Building your email list falls into the subscribe part of your client journey. In this phase you are looking to build upon the connection that you have already made with your ideal client through social media or blogs and give them a reason to join your email list.
There are three main reasons why you want to build your email list
1. To increase the number of people that you are reaching
2. So that you can move your ideal client onto a platform where you can more easily control the variables as to what they see and when
3. You own the list, so it becomes an asset that adds to the value of your business
Before we get too far into this topic, it’s important to note a few things.
1. A big list does not necessarily equal more sales
2. A big list full of people that do not engage with your emails is not a good thing
3. Smaller lists can be good, but a healthy list should still show consistent growth
Now that’s out of the way, let’s look at the reasons why your list isn’t growing.
Your ideal client avatar needs a bit of work
What is your niche and who do you serve? Knowing your ideal client inside and out is absolutely the first step to growing your email list because every other problem listed below, comes back to this. Many of my clients believe that they know their ideal client, but it’s only surface level.
A deep dive into aspects such as their purchasing behaviour, personality, problems, dislikes and roadblocks allows you to tailor your content exactly to their situation. And when this happens, your messaging is on pointe, your ideal client connects with you more easily and flows through their journey with you more quickly.
Your lead magnet misses the mark
To grow your email list you need to have something to give your ideal client in return for their email address. Gone are the days when people would subscribe to a ‘newsletter’. Today you need to be more specific in what value you can provide.
If you don’t have a lead magnet, then first things first, you need to create one!
If you do have a lead magnet then look at whether it’s speaking to your ideal client’s problems. Make it quick, make it actionable and make sure that a problem is solved. A checklist will often work better than a 15 page eBook as a lead magnet. The reason being that your ideal client is more likely to download and take action if it’s easy. And that’s what we want them to do – make progress asap and make the connection that you are the one that helped them.
Go back to your ideal client avatar and get to know exactly what they like and dislike in order for you to solve their problem.
You don’t promote your lead magnet
There’s no point in having a beautiful lead magnet if no one knows about it! Promote it everywhere you can. On your social media, on your website (several places), in your blogs, on appropriate days in Facebook Groups.
If you’re paying for promotion, make sure that you have automated emails in place that do their job in delivering the lead magnet and starting the journey with you.
Unsubscribe rates are higher than your subscribes
If you’re losing subscribers faster than you’re gaining them then there may be a couple of issues. Either the lead magnet didn’t deliver what you said it would, or the automated sequences that follow delivery of the lead magnet are nonexistent or miss the mark.
This comes down to how you write your copy in your promotional posts, the lead magnet itself, as well as the carefully crafted emails that follow. Revisit your ideal client avatar to get this back on track.
Building your email list is an important part of growing your business. It can help you reach more people, target your message according to where your ideal client is in the client journey and can do much of the nurturing process for you.
If you’re not sure where to start with building your list, or need a bit of a boost, then take a look at my Build your list package. Together we craft the perfect lead magnet, automated emails and social media promotional posts to give your email list the love that it deserves.
