Today I’d like to talk about the list we’ve built so far and some actions you need to take. And if you’re worried that your list is too small for these actions, remember no one opens up their brand new email management system and sees thousands of prospects from day one. We all start with a single subscriber, and we grow our list from there, so no matter your list size this applies to you.
What you do while your list is growing is critical to your future success.
It’s never too early to start promoting. This is the number one mistake those with a small list make. They believe—wrongly so, it turns out—that there’s no point in promoting to a small list.
There are two reasons this is a mistake. First, when all you send your list is information, and you never make an offer, you’re training them that there will never be an offer. Then the first time you send out an email promoting something, they’re not happy.
The second issue with not promoting to your list is that you’re creating a bad habit. Yes, it’s important that you offer value to your list. It’s just as important to present offers regularly.
It is possible to promote too much. Despite what I just said, it is possible to burn out your list with promotion after promotion. If all you do is send your subscribers offers to buy, watch your unsubscribe rate grow.
Instead, remember to set up a system of nurturing your list by providing them value. Teach them to open your emails by striving to always include information they want and need. Share your stories with them. Tell them what you’ve learned. Interact with them. Promotions are necessary, but they’re not the primary way to connect with your list.
Make good use of segmentation. Not everyone on your mailing list will benefit from the same information or promotions. Some subscribers may be at the beginning of their journey and just learning about the topics you cover. Others will be more advanced and in need of different advice. Some subscribers will be active buyers and jump on offers quickly. Others may not.
By creating segments in your mailing list software, you can offer your subscribers exactly what they need when they need it. This targeted approach will result in more sales and happier subscribers.
Whether your list is 50 or 10,000, these strategies will help keep your list profitable, active, and responsive. And a responsive list is one of the most valuable assets you’ll have. Take good care of it, and it will take care of you.
I want to share with you a strategy to significantly increase not only your engagement, but your conversion rates.
It’s something you’ve most likely heard of before, and has been proven effective, but a surprising number of companies still aren’t doing it.
List segmentation!
Most marketers understand how important email is to their marketing strategy, but not all are aware of the benefits of list segmentation.
Segmenting your email list simply means that you slice and dice your list based on certain demographics and tailor your emails and/or subject lines to appeal to them more effectively.
For example you could separate based on location, gender, age, or slightly more complex things like previous purchase history, personal interests and needs, etc.
Although it may seem complicated (or pricey) the statistics speak for themselves as far as effectiveness.
One study found that emails with a personalized subject line generated a 760% increase in email revenue from segmented list campaigns!
That’s right. A 760% increase!!
Now that’s a number we all want to be seeing in our monthly reports!
Here are 4 reasons you might consider using list segmentation
Your Engagement Will Improve.Your readers will be much more inclined to engage when you are speaking to them more personally. This practice, over time, will also improve your email reputation. Your audience will come to expect that your content will always be interesting to them and will be more likely to pay attention to what you have to say over the long-term.
Your Buyers Aren’t All The Same.Even if your selling a product to a very specific market, the people on your email list are still going to have unique characteristics or life situations. With list segmentation you can become more sensitive and intuitive as to what they want to hear AND what will make them click-through and become buyers.
Your Contacts Are At Different Points In The Sales Cycle. Most likely you didn’t get all of your email subscribers in a single shot. Some might be completely new to you and your product, while others might be just on the brink of becoming a true customer. Knowing where each of your contacts sits can help you market to them more effectively.
Your Overall Results Will Improve.The Lyris Annual Email Optimizer Report found that when marketers used list segmentation, 39% of them experienced increased open rates, 28% experiences lower unsubscribe rates and 24% experienced both increased sales leads and greater revenue.
If separating your email list is such an effective thing to do, why aren’t more people doing it?
There are some challenges with list segmentation that take a little skill to navigate. I’ll cover these in a future email as well as give you more in-depth information about how to use this marketing tool effectively.
Are you ready to take more power in your business NOW and leverage the tools I discussed today? I’ve opened up some space on my calendar this week for one-on-one coaching sessions with my readers. I am offering these sessions at no cost and would love to spend some time hearing about your business. Click here to claim your spot.
My calendar always fills up quickly so don’t hesitate to put your name on my schedule.
I believe it’s fair to say that email marketing is a great way to grow your business and make sales. Before that can happen you need to build a relationship with your readers and earn their trust. I’m sure you’ve heard that readers have to know, like, and trust you before they consider spending money with you. That’s why it is so important to create engaging emails that start a conversation between you and your target audience.
The best time to start that conversation is on day one. Not only will it help you build your business and learn more about your ideal customers, it also helps with email deliverability. I don’t have to tell you that spam filters catch more and more emails, particularly if you’re marketing a product or service in them. Add to that the Gmail promotions tab, and it’s a wonder anyone actually sees and reads your emails.
The key to much higher deliverability rates into the main inbox is to get your subscribers to hit reply and email you back. This starts a conversation and in the eyes of email providers makes you a much more legit and trustworthy contact. In other words, the chances of future emails landing in the main inbox are much higher if you can convince your readers to reply to one (or more) of your messages.
Can you take a guess what your most read email message is? It’s the first one you send to your readers after they sign up and confirm their subscription. This email is often called the welcome email and you usually thank your readers for signing up and deliver your lead magnet or opt-in freebie. Because it is the most opened email and the first message your readers see from you, it’s the perfect place to start engaging with your readers.
If you can get them to hit reply to this email, your chances of getting the rest of your messages into the person’s main inbox skyrocket. Making that happen is a lot easier than you may think. All you have to do is ask your readers a question. Seriously, that’s it. What you ask them depends on your market, your niche, and what you plan on emailing them about.
Keep it simple. Ask them to hit reply and ask a question or share a little something about themselves. Make sure it is relevant to what your emails and lead magnets are about. For example, if you’re building a list in the weight loss niche and are teaching them about eating low carb, you could ask them if they have any experience eating this way, share their favorite low carb food, or email you their biggest question or concern about this diet and lifestyle.
In addition to helping with email deliverability and subscriber engagement, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised how much you’ll learn about your future customers in these emails. Pay attention to them and learn from them.
Have yourself an awesome great 24 hours!
Robyn
P.S. Do you need support in your business? Click here to schedule a call with me where we can discuss how I can help you and your business.
