3 Steps to get Started with Email Marketing

“The money is in the list.”
I am sure you heard this motto before. It basically says, correctly, that an email list is one of the most profitable assets you can have as a webmaster or online entrepreneur.
Why?
Because email is still the most used and most direct channel for communications, and therefore having an email list is the best way to engage your readers and customers.
Despite being an essential part of any website/online business, many people still don’t have an email list. The reason, probably, is because they believe it’s hard or complex to get started. If you are in this same situation, well, this article is for you. Below you’ll find 3 easy steps you need to follow to get started with email marketing. And don’t worry, you won’t need to spend any money to get started!

Step 1: Get an Email Marketing Provider

The first thing you need is a provider that will take care of managing your subscribers and delivering your emails. In theory you could get an email delivery software and run it yourself on your server, but this is a terrible idea because delivering email is a tricky business.
Email marketing providers focus on doing just that, and they make sure all the technical specifications are in place to make sure your emails will reach your subscribers.
Most people think that those services cost a fortune, but this is not the case. On top of that most providers offer a free trial, so you can test everything without spending a dime and without committing to anything. There are several good ones on the market.

Step 2: Create a ‘Subscribe’ Page on Your Site

The second step is to create a landing page on your website which will have the goal of getting new subscribers to your list. Ideally you want to explain what your subscribers will receive from you, and why they should subscribe (i.e., what are the benefits of becoming a subscriber). The more reasons you can list, the better. At the bottom of this page place the subscription form that your email marketing company will provide (you just need to copy and paste the code).

Bonus tip: Nothing works better than offering a freebie. Create a simple eBook or report and offer it as a gift to anyone subscribing to your list. This will do miracles to your conversion rate, and it will also help gain a lot of good will, as your subscribers will get some value from you right away.

Step 3: Promote That Page

Now that everything is in place, you just need to get visitors to your ‘Subscribe’ page. You can put a “Newsletter” link on your navigation menu, for instance, and you can also guest post on other sites and point your credit link to that page.

Bonus tip: It would also be a good idea to place your subscription forms around your website. The top of your sidebar and the bottom of your posts are two good spots that tend to convert well.

That is it. You should be able to complete these 3 steps in a single day, and after that your email list will already start growing. I’ll talk about what kind of content you should send to your subscribers on a future post. Stay tuned.

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