Why you need an email list

If you’re not on it yet, you’ll want to start building an email list right away. As soon as you have your Etsy shop or your own website up and running, start collecting those email addresses!

There is a simple reason for this. We spend so much time investing in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social communities, but what happens if they go belly up?

I know, you must be thinking, “Facebook is huge! It’s here to stay”. I admit, I had trouble believing it too.

But analysts are predicting Facebook will die within the next decade. And so what if it’s just speculation or if their prediction is wrong?

Isn’t it better for you and your business if you covered all your bases and you played it safe?

My point is, any one of these social media sites could go kaput one day. Then you’re left with nothing. The hundreds or thousands of fans and followers you had, all gone. You’ll have no way of contacting them.

An email list is a permanent asset in your business. It’s something you get to keep even if the service providers (Mailchimp, Constant Contact, MadMimi, etc.) go down.

All the emails you collect over the life of your business? It stays with you no matter what!

Did I mention that an email list will also help you make more sales? Sounds great? Read on!

How to start collecting email addresses

I recommend using MailerLite. It’s free to use until you reach 1,000 subscribers and they have two important features that any email service worth its salt should have: automations/autoresponders and ecommerce integration.

If you don’t have your own website yet, no worries. You can still direct your Etsy customers to a sign up page where they can enter their email addresses.

Then you’ll want to set up an opt in form to embed on your website. It’ll look something like this:

If you’d like, you can also ask for first names. This will allow you to address your subscriber by first name in all of your emails, as if you’re emailing them personally!

I don’t usually collect first names because I want to remove as many barriers and make the process as simple as possible.

Have this opt in form appear as high up on your site as possible so your visitors don’t miss it. Also try to have your opt in form in as many logical places as possible, such as in your About page, your Testimonials page, your checkout confirmation page, your blog, etc.

The importance of your email list

A lot of businesses focus on email marketing like it was their bread and butter. There’s a whole science to it, but getting started is pretty simple.

Once you have an email list, you can tap into it whenever you launch a new design, or when you have a sale. It’s a great way to increase your revenue and bottom line.

Don’t forget that the people who gave you their email addresses WANT to hear about your new releases and flash sales! They’re qualified leads/buyers who are more likely to convert into paying customers.

Sounds great right? Next week I’ll talk more about how to effectively grow your email addresses so you have hundreds (if not thousands) of subscribers in a matter of months!

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below.