The Easy Way to Build Your Email List from Zero

Recently, I asked a few of my mentors what would be their first step if their business dried up and they had to start again from scratch.

They ALL said that step one would be to start building their email list. That’s because no matter how the rules change in social media – your email list belongs to you. Even though there are many new ways to get in touch with customers including text messages, Facebook chat bots, etc. Email is still going to bring your sales over time.

It is never too soon to start building your list. Any work you put in now will be paid back many fold in the future.

That’s why I’ve developed this checklist so you can be sure you have all the right pieces in place.

Here’s what you need to get started:

An Enticing Lead Magnet

This could be an ebook, video, app, e-course or anything else that has the following characteristics:

• It’s easy to deliver. (Typically, a digital download that you deliver automatically through your autoresponder.)
• It’s something your prospects really want. (Hint: do your market research to find out what it is that people really want.)
• It has a high perceived value.
• It solves a specific problem.
• It sells something else on the backend (such as your tripwire product).

A Compelling Opt In  or Lead Page

Even though your lead magnet is free, people aren’t going to knock down your door to claim it unless you build its value. That’s why you need to create a lead page that persuades people to fill in your opt-in form.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Be sure your lead page looks polished and professional.
• Lead with your product’s main benefits.
• Arouse curiosity about the lead magnet if possible. (With the
• idea being that the only way to satisfy that curiosity is by opting in.)
• Offer a call to action to get people opting in.

We really like Thrive Themes for lead pages.

A Reputable Autoresponder

Nowdays, it is fairly easy to find an autoresponder that will work for you without spending much money at first.   Our two recommendations are Mailerlite (which is has everything you need to get started and is free up to 1,000 subscribers) and Active Campaign (which has more features than Mailerlite and is a good next step).

An Initial Autoresponder Sequence

Generally, this multipart sequence should promote your tripwire product. A tripwire is a very valuable yet inexpensive product.  Keep these tips in mind:

• Offer an informational sequence that’s useful (to build good relationships and keep people reading), yet incomplete (which helps you steer people towards paid products).
• Provide a three to seven-part sequence that’s informative and engaging. Each email should build anticipation for upcoming emails. E.G., “Next time you’ll discover a little-known trick for getting rid of cellulite!”
• Craft benefit-driven, curiosity arousing subject lines to get the open. E.G., “Start a six-figure business for just $47?”
• Use responsive templates/HTML in your emails, as a large number of your subscribers will be reading your message from their mobile phones.
• Track and test your emails. It’s the only way to know what’s really working in terms of email subject lines, sales copy, calls to action, and even the offers themselves.

Finally…

A Commitment to Maintaining Your List

It does you no good to go through all these steps if you don’t intend to email your list regularly. So, commit to emailing them on at least a weekly basis, and you’ll see your list profits grow!

Want a step by step playbook to email marketing that works? Click here for my Email Marketing Playbook

Recipe for a Quick and Easy 10 Minute Blog Post

You have a half hour in your schedule to write a blog post, but you can’t come up with anything to write.  You need to get the post done – your virtual assistant is waiting for you in order to get your newsletter done.

Here’s a quick trick  I learned from my mentor, Michele Scism – for getting a blog post up in less than 10 minutes.

And, as a bonus, if you do this right, you can get other people to promote the post for you.

Want to learn more?  Here are the steps.

1. Consult your message map (don’t have one?  No worries – we’ll be creating this in class together starting on 10/25.  Not in the class?  Sign up here) .  This blog posting method is easy – but it only really works if the content you choose is very on point with YOUR blog message and content.  Choose a topic  that your clients would really benefit from knowing – but that you don’t cover expertly yourself.

2. Go to You Tube and choose a video that covers that topic.  Ideally the video should be on the short side and be a “how to” video vs. a longer lecture.  You need to be able to watch and digest the video quickly (or it will take you more than 10 minutes to complete!)
3.  Post the video to your blog (be sure to give a link and full credit to the source) .  Below the video post a summary of what the video says and (IMPORTANT!) how it relates to your audience.  Tell them why you chose that particular video.  Your summary should be at least 150 words long.

Done.  One quick and easy blog post.

BONUS POINTS:

The above steps will “get the job done”.  Here are two hints to make it work even better for you.

1. When you promote the blog post, make no secret of the person whose video you placed on the site,  Tag them in social media. Even write them an email telling them you promoted them.  They might promote that page or something else on your blog.

2. Post relevant screenshots instead of the video.  This take a bit longer – but it makes for a post that is more likely to help SEO-wise.  I learned this trick from Ryan Diess.

Want to see what a post done this way looks like?  Check out this post I created using a video from Ellen Finkelstein.

Easy isn’t it?   Now, you should be ready to rock and roll on your blogging!  

Of course, the danger in this is posting too much “borrowed” content. You want to have your own point of view. I’m teaching a class starting on October 25 on how to create a message map for your blog.  We’ll be looking at how to find out what your customers need to learn from you in order to buy.  You can sign up for that here.