In this post, you will learn why you need to create a free offer, why you want a reader response right away, and how to set up an automated welcome email sequence.
STEP #1: Set up a free opt-in
The BEST thing you can do for your business is create a free opt-in and start building your email list.
This gives gives you the opportunity to start building a relationship with your ideal clients.
There is so much free content out there nowadays.
In an article from 2010, Google CEO Eric Schmidt stated that, “every two days we create as much information as human beings from the dawn of civilization up until 2003.” Just imagine how much this has compounded and how much MORE info is out there since 2003?
Asking people to just “subscribe to your blog” or “sign up for your newsletter” is not very enticing anymore.
People need a really good reason to give you their emails address. They want VALUE.
Enter your freebie – or free offer.
Just because the information is already out there, does NOT mean you should not create something with amazing value to offer people who know you, like you, and trust you.
People like to feel a connection to someone. And many times, they care more about WHY you do something than WHAT you actually do. This is what makes you unique from the millions of other professionals and businesses that do what you do.
Helpful resource:
How to Offer a Freebie on Your Blog + a MailChimp Tutorial for Beginners
STEP #2: Stay out of the SPAM folder
Once someone signs up for your awesome free offer, they are now on your email list. Congrats!
The first email you send your potential client is the most important! That first email should include:
- A thank you for signing up
- The freebie that was actually promised
- Something of a little extra value
- And a question that will get the reader to hit reply (it could even be, “hey, just let me know if you got this!”)
There are three important things you can do to stay out of your potential customers SPAM folder.
One, get a response right away from your reader.
If you can get the person to hit reply, then their email server now recognizes your email as a trusted sender and you are way less likely to end up in their SPAM or Promotions folder.
Two, include whitelist instructions at the bottom of your email.
Tell new subscribers to add you to their “safe senders” list to ensure they continue to get their valuable content.
Three, email frequently (but not too much) so that people remember who you are and actually open your emails.
If you wait a month or more to email someone after they get your free gift, they either won’t remember who you are and delete your email or your random one off email will end up in SPAM because their email server does not recognize you.
STEP #3: Set up an automated welcome series
The next and final step to growing and maintaining your email list is to set up an automated welcome series. After that first email is sent with the free gift, you want to have a series of emails that will go out to new subscribers.
The frequency of these emails is up to you. I would suggest once a week to start – it is not too frequent that the emails become overwhelming or annoying, but is not so far apart that people forget who you are!
The exception to the frequency schedule is during a launch or flash sale. When you are selling something, you will send more emails than usual.
As for the content of these follow up emails, below are a few tips:
- Look back at popular blog posts – or if you already send emails to your list, look for the ones that got the most opens and clicks – and include this content into your welcome series emails.
- Be YOU. People don’t really care WHAT you do but they care WHY you do it. Allow your readers to get to know you and trust you. Start to make a connection with them, build a relationship, and deepen that relationship by writing to them like you would a friend. A great way to do this is to share a story. Storytelling helps people relate and understand you.
- Make sure you are creating a need and desire for your product or service. Even if you do not have something to sell right away, you want to make sure that your content lines up with what you plan to offer eventually.
- You always want to ask for a response or a call to action in each email. The call to action can be to click a link or reply to your email. This will help you build an engaged audience who is more likely to open and interact with (and eventually buy from) your emails.
- Keep your emails short, be very clear, and offer actionable tips. No one wants to scroll through a ridiculously long email.
Your email subscribers are your most loyal followers and your email list should be one of your highest priorities. Consider every subscriber on your email list a potential customer.
