Don't Sleep on Email!
Did you know that email marketing can help with your page views and your income? It's true! And it's not something that relies on an algorithm! win-win! So tune in to hear Bree share how to create an email strategy to start growing your list!
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"Talk to them like you're there your inner circle. That's how I treat you guys and in our newsletter, I share behind the scenes you can share fails, what's going on that you don't talk about on social media, and how you relate to them. I love to do this with our newsletter, just be real and be honest with them. And I find that it drives a really amazing connection and we have a really awesome open rate as a result of it."
Discussed in this episode...
Why email is fabulous?
First, it is a really fun way to connect with your audience. With email, you can get a little more vulnerable and share more behind-the-scenes things. We often get replies to our emails and definitely feel a special connection with our readers! We know we're not alone in this either!
The other reason that we love email is that it's not going anywhere! We're always going to have email, and the way it reaches people is not going to change any time soon. It's not based on any algorithm or anything other than just sending the email and having people on your list.
A bonus reason to love email is that you can actually monetize it! We know bloggers who make thousands of dollars a month, just from their email lists! It's amazing! You can bring in income through email in multiple ways; affiliates, sharing key sales, linking to your blog, offering sponsored emails to brands, selling your own digital products, and so much more!
Your Strategy
First, we've got to get people on your email list, right? And for that, you're going to need a strong opt-in. An opt-in is an offer of something that you're giving in exchange for someone's email address. It can be super simple, but we do suggest you think outside the box and get a little creative with it. Things that immediately pop into people's heads are free printable downloads. You could also do an educational email sequence, an ebook, or Lightroom presets. Have fun with this! It's really a case of looking at your audience and figuring out what they would love to get their hands on for free.
The 4 Email Welcome Sequence
So now you have people signing up for your opt-in. What do you do next? You want them to get the freebie but then you also want them to start getting some emails from you right away! These are all automated and set up ahead of time. We go more in-depth with this in Episode 95 with the amazing Liz Wilcox, so definitely go give that a listen if you'd like to get more in-depth info!
One
The first email they get is immediately, as soon as they sign up for the opt-in. This is the email that has the freebie in it along with a little "welcome, we're so excited you're here" note. You can keep this short, sweet, and to the point!
Two
And then one or two days later, you send them a second that will show them what you're good at. You're not talking about yourself yet, but you're talking about what you're good about. By this, we mean sharing your best blog posts, and anywhere you've been featured. This email is to build some credibility.
Three
That's email to email three, you're going to set some expectations. So as Liz said in episode 95, tell them what to expect in your emails! This email is all about setting expectations with an "I am going to send you free and paid resources. Here's what you can expect" message.
Four
And then finally, email four is where you can share about yourself. But primarily, you want to share how you relate to them. The goal here is not to have a brag session as if it were your grandmother writing this. You want to show how you relate to them. You want them to read it and think "she gets me. Is she watching my life?"
Set your schedule
So how often do you need to send an email? This year, at Thrive we've tested out two a week, and for years we sent one a week. No matter what you do, though, be consistent with it. So whether that is one email a week, one every other week, or once a month, just pick the dates and be consistent with them! If you're just getting started and you've got a lot on your plate, we recommend one or two times a month. Then as you go, we do recommend increasing that to every single week.
What do I email my list?
So you should always have a goal of what your email list will accomplish! For a lot of bloggers, it looks like... Driving traffic to your blog, increasing profit, and building a connection. So, how do we do that? What do we send our list! Here are some tips to get you going:
- Keep it simple! We're all busy, so what would YOU read?
- Always write for them, not for you.
- Talk to them like they're your inner circle. Share #BTS fails, what's going on that you don't talk about on social media, and how you relate to them. Be real!
- Link to your website, always!
- Link to products, affiliates, or brands. Use this as an opportunity to share top finds of the week or brands you want to send extra love to. You can increase your revenue this way.
- Share your latest blog post and something #bts about it
- Share about something you're looking forward to in the next few months, so they can get excited about it as well!
Resources Mentioned
More about Bree:
Bree Pair is a blogging coach and founder of Thrive - A blogging community built to empower and educate bloggers to make a full-time income by spending time on the right things. Her passion is helping bloggers create a strategy for growth and working with them on every side of their business to give them the confidence they need to be successful. Bree is propelled by the results of seeing bloggers go from overwhelmed to steady and sustained growth and creating the lifestyle they want.
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