How Email Could Save Your Business If, The worst should happen.
Building an email list can feel like a pain, adding another job to your ever-growing to-do list. First, you must create a list, stay consistent and nurture the dam thing! You can post your stuff on social media, get on with life and reply to any comments later. In this blog, I'll outline why having an email list is far safer than just relying on social media.
Your Email List Belongs To You.
An email list belongs to you. Unlike social media platforms, the list is yours and can't be taken away from you. The people have signed up to hear from you, which is pretty remarkable when you think about it. You may think your social account and profile belong to you, but be under no illusion; you'll only ever be a lodger.
Your account can be suspended, or closed for many reasons, that are often outside your control. It could have a significant impact if this is the only way to contact people. You could lose your clients, prospects, and audience in one fell swoop and start from scratch. This loss would be a massive setback for most businesses.
Would Your Business Survive?
Probably... but things would be tough for a while. And it's a risky position to be in. However, if you have an email list and your social media account is closed, yes, it would still be inconvenient, but it wouldn't stop your business in its tracks.
You're No longer Just A Status Update; You're In People’s Inboxes.
An email list allows you to pop up regularly in people's inboxes, which is a brilliant way to stay in their minds. Even if people don't read every email, they'll still be reminded of your existence regularly.
The people on your email list value you enough to give you their email addresses. They've shown an interest in what you do by signing up for your email list. They've indicated they would like to see more from you, and you have an excellent opportunity to keep in touch regularly. Not just when the social media platform of your choice decides to show them your connections.
Nurturing Prospects With Email.
With an email list, you can control to a certain extent what people hear from you next. This control lets you educate your readers on a particular product, service or process. You can monitor when people have opened an email or clicked a link, all for free. If they haven't opened your email, you can change the subject line and send it (I would only do this once, for each email, personally). However, with a social media post, you only know if someone's seen your post and if they decided to like or comment on it.
Build Trust With Email.
People like to read stories, and emails are the perfect way to use stories about you, your life and your business to build a relationship. To help your subscribers to get to know you and your world, which will make them far more likely to recommend and buy from you - we buy from people we know, like, and trust. You can ask questions and start conversations, which will help you to get to know your readers better. You also have a group of people to test ideas and special offers with (as a reward for being on your list), connect with and sell to.
The journey of prospect can be a long and winding road. Some will buy quickly, some slowly, and some never. A well-written email list can help people along this journey by giving them a taste of what it's like to work with you.
Lets Wrap This Up!
Let's Wrap This Blog Up.
Building an email list may take more time and effort than posting on social media, but it is well worth the hard work. For the peace of mind, the audience you can nurture, and the rewards you can reap.
Social media is a brilliant tool that can have a fantastic effect on a business. However, it’s good to remember that social media platforms are understandably there for their benefit. To make a profit, and nurture, their audience. Is putting all your eggs in the Meta basket (other platforms are available) a risk you are willing to take for your business?