List building 101: What you need to start building a community
List building 101: What you need to start building a community
11/29/18
List building is the #1 thing I see entrepreneurs missing out on. So today, I want to share with you exactly what you need to start building your lists and some of the mistakes I see entrepreneurs make when it comes to list building.
I’ve found that it doesn't really matter what stage you’re in, list building is key. I teach it in my membership site, my signature program Roadmap to Freedom and even my high-level mastermind.
If you are relying on a social media platform to build your community, you could be in trouble. You don’t own your social media platforms, but you do own your list.
Even if you’re product based, or you mostly do in person, you still need a list. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, you need to have a list. What I’m talking about today is an evergreen webinar strategy. A strategy that keeps growing your list even when you’re not actively promoting.
What is Needed to Start Building Your List
1. You have to know your audience
You can’t create anything if you do not know your audience but it’s extra important when it comes to list building because you are tying to attract people that will ultimately buy from you.
2. A free offer
You need to create a free offer that will pull in your ideal audience. You need to have some sort of gift to get people on your list. They’re not going to sign up for no reason at all. This could be an e-book, a video series, a discount code, a checklist, etc.
3. A landing page
This is the place where they opt-in for your free offer. This is where you get the actual email address for your list. There are so many options for landing pages right now. I use Leadpages in my own business, but another option is built-in landing pages on your email marketing platform or custom landing pages on your own website. There are paid and free options, which mean there’s no excuse!
Related post: 4 Must-Haves for a High-Converting Landing Page
4. Email platform
You need an email marketing platform to actually send emails to your list. My favorite is ConvertKit. A free option is MailChimp, which again, there’s no excuse for not doing this!
5. Automation
This is the sequence, funnel or email series that will go out to your new leads. A really simple funnel to start with is:
The Welcome Email - Introduce your business and give them the free gift they opted in to
24 hours later - Introduce yourself
Share your super power - give them value, share tips about what you know
This funnel is warming up your leads, starting the relationship with them.
6. Promotion
Talk about your freebie all the time! Put the link everywhere you can. You don’t have to put ad money behind it, and I actually encourage you to test it organically for at least 2 weeks before even considering ads. I recommend promoting your freebie at least 3 times per week. Actively put it out into the world. You absolutely do not need ads, but you can if you want after you’ve tested your offer.
The #1 mistake entrepreneurs make is assuming that everyone is just going to give them their email address. We need to treat the promotions of our free offers the same as the promotions for our paid offers.
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