how to start email marketing
“Email Marketing.”
It sounds intimidating.
Like … if it introduced itself at a networking event, it would be all:
“HELLO. [Intense handshake and eye contact.] I’m Email Marketing. Please call me Email Marketing.
I’m the leading tactic for millionaires everywhere, I provide the highest and most consistent ROI in any given marketing budget, and I’m the *only* platform that allows you to own your data.
Websites couldn’t live without me.
Social Media wants to be me.
And I eat Paid Advertising for breakfast.”
Bruhhhh, drink that martini and relax. I know you’re not actually that uptight!
Around here, Email Marketing isn’t stuffy. Or complicated.
It’s … brace yourself … FUN.
(Mostly because it can make you a shit ton of money.)
(And it *does* drink martinis.)
So let’s cover email marketing basics so you can (finally?) get yours off the ground.
EVERYTHING SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO START EMAIL MARKETING
1. PICK A PLATFORM
You need one so you can collect email addresses and send emails. (And it make all it look semi-cute and like you’re *not* sending them from your mom’s basement.)
The big ones (for small businesses) are:
Kit (formerly Convertkit)
Flodesk
Mailchimp
I use and love Kit, but I’m far too lazy to become an affiliate.
2. CREATE A FREEBIE
Unless you’re Beyoncé (and I am), no one’s joining your email list for free.
This is, sigh, due to everyone having freebies. It’s expected now, so you just gots to do it.
GUIDELINES FOR A NON-SUCKY FREEBIE
✔️ Relevant to what you’re selling
✔️ Less valuable than what you’re selling
✔️ Little bit more valuable than what they could Google
Make it simple. Make it cute. Don’t let it keep you up at night.
You have bigger things to write than your freebie.
3. BUILD AN OPT-IN PAGE
Your opt-in page is where your future subscribers will OPT INto receive your emails.
This is the last step to capturing that email address. And that’s what we here fo!
So your opt-in page needs to be fire. Yours should look like this:
GUIDELINES FOR A NON-SUCKY OPT-IN PAGE
✔️ Short
✔️ Super clear
✔️ Functional
I add that last one in because … there was a dark time in which I *didn’t* check my automations and captured ze. ro. emails. Cool.
4. WRITE A WELCOME SEQUENCE
My. bread. and fucking. butter.
This is what I was put on this earth to DO! (Well, write welcome sequences and drink wine.)
GUIDELINES FOR A NON-SUCKY WELCOME SEQUENCE
✔️ 4–7 emails
✔️ show personality (I literally have a course on this!)
✔️ SELL. sell sell sell your shit.
and, one of my pet peeves:
✔️ Email 1: Deliver the lead magnet and get out of there. They want the freebie, not your manifesto.
Hold up: Right now, you might be like “I have a welcome sequence, but it sux, Kelsey, will you just FIX IT?”
5. MARKET THE HELL OUT OF IT
Your friendly reminder that you’ve got to TALK ABOUT YOUR OFFERS.
The reason people love my emails? Because I tell them to subscribe.
The reason people book copy audits? Because I yell at them about how awesome they are.
The reason people know I drink too much red wine? Yeah.
Once you’ve done all the work I just laid out for you …
DO NOT SHUT UP ABOUT IT.
This is your evergreen opportunity to capture new subscribers into perpetuity. Throw that opt-in link out there with abandon. Speaking of … here’s mine. Consider it thrown in your face.
6. KEEP YOUR LIST NICE AND TOASTY
(Because nice and toasty gives credit card digits.)
You have two options:
Buy them wine.
Send them regular emails.
I personally prefer both, but — in this blog post, at least, I advocate for the second.
Email your list. Consistently. I recommend once a week, preferably on the same day (this is what I do). You’ll build anticipation and recognition.
If you can’t make once a week work, go to every other week. But no less.
That fresh new subscriber will FORGET YOUR ASS in less than a minute. So make sure you’re putting it in front of their face as often as you can.