3 Reasons Why Email Is NOT Dead
Recently, I experienced a (potentially) devastating business problem that I warn my clients about all the time.
Instagram deactivated my account.
Yes, I realize this sounds like such a “millennial problem,” but hear me out. Instagram is HUGE, and millions of businesses use the social media platform to market their products and services as well as develop relationships with their followers.
I recommend choosing 2 social media platforms where your potential clients hang out and spend 90% of your time being active there. You can automate other social media platforms, but don’t waste too much of your time and energy where your customers aren’t.
So it wasn’t completely terrible when Instagram deactivated my account because I got less than 10% of my traffic from it. Facebook and Pinterest drive far more traffic to my website because that’s where interested Life Editors hang out.
Why was my account deactivated?
I never got a straight answer from Instagram despite contacting them 5 times asking what happened. Only one Instagram employee responded saying that I had violated their terms of use.
I read the terms of use carefully but couldn’t figure out what they were accusing me of (I didn’t violate anyone’s civil rights or impersonate someone else). They never responded when I asked them to clarify and tell me specifically what I had done so I could defend myself.
Complete silence. Crickets. Just terrible customer service.
I’ll probably never learn why Instagram kicked me out of the cool kids club. But that’s OK!
I’m not crying into my avocado toast like a typical millennial stereotype because I still have my email list.
An email subscriber list might seem like a quaint marketing tactic from years gone by. There are dozens of trendy articles online claiming that email dead.
No way! Email is NOT dead, and in fact, your email list can boost your business in ways social media never can.
Here are 3 reasons why you must build your email list.
Everyone Checks Their Email
The thing about social media is that most content is dumped into a stream that your followers may or may not see.
Everyone gets frustrated with Facebook’s incomprehensible algorithm. You might have thousands of Likes, but still only get a few hundred views for any single post.
And if you post something amazing on social media, but your followers or potential clients don’t login for a few hours, then they’ve missed it. Poof! It’s as if your update never happened.
But everyone still checks their emails. They can’t ignore your message when it’s dropped directly into their inboxes. They must read the subject line and notice you.
True, they may not open your email or delete it immediately, but the point is they SAW YOU and they know you’re still out there trying to help them.
Social Media Isn’t Guaranteed
As I found out regarding my Instagram account, social media could disappear just as fast as it swooped into our lives.
If you exclusively rely on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other platform for your marketing, what will you do if the platform closes? Or they deactivate your account? Or it’s no longer popular (I’m looking at you Google+ and Periscope)?
The emails on your subscriber list are yours to keep because those people actively said, “Yes, please send me information about your business!”
You own your list and can continue to send them messages even when the social media landscape changes.
My business would have been dealt a crushing blow if I had put all my faith into Instagram. Thankfully, I’m able to keep nurturing my followers and provide quality content on my own website and emails.
Your Followers Will Trust You and Think of You First
Here’s the truth: most people won’t buy from you on the first day they hear about your business. It takes many weeks, months, and even years to build up enough goodwill so that they’ll trust you to solve their problems.
This is called the “know, like, and trust factor,” and it’s true whether you’re selling coaching calls, jewelry, planners, graphic designs, healthy meals, bookkeeping, or anything else.
By sending a helpful email to your subscribers every week, you’re slowly but surely building that trust.
They might not need a party planner or coach or home organizer today, but you’ll be the first person to pop into their minds when they DO.
The email you send this week could get you the big sales a few months from now.
Ready to Start Your Email List?
Watch the video training class “Email List Basics” that you’ll find exclusively in the Life Editor Clubhouse membership site.
Click here to join the Clubhouse.
This post focuses on Step 3 of the Life Editing Process, Add Good Habits and Routines. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.
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