TOC #78: How To Get Started With Email Marketing
(June 21, 2022) Email Marketing Series Part 1: How To Grow Your Email List With A Lead Magnet
Welcome to the first edition of BTL's Getting Started With Email Marketing Series!
I'm next-level pumped to chat with you over the next 4 TOCs all about how to grow your email list.
I decided to create this series as a fun little way to spice up my summer newsletters… aaaand because I'm weirdly extra obsessed with email marketing right now.
👇🏼 Some quick housekeeping details:
This is a completely free, no-pressure, no-sales-pitch, non-funnel, nothing-but-a-normal-TOC-just-focused-on-email-marketing-for-4-weeks series, BUT if this is the push you needed to get started with email marketing, feel free to take part in the homework listed at the bottom of this email for an extra nudge to finally cross “grow email list” off your to-do list!
And feel free to send along the link for me to subscribe to your list - I want to read your content! :)
& that's it—you're officially all briefed on the series deets.
For the inaugural topic in our month-long email extravaganza, we're kicking off with the WHY of it all.
As in: why the hell should you even care about email marketing in the first place?
(See also: why is Sara spending four entire newsletters teaching me about it?)
I’ll spare you guys the speech in favor of a quick explanation: your email subscribers are people that know they already like you.
And, most importantly, they’re the users that will still be there if something were to happen to social media (hacked account, IG apocalypse, you get the picture).
Email subscribers are opted-in, locked and loaded, ready to purchase (or sign up, or download, or whatever your call-to-action is).
Plus, email content feels way more personal than other forms of content marketing (like IG captions, or blogs, or pins), meaning you're able to create a much more intimate relationship with your subscribers—and those relationships, + that community aspect, will be what helps you get results (aka loyal followers, and eventually, sales).
Now that we’re all up to speed on the WHY of growing your email list, we're almost ready to talk about the HOW of growing your email list—but first, we must go over how NOT to:
Don't buy subscribers from some sketchy ass list. No one can see your subscriber count, so there's no need to fake the numbers. You won't get results if your list is all bots.
Add people to your email list without their consent. That's quite literally illegal.
Be dishonest about how often you're emailing them. We'll talk more about this when we get to Part Four's welcome sequence lesson.
OKAY, now that that's out of the way… let's chat all things email list growth! 👇🏼
🚨 WARNING: I think this may be the longest email I've ever sent you.
So, maybe save it for a day you're extra motivated, or waiting in line at the DMV, or having a bizarre burst of inspiration to work at 2am.
There are 2 ways I recommend growing your email list: a lead magnet, and a newsletter.
My best newsletter tips will come later in this series (in part 3), but today, we're focusing on the freebie.
What is a lead magnet?
A lead magnet—or freebie, as most of us creators call them—is a free item that is given away in exchange for contact details. You download my free homepage how-to guide, I get your email.
Lead magnets are win-win situations, created by business owners who want to attract people who’d be interested in what they have to offer, aka qualified leads.
The best freebies are easy reads, or “low-hanging-fruit” style gifts to your audience that solve an immediate need. This freebie has got to be something they want now, in order to make them want to click the ‘download now’ button.
Not only do freebies help you grow your email list, they also help you build authority, community, and—eventually, more often than not—your client list, and your bank account. 😏🤠😎🤑
How does it help you grow your list?
It's simple: you made a thing people want, so they're willing to trade their name & email for it.
They get the thing, they like the thing, they stay on your list to get more content like that initial thing.
And then, in a perfect world, they start to like YOU and the thing(s), and maybe they even tell their friends or clients or network about it/you, or—even better—they hire you or sign up for your course or purchase your product. Amazing! All from one lil free thing!
What should your lead magnet be about?
Your lead magnet can be *anything* you want, in any format that you’d like it to be presented, but remember: the goal of this lead magnet is to get THE RIGHT PEOPLE (aka people who care about what you have to offer/the content of your emails & marketing efforts) to sign up for your list.
It has to be worthy of them taking an extra moment, typing in their name and email, then stopping their scroll to head over to their email, open it, and actually read it, and then
That may not sound like a lot of pressure, but trust me—it's easier than you realize.
>> Because your lead magnet should lead into what else they can expect from you, your lead magnet should be relevant to your services, offerings, or the subjects you educate/post about.
(As if this newsletter already isn't long enough) quick ~slightly abbreviated~ storytime:
My first-ever lead magnet I launched was all about optimizing your Pinterest. I've never been a Pinterest manager, or had any intentions of becoming one; I just randomly knew a lot about Pinterest.
So, naturally, the people who were subscribing to my list cared about Pinterest. But my newsletter wasn't about Pinterest. At all.
It was a recipe for The Great Unsubscribe.
Don't be like Past Sara, who made a freebie about Pinterest, aka something totally irrelevant to her business—be like Current Sara, who now has a freebie all about writing your own homepage, because she wants to attract people who are interested in learning about website copywriting, since, duh, that's what she *actually does for work.*
And while we're on the topic of topic, think about your long-term goals.
If you know that you’re planning to launch a course about how to become an influencer next year, maybe it would be smart to create a lead magnet about the best tools for first-time YouTube vloggers.
>> Consider what you feel comfortable educating about, AND what you want your audience to remember you for.
How much value should my lead magnet provide?
As a rule of thumb, I typically suggest that lead magnets are a leeeetle bit more valuable than a blog post.
Your goal is to educate, while showing off your expertise.
Your goal is NOT to give away an entire encyclopedia's worth of knowledge for free.
You want to leave people coming back for more, not clicking ‘unsubscribe’ because you’ve already given them everything they need to know.
Which format of lead magnet performs best?
Choose the format of your lead magnet based on what you think your audience will enjoy and benefit from the most! And, of course, make sure it’s something that you’re positive you can actually bring to life.
Checklists
Cheat sheets
How-to guides
Video tutorials
Step-by-step outlines
First module of a course
Free lesson
Templates
🚨 WARNING: People prefer simplicity. Don't make your lead magnet too long just because you're nervous it's not “enough” free value.
I promise you, it probably is.
The perfect lead magnet:
Is not too long, and not too short
Provides a comfortable amount of value
Showcases your expertise
Relates to your current offerings / the type of content you share (especially in your emails)
Gives your audience a clear next step (example: a conclusion page that gives a little more detail about you and your services, or an overview of who you are/how you can help in the same email that you deliver the freebie with—more on that second one coming in Part Four!)
When should you launch your lead magnet?
As soon as you're ready to actually start email marketing.
If you start now, but don't plan on actually emailing your list for 8 more months, you run the risk of people forgetting who the hell you are & unsubscribing when you DO (finally) decide to start emailing them.
How do you get people to download it?
That lesson's coming next week! Tune back in next Tuesday morning for Part Two!
🛑 HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS LESSON, OR ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO EMAIL MARKETING?
Email me at sara@betweenthelinescopy.com and let me know! I'm going to combine all of the most FAQ and send one last email at the end of this series answering all of your Qs—or maybe I'll even host a free masterclass.
(I am literally making this idea up as I type this. This was not planned. I'm just a Capricorn. I'm never not thinking about making more work for myself.)
I hope you found this newsletter helpful! In next week's edition of the Getting Started With Email Marketing series, we're going over how to write opt-in copy, and how to get the right people on your email list.
I'm wicked excited for Part Two because I have some fun examples to share with you from some dear friends of mine 😏
If you want to create your own email marketing strategy as the series goes on, here's this week's homework:
Make a list of 10 lead magnet ideas that you could create. Remember: your lead magnet should be relevant to your offerings, so you're attracting people who will potentially turn into buyers (or, at the very least, loyal readers who are interested in reading your content!)
Choose your best idea for your lead magnet, and write an outline of the content you plan to include. Remember: only include as much content as you're willing to give out for free—plus, people don't want a big, long lead magnet! If it's more than you'd write in a lengthy blog post, it's probably too long. Think quick, valuable, good indication of your knowledge.
Select a medium for your lead magnet. Think: checklist, PDF, video tutorial, hidden page on your site… the list goes on and on!
Create! :)
Hi, I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. Thanks for reading this edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents! If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client. ;)
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this newsletter, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my web copy course. Actually, it’s not *only* about website copywriting—I also teach modules on copywriting basics, developing your target audience, search engine optimization, blogging, and email marketing.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!
xo, Sara