The BIG Idea File: Why Everyone Needs an Email List – Tips on How to Start Building Yours Today

It’s sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Every single time I sent an invoice or accounts payable reminder to my clients, I ended up with more business? Why? It’s simple: suddenly my name, my business, my solution to whatever problem they were facing at that exact moment was square in front of them, ready for them to connect the dots and pick up the telephone.

You see, it’s not that your potential clients don’t want to work with you. It’s just that between the looming Friday deadline for that must-win proposal, the crisis that erupted over the weekend with the servers and the internal policy meetings to discuss parking issues (yet again), they forgot about you. Plain and simple.

That’s why a little nudge in the form of an email is so vital.

Why Everyone Needs an Email List: The Story of Amy the Artist

Amy is a local artist and probably the last person on earth you would expect to use email to market her work. You are probably thinking, “People don’t buy paintings from an email.” No, it’s true – they don’t.

But Amy doesn’t use her email list to sell paintings. She uses it to engage her audience in her career as an artist, sharing behind-the-scenes looks at her latest work-in-progress, and inviting them to gallery openings and special events.

By inviting her email subscribers into her world, she creates an audience that is vested in her success, which is why for the last decade since we met at an afternoon workshop, despite many email subscription purges, I continue to follow her career with interest.

5 Ways to Start Building your Email List TODAY

#1: Simply Ask – Get in the habit of asking people if they would like to join your email list. Work it into your networking routine: as you are exchanging business cards, simply ask if they would like you to add them to your email list and mark their business card with a star.

#2: Offer Bribes – Give people an incentive to want to join your email list beyond the value you will be delivering on a regular basis – a free whitepaper, a downloadable audio recording, a tips sheet, fill-in-the-blank templates, contest participation or whatever your audience values. Offer it on your web site, blog, facebook fan page, and in social media.

#3: Partner – Work with a company with a similar target audience and create a list building joint venture project. Examples include dual opt-in teleseminars or webinars, exchanging solo emails or offering a bonus gift for their project.

#4: Include with Purchase – Add all your new customers and clients to your email database automatically. Always let them know that they are getting a free subscription to your email newsletter with the purchase and give them the option of unsubscribing at any time.

#5: Seek Alternatives – Connect with your audience where they want to connect with you. Give them the option of becoming a facebook fan, subscribing to your RSS feed, linking up on LinkedIn, subscribing to your podcast or YouTube channel or following you on twitter.

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