7 Reasons Why You Need To Build an Email List
Ok, party people. Let's hunker down for a minute.
Yesterday was quite a roller coaster for anyone running a business, right? I mean, Instagram and Facebook went dark for hours yesterday. No one could log on and post content, engage, scroll, reply to DMs... NOTHING.
Here's the thing...and hopefully this isn't new news to you: You do not own any of your content on social media.
FULL STOP.
Social media platforms could go away in the snap of your fingers. You could lose your following. You could lose your account.
Know what you CAN'T lose? Email lists. Email marketing.
By the end of this blog post, you will know:
7 big reasons why you need to build an email list. Like yesterday.
Which email marketing platform I prefer (& a 50% off code to boot!)
Why You Need to Build an Email List
Reason #1: Everyone has email.
There are over 4 billion email users worldwide as of 2021. And there is no sign of it slowing down. Email growth is forecasted at a 3% rate… with email users predicted to reach almost 4.5 billion by 2024 (Finances Online).
If that’s not enough to convince you…how about two more statistics to drive this point home?
95% of consumers check their email every day. (99 Firms)
Nearly 60% of email users check their Spam folders daily. (99 Firms)
So while you don’t know if you’re reaching your ideal client on social media, you can be sure that you’re getting into their inbox through email.
Reason #2: Your email list is something you own and you control.
At the end of the day, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter could all disappear. You could lose your following. You could lose your content. You could lose your entire account. All that hard work and time you spent growing your social media could all disappear in the blink of an eye.
Gulp.
Know what can’t disappear? Your email list. You own that.
You can download all the information from your email list and store it somewhere safe. If you switch to a new email service provider, your list can go with you.
Reason #3: Email lists are super targeted.
If someone subscribed to your email list, he/she is already interested in what you have to offer. They want to hear more.
Social media can be frustrating. The algorithms are constantly changing, and you never know who is seeing your content. And honestly… it’s getting harder and harder for your target audience to see your content.
With your email lists, you get to decide what content is seen… when it is sent… and who gets to see it.
There’s also countless ways for you to gather important data on your ideal client… their pain points, what content they want to see from you… how your content is resonating with them…
Reason #4: Email lists build trust and show a much higher return.
If someone opts into your email list, then they’re showing a certain amount of trust in you. No one like spammy emails in their inboxes. They’re going to be picky about who they let in there. They’re not as picky about who they follow on social media because it’s either a quick scroll past their post or they don’t ever see the posts (because, again, you don’t own your social media, and you cannot decide who sees what post).
But if someone is allowing you to take up space in their inbox, they have some degree of trust in you. They are showing they are engaged. And if you keep building that trust by sending them intentional emails to not only continually build that trust but to also continue establishing yourself as the expert, then they will eventually trust you enough to buy from you.
Your email subscribers are the ones who will read your blog posts. They’re the ones who will click over to your online shop. They’re the ones who will reach out for your services (without you having to even be super salesy in your emails). These are your most loyal customers.
Research from McKinsey & Company shows that conversions from email are 40 times greater and have a 17% higher value than conversions from social media.
Reason #5: Email marketing helps drive traffic to your website.
It’s much easier for email subscribers to quickly go to your website from an email than it is from a social media account. People tend to actually do something with email. Your links are embedded within it, so it’s easier to click through, and since they’re already invested in you and trust you, they’re more likely to follow through on your CTA. Plus - 71% of millenials prefer that business-related info be sent through email (Coschedule).
Reason #6: It’s super easy to keep in touch with people.
Not everyone opens up social media every single day. Some people just don’t have time to or aren’t that interested. But what most people open every single day? Email.
Remember that statistic I dropped near the beginning of this post? Just in case you already forgot: “95% of consumers check their email every day” (99 Firms).
You don’t have to keep up with trends. You don’t have to go viral. You don’t have to have 10,000 followers. All you need to do is show up in their inbox.
Reason #7: Email isn’t going anywhere.
Sure, email is old and has been around for awhile now, but that also shows it stands the test of time. Most people check their email before they check social media in the mornings (Coschedule).
"Email is not going to disappear. Possibly ever. Until the robots kill us all," says Paul Buchheit, a founder of FriendFeed (Email Is Not Dead).
The BEST Email Marketing Platform (imo)
Look… I’ve tried several email marketing platforms, and hands-down my favorite is Flodesk. Here are just a few of the reasons why I LOVE using Flodesk:
One monthly price, unlimited subscribers: Unlike competitors, Flodesk doesn’t penalize you for growing your list. Whether you’re looking to start a small newsletter or build an email marketing empire, you pay the same monthly price. No smoke and mirrors.
Creative freedom: For the first time ever in email marketing, you can use custom fonts and image collages. Yes please! I like my marketing on-brand.
Click and Drag Email Builder: Want to look like you have an entire marketing team crafting and coding your every email? Look no further! Flodesk puts the power of a professional designer in your pocket. Their click and drag email builder makes it easier than ever to create beautifully branded emails (no coding required). SO. FREAKING. EASY.
Convinced that you need to grow your email list? Gosh, I hope so.
If you need some help on how to write content that actually converts in your emails, click here.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only share about companies that I truly believe in.
