Why Every Writer Needs an Email List

Do I need an email list?

My longest answer: Every writer needs to build one. Simple.

Do you want to build a relationship with your audience? Or Do you want to spread your message? Or maybe you want to write a book that sells.

You need to build an email list.

In this article, you’ll discover:

- Why a writer (You) needs an email list.

- How to get started building your list right now.

But first, let me share a story with you. I believe you’ll relate with this

A writer who’s not getting the traction she deserves

Last month, I was talking to one of my fellow writers, and she asked me, “Pawan, can you please check out my blog?”

I did. And believe me, she writes beautifully. Her storytelling skills are amazing and I like the way she delivers her message.

I read some of her blog posts. But then I notice one thing: She doesn’t have an email subscribe form on her blog.

It made me uncomfortable.

I messaged her about the same. But she was not concerned about it. She was only concerned about the writing part.

I said you write effectively and just keep writing. But you also need to focus on building your email list.

One thing frustrates me: Many talented writers don’t get the attention they deserve. WHY?

Because they completely neglect building an email list. They don’t understand its importance.

As a Writer, when I send an email newsletter to my subscribers, I get a number of replies and good engagement.

No matter if you’re a writer, marketer, or ecommerce business — You need an email list.

And if you don’t have one. Then, my friend, you’ll struggle to get the traction you deserve.

What Actually Is an Email List?

In simple language:

“A group of people who opted in to receive updates from you.”

You need their permission to send emails.

What email list is not — Purchasing or downloading the email contacts from the third party. NEVER do that.

“Pawan, what I need to build an email list?” — You ask.

You just need three things to get started:

1. A blog or website.

2. Ask permission — Place a signup form on the website and invite people to opt in.

3. A right email marketing tool — To collect people’s email and communicate with them.

Why Does Every Writer Need an Email List?

Let’s imagine a scene:

You publish an in-depth and informative article and someone visits your blog to read your post.

She loves your post because it answers her query. What’s next?

She exits your blog because she doesn’t know what to do next.

And you might never get a chance to communicate with her. Probably she’ll also forget about your blog.

Goodbye forever. 🙁

Here’s one solution: Convert your website visitors into your subscribers.

Here are some reasons why you need an email list:

1. World’s largest social network

Email is the world’s largest social network with almost 5.6 billion email accounts in 2019 (According to Statista study)

And the current world population is 7.7 billion. It means, almost every person has an email address on this planet.

So if you’re not leveraging the power of email, then you’re missing a BIG opportunity.

2. Email is private and personal

When your subscribers see your email in their inbox and read your helpful content. It builds trust. Email allows you to make a personal conversation with your readers.

And people feel more comfortable with email because it’s private. And they can share their questions and pain points with you.

3. You own your email list

You don’t own a social media channel. Your efforts will go in vain if any of these platforms shut down or change their policies. But you own your email list, it’s your asset. You don’t need any third party to reach out to your readers.

See what Neil Patel Says:

“Out of all the channels I tested as a marketer, email continually outperforms most of them.”

“Wait, I Have Social Media”

I believe some of you will ask, “Pawan, I got your point. But what about social media. Isn’t it overtaking everything?”

I won’t give you the answer, I’ll show you. What information Facebook and Twitter (or any other social media channel) ask you while creating an account?

It’s an Email Address, right?

Even, all these social media channels understand the importance of email to get in touch with their users.

And there’s a “Social” tab in a Gmail user’s inbox. Here’s a screenshot from my Gmail.

Social media is important to reach your audience and engage with them. But there are many social media channels and people prefer using different channels.

But 91% of consumers check their email daily. ( Source)

Email guarantees you higher results. So you should spend time and efforts into building your email list.

How to Build and Grow Your Email List

I hope you’ve understood by now that how important is an email list. You must convert your blog visitors into your subscribers, so you can send your messages to them.

“Pawan, what I need to do now?”

Here are some tips to get started:

1. Find a good email marketing service provider. I recommend using MailChimp or Convertkit. Both are simple, affordable, and easy to use.

2. Place a simple and clear signup form on your website. Convertkit and MailChimp help you to create high converting opt-in forms.

3. Provide Free resources. Create interesting and informative ebooks, PDFs, and some other resource. Provide these valuable resources to your visitors in return of their email address.

4. Send welcome email to new subscribers. When someone joins your list. Say thank you and welcome to your family. Don’t forget to introduce yourself.

5. Start sending your messages to your subscribers. Be consistent with your email frequency. Start small. Once per week is good. Send valuable and helpful messages.

Bonus TIP: Don’t see your subscriber as your contacts. See them as your community members. It’s all about sharing ideas and information. Never blast emails to them.

Originally published at http://prepawan.com

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +445,678 people.

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