With all the recent changes to social media, and in particular the algorithm changes for Instagram and Facebook, it is important to look at the methods you use to communicate to your audience.
Whilst social media is a great tool for connecting with individuals, it is important to remember that it should be viewed as just one piece of your Content Marketing Strategy. You should also be utilising your mailing lists to connect. Here are six reasons why you need to start and grow your mailing list today.
Reduces reliance on other platforms
As mentioned, changes are happening all the time to social media platforms. These include minor updates but can also include major changes that impact your ability to reach your followers. Take as an example the recent shadow banning on Instagram, together with their move away from a chronological feed. Both have severely impacted the possibility of your content being seen.
Also take a moment to think about what would happen to your business if either of these platforms were shut down tomorrow. Would you be able to continue to communicate with potential clients or customers? Or would you need to start from square one?
Mailing lists are your own piece of real estate
Mailing lists belong to you. You have found, nurtured and grown the subscriber numbers with your own blood, sweat and tears. No-one can take this away from you (unless of course the platform you use for this collapses! This is why I always have a backup of my list saved elsewhere.)
With a mailing list, you also have full control over who sees what. By this I mean that you design the communication and deliver it to all (or part) of your list at a time that best suits you and your audience.
Communicate your way
Besides designing your communication to suit your audience, a mailing list allows you to choose who to send it to. You may decide to segment your communication based on criteria such as purchasing behaviour, interests, location or age.
Communication to your mailing list is customisable, making it a perfect tool to create niche email marketing strategies. Emails are also more personable, as they can be personalised with the recipient’s name and are delivered directly to their inbox.
Marketing purposes
Mailing lists are a fabulous mechanism to promote your content, blogs, courses or offers. You can also use them to get feedback from your audience, or to survey them regarding a change or upcoming offer.
A vital tool in your sales funnel
Subscribers to your mailing list are more likely to be future buyers. They have often opted-in via a lead magnet or form on your website, so are already warm leads. They like you and are acknowledging that they think that the information you have provided may be useful by handing over their email address to you. Using this information, you can ensure that you support them through the sales process through targeted offerings, or even an automated email series (more on this in later blog!).
Helps drive traffic to your website
A great feature of email communication is the ability to include clickable links. This means that people can go off to your website in just one click to something that has interested them. Hopefully you have such amazing content that they will linger a while, get to know you, your product or service better, and even purchase something!
More traffic and time spent on your website by users are both vital pieces in the elusive Google ranking puzzle.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that you have a mailing list in place, that you regularly communicate with your subscribers with meaningful content and nurture them through your sales funnel. Feel free to contact me if you need help with setting up a mailing list, writing a newsletter or need a template.
