Don't Bank on Social Media: Why You Need to Build an Email List
A website is a must-have when it comes to business but it's not a standalone tool. Even though your website is going to help you look legit, help you sell your products or services, and is totally great for SEO - no website is an island. The cheese does not stand alone!
This means that your site needs to do all the eCommerce things, connect to your active social media accounts, and help you build your email list.
What’s an Email List?
This is the list of people (customers, clients, leads, people who like your blog, probably your mom) who have agreed to give you their email address in exchange for something of value that you have to offer. This could be informational like a newsletter filled with helpful tips or something more actionable like a freebie download or a discount on a future purchase from you.
Why Not Just Social?
Facebook and Instagram are okay enough tools to connect with others and get outside your initial sphere of influence but if this is where all the attention goes, what are you really building? Aside from physical business assets like equipment or inventory or your Macbook - your book of business is what it's all about. It's your contacts, your relationships, your everything.
So if all your interactions with your most valuable business asset are on social media, what happens when new platforms crop up, algorithms change, people leave? What happens when services crash and access to new leads dries up? How do you connect? Would you be starting from zero again?
Instead of waiting until that happens, I want you to start thinking now about how to build your amazing future-proofed online business. The best part is that you can still hang out on social media if you want but you know that you'll just be using those platforms as tools to drive new contacts you meet back to the real heart of your brand - your website and, yes, your email list.
4 Reasons Why You Need an Email List
So you can own your own contacts. Remember this is your #1 business asset! If you interact with your people only on social media, guess what you have? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. This is no bueno, my friend. Take ownership of what's yours!
So you can stop worrying about algorithms. There are lots of competing stats out there on this but it's estimated that only 6-10% of your followers are actually seeing your posts. That is also no bueno. But guaranteed that if you pop up in their inbox with something of value for them that they will pay attention. This keeps your company top of mind for them and also allows you to build more personalized brand experiences. Let your competitors waste their time getting lost in the feed. You'll be right there in your customer’s inbox!
So you can show off your expertise. Notice the bit of emphasis from that last point: so you can provide something of value for them. That's the secret sauce. And it's super simple. In an email, you can get personal and provide tips, advice, tools, and resources that help establish you as an expert in your field. People want to learn and if you can solve a small problem for them for free (instead of just worrying about getting likes) they will turn to you when they're ready to make a bigger purchase.
It’s the best bang for your marketing buck! Email marketing can feel overwhelming at first since it definitely takes a bit of upfront work — but the payoff is so worth it! Email marketing brings in more ROI than SEO, display, advertising, and other forms of digital marketing. Studies have shown that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $42.
