Grow your email list using social media

Posted on Monday August 17, 2015

One of the most valuable tools available to the modern-day marketer is the email list. A large one can make you millions, and a small or nonexistent one can prevent your business from properly taking off. So how do you grow yours? Using social media is one way that is often less talked about. Here are three tips on how you can leverage it to grow your email list.

Post and share your emails publicly

If you create great content for your email list and no one sees it except your subscribers, how are your non-subscribers going to know what they're missing out on? They won't, which is exactly why you should give your social media fans and followers a taste of the valuable content that awaits them after sign up.

Now let's be clear. This doesn't mean you should share every single email you send out to your list. If you did, there would be less of a need to subscribe. Instead, try sharing or posting an email once every few weeks or once a month.

Make it easy to sign up

Let's face it. Many of us will take the easier, simpler path whenever possible. This is just as true in marketing as it is in other more primal aspects of human nature. Take eating, for example: if you're short on time and have a choice between two restaurants for lunch, and one delivers and the other doesn't, which one are you going to take? Likely the delivery. Even if you prefer the one that doesn't deliver slightly better, you'd probably still take the delivery for the simple fact that they've made it easier for you.

In the online marketing world, the same concept works for gaining subscribers. This is why you need to make it as easy as possible for people to sign up after they've read your publicly shared email. To do this, simply add a sign-up link to the emails you share.

Create valuable content

You've probably heard the phrase "content is king". However, whoever came up with this catchphrase left out a very important keyword. It should instead read "valuable content is king." If you're shelling out dozens of blog posts, emails, podcasts or videos a month but the content is useless to the reader, you're not going to make any traction with your email list.

When trying to gain subscribers, always ask yourself, "what's in it for them if they sign up?" If you simply have a signup box on your website or social media page, but no valuable content to go along with it, why would someone sign up? Would you sign up? The point is that there needs to be a reason for someone to subscribe to your email list. And valuable content is a very good reason.

Lastly, don't forget to demonstrate why it's more valuable for your future audience to subscribe rather than simply follow you on social media. To do this, give them an incentive to sign up. This could be in the form of an exclusive offer or a free ebook, course, report, or something similar.

Want more tips on leveraging social media to grow your business? Send us a message today.