Why should any business use email marketing, but specifically entrepreneurs?

The first part of that question is that it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in – email can work. Now, the same tactics don’t work the same from industry to industry. You have to adapt whatever you’re doing based on you and your businesses. So, that’s the first thing.

The second thing to remember is that it is email, and study after study has shown that it is the most effective marketing tactic for a variety of reasons. People say you have to hurry. But you’re going to get in front of more people than if you are doing social media – the percentages are like less than 1% and 20%. And you control the message. And you control your list. You just have a lot more control over what you’re saying and how people are responding than anything else.

“People have said, “I’m not using an email strategy.” And these same people are saying that they’re leveraging their social media, such as Facebook or YouTube. But what if YouTube is unavailable? What if Facebook locks you out? What if LinkedIn is not available, and you don’t actually have that contact information to reach the people who have already said they’re interested in hearing what you want to say?”

I just want to throw it out there that if you have these subscribers, and you have these engaged people on social media, they’re engaged with you. So, they will go with your email marketing, as well. Additionally, social media algorithms prevent a certain number of people from seeing your posts. That’s just how it works.

What are your recommendations for using email to nurture your subscribers?

It is kind of a hybrid between a more formal message and something you can do on social media. But ultimately, you’re having a conversation.

You don’t want to only be selling. The call to action can be a variety of things. It’s not necessarily a launch for something you’re selling. Most of my calls to action are asking questions and asking people to respond, so that I am then getting into a conversation with them.

Email allows you to add more information. You can craft your story, your something of interest, share value, and then get people responding. And I think that that’s a really great way to nurture. Maybe 5% of your emails are going to be a pitch. And maybe you’re going to do that trust-building and things like that. But most of the time, you’re just really engaged in the conversation, which secretly you have already received.

“This is the same with any medium. If you’re going to encourage conversation, then be ready to have the conversation. If somebody actually responds back to you, and answers the question that you’ve posted in your email, then take them to the next step and have that plan for what you say to them.”

Is there a specific type of email that’s important to send?

There’s a series of important emails to send when you’re inviting somebody on to your general marketing list.

So, there’s the welcome email. Multiple industry experts say this is the most important email and why? Well, there are a lot of reasons. First of all, if somebody is interested in you and they are subscribed, and you just gave them something juicy, then they gave up one of their most valuable pieces of personal information to get this thing that you offered them. So now, you have the opportunity to show them some respect and some love for having done that.

And so, creating an email that tells them what to expect from being on your list is a really important thing to do. Then you’re going to have a series in the sequence that helps people get to know you. And then they’re all excited.

“If you don’t have a warm email sequence, Susan has put together an opportunity.”

It’s a series of five emails. I highly encourage you to turn it into your own language because that’s how I talk to my list. But it’s the framework – so you can look at it and say, “Okay, this email has this information about me, and this email has this type of a case study, and there’s this email telling people what to expect.” And so, it’s just laid out, and you just do it, and then you put it into your autoresponder, and you do it for free.

3 Action Steps

1. Know that email is effective as a part of your marketing strategy no matter your industry.
2. Use email as a means of having a conversation with your subscribers.
3. Create a series of emails that welcome your subscribers and tell them what to expect from you.

Connect with Susan Rose on LinkedIn or click here to receive her “Warm Welcome Email Templates.”

Please comment below. I would love to hear from you.