I don’t know about you, but as a solo-preneur with a seemingly never-ending to-do list, I need to know where my time is best spent.
Otherwise, I can literally spend hours on something that has very little payoff.
One common question I get is:
Is it better to focus on social media or is it better to build my email list?
The short answer is, do both…if you have time.
Both have their place in a business.
However, email is definitely the one with the biggest ROI therefore the one worth investing more time or money on.
Building your email list is the #1 best client-getting strategy there is.
Why?
Top 7 Reasons You Should Be Focusing MORE On Email Than Social Media
#1 Email isn’t going anywhere.
Social media platforms come and go.
Remember Friendster and MySpace? No? Point made.
Once-popular sites often get overtaken by new shiny ones.
Many millennials said goodbye to Facebook as soon as Instagram came along. What’s next?
If you focus the majority of your marketing strategy on social media channels and they disappear, or your followers jump onto a new platform, you have no way of staying in touch.
Email is a reliable way to connect with your clients and prospects.
Get people onto your email list and they’re there until they choose to unsubscribe.
Email has stayed the course and there’s no sign of it changing.
#2 Email lands right in front of people.
Unlike social media, email arrives right into someone’s inbox which means they see it. Whether they choose to open it is another thing. BUT they SEE it. Can you say that for your social posts?
With social media, algorithms affect what people see in their feeds, particularly on Facebook. This means you could be posting on social feeds thinking your intended audience is getting your message but even if they were checking, they wouldn’t see your post.
6% of social media posts get noticed. Email? 90%
#3 Email allows people to get to know you.
In the “Like & Swipe” landscape of social media, how many people ever stop to read what you’ve written?
Email allows you the opportunity to have a ‘conversation’.
Email gives you a platform where you can share your solutions in an environment where people expect to open your post and read what you’re sharing.
With email, you are able to build their awareness of your specific expertise and how it can help them solve their most pressing problems.
#4 Email keeps you top of mind.
Social media can keep you top of mind too if you’re someone who posts a lot, but like with point #3, do they really know what you do or how you can help them? Yeah, but that was a pretty picture you posted!
Email keeps your name on their mind and helps to create a connection in their heart.
Btw, people buy with their hearts first then justify the decision with their heads.
It’s hard to grow a heart connection via social media. (See #5)
#5 Email doesn’t tie your hands.
Social media platforms have character or word limits.
Twitter: 280 characters/tweet
Pinterest: 500 characters/post
LinkedIn: 700 characters/post
Instagram: 2,200 characters (about 300 words)/post
All of these include #hashtags. Some restrict in-post links and videos.
While Instagram allows 2,200 characters, they recommend users keep their posts under 125 characters.
Facebook allows posts of up to 63,206 characters (about 10,500 words), however studies show that for Facebook users, 40 characters is ideal. Posts ranging between 1 and 40 characters get 86% more engagement than longer posts. One character? Really? !
Email has no limit to length.
This means you can get your message across and have time to build a deeper connection (that all important heart connection aka the ‘know, like & trust’ factor).
Combined with #2 (getting in front of their face), they’ll see and open many or all of your emails which means you have even more opportunity to build a connection.
#6 Email offers marketing options
Many social media channels restrict the addition of links or make it difficult to include them which means that trying to share your expertise and offers is frustrating!
With email, you can include multiple links to external pages (website pages, sales pages, blog posts, video links…).
Some email service providers now offer video embedding within your email, meaning clicking the link or image isn’t going to send the reader off to Youtube or Vimeo to watch it, meaning there’s less chance your reader is going to get distracted by other videos and shiny objects and will stay focused on your message. More service providers are coming on board with this option.
Email allows you to customize your message however you like to suit your audience, your brand and your specific needs for each and every message.
#7 Email is your Golden Ticket.
With social media, people follow you for various reasons.
With email, a person will only give you their email address if they WANT what you’re offering.
Which means, if they’re on your email list, they met you in person or had a call with you and said they wanted to be on your list, saw something you were offering for free on your website and subscribed to get it, or bought something from your website.
Giving you their email address is called Permission Marketing and is the only legal way you can send them business-related emails until they’re a client.
Did you catch that?
They gave you their PERMISSION to contact them.
In other words, your prospect is expecting to hear from you!
They’ve shown interest in what you offer, so keep the conversation going.
This is your opportunity to give them more information regarding the topic they signed up for. Show your expertise by being helpful.
Let them see you as the expert you are.
In conclusion…
People on your email list:
- want to hear from you
- see what you send them
- remember you
- are interested in what you’re offering
- get a good sense of who you are
- learn how you can help them
- can access all your solutions easily
When you focus on building your email list, you make the best use of your time and money.
Remember, it’s not important how big your list is but that your list is filled with the right people – those most interested in what YOU have to offer.
You’ve got this!
Image by TeroVesalainen from Pixabay
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