294: Email Marketing Strategies for Content Creators

[00:00:00] We are sandwiching this episode with two amazing conversations with Flowdesk. If you're not growing your email list, you need to be. I'm seeing so many people miss out on email growth over on social media. There are so many fun ways to do it. And so I wanted to bump this episode. Back up to the top, which is where I go into detail on five keys to an awesome email marketing strategy.

[00:00:33] So let's listen back in.

[00:00:40] Welcome to the thrive podcast. If you're a blogger, influencer, you found the show for you. I'm Bri Pair, your host and blogging coach here to help you take your brand to the next level. Transcribed At Thrive, our mission is to equip bloggers and influencers with practical tactics and strategies that can transform your brand to give you the lifestyle you want.

[00:01:00] We offer tutorials, workshops, and a supportive community to accompany you on your journey. I created the thrive podcast to give you simple, actionable steps that you can use to drive real results in your business. I also wanted to give you a peek behind the curtain of others in the industry that you look up to.

[00:01:19] Our guests share strategies they've used to grow revenue streams that are working for them and insider info you won't find anywhere else. Now let's get ready to thrive.

[00:01:31] Time is now. We recently put out a questionnaire, you guys might've seen it, you may have filled it out. We sent out a questionnaire to get more information from you guys on where you're at, what kind of support you need and on what topics you guys want to learn more about, because I literally like we use that to build our content.

[00:01:56] So one of the things that we got from you guys was needing more help. with your email marketing strategy. And as I was going through that list, that one jumped out at me. I was like, Oh, okay, well, I feel like we just did like some podcasts on that. So let me scroll back and look. And so I head to our website thrive together.

[00:02:15] blog slash podcast. And I start going back one page, two page, three page, um, eight pages later. I'm like, Oh, Um, I recorded a podcast episode on how to improve your email open rates, um, back in August of 2020. Wow. That's crazy. So yeah, definitely time for me to do another podcast on email marketing. Now we did have an awesome email.

[00:02:46] Marketing podcast with Liz Wilcox. So if you want to go back to learn about how to improve your email, open rates, open your app again right now and click on episode 74. And then that way it's saved. And you've got that one there because that one is really awesome. Um, I am huge, um, nerd on your email open rate, like I obsess over it quite a bit, but I think I do a pretty good job with it.

[00:03:16] So our email open rate over here is Always above 30%. And typically, the last time I measured it, the last 8 or 9 emails have had an average of 38 percent open rate. And the average for the industry is I feel like if you're hitting 20%, you're doing good. So, If you want to learn my tips, head to episode 74 to learn about improving your email open rate.

[00:03:43] And then if you want to learn about writing a 20 minute newsletter with my girl Liz Wilcox, that is episode 95. And that was back in April of 2021. So yeah, it is definitely time for some email marketing chat today. I'm going to be sharing with you guys five keys to an awesome email marketing strategy.

[00:04:06] Now, why email? Why is this something that you need to focus on? Well, great question friends. So I've got a few good reasons for you. Number one, there will always be email. Always. Now, what else can you say that about? Um, I had email when there used to be MySpace. I had an email address when I had my old Zenga blog, but those things are no longer around and yet there's still email, right?

[00:04:40] Number two is you don't have to spend money to be seen in an inbox, right? On all of these other social media platforms, we're having to sometimes pay to play or make sure that we're playing. paying by playing their algorithm and doing the things that they're requesting us to do to be seen. And with an inbox, you don't have to do that.

[00:05:04] You just get to send a nice email. And the third reason is because you can own your list. You can't own followers on social media, right? They can disappear, anything could happen, I'm not even going to say what can happen because that just sounds like jinxing all of us and that would truly be sad and we don't want that to happen, but that's what I love about email is there's not that risk.

[00:05:29] You can download your email list and take it with you to another platform if you want. So now that I have you convinced, right? That you need an email list and you need to work on it. Okay, cool. So five keys to an awesome email marketing strategy. And I'm just so excited that you guys want to learn about this because email is one of my favorite things.

[00:05:50] I could talk about it forever. So my first key to having an awesome email marketing strategy Number one, have an email marketing platform that you love. I think that's so crucial because if you guys are not happy with the email marketing platform and you log in and it's confusing or it's clunky and you don't know where to click and you don't know what to do and it's frustrating you, then you're not going to use it consistently, right?

[00:06:15] That goes without saying for like any tools that we have to use. If you're using Asana or Trello or ClickUp or Airtable or all of these other ones that are out there for organizing your business and you don't like it, you're not using it, are you? Right? You have to pick something that you're going to use consistently and stick with.

[00:06:34] Now, you guys know we love Flodesk. It gives us all the hard eyes because they have beautiful templates. It's super easy to use. It is a blogger's dream. I swear they made it for bloggers. In fact, I've told Martha and Rebecca, who are the creators of Flowdesk, that I'm like, you guys, this is like the perfect thing for bloggers.

[00:06:59] Thank you so, so much for making this. And actually we had them on the podcast as well. So see, we have talked a little bit about email recently. And I'm like scrolling back to see which episode it is. I'll let you guys know when I find it. So that is my first tip, though, is just make sure that you have a platform that you truly, truly love, because it's so important.

[00:07:19] You want to have something that is fun to use. And that's why we love Flowdesk. And if you want to learn more about Flowdesk, we, that was episode 97. three. So episode 93, 95 and 74, write those down to go back and listen to a couple more about email, but flow desk is just truly super beautiful and easy to use.

[00:07:42] We have a free trial for you guys. If you want to drive together at blog slash flow desk, F L O D E S K. And yeah, we're an affiliate for it, but we're an affiliate for it because it's what we use and love. It makes my life so easy. I get to go in and I get to pick a beautiful template and fill it out with some content for you guys and It goes off and it's gorgeous and I mean, bloggers are, we are visual people, right?

[00:08:14] Like we want things to look gorgeous. And so anyways, that's why I love it. So that was tip number one is just make sure you have one that you love and maybe you don't rave about it as much as I do because I nerd out about email marketing, but maybe you do make sure you love it. All right. Number two, tip number two.

[00:08:33] is have an opt in that your audience will love. You want to create something that will make them go, of course, take my email address and give me that magical thing. Right? So an opt in is just that. Now, I was talking with, um, a group, in a group coaching call the other day, And she was like, Oh, what would my opt in be for this to get them to join my Facebook group?

[00:08:58] So she has a Facebook group, a community that she is growing alongside of her blog. And that's a way for her audience to really just jump in there and chat. Love having a Facebook group for your brand. I think it's brilliant. And she was like, well, what's my opt in that I give them? With you are growing a Facebook group, you have the option.

[00:09:17] If you guys have joined our group, you've seen like you can fill out, you have to fill out some questions right before you can join the group. And one of them is asking you to join our email list in exchange for being a part of our community. And so we ask for your email address and you can do the same thing with your group.

[00:09:33] This is an awesome way to grow your email list as well. But she was like, well, what's my opt in? And we're like, Your opt in is the group, the Facebook group. Like that is super high value. You get to be a part of a community. Like you don't have to make another opt in. This podcast is sponsored by Flowdesk, my favorite email marketing tool for bloggers.

[00:09:55] It's no secret around here that I am in love and obsessed with Flowdesk. There's lots of reasons, but here are some main ones I think you'll like. First, it's easy to use. There is nothing confusing about this platform at all. It's the most user friendly email marketing platform I have ever used, and I've tried a ton of them.

[00:10:14] Second, it allows you to send gorgeous emails to your audience effortlessly. They have amazing templates and endless customization so you can make your emails match your brand and be the most aesthetic email your audience has ever received. And what more could you want as a blogger? Easy to use and it's gorgeous.

[00:10:32] Done and done. Well, third, with flow desk, you can get unlimited contacts and unlimited emails. They do not increase the price when you grow your list. How amazing is that? But I have to throw in two bonus reasons because I'm obsessed. The first is that you can now sell through checkout. So if you've been wanting to make money by selling your own digital products or anything else, now you can do it all within flow desk.

[00:10:55] And bonus reason number two, they've given me a special link so you can take 50 percent off. Just go to thrive together. blogs slash flow desk and you'll get a test it out for free for 30 days and then your 50 percent off code will automatically be applied for you. So just had to thrive together. blogs slash flow desk to get started.

[00:11:18] You can get creative with your opt in. Yes, it can be a principle or an ebook or a download, or maybe it's a free five day email sequence where you teach them something, or maybe you're sending them an exclusive video showing them how you Make your delicious banana bread or maybe it's a Lightroom preset that you use all the time and you made it and want to share it with people that opt in.

[00:11:47] You can have fun and get creative with it and you want it to be something that your audience is going to be obsessed with and it's going to be like, Oh yeah, for sure. Like, I definitely want that, right? So once your opt in is created, make sure you put that form everywhere. So you want to put it on your blog.

[00:12:07] You want it in the sidebar and either at the top of your site or as a pop up, you want it highly visible to increase content. conversion. Now, some of you, this is coming out towards the beginning of the year. Make sure that you have your opt in updated. I've been on a few blogs lately where the opt in was something holiday related and I'm like, it's not Christmas anymore.

[00:12:28] It's not Thanksgiving or anything like that. So make sure that you're updating it. I always recommend if this is your first time making an opt in. Make it something that is evergreen. So what I mean by that is make sure it's something that will last year round because we all know how much time it takes growing our brand and how busy we get and things come up and take precedence and are more important.

[00:12:55] So instead of making an opt in that needs to be changed out seasonally, make your first one or your next one. One that can be there year round. That way, if you don't have time to go in and make something new for the next holiday or the next season, you can just throw back in your awesome evergreen opt in.

[00:13:16] So that is key number two. Number three, create a landing page with your opt in. Now, this does not have to be complicated at all. You can totally do this on your own website. You can just start a new page, make it super simple, have your form there, have a picture that showcases and captures the experience of your opt in.

[00:13:44] So, if it's a mock up. of um, an ebook or a printable or something, or maybe it's a picture inside a community if it's your Facebook group, or if it's something that you print and maybe you're like, people would normally put this on their fridge, maybe print it out and put it on your fridge and take a picture.

[00:14:03] Something fun and engaging. Right? Again, that makes people be like, Oh yes, I definitely want this whenever they see it. You want to make a landing page with this because now you'll have a link that you can send people to when they ask for your freebie and you don't have to be like, Oh, we'll just go to my blog and click the sidebar or wait for the pop up.

[00:14:27] You know, this way you have a link that you can send people to all the time because you want to make an opt in that Whenever somebody DMs you about something, you're like, actually, like I have this opt in that would be super helpful for you. Here's the link. You can download it right now. How awesome would that be?

[00:14:44] Right? That's gonna not only save you time from answering a question or finding another link to send them, but it's also gonna help increase your email list. Or if you are hanging out in somebody else's Facebook group, And somebody asks a question and you're like, Oh, hey, I have a resource for that. Here you go.

[00:15:01] It's absolutely free. And you drop that link, right? Um, you'll find more and more ways. Once you build it, you'll find more and more ways to share it. Or if you make a Facebook group, like share that link everywhere, get other people to sign up for it. Also, plug back to Flowdesk and another reason why I love Flowdesk is Flowdesk makes this super easy because you can choose a full page underneath forms and voila, Flowdesk will automatically create a beautiful landing page for you using the template that you select.

[00:15:35] All you have to do is add your message and an image and you're on your way. It makes it super, super easy. So yes, you can totally build it on your website, or you can just head over to Flowdesk. Click full page under forms, throw in your message and your image, and it gives you the link right there. Super easy.

[00:15:52] A little bit faster too, I think, at least for me, and I'm pretty good at websites. Um, but this, that works even faster for me when I need to just quickly knock something off of my list. All right, key number four is to create a welcome sequence. Now you want to create a series of of three to four emails that will go out automatically when someone signs up for that awesome opt in, regardless of what it is.

[00:16:21] You always want to have them immediately get an email from you and start getting plugged into this welcome series. So. I'm going to tell you exactly what you can do in this email series. I recommend doing an email series of four emails and you can have them go out however often you want. You can have them go out every like three days or five days or seven days.

[00:16:49] It's really up to you. Um, I like to do every three days. Whenever somebody joins our list. So email number one is they get the freebie sent to them. So you include a link to it where they can download it or join or whatever it is. And just a short little note that says, welcome. I'm so excited. You're here.

[00:17:10] Just something very short and sweet. That is all that you're going to include in the first email. Don't overcomplicate it. We're going to keep this welcome series super simple. Email number two that you'll send out three to seven days later. Remember, this is all automated, right? So you'll make an automation.

[00:17:27] Sorry, if I'm going too fast or I'm ahead, sometimes I'm like, Oh yeah, everybody knows this, but I'm backing up here. So you're going to create an automation in your email platform and you'll create four emails in that automation. And every email platform within automations will have an option for you to set the time that it'll go out.

[00:17:48] So you'll say three days later or five days later or seven days later, whatever you want to do. Um, like I said, I set mine for every three days. So email one will go out immediately. As soon as they sign up for that opt in, email two for me goes out three days later. And email two, I suggest that you show them what you're good at.

[00:18:09] Now show your best blog posts and anywhere that you've been featured to show some credibility. If you haven't been featured anywhere yet, no problem. But if you've been on another podcast or if you've been on somebody else's blog that's bigger than yours or had a media promotion. Anything like that, show it off, show them what you're good at, showcase those best blog posts, the ones that are your favorites and show off your most amazing content.

[00:18:39] Email two is where we want to establish that like, Ooh, like it's a little bit of a bragging right in this email. Okay. Now email three, again, I said it for three days later. You're going to set some expectations. So you're just going to tell them again, I'm so excited you're here. I am going to send you free and paid resources.

[00:19:02] Here's what you can expect. So then you tell them in that email, just kind of a bullet point list is what I do of like, here's the type of emails that I will send out, or here's some things that I will include and that you'll see in upcoming emails. So, maybe it's a, um, recap of recent blog posts. Maybe it's any exciting features that they can take advantage of, anything new that you think they're going to like.

[00:19:30] Maybe you share sales in your email. Maybe you share some exclusive behind the scenes content that only your email list gets. You just kind of give them a list of like, here's some fun things that you can expect. Transcribed But have that line of, I'm going to send you free and paid resources. Here's what you can expect by having that there.

[00:19:52] That way you're just like, I'm clear in the air right now. This is a business and yeah, I might send you some affiliate links later, or I might send you something that a brand, um, asked me to include in an email, or you might sell a digital product down the road or a digital course. course. Or maybe a fun physical product.

[00:20:09] Maybe you want to sell stickers or t shirts. And so they just know that up front. It's super quick and easy and doesn't have to be anything that's a big deal at all. We're just clear in the air. And then email number four is this is where now you may be wondering like, well, Bri, when do I talk about me?

[00:20:27] When do I talk about myself and share what I do? That all happens in email number four. Follow this sequence is what I recommend and wait until email number four. In email number four, you're going to share about yourself and how you relate to them. That is the key here. Sure, we love to hear about you, but we're all selfish creatures and want to know how Me following you and me staying on your email list relates to me.

[00:20:58] You want them to read it and think she gets me. Oh my gosh. Yep, I can totally relate to that. This is gonna be awesome. Can't wait for the next email. That's what you want to have happen in email for. You want it to always relate to them. So that's your welcome sequence. Like I said, it's super easy. Don't overthink it.

[00:21:22] Just write those out real quick. I guarantee you you can do it in an hour. No problem. As long as you just don't overthink it. I think that is like the key. When it, the email's welcome sequence takes us too long. We're thinking too much about it. So just follow those four steps. And you've got this, all right, key number five, make a schedule for sending out newsletters, whether that's once a week, twice a month or monthly, I want you to start small and stay consistent.

[00:21:56] And just remember your audience is choosing to hear from you. They want to hear from you, like they signed up for your opt in, they know what that means, they know what it is, they want to hear from you. So let them, let them hear from you. I think that is something that is just so, and I know that some of you listening are like, yep, I have a list of this many people and I haven't emailed them, um, ever, or I haven't emailed them in months.

[00:22:28] Like I know you guys, cause I talk to you all the time. I know it's happening. Just remember, like, they signed up, and they're literally asking you, Hi, please email me, and you're like,

[00:22:43] Why? I know sometimes it's time, but that's why I say start small and stay consistent. So, once a week, twice a month, or monthly, whatever works for you right now. You can always, always change that, right? So, if you need to just start right now by sending out an email once a month, do it. Start somewhere. Okay.

[00:23:05] And then increase it to twice a month after you have more time. And as you get the hang of it and get into that flow and then increase it to once a week, once a week is perfect. That's awesome. Work to build to that, that spot and batch this, you guys like, don't just sit down. And like, if you are doing it once a week, don't just sit down and literally do it once a week, like sit down.

[00:23:26] Only twice a month to do it or only one time a month and write two or four emails at one time sit down and do that and you're going to go so much faster because you're going to be in that zone and in that flow and it's going to just work so much quicker for you and save you so much time. There you go.

[00:23:44] Five keys to an awesome email marketing strategy. Now you guys, we have that blogging babe deal for you with flow desk. So when you sign up for a free trial, you also get 50 percent off your flow desk subscription if you decide to subscribe. So you can get 50 percent off and your free trial by just heading to thrive together.

[00:24:07] blog slash flow desk. And I'm going to leave the link to that. In our show notes as well, thrive together. blogslash podcast. So you guys can get signed up for your free trial. See why I rave about it so much because it's so easy and beautiful to use. And that way you can get that discount whenever you do sign up.

[00:24:25] All right, now here's the other thing that I just want to say real quick before we wrap this up. So, you know, how you were saying at the beginning, how, uh, time is going by so fast because, um, the last podcast we have done was back in. April of 2021 with the one with Flowdesk and like, it was so long ago and I thought that it was like yesterday.

[00:24:50] Time is flying by so fast. Now, how many of us can raise our hand and be like, Yeah, I thought I would be a lot further along with my blog than I am now. And time is just going by so fast. I don't know where the time is going. I'm always running out of time and I need help. So that way I stay on track and I actually start to hit my goals and hit that revenue goal that I really, really want.

[00:25:12] Yeah. Right. Like I know like that is for sure happening and I'm talking to you guys all the time. And I also know because it's happened to me. Over and over and over again. And it wasn't until I had accountability and people in my life to help pull me up and keep me focused that I started to see mega change.

[00:25:31] So if that is you, I have two things for you guys. Number one, if you are making money from your blog currently, if you have made more than 2, 000 from your blog in the last 12 months, then I want you to head to thrive together. blog. com. Slash shift. You guys heard me talk about it a couple episodes ago.

[00:25:50] It's our program that gives you accelerated, tailored. Customize accountability and strategy to help you scale. If you're not making any money yet, then I want you to go to thrivetogether. blog. com slash pbs to learn about the profitable blogger society because time is too short and we want to stay on track.

[00:26:12] And if we're going to go all in with building a brand from scratch, then let's Build a really awesome brand that makes us money, right? So those are my two links works the best for you and what situation you're in right now. All right, you guys, that's it for this episode.

[00:26:36] Thank you for listening to the thrive podcast for resources mentioned in today's episode, head to thrive together. blog. And if you're a blogger or influencer looking for a community that is ready to cheer you on and be a resource to help you grow, be sure to join the thrive blogging community on Facebook.

[00:26:54] If you love this episode, I would be so honored if you subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast app and give our guests some love over on social media until next time, keep thriving.