There are so many puzzle pieces to starting a business, aren’t there? One of them is how to start email marketing.

It can feel like a very complicated endeavor.

Do this. Don’t do that. Use these systems. Don’t try that method. 

Fortunately, there are clear and solid steps you CAN take as you start learning to create a passive income. And one of those “puzzle pieces” – a step I’ve mentioned before, but can’t stress enough – is email marketing.

But how do you start email marketing?

In this blog post, I’ll share 5 different points about basic email marketing, as well as resources if you’re ready to jump in and test it out!

1. What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the process of a) adding potential leads to an email list and b) building a relationship with your email list by c) offering them actual value, often via information or products.

Let’s imagine, for the sake of example, that you’ve just completed a Google search on vitamins. One site shares great details about vitamins and also offers a free guide to the most common vitamin deficiencies. That provides value to you, so you decide you want it – and you provide your email address in exchange for that guide. This is a main way you can get subscribers to join YOUR email list – to provide value via a “lead magnet” in exchange for their email address. 

Now any time you receive an email from this vitamin company, they will continue to provide you with additional information and hopefully be able to sell you more products. Most importantly, they will also give you the opportunity to unsubscribe so that you are never on an email list against your will. 

2. Why is it important to have an email list?

This is absolutely vital to your business because if you are building an audience or following on any other platform, you don’t “own” your list. Even if you build a successful Facebook following with, say, 30,000 followers, Facebook can shut you down. They own the platform, not you. And suddenly, poof – your audience is gone.

And suddenly, poof – your audience is gone.

But if you have been collecting your audience’s emails and keeping them on your own list, then you STILL HAVE YOUR AUDIENCE. And while it’d be a bummer for Facebook to shut down your account, it’s not the end of the world. You can still communicate with your customers via email. And by reaching out consistently via email, you build rapport and relationship with your audience, and they will be more likely to buy from you when the need arises. 

You don’t have to sell through your email list. You can, of course, and it’s a powerful method of growing your business. But if that’s not what you want to do with your list, you don’t have to sell things. You can provide information, videos, templates, advice – anything that adds value. Just know that these steps do tend to position you as the “expert” to your audience, and they’ll expect you to offer things that a) relate to that field, issue, or area you are positioned in, and b) help them in some way. 

3. How do you collect emails to start email marketing? 

Whether you’re sending out emails to your existing list, posting on your website, or sharing on social media, you can drive traffic into a landing page. This is typically part of a “funnel”, which I’ve covered more deeply here. 

On this landing page, you give them a choice. Most often, it is the choice to download a free product in exchange for their email address. If they opt in, you thank them and provide that free item. By promoting this product via your different communication channels, you can pull in leads from Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. 

A note here: if you’ve been around a while, you’ll often develop several different platforms because you’ve had time to build up one platform at a time. If you are new to marketing, however, pick one platform and stick to it. I know it’s tempting to think you can boost your numbers by trying to put yourself everywhere at once. But that credibility and those numbers will come with time. Hang in there and keep building up your platform, and once you’re solidified, you can start on another one.

4. What do you do with your emails? 

Let’s say I have 2,000 names on my email list. What next? Well, when someone joins my list, I can start out by providing an email sequence of perhaps five different daily emails, helping them to get to know me. From there, I might broadcast twice a week to my audience. 

I’ll be honest – in the beginning, I did NOT want to use email marketing! I didn’t really understand what it was, or the importance of having my customers’ email addresses. However, after encountering Russell Brunson’s book DotCom Secrets, I began to recognize just how integral this is to business marketing. 

So I sat down and wrote out my initial “welcome” emails on a single word document, allowing me to easily go back and edit as my life or business changes. Then I uploaded them into my email software welcome sequence. 

5. How do you use an autoresponder? 

Email marketing software comes with an “autoresponder”, which acts like a mailman for your emails. When someone joins your email list, the system will automatically launch them into a prearranged sequence of emails. 

I’ve linked ActiveCampaign here, although there are several others you can check out! Some, like ActiveCampaign, have free trials that allow you to explore and test out different features and functions. One of the neat features of ActiveCampaign is that it allows you to redirect your email respondents. If you sell something in your weekly newsletter, you can set up your system to automatically place that customer on a different list – for customers who are serious about wanting to do business, to learn from the value you’re providing, and buy from you. 

Then you can send THIS email list more customized or detailed emails. Your broad list may or may not be as deeply interested in what you have to offer, but those who have purchased from you probably are. 

In conclusion, these are a few steps to introduce you to the world of email marketing and help you get started. Remember, as you begin, keep it simple. Give yourself grace to learn. Master your current steps and then start adding more. You might just surprise yourself! 

You’ve got this!