Have You Done Enough To Convert A Subscriber To A Client?

Today’s post is written by Cassie Lee of Cassie Jene.

I am not sure about you but I’ve subscribed to a lot of newsletters in the past 2-3 years (since I discovered that email newsletters are more than just online retailers peddling their latest gadgets or gizmos directly to my inbox every 48 hours). Email marketing has come a long way since then.

Every savvy entrepreneur knows that to not have an email list is to leaving money on the table. We all want to build and maintain a list for our business so that the people who trust us with their email addresses will hopefully one day be our client. Now this may not be everyone’s reason for building an email list but if you are an entrepreneur, I am betting that this is your no 1 reason for having a list in the first place.

Ok, you have gathered a list of names and email addresses (ethically and legally, of course). What do you do next? How do you convince your subscribers that you have something of value that is worth paying for?

These 5 strategies below are easy to implement and will turn heads if you do them right…

Be generous with giving away free value packed content.

Everyone loves free stuff. The more the merrier. You want to be generous and make your subscribers trust that you know what you are talking about. However, there is a fine line between giving away your best stuff for nothing and yet still have more than enough leftover to create products/service to sell. I am not an expert when it comes to drawing that line but I always believe in the power of abundance. There is always more where that came from. Your creativity well will never run dry with the right subscribers on your list. If your audience loves your free stuff, imagine them extra excited when you have something to sell.

Be your authentic self when it comes to doing business online.

No one likes to buy from a sleazy used car salesman dripping with gravy each time he opens his mouth. Authenticity has been talked to death in the small business world and it is never going to go away. You need to be honest, true to yourself and conduct your business with integrity. Being authentic in your web content, your social media presence, your newsletters and your communication, all helps to establish trust with your audience. If your fans don’t trust you, what makes you think that they will hit the checkout button when you have something to offer to them?

Stay in touch with your list regularly.

Top email marketing experts say that you have to send out weekly newsletters. Others voted for the 2 week cycle while some send out monthly updates and yet managed to maintain an engaged list. Honestly there is no guaranteed formula that will win your audience’s hearts. The whole point of sending a newsletter is to keep your name and your business in the minds of your audience in a tasteful way. It all goes back to you providing valuable free content on a regular basis to your subscribers. When they realise that you are not using email as another channel to flog your latest products every waking minute, they are more willing to put you on their white list and be open when you have something to promote.

Educate your subscribers that you are a business.

This may seem a little contradictory to the above point but don’t forget that you have a business to run and to have a business is to make money from it (otherwise you should do something else). Vary your newsletters by sending a lot of useful free content in addition to copies dedicated to promoting your products or services. I generally only send a full promotional newsletter if I am launching a new product or service (which is maybe 3 or 4 times a year). During other times my offerings are displayed in a small section in my sidebar or in my newsletter footer. It is there for those to read or click through when the time is right for them. I liken it to tapping into the subconscious minds of the subscribers because if you see something often enough, you may be tempted to purchase it.

Your subscriber may not be your perfect client.

This happens all the time. Whether you are new in business or you have been in it for a while, we will attract people who are our potential perfect clients as well as those who are only after the freebies. To minimise the free loaders and maximise genuine leads, make sure to position yourself well among the people whom you have targeted as your potential clients. Your opt-in offer and content needs to be strategically crafted for them. You want to build a genuine relationship with them. So when the day comes for you to promote your offerings, they are more than happy to open their wallets.

Now your turn – I would love to know if you had a hard time turning your subscribers into your customers. Will any of the above strategies help you?