Welcome to the first edition of BTL's Getting Started With Email Marketing Series! 

 

 

Live footage of me rn 👇🏼

 

I decided to create this series as a fun little way to spice up my summer newsletters… aaaand because I'm weirdly extra obsessed with email marketing right now.

 

 

This is a completely free, no-pressure, no-sales-pitch, non-funnel, nothing-but-a-normal-TOC-just-focused-on-email-marketing-for-4-weeks series, BUT if this is the push you needed to get started with email marketing, feel free to take part in the homework listed at the bottom of this email for an extra nudge to finally cross “grow email list” off your to-do list!

 

And feel free to send along the link for me to subscribe to your list - I want to read your content! :) 

 

& that's it—you're officially all briefed on the series deets. 

 

 

 

For the inaugural topic in our month-long email extravaganza, we're kicking off with the WHY of it all.

 

As in: why the hell should you even care about email marketing in the first place?

 

(See also: why is Sara spending four entire newsletters teaching me about it?)

 

I’ll spare you guys the speech in favor of a quick explanation: your email subscribers are people that know they already like you. 

 

And, most importantly, they’re the users that will still be there if something were to happen to social media (hacked account, IG apocalypse, you get the picture). 

 

Email subscribers are opted-in, locked and loaded, ready to purchase (or sign up, or download, or whatever your call-to-action is). 

 

Plus, email content feels way more personal than other forms of content marketing (like IG captions, or blogs, or pins), meaning you're able to create a much more intimate relationship with your subscribers—and those relationships, + that community aspect, will be what helps you get results (aka loyal followers, and eventually, sales). 

 

Now that we’re all up to speed on the WHY of growing your email list, we're almost ready to talk about the HOW of growing your email list—but first, we must go over how NOT to:

OKAY, now that that's out of the way… let's chat all things email list growth! 👇🏼

 

🚨 WARNING: I think this may be the longest email I've ever sent you. 

 

So, maybe save it for a day you're extra motivated, or waiting in line at the DMV, or having a bizarre burst of inspiration to work at 2am.

 

 

 

 

A lead magnet—or freebie, as most of us creators call them—is a free item that is given away in exchange for contact details. You download my free homepage how-to guide, I get your email. 

 

 

The best freebies are easy reads, or “low-hanging-fruit” style gifts to your audience that solve an immediate need. This freebie has got to be something they want now, in order to make them want to click the ‘download now’ button.

 

Not only do freebies help you grow your email list, they also help you build authority, community, and—eventually, more often than not—your client list, and your bank account. 😏🤠😎🤑 

 

 

It's simple: you made a thing people want, so they're willing to trade their name & email for it. 

 

They get the thing, they like the thing, they stay on your list to get more content like that initial thing. 

 

And then, in a perfect world, they start to like YOU and the thing(s), and maybe they even tell their friends or clients or network about it/you, or—even better—they hire you or sign up for your course or purchase your product. Amazing! All from one lil free thing! 

 

 

Your lead magnet can be *anything* you want, in any format that you’d like it to be presented, but remember: the goal of this lead magnet is to get THE RIGHT PEOPLE (aka people who care about what you have to offer/the content of your emails & marketing efforts) to sign up for your list. 

 

It has to be worthy of them taking an extra moment, typing in their name and email, then stopping their scroll to head over to their email, open it, and actually read it, and then 

 

That may not sound like a lot of pressure, but trust me—it's easier than you realize.

 

 

(As if this newsletter already isn't long enough) quick ~slightly abbreviated~ storytime:

 

 

 

 

 

And while we're on the topic of topic, think about your long-term goals. 

 

If you know that you’re planning to launch a course about how to become an influencer next year, maybe it would be smart to create a lead magnet about the best tools for first-time YouTube vloggers. 

 

If you've got a mentorship program for copywriters coming down the pipeline, maybe you launch a freebie about 3 ways to get new clients. 

 

 

 

 

As a rule of thumb, I typically suggest that lead magnets are a leeeetle bit more valuable than a blog post. 

 

Your goal is to educate, while showing off your expertise.

 

Your goal is NOT to give away an entire encyclopedia's worth of knowledge for free.

 

 

 

HOWEVER, on the flip side, it has to be valuable enough that people can actually get something out of it. 

 

 

Choose the format of your lead magnet based on what you think your audience will enjoy and benefit from the most! 

 

And, of course, make sure it’s something that you’re positive you can actually bring to life.

 

I promise you, it probably is. 

 

 

 

If you start now, but don't plan on actually emailing your list for 8 more months, you run the risk of people forgetting who the hell you are & unsubscribing when you DO (finally) decide to start emailing them. 

 

 

 

 

Hit “reply” to this email and let me know! I'm going to combine all of the most FAQ and send one last email at the end of this series answering all of your Qs—or maybe I'll even host a free masterclass. 

 

(I am literally making this idea up as I type. This was not planned. I'm just a Capricorn. I'm never not thinking about making more work for myself.)

I hope you found this newsletter helpful! In next week's edition of the Getting Started With Email Marketing series, we're going over how to write opt-in copy, and how to get the right people on your email list. 

 

I'm wicked excited for Part Two because I have some fun examples to share with you from some dear friends of mine 😏

 

If you want to create your own email marketing strategy as the series goes on, here's this week's homework:

 

If you like this newsletter and want to support it, I'd love you more than my toddler loves begging for snacks at bedtime! Here's how you can do that: