Your Email List Are Not Mind Readers: 3 List Building Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started My Business

In the last post, we discussed how to cultivate a thriving community and how to develop this group into a collective that will follow your brand for years to come. 

So to build this connected community, where do you find the right members? 

And, how do you build an email list that will cultivate the right population? 

Today we will cover the critical steps that allowed me to grow my email list into the flourishing community it is today. I discovered these fundamentals while building my speaking and coaching career. Today I want to offer them up to you as you pursue your entrepreneurial vision!

Finding Your Community Members

The first step to create a killer community is finding the individuals who are the right fit for your product and brand. To locate the right people, you need to understand who you are truly serving in your business — a key element of forming any business strategy.  

Do you have clarity on who your customers are? 

Intimately understanding your target clients allows you to locate the ones who will benefit the most from your brand and services. It’s simple: You certainly aren’t going to market services for lawn care to a customer whose pain point is plumbing issues in their home. 

Your client’s desires need to be met by your product or service. If you can resolve their problem and soothe their pain point, you will be a brand they appreciate and continue to stay in contact with, but if you don’t provide what they need, customers will conclude you have nothing to offer and move onto something new in their search. 

You might remember from my last blog article;  it’s all about relationship building. If you want to court someone you need to find out their likes and dislikes, learn their favorite places to go, what worked in the past for them, and what they absolutely cannot do without — then use this knowledge to build a rewarding relationship. 

It’s the same concept when building your email list. I encourage you to reach out to your potential customers through social media networks, at live events, or through friends and associates. Ask them questions that will get you answers to what their preferences and problems are and what they need help to resolve. The information you receive will allow you to build towards the next three steps.  

Three Steps for Building Your Email List

1. You Have To Give Your Ask — Again and Again

Does your potential client know where to sign up to stay in touch with you? 

Do you have multiple areas on your social media network, landing pages, or websites where potential clients can see how to join your email list? 

When you market yourself on different platforms, do you share or give call-to-actions for people to join your email list? 

As an emerging entrepreneur, you don’t have to take that first step into the ring with all of the bells and whistles of an established business. You can start out slowly and create a simple landing page that is directly linked to your CRM (customer relationship management) system to collect emails. 

This is why I love ConvertKit as my CRM system. You can start building your list for FREE on their platform for up to 500 subscribers and create a simple landing page on Convertkit that can be easily shared with a URL to reach your ideal customer. 

You can start building your list now future superstars! 

If you are a speaker and attend live events, you need to think outside the box and get creative with your email collection. I usually request a vendor table at my speaking events so I can get a basic paper and pen set up for people to sign up old school style for my list. Other times, I raffle something of value from my own services during the event. Occasionally if I am giving handouts during my presentation, I will offer those in exchange for participant’s emails so we can keep in touch afterward. With one simple text, these potential clients can then link with me through my CRM system and connect directly to my community. 

The sky is the limit in your ask! 

2. Provide Extraordinary Value and Answer Your Clients Pain Points In A Lead Magnet

Once you know whom you are serving and what their pain points are, consider building a lead magnet. 

First, what is a lead magnet? 

It is a value offer that you share with potential clients in exchange for their emails. I have created several lead magnets over the years. They can be anything from webinars, PDF workbooks or checklists, ebooks, audio training, and more! The best ones provide value for your potential client to overcome one of their pain points. 

Lead magnets allow you to find more potential clients and provide value for them at the same time they opt into your email list. Try and create something captivating enough that the client won’t hesitate to enter their email address. Once they join your list, you can begin to nourish that relationship with a nurture sequence. 

3. Remember Your Email List Are NOT Mind Readers

Please don’t make the same mistake I did at the beginning of my relationship building! When I was first starting, I went months with an email list with no nurture sequence that showed the value I offer my community. 

Your potential client is NOT a mind reader. 

They will not magically find your resources or decide to purchase from you unless you explicitly take the time to nurture them and share what it is that you do. The nurture sequence you create is crucial to building relationships with your future community.

So, what is a nurture sequence? 

It’s a series of emails that highlight who you are and how you can help the reader. This is one of the best visual resources I could find. It outlines how you can build your first email nurture sequence. This is especially important when you receive your first opt-in to your list. 

The email nurture sequence you build will welcome your customer and guide them through your services. This automated system delivers the impressive lead magnet you create and all of your invaluable content. This is where your relationship with each client begins. It is the critical first experience they have with your brand, so make sure to start with relevant content that delivers solutions. 

Build That Email List Castle in The Sky

Remember, to find the right members for your community; you need to understand your target client’s desires and problems. Then keep your ask easy to access for potential clients and provide a beneficial lead magnet through a well-designed email nurture sequence. 

Now you have the steps in place to expand your email list and create a community that blooms and grows with your brand. The keys are in your hand; you simply need to put the key in the ignition!

Join my email list here to continue to learn business foundational principles and join our entrepreneurial tribe on the journey to expansion and success!! And if you’re looking for tips on upping your enterprise, check out my free 9-module course that shares the business tools I personally use and recommend to set your business on course for the stars!

Happy list building!