PR is not just about getting featured in magazines and then waiting for the sales to come rolling in. It’s about up-levelling and repurposing that coverage by sharing it even further, with existing customers who might need that extra confirmation on just how great you are. So you need to continuously grow your email list.
Creating a contact database of ideal clients can be one of your strongest tools in a PR strategy and here’s how you can do it.
Create a free guide.
Unless you’re a Kardashian, people aren’t going to sign up to your mailing list – at least not in the numbers that you really want.
Consumers need stuff – they want stuff. Free stuff.
Creating a free downloadable guide can serve as a great asset for gathering contacts, by simply offering it in exchange for an email address and I prefer this method over others because it’s the most effective in gathering the right contacts.
Why?
Because if you make a freebie in your own style that teaches people a little of what you offer, you will generally only get your ideal client downloading it. These are the only people that matter!
How to make it run like clockwork, once they’re through the door.
There are many great email campaign tools on the market, of which function and cost vary hugely, but the tool I use for my emails is Activecampaign.
It’s pretty simple to use, does everything that I need it to do and it means that all my consent and GDPR boxes are checked, my emails are organised and I can create fab email sequences that automatically send on time.
How to keep your emails engaging so that they are consistently opened.
I’ve completed an extensive amount of courses in content creation and I’ve taken all the little gems of information that I’ve learned along the way to develop a system that works really well for me:
- Regular email is best: There’s lots of science to suggest that a person needs to have contact with you several times before they buy – so make sure you are emailing regularly! (I email weekly).
- Don’t sell too early: If you’re selling to your email list, make sure you’re not selling straight away! A great way of doing this is to create a sequence of emails or funnel, that new signups need to go through before they enter your main email list. This way, you can let them get to know you and trust you before you start selling.
- Give value: If your emails contain value then it will incentivise the recipients to open them more frequently.
- Tell a story: Gone are the days of boring, soulless emails about the cost of printer ink. People need stories for two reasons: firstly they’re far more interesting and secondly, they are the conduit to forming a relationship. Try and let your audience into your day, your experiences or your past by telling them a story in the way only you can tell it: with your personality. And always try and link this to your business or industry in some way – maybe by connecting it to what that experience taught you.
- Call to action: Invite people to respond or take action. On many occasions, I have ended my emails by asking the recipient to reply and tell me their thoughts or to answer a question. Often they do and it has allowed me to form fantastic relationships with them!
Want to learn more?
If you are a female founder or small business owner and you want to learn how to get yourself, your brand or your products featured in the press, check out my online world where you’ll find lots of support, free guides, courses and my online community.
Recent Comments