7 Email Marketing Strategies to Help You Make More Money from Your List
“You need to build your email list.”
You’ve heard it everywhere, for as long as you can remember (or at least since you started your online biz.)
Maybe you’ve started, maybe you haven’t.
But if you’re reading this post, I’m going to assume you’re at least curious about the value an engaged list of email subscribers can bring to your service-based business—ESPECIALLY if you want to scale your business with group programs and info products, so that you can stop trading time for money.
So, without further ado, these are my top 7 tips to help you improve your email marketing strategy and make more money from your list:
1. Start with a Plan
BECAUSE EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGIES DON'T WORK WHEN THEY CHANGE EVERY WEEK
To actually see results from your email marketing, you need to know what it is you're working towards. For example, which of your services/packages are you hoping to sell more of this quarter?
Choose one overarching goal for at least one month (I do it quarterly), and keep both the emails you send and the content you produce linked to that one goal.
This is a lot easier when you have an editorial calendar with the strategy baked in— luckily I've got a free one that you can grab right here (no email sign up required!).
Advanced move: Create a lead magnet that’s tied to your star product/service & a welcome email sequence to help move new subscribers closer to a “Yes!”
2. Kill your email subject lines
THEY'RE THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR EMAIL BEING READ
Your subject line is THE deciding factor when it comes to whether your email will become a high-grossing piece of marketing collateral… or electronic litter in someone's inbox.
Typically, great subject lines fall into 3 categories:
Curiosity-driven: These subject lines create an open loop you can only close by opening the email
Crystal clear: These subject lines tell the reader exactly they need to do
Hinting at value: These subject lines suggest the email they preface will contains something valuable the reader desperately needs/wants to know
How do you learn how to write better subject lines? If you don't have one, start building a swipe file of great examples you can pull from.
Most important of all? Always be A/B testing. This will help you gauge what works with your audience and which advice you can simply ignore.
3. Know who is on your list and why
NOT EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP FOR YOUR LIST SIGNS UP FOR THE SAME REASONS
One of the first emails you send to new subscribers (ideally, as part of your Profitable Welcome Sequence) should ask them to click a link that tells you what kind of prospect they are in relation to your business.
For example, the people who sign up for my list tend to be service providers, course creators, and copywriters.
Each of these groups is interested in my work for different reasons, which is why one of the first emails in my welcome sequence asks readers to let me know which category they fall into.
Only sending content that's relevant to your readers is one of the most important things you can do to boost their trust in you. Segmenting your subscribers based on what kind of content they want from you is a powerful way to do this.
As your list continues to grow, some other useful segments to create include:
Subscribers who want DIY / done-with-you options / done-for-you options
Your most engaged subscribers, i.e. the people who reply to your emails or open every one (see Strategy #4 for why).
Subscribers who are interested in particular offers, e.g. I segment subscribers based on whether they engage with content related to web copy vs. sales funnel strategy.
4. Identify your True Fans
YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS WILL BUY FROM YOU EVERY CHANCE THEY GET
Even if you have a healthy list, made up of ideal clients who regularly read your emails, you've probably noticed that some of them will never, ever buy from you.
The truth is that the leads on your list are cooling off from the moment they consume the freebie that got them there. In order to turn a subscriber into a buyer, they need to be engaged.
What does this mean for you? Any time you're launching a program or promoting a new service, tag the subscribers who are most engaged with your content and send them some extra, personalized content.
Launch strategist Tarzan Kay popularized sending personalized Bomb Bomb videos to your most engaged subscribers.
When I did my first launch of The Subscriber-to-Buyer Funnel Intensive, I sent a personalized Loom video to everyone who had opened at least my last 3 emails the night before cart close.
When you’re going for the sale, remember: You don't need to focus your efforts on your entire list. You just need to surprise, delight, and blow the minds of your True Fans.
5. Build Your Own Authority
DID YOU DO A COOL THING? TELL YOUR LIST!
The people who are on your email list have given you undeniable proof that they want to know more about what you do and what you offer.
If you write an epic blog post that you know could help them out, share it with a bit of extra insight.
On a podcast? Be your own hype woman.
Did your latest Reel go viral? Let them know.
Did one of your clients have huge success after you worked together? Share that story, baby.
Your subscribers might not follow you everywhere, but they’ve already told you they care about what you’re up to. Cross-channel references are a great way to make sure you're growing across media platforms.
That said, remember: The ultimate goal of your social posts should be to get people to sign up for your list. While it’s great if subscribers follow you too, your email list should be where you provide the most value.
6. Make 'em like you—really like you
BECAUSE YOU'RE A PERSON WHO DOES MORE THAN WORK
Because emails are so much more personal than a blog post or a FB live – you're talking to just one person, in a private space – email marketing is one of the most powerful ways that you can build your Know, Like and Trust factor.
While Trust can be built by demonstrating your expertise, as in the point above, the best way to work on the Know and Like side of things is to share personal stories with your reader (and then segue into a tip that's relevant to them).
Copywriters use a variety of tried-and-true frameworks to help us organize our messages for the maximum effect. Here’s one that works to build Know, Like and Trust:
Story > Segue > Call to Action
(*While this structure is fairly common among email marketers who know the power of story, I learned this iteration of the framework from 7-figure business coach, Ron Reich.
7. Link your emails to your offers
THE PEOPLE WHO NEED YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN HELP
Hear this, please: You are allowed to pitch the people on your list without feeling sales, scam-y, or like you're pushing them into something.
Email marketing is an exchange of value:
Yes, your subscribers have done you a favour by allowing you into their inbox—an honour, especially now.
In exchange, your duty is to entertain them with stories, educate them on your Zone of Genius, and empower them to solve their problems.
👆 That last one won’t always be free.
And that’s OK.
Paying for a solution means that your people will have skin in the game, which often means they get better results because they’ll actually IMPLEMENT what they learn.
If you've got a way to help your ideal clients improve their lives, it's your responsibility to let them know.
And on that note… I’ve got something to share with you.
If sending your weekly email feels more like a chore than a money-making privilege, check out this comprehensive email marketing strategy & planning workshop:
Inside Activate your Email List, you’ll learn:
How to create months' worth of content ideas in one sitting (not just for your emails, but social media & blog posts too)
Which messages to send & when (whether you're prepping for a live launch or booking clients all the time) <— THIS is the piece that 99% of list-building courses leave out!
Expert tips, copy tricks & subject line best practices that will help you write the kind of emails that move your people to ACT.
“Katie’s workshop was just what I needed to give me a framework to bring my subscribers closer to me and get better at CTAs and sales.”
- Jilliane Yawney, www.jillianeyawney.com
Do you wish you could spend more time in your Zone of Genius… and less time trying to fill your calendar with consult calls?
I work with badass women business owners who want to make more money from their existing products and services, without hustling any harder.
How? By helping them scale their businesses with sales funnels that fill their group programs and sell their info products on autopilot.
Want to learn more about how I can help you?