Why you need to start an email list
Nobody likes emails.
Yet we subscribe to newsletters and mailing lists. We literally give up our email address in exchange for entertainment or consumption of what that person or brand has to say.
Why? Because we value them. We value their experiences and care about what they will share with us. We believe that they’ll provide us with content that will make our lives better, and trust that they’ll treat our time with respect.
Maybe you’re thinking of launching something new next year. Or perhaps you want to give your blog readers access to exclusive content. As a creative entrepreneur, email lists are the best way to share what you have to tell to a targeted audience.
The problem is, you probably think you don’t have a good enough reason to have an email list. However, you do. You are unique and I guarantee that you know at least one thing that someone else in your industry doesn’t know.
That means that you have something worth sharing.
Email lists can be great for teaching what you know, but they can also be great for launching a new project, telling a story or staying connected with your audience.
Email lists create public accountability
Which helps you get things done.
Maybe you have an idea for something that you’d like to launch in the future — a book, podcast, online store. Anything. If you want to take action on that idea but don’t know how or where to start, put up a landing page with a sign up box for your email list.
Even if you may not be actively working on building and expanding upon that idea right now, give people an insight into what it is that you will be working on. If they’re interested, encourage them to sign up on your site.
This will not only hold you accountable to the people that sign up, but also validate that there is a market and interest for your idea.
Sticking to personal deadlines and taking action on our own ideas is tough. We know we want to work on this new project, so why don’t we take action on it? Breaking down the idea into tasks is difficult, making time to do that is even more difficult. However, when you make a commitment publicly to your audience, you have skin in the game. Your reputation is on the line and people are trusting that you will deliver on your promise.
If you have something you’re looking to launch or share in the future, create an email list now.
It positions you as an authority
Your audience will sign up to your email list because they want to hear what you have to say.
It’s as simple as that.
An email list can help position you as an authority in the mind of your audience and readers. They not only want to hear what you have to say, they value what you have to say. Email lists allow you to share anything — whatever you do end up sharing, consider whether that’s what you want to be known for in the mind of your audience.
For example, if you only talk about how to make podcasts to your email list, your subscribers will subconsciously position you as an authority on podcast making.
Connect with others personally
Do you know why your subscribers signed up to your mailing list, or who they are?
The more deeply you can resonate with your audience, the more they’ll trust you and hear what you have to say. An email list isn’t a means of one way communication. Encourage your subscribers to get in touch with you and share their insights and thoughts. Ask them lots of questions. Uncover why they’re here. The more you can uncover about them, the more targeted and valuable you can make your content.
Listen to what they have to say or what they’re struggling with, and deliver them the best possible value in return. If you can deliver the right value at the right time to the right audience, you’ve struck gold.
Build an audience
No one wants to launch to crickets.
Maybe you have an idea or for a project you’d like to work on in the future, or a goal you’d like to achieve. Perhaps it’s creating your own email series, podcast or online course. You need to start building your audience now so that when the time comes, you have high quality leads to sell (or launch) to.
Consider someone who works in the shadows on their email course. They don’t talk about it, there’s no landing page for you to find out what it’s about, when it’s launching or what will be included. Launch day comes and maybe a couple of people show interest.
Compare this Seanwes’s Learn Lettering course. Sean wrote a blog post every single day for 30 days leading up to the launch, about lettering. He had a landing page where you could sign up for updates on how the progression of the course was going. You received an email 7, 3, 1 day out from the course launching. Sean also emailed those on the list with an introductory lower price and he ended up making $177,803 in the first 14 days.
Building an audience is crucial when launching a new project. If you decide to start building your audience on the day of your launch — you’re too late. Use your email list early to start gaining interest and keep those who are interested informed on the progress of the project.
Build the right audience
Anyone can read your blog — it’s public.
Those who sign up for your email list are going to be the minority. They’re going to be the 2% who have read most of your blog posts, like your tweets and who still want more.
They believe that you have more value to give and they don’t want to be the one that’s missing out.
A blog post can attract a whole range of people. You don’t have control over who shares it or where, and it’s hard for you have in depth conversations with those who read and resonate with it. People’s email inboxes are a sacred thing. I have never met a single person who likes emails, yet we still use them in our daily lives.
While people don’t like emails, your subscribers do like hearing what you have to say. People are willing to make the trade off of trawling through their inbox just to hear and absorb the value that you have to deliver.
Those who trust you to let them in your inbox are going to be high quality leads. These are going to be the people who will share your new project with their own network or show their support by purchasing your products. Take the time to connect with them.
In Summary
Having an email list isn’t just for someone who wants to launch a product. If you run a blog, you already have valid reason for an email list.
Send out an email to your readers each time you post a new post, or share it with them exclusively before you publish it on your blog. Or, you could even do a monthly roundup of all your blog posts from the month.
Email lists take time to build and grow so start early.
