I was on a Zoom call with my friend, Gabrielle. She was telling me how she was “so ready” to quit her day job so she can focus on building her business full-time as a health coach.
When I asked her what she was doing to grow her business, she told me she had just hired a social media manager to help her grow her IG.
I tried my damnedest to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor, but I just couldn’t help myself! This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to grow their business.
I told her straight up…
If you want to build a successful online business that not only makes money predictably, you need to stop growing your social media and instead grow your email list!
She instantly gave me the eye roll (the same one you might of did when you read this email headline)
It turns out that she had heard so many other people talk about the importance of having an email list, but hadn’t started one yet. And maybe, you’re in the same boat!
If you’ve also been working hard to grow your social media because you *think* it’ll get your paying clients, you should stop right now and start growing your email list.
Note: The only time I suggest you prioritize growing your social media is if you’re consistently getting clients from social media or you offer a product or service that’s visual in nature. For example, if you’re a website designer or personal stylist who showcases your client’s “before & after” photos.
But even then, I still recommend you build your own email list because it’s a more sustainable way to build your online business.
Just so you know, this isn’t my opinion. It’s backed up by the latest research!
Here are three reasons why you should focus on growing your email list instead of your social media:
1. You don’t own your social media.
The reality is that you have no control over how social media companies endlessly change their algorithm or monetize their platform.
For example, you can put in a lot of work to get people to “like” your FB page, follow you on IG, or even grow the members in your FB group. Then the next minute said social media platforms could start charging you to reach the audience you worked so hard to build.
Sounds crazy right?
Well, ever seen FB prompt you to “boost” your post to “reach 65% more” of your audience (people who’ve already chosen to follow you!)? Or how about IG prompting your followers to “turn notifications on” so they don’t miss their favorite posts?
That’s social media companies making it harder and harder for you to reach the audience you’ve worked so hard to build. This creates more space in the news feeds for those who are willing to pay for advertising.
Now don’t get me wrong, social media marketing is still an important tool for growing your business, but when it comes to making sales, it doesn’t touch email marketing!
2. Email marketing is more likely to drive sales than social media marketing.
Based on research done between 2016-2020, people still spend more money through email as opposed to social media.
When surveyed, 60 percent of consumers say they’ve made a purchase as the result of a marketing email they received.
On the other hand, 12.5 percent of consumers say they’d consider using the “buy” button on social media (optinmonster, 2019).
I always tell my clients this, “Your goal is to get people off of social media and on to your email list!”
3. Email helps you reach your customers fast.
You might think that with the quickness of social media, it outpaces email for the fastest way to reach new and current customers!
However, according to Get Response, 21 percent of opened emails are opened within the very first hour of delivery. Then, by the end of the third hour, that number jumps up to nearly 41 percent. The verdict it out, email is a fast and effective way to reach your audience.
The best part–for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $42 (DMA, 2019).
The moral of the story is that the gold standard of marketing involves growing your email list so if you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to get with the program!
So what’s the best way to start growing your email list?
You need to create an opt-in offer that your audience will love!
Your opt-in offer or lead magnet is a free piece of valuable content that people can receive in exchange for their contact information. That’s why it’s either called an opt-in offer because people have to opt-in to get it or a lead magnet because it captures leads.
Then, when someone wants your opt-in offer, they enter their name & email, becoming an email subscriber!
Your opt-in offer isn’t the same thing as simply prompting people to join your email list. For example, “Sign up for my weekly newsletter!” or “Get free updates!”
The goal of your opt-in offer is to:
- Get your audience’s attention
- Attract potential clients
- Provide free, high-value content that your audience wants
- Solve a small problem your audience is having
- Showcase your expertise
- Create content that would naturally lead to your paid offering
Once someone has subscribed to your email list you can then continue to add value to them, nurture your relationship, and eventually offer them a way to work with you.
That’s why it’s so important to create a valuable opt-in offer that leads into your paid offer. This helps you reverse-engineer the sale.
After your subscriber consumes your free content, when they see your paid offer, saying “Yes!” should feel like a natural, next step in the right direction for them.
See the power of building your email list?!
Giving away free, valuable content in the form of an opt-in offer is a proven way to attract potential clients.
If you haven’t been building your own email list, now is the time to start!
Noelle