If Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter came crashing down tomorrow would you still be able to reach your ideal clients?

Time and time again, people ask me, “How can I grow my social media following?” When what they should be focused on is growing their email list.

In today’s episode of The Online Business Clinic Podcast, we’re taking a closer look at why you as an entrepreneur need to make list building a top priority in your business.

Here are the 4 reasons:

#1 You can control it

Social media is great, but it’s a platform that you don’t own. Now, no, you also don’t own the CRM platform that you use to communicate with your subscribers, but you are able to bounce out the lists as often as you want via a CSV file. And now you essentially ‘own’ that list. You can control when and how you communicate with your audience.

You’re also able to add tags to help ‘funnel’ the conversation or get notified if no action has been taken so that you can properly follow up. With social media post, there’s no guarantee that even those your like and follow you will actually see your post, but with email, there are intelligent tools that can better help cultivate the conversation and lead your prospective clients into paying clients.

#2 You can nurture your leads

When someone opts into your email list by giving you their name and address, that person is ‘subscribing’ to you. Essentially they’re saying “Yes, I want to know more. I give you permission to connect with me.”

This is your opportunity to nurture the new relationship that you’re building. Educating them further about you, your business and how you can transform their lives by working together.

#3 You have unlimited access

Now when I say unlimited access what I mean here is that you can reach your people any time of any day, but you want to be mindful about the quality of the content you mail out as well as the frequency. Be sure to focus on providing value to your subscribers.

A good rule of thumb is to reach out to them no more than once a week unless you’re in a promotional season, but even then don't go overboard. Be respectful to their inbox.

#4 You build trust

People have become more and more selective about who they let into their inbox. It’s become a sacred place for many. So in addition to sending only value-based content and ensuring that you’re not overly flooding their inbox.

You can also seriously boost your brand’s KLT factor (know, like, trust). Don’t underestimate the power of the P.S. At the end of the email you can ask your subscriber to engage in conversation with you by simply hitting reply.

How do you get started? Here are your 3 must do steps

Step 1. Select an email marketing platform. There are plenty to choose from and over the years I’ve practically tried them all. I highly recommend that you don’t go with the cheapest, but that you go with one that has a proven track record. My personal preference is listed below.

Step 2. Start thinking about the kind of information you'd like to share with your audience. It MUST be relevant to your business and it must valuable to the reader.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and jot down as many ideas as you can. Start by creating a list of the top questions people ask you about your area of expertise.

They could be about pricing what you charge vs. the cost of not working with you, core problem your clients face and how they can overcome them, comparing your style of coaching to others, testimonials, reviews or the latest in your industry.

Step 3. Spend your time and energy being of the best service possible so that you can more easily convert ‘followers’ into subscribers. Consider crafting an ethic bride aka opt-in and focus your efforts on activities that get people excited to join your list.

You might consider listening to episodes for more helpful ideas on ways to grow your email list...

#15 8 Smart Ways To Promote Your Health & Wellness Business Using Social Media

#16 How To Write Social Posts That Convert

#20 How To Craft A Killer Lead Magnet That Converts

And finally, here is my personal preference for an email marketing platform. It’s easy to navigate and get going, plus it has a history of high open rates.

SMART TOOLS - CONVERT KIT

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