Well hello there and happy new year! This is my first blog of 2024, landing directly in your inbox if we're email pals and if we're not.. what are you waiting for? Let me know where I can send the next one here and bag yourself my FREE guide to Auditing Your Insta while you're there.
Last year, I sent my emails weekly and blogged monthly. This year I'm changing it up a bit by emailing AND blogging twice weekly, with the blog going to email pals first too. So you still hear from me weekly but with best of both worlds, email one week, blog the next. This means I can offer you more value which ties in with my business mission "To help as many small businesses as possible grow!"
My email community (over 200 of you and growing - thank you!) is the community that hears everything first and are the most engaged with my work, you're kinda like my VIP's
Jokes of course EVERYONE's invited because if you're a small business owner then you are already one of the cool kids.
So that brings me onto my blog topic today.
Do you have an email list for your small business already? If not, guys, you're missing out.
Let me tell you why having an email list is so beneficial for you:
Over 90% of users open their emails every day
You own your email list
You can offer value directly to people who have opted in to here it
The ROI (return on investment) rate is, on average, £42 for every £1 spent
Keeps you top of mind
One point I particularly want to expand on is the fact that you OWN your email list. My ideal clients (hey, that's you, hiya!) use social media, and rightly so, Instagram in particular is a fantastic platform to grow your business from BUT you don't own that space. Zuck (I'm calling him that now after watching the documentary about him the other night Zuckerburg: King of the Metaverse, have you seen it?) can pull that rug from under you at ANY TIME. Yup, if Instagram folds overnight, or even if your account is hacked, your followers are GONE. You know how hard it was to build that audience in the first place, can you bear the though of starting again? No, me neither and that's why I prioritise having my ideal clients join me in my email community, and you should to.
Image here is my INCREDIBLE client Susan of "Breathless" on her recent brand photography shoot. Is she showing her ideal clients how blinkin good her 9D breathwork session is, or, is she just delighted she's decided to start an email list too?
Ok Amanda, I'm in, where do I start. Woooo hoo!
First off you need somewhere to send your emails from. I use WIX which is who my website provider is. I've used WIX for my business websites, blogs and email marketing for years now and whilst I have nothing to compare it to, I've also got no complaints. So have a look at your website provider first off and see if that's something they offer, it may be an easy way to get started. If not, check out mail chimp, I know of other who use this platform and like it. Other platforms are available, just do a wee google search.
Now you need a plan - because everything you do for your small business should have a strategy behind it, ain't no one got time to waste shouting aimlessly into the wind. This part I honestly find so easy and so will you if you follow this process. You know your ideal client by now don't you? Don't you?? If you don't, I know you know I have a course for that which will help you identify your ideal client INSIDE AND OUT so what are you waiting for, it's here. So presuming you know who you want to attract, think of their pain points. What are they struggling with right now and how can you help them?
If you make kids clothes for example, your ideal clients might want to know how to make an easy repair to a zip or a burst seam, or how best to look after handmade clothes, they might want to learn more about sustainable fabrics.. Yoga teacher? Your ideal clients might want to know about the benefits of seasonal yoga, how to fit yoga into a busy schedule, what benefits they can gain by attending your class, you get me?
They will also want to know a bit about you too, and your business offers, so be sure to do a mix of blogs. Educational, promotion and personal is a good mix to get started with.
Now you have a platform and you have a plan, you need subscribers, or email pals as I call you guys! For that, you need something to entice them in. I know most of you are here PURELY for my witty chat but, I'm sure the occasional freebie helps too yeah? What you need is formally known as a Lead Magnet, or a freebie. What can you offer your ideal client that will make them want to exchange their email address for? Think of what makes you want to exchange your own email address? A free tutorial. a free how to guide, a discount? You know what your people want so deliver it in a kick ass freebie that they cannot resist. I make most of mine on Canva (all hail Canva right?) so highly recommend starting there. You then have to promote your freebie on your social media channels and your website. Make it as easy as possible for folks to sign up. The more hoops they have to jump through, the more likely you are to lose them along that journey.
Ok so:
Email platform - check
Plan - check
Freebie - check
Subscribers - check
What next?
BE CONSISTENT. Please, please be consistent. Set your own schedule, whatever you can manage is fine whether it's once per week, twice weekly or once per month, set a realistic timescale so you can stick to it. Let your email pals know what to expect in a welcome email and please, show up when you say you will. No one wants a flaky small business owner, it could give out the vibe that your flaky in all aspects of your business and no one wants to BUY from a flaky small business owner, do they, would you?
No, so don't be flaky, k? Good.
Also... please just get started. Don't wait for the perfect subject to come to mind or the perfect time, just hop on and get it started and out there. Done is better than perfect.
That's all for this week guys, I sincerely hope this has been helpful, will you let me know? Email hello@shotbyamanda.co.uk or drop me a DM on Instagram
I'll be back in your inbox next week but until then you can find me on Instagram and/or why not check out the trailer for my new PODCAST?! So excited for this, The Growth Addicts Podcast, Passionate About Helping Small Business Grow. 1st episode launching mid February 2024 but listen to the trailer HERE to hear what it's all about.
Speak soon,
Amanda
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