Betcha didn’t see that one coming, considering the title of this post has to do with emails, huh??

In all seriousness, it’s widely accepted that in the [highly unlikely yet still maybe could happen] event Facebook is wiped off the planet, at least you have a way of reaching your customers.

It’s also THE PLACE to tell your customers about upcoming sales, promotions, and exclusive flotsam only they have access to in exchange for access to their inbox.

Think of it like this: anyone can see your social media posts. It’s like dating. People can check you out and decide if they want to know you more. You’re showing off and putting your best foot forward.

(Why is it “foot” by the way? Did some fetishist decide that was going to be the saying and it stuck?)

Now, the inbox…that’s where the magic happens. Someone has decided they like what they see and want to get it on at a deeper level.

That said, it can be daunting to think of what to write every week. Hell, even if you’re just sending an email once a month, it has to be informative, entertaining, and have a rockstar subject line that gets people to open.

 And THAT is a tall order.

The bottom line is you want to use your email to connect with your potential clients, readers, and any trained monkeys who have made it on your email list.

You want them to open and read and learn from it. It’s the best way to build trust with said audience.

The key is knowing what to put in those emails to get people to open.

It can’t be boring shit or waste people’s time. And even if you don’t have anything to sell, you still want to send out emails on a schedule to get them used to opening so when you DO have something to sell, they’ll see it. They’ll be primed and ready to buy.

Email 1 | A Surprise Freebie

Who doesn’t love a surprise gift? This can be an exclusive offer just for the top people who open your emails or it can be across the board. Create a freebie and let it loose. Have no expectation that it’ll come back to you. Just send it to be a nice person. You’ll be surprised what you’ll get back in return.

Email 2 | A Personal Letter

Instead of sending out a mass email to everyone, write an individual, personal note. Try to offer something valuable to the reader based on what you know about them. Perhaps they’re always commenting on your blog posts; tell them you appreciate it! If they’ve purchased a shitton of your candles, let them know how much their support means to you.

Email 3 | An Exclusive Introduction to a Blog Post

My favorite emails to read are the ones that have some exclusivity to it (as if you couldn’t tell from the first two suggestions).

These are the emails that are more than just a copy and paste of a blog post. There’s something just for me, whether it’s a personal story that acts as a preamble to a blog post or a tip that isn’t included in the post; I get to hear more from you because I’m in with the in crowd.

Email 4 | A Piece of Advice

The content of my emails are mostly made up of advice. Sometimes it’s about marketing, sometimes it’s about being a graceful business owner, sometimes it’s about time management.

Regardless of the specific topic, I make sure that there’s a lesson someone can take away from this email and/or a tactic they can implement.

People don’t buy from people they like, they buy from people they trust. Show that you’re a leader in your field, whether it’s as a coach or as a baker.

Email 5 | A Story

Humans crave connection. That’s why daily copy is so powerful for your business.

Tell your audience about you. Dazzle them with a story.

Share a story that reveals who you are as a person rather than a business. For example: if you started your screen printing company because you tried screen printing for the first time at a hands-on museum workshop with your mom and it sparked something in you to make it your life’s work to share beautiful prints in an accessible format, tell that museum story!

I feel like this needs a caveat: only share what you’re comfortable sharing. Even if it’s a bit scary to pull the curtain back, you need to be 100% secure in your decision to unveil this piece of information. Once it’s out, it can’t be taken back. 

Email 6 | Work that You’ve Done

If you are a service-based business, this is for you. Similar to giving advice, sharing client work is a great way to build trust. It shows that you know what you’re doing (and that people have paid you to do it) and emphasizes your aesthetic that may be attractive to someone else. So go ahead and share a design you made for someone’s website or copy you wrote for them.

Email 7 | Brag About a Client

Also similar is bragging about a client. Did they take a piece of your advice and have a 6-figure launch? Has someone recently had a huge breakthrough after a coaching session with you?

Brag about how awesome they are and how much they’re killing it (with permission, especially when there’s confidentiality to watch out for).

Email 8 | A New Product

You don’t have to do a hard sell here, but it’s great to share what you’ve made. Like #6, but for product-based businesses, highlighting a new pottery piece is a great way to share recent work you’ve done and get people excited to see more.

Email 9 | A Link Roundup

Everyone has a million links secreted away on Pinterest, Feedly, Pocket, Instapaper, Facebook Saves…you get the idea. Send out a link roundup!

You know your email list’s demographics, so you know what would appeal to them. Find a few favorite useful, thought-provoking, and/or just plain funny links, toss them into an email with a sentence about what each link is and why it’ll help them, and off you go.

Bonus: if you can segment your email list, you can get really tactical about this. For example: if someone joined your mailing list from your opt-in about Instagram hashtags, you can assume they’re interested in Instagram and you can tailor the content to them. 

Email 10 | Something You’re Obsessed With

If you’ve really been digging something and it needs to be sung about from the rooftops, do it! This is a great platform to share the particular item and why you love it so much. Include what it is (duh), where to find it, and why it’s so kickass. Boom, another way to build trust with your audience and humanize yourself at the same time.

In case you couldn’t tell, I strongly believe that an email list is a direct link to your readers and/or customers and it’s a fool-proof way to help you to build a relationship with your subscribers so they know, like, and trust you.

These emails can showcase a product or service, but the goal isn’t to sell anything. It’s to inform and build up the connection so they’re primed to give you their money (almost) without you asking for it.

What’s been your favorite email to receive? Or who does a killer job with their emails?

Original post published October 26, 2017, has been updated with: better copy (I wrote it so I can say that), new techniques, and new graphics.

The post 10 Non-Promotional Emails to Send to Your Subscribers appeared first on Angelica Ross.

“But Angelica, I can barely keep up my business let alone invest time in social media and now an email list.”

And to that I say, “Rock on with your bad self. But you still have to do it.”

Think about it – what if social media dissolved tomorrow? You’d have no way of contacting your customers that you’ve worked hard to cultivate and turn into fans. That’s why it’s important to have an email list.

Still not convinced? I figured it would take more than 150 words…

Okay. Let’s pretend (and Lord help us, I hope it’s only pretending because I’d be lost without planner pictures on Instagram #planneraddict) that social media did go poof. What are you going to do? You still have to reach your customers.

Let’s chat a little about why it’s important to have a list and a sure-fire way to gather quality addresses.

In case you missed it the first 50 times I’ve said it in this post already: your mailing list is the most direct link to your customers, readers, etc. Facebook algorithms change and posts may not get seen, tweets will fly by, but an email will wait for a customer in their inbox until they’re ready to open it. Unfortunately, there isn’t that kind of guarantee on social media.

Additionally, social media is social. It should be all about cultivating relationships and sharing things that will enrich your customers’ lives. Pushing product promotions (especially in a sales-y style) is a great way to turn people off.

Emails, on the other hand, are expected to have some promotional element. Sure you can get a little more personal here since it’s a one on one connection, but you can still use email to talk about yourself, what you’re up to, any promotions you have going on, etc. Just be sure to provide some value to your customer — like a promo code or special offer — if you’re getting really personal.

So what if you don’t have a huge email list?

Well, think about something: your email list is representative of your customer base. I’m willing to bet all the coffee in Pittsburgh you don’t have 10 million customers. If you do, again, rock on with your bad self. You should start a blog and teach us your tricks.

Anyway, I’m betting you don’t have millions of loyal customers (yet) so why would you expect your email list to be that large as well? Focus on cultivating a list full of people who hang on your every word. It’s best to have an army of loyal fans who tell everyone they meet about how awesome you are (however small it may be) instead of a network of acquaintances who are pretty meh about it.

The easiest way to grow your email list is to talk about the benefits of signing up.

I don’t go on a website thinking, “I can’t wait to sign up for their mailing list!” I find something useful that I want, see the benefits of being part of this group, and get sucked in.

I bet your customers aren’t asking you at the register if you have a mailing list they can join. You have to tell them about it.

When shoppers in your store are checking out, talk to them about your email list. Explain what they can expect when they sign up. Will they receive a bi-weekly email featuring new products, tips for using your products in an unexpected way, and a special coupon on their birthday? Focus in on “What’s in it for me” aka: how your customer’s lives will be enriched by signing up.

Are you online only? Offer a freebie (discount code, printable, etc) in exchange for an email. Oh, and still tell your customers what to expect!

And don’t forget to follow through on those promises.

Finally, make it painfully easy for customers to sign up. If you’re in store, type the address into your POS system for them instead of spinning your iPad around on the counter for them to do it. Have a prominent sign up box in the sidebar of your website or use something like SumoMe to have a sticky bar follow customers around (nicely, not like an annoying gnat).

Basically, don’t rely on your customer to seek out your email list – bring it to their attention. Schedule a Facebook post with a link to your sign up form right before you have an email scheduled to go out. This will work as a teaser and may catch some customers who have FOMO (AKA: Fear Of Missing Out).

Now that people have entrusted you with their email address, treat them like the VIP gang that they are. They’ve trusted you with their inbox, after all!

How have your grown your email list? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why you need an email list appeared first on Angelica Ross.