus.  I come from a long line of speed walkers and so did Jessica, so we were making good time.  

When all of a sudden we both heard and felt the crunch-squish.  The rain from the morning had brought out hundreds of snails. 

I’m from the desert of Utah and Jessica was from Idaho, so we weren’t used to needing to watch for snails and we were both grossed out (like gag-me-with-a-spoon grossed out). So we tip-toe ran screaming across the sidewalk trying to avoid those snails.

You know I’m a business girl, so what does this have to do with building your business?

Here it is: Shared experiences are powerful.

They are so powerful in fact that almost 20 years later, I still think of Jessica every time I see a snail.  That’s crazy.

So, how can you have a shared experience with your audience this week? 

Step 1. Think of what your audience is going through that you’re also going through.  This could be Christmas shopping, hanging up your Christmas decorations, making cookies, etc…

Step 2. Choose a way to connect.  The easiest way to do this is with Instagram Stories.  They are quick, easy, and there’s no editing involved, but you can be wherever you want to be.

Step 3. Invite them in.  Tell them the story behind what you’re doing, ask them for their opinion on which cookies to make or decorations to put out, and show some behind the scenes.

Step 4. Ask them to share what they are doing in stories or DMs.

Step 5. Go interact with them.  Once you ask them to share, reward them for taking action.  Go comment on their posts or send them a voice message in DMs, something that shows that you see them.  

BONUS TIP: Don’t overthink this!  

If you are ready to have a shared experience with me, my Money Makers Group is having a planning party on Wednesday night where we will be planning out a whole year of content in one hour.  

But, you have to join Money Makers to get in on our planning party!!  

If you haven’t joined yet, now is the time.  

Joining is easy and the smartest business move you’ll make this year.  It’s only $347 for the whole year and you get access to monthly live coaching calls and ALL of my courses.  

Yep, for the price of one of my courses, you get access to all of them + the coaching + the community.

Click here to join now and get ready for the best year of your business yet. 

You don’t want to start 2022 behind!  Sign up now.

You’re the best, friend.  I’ll see you later.  I’ve got to go clean my shoe.

Luvs,

Michelle

P.S. Set your alarms!  I’ve got a podcast coming at you tomorrow that you won’t want to miss.

 

Think of something that has happened to you within the last week or so and then write it in a relatable way. Remember, write it in your voice to one person. And then have it flow into a call to action. Try it right now and send it to your subscribers! 

 

Why You Need an Email List + Email Marketing 101

I hope you found some value in this post! I know email marketing can seem overwhelming, especially if you haven’t written to your people in a while. And the truth is, you just write an email. You don’t need to tell them that you haven’t written in a long time. You could just start now, and that’s what I want you to do. 

Send an email today, if you can. Write it and send it today because the more you send–the more you try, the more you write, the more you tell your story–the more connected you’re going to be with your audience. It will get easier each time you write another one, and you’ll get better and better and using your emails to sell your products to your people. 

I’m so happy you’re here. Remember, this post on why you need an email list + email marketing 101 is the Nurture and Notify level of the Money Maker Method. Make sure to subscribe to my podcast, so you can stay updated on the next levels! You can also follow me on Instagram @iammichellegifford and get updates there. 

In case you missed the previous posts in my Money Maker Method series: 

• Introduction to the Money Maker Method: 5 Steps to Making More Money for your Business
• Level 1 | Make Your Mark: How to Find Your Why and How it Will Change Your Business
• Level 1 | Make Your Mark: The Top 4 Secrets to a Solid Brand Message
• Level 1 | Make Your Mark: 5 Steps to Creating a Killer Visual Brand
• Level 2 | Optimize Your Opportunity: How to Lead Your Customers to Buy Your Products