Building an Email List: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for Small Businesses
Starting an email list is a foundational step for small businesses and new brands looking to establish a direct and personalized connection with their audience. In this guide, I'll walk you through each step to starting an email list, from choosing the right email marketing platform to designing opt-in forms that encourage visitors to join your list, and more.
Step 1: Choose an Email Marketing Platform
Selecting the appropriate email marketing platform is the first key decision in building your email list, but I think I can make that easy for you. A few common platforms I hear other small businesses using are Mailchimp and Convertkit, which I am sure each have their strengths. Go ahead and do your research, but I’ve been using an email marketing platform called Flodesk for a few years now and I absolutely love it!
Here’s why I love Flodesk: It’s super easy to use with a clean, intuitive interface. Beautiful emails are just a few clicks away from fully customizable templates to pretty fonts and drag-and-drop features. It’s a woman-owned small business, which if you know me, you know I highly value. It’s affordable, even if your list gets big. I could go on…
If you’re sold on Flodesk, use my link for 50% off: https://flodesk.com/c/EFFIEGURMEZA
Step 2: Define Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is fundamental to crafting content that resonates with them. I recommend creating an ideal “client” avatar and brainstorming what this person’s problems are so that you can solve them in your lead magnet! This way you will be able to create content that is super valuable for them not just in your lead magnet but also moving forward as you nurture them and hopefully they will eventually become a paying client because you’ve built trust by providing them with valuable content.
Step 3: Create a Lead Magnet
Now that you know who you are talking to, you’ll need to create a lead magnet that you can give them in return for their email address. Lead Magnets can be anything valuable from an ebook or pdf to an exclusive discount, etc.
As a brand photographer with an audience of small business owners, I’ve given away stock imagery and PDFs with helpful information and tips. (Pst. If you plan on designing a PDF I recommend using Canva ;)
Step 4: Design an Opt-In Form That Converts
Your opt-in forms are the gateway to your email list. It’s where you sell your audience your lead magnet in exchange for that email address. Opt-in forms should be beautiful and engaging. Flodesk takes care of the beautiful part with minimalistic designs that integrate seamlessly into your website or stand-alone, so you just need to make sure that copy is engaging ;)
Step 5: Write your First Email
I’ve already said it, but Flodesk makes it super easy to create beautiful emails for your audience. The first email you’ll need to create is the one you deliver your freebie in! It doesn’t need to contain a lot of extra information, it simply exists to deliver the goods.
Step 6: Create a Welcome Email Sequence
After you’ve sent that first email delivering your freebie, it’s a good idea to follow it up with an introduction email that tells your new subscriber who you are and what to expect from being on your list. Welcome email sequences can be as many or as few emails as you’d like. The point is to introduce yourself and maybe take your clients on a journey to where they would purchase from you right away, all while delivering value that will keep them engaged and coming back for more content.
My welcome sequence consists of 7 emails that takes my new subscribers on a journey explaining what my business has to offer and why they need it, giving helpful tips and social proof along the way, and ending with an offer for them to purchase my services for a slight discount.
Bonus Step 7: Nurture Your List
After my welcome sequence, my subscribers receive a short weekly email with quick tips for their small business. It’s like a mini, bite-sized version of my blog for busy entrepreneurs. I continue to provide them this value consistently because I believe that nurturing my list will build trust so that the next time I run a promotion my audience is primed to purchase from me (which means I’ll get to help them even more!)
By following this step-by-step guide to email lists, you'll be well-equipped to start, build and grow an engaged email list for your small business. Remember, the key lies in consistently providing value to your subscribers. Don’t only send an email when it’s time to sell, nurture your list and build trust with your audience over time. Not only will this help your audience, but it will help you convert your subscribers into paying customers so that you can serve them even better!