Do you have an email list?

In case you’re confused by the question, I’ll quickly clarify what I mean. An “email list” in this context is people who have signed up to receive emails from you for marketing purposes. I’m not just talking about email addresses in your contact list, because technically you don’t have permission to contact those people for marketing purposes. 

When working with new clients, “Do you have an email list?” is one of the questions I ask. The most common responses are along the lines of:

• “Yes, but I haven’t sent anything to them in a really long time.”
• “Yes, but there’s only a few people on the list.”
• “Yes, but I’m really inconsistent with sending stuff.”

First up, let’s celebrate the fact that a lot of you are answerings “Yes! I have an email list!”. And then let’s let go of the “buts”, because here’s the truth. 

• It doesn’t matter if it’s been a while between emails. It’s never too late to start getting more active with your email marketing. (I can help you come up with a plan for that, if you need.)

• The number of people on the list does NOT matter. No one receiving your email has any idea how many others are receiving it. What’s important is that these people have OPTED IN to hear from you, so they’re legitimately asking you to email them with helpful/inspiring/enjoyable content!

• As for the inconsistency, my recommendation there is that you brainstorm a list of topics you could share with your subscribers, and then come up with a realistic schedule for when you’ll send an email. The biggest mistake people make with email marketing is getting a rush of motivation and trying to commit to sending weekly emails…. But then getting 6 weeks in, losing the momentum and stopping sending emails all together. What if instead you sent one email a month? Far more manageable, don’t you think?

If you’re still on the fence as to whether email marketing is worth it for your business, consider these statistics….

The average open rate for a marketing email is 20 – 30%, depending on the industry. This means 20 – 30% of people who receive your email will open it and read it. By comparison, the average engagement rate on Instagram is less than 1%. 

If you have a smaller list like I do—at time of sharing this post I have 225 subscribers—you’ll probably find your open rate is significantly higher. I average an open rate of between 60 and 70%, which means more than 130 of you open my emails in your inbox each week. (Thank you, by the way. That stat never ceases to blow me away.) 

The type of targeted attention you have in someone’s inbox is PRECIOUS, and definitely not something to be taken for granted. It’s an incredible opportunity for you to build trust and rapport with potential clients. 

Best of all, no one can take your email audience away from you! One Instagram glitch and there’s every chance you could lose or get locked out of your account and completely lose the ability to connect with the followers you’ve invested so much in growing. That won’t happen with email. 

Have I got your wheels spinning a little more on email marketing and thinking about how you might be able to use it in your business? 

If this is something you’d like support with, schedule an inquiry call with me today.