You could say that free digital marketing is a three-pronged attack.
The first is your blog. Essential for keeping your website current as outlined in my previous post: 3 Reasons You Should Have A Blog
Next comes Social Media. You can read in this post, Why Is Social Media Important This talks about the reasons why it’s an absolute must to be on at least two social media platforms and which ones would suit you.
The third prong in this trio is the Newsletter.
There is a saying in the online world that goes,
“it’s all about the list”.
The list refers to email addresses you capture, usually from your website, from people who come in contact with you.
One particular way of capturing email addresses is to offer something free. This gift is usually in the form of a PDF and is downloadable. In return for the gift, the person provides their email address, which is then put on your list.
And just to be clear. You want to offer something of value. Think of it this way; an email address is valuable to you; therefore, it is only fair to exchange it with something just as beneficial to the recipient.
Obviously, you will have all your existing customers on this list as well.
Why is the list so important?
It is a way you can speak directly to those who are interested in what you do.
If you think that you have plenty of ‘friends’ on social media through your profiles and groups etc., understand that the platform owners can take them from you in the blink of an eye. All these ‘friends’ belong to the platform, not you.
I have known a few horror stories of online entrepreneurs who have lost considerable amounts of income because their profile has been randomly shut down. When Facebook decided to restrict the business page reach, it made a massive hole in free marketing. For example, I have one page with over 16K followers, and on a good day, a post reaches 5,000, but most often, it’s around 1,500. Facebook want you to advertise.
The list is yours, and it is worth looking after.
If you offer an excellent newsletter, even if it’s only once a month, then you are giving your customers and potential customers value. Along with that, you are keeping your brand in front of them. They may not buy from you very often, but the chances are they will, and they will recommend you.
I am subscribed to a few newsletters and enjoy receiving them as they offer all sorts of things that interest me. Every so often, I will purchase something or forward one of the emails to a friend for them to subscribe/purchase/read.
Your newsletter (or regular email letter) should be full of valuable content such as news, tips, where to source things and, of course, a call to action to one of your products.
If you are not consistently in front of your customers and potential customers, you leave money on the table. Start today to capture those emails. And if you need help to set it up, don’t hesitate to contact me.
I can certainly help you with your newsletter, along with your blog and social media. Please click through to my services HERE