This morning, I did one of my favourite things...I had a call with someone I connected with online.

He had some ideas for his email marketing but wasn’t sure what the right move was for his business. I really enjoyed helping him figure it out. And as often happens in these kinds of calls, I got clear on how I want to start doing things too. 

Here are 5 things that will make your email marketing better at building more meaningful relationships with your subscribers:

#1 - You don’t need a lead magnet (freebie) 

Up until a few months ago, I’ve almost always recommended my clients offer an incentive to subscribers. But as with many previously effective tactics, the need for lead magnets is no longer a given. 

Save yourself some time and write a compelling call-to-action for what you’ll be talking about in your emails. What’s key here is that you commit to and follow through on doing what you say you’ll do. 

And doing it consistently. 

#2 - Think of email as the ultimate bookmark

When I’m interested in what someone has to say and want to find out more, I sign up for their emails. I know many people who do the same thing. We’re using email as a bookmark with a built-in reminder. 

I want to be reminded about this person’s stuff and if I were to just bookmark their site or page, that would probably be the last time I think about them. So make sure you have a great welcome email (see #4) for someone once they sign up.

#3 - Make sure your emails reflect your business

In my case, simplicity is super important. So I want my emails to reflect this value. That means the format makes the content easy to read. It’s not super long and dense. 

Consider how your content represents your approach. If you want to save people time, don’t send long emails with lots of links. Send one time-saving tip. 

#4 - Make your subscriber feel good about signing up

Take time to craft the first email someone gets from you to make them feel welcome and confirm that they’re in the right place. 

Be specific about what you share and how often. And set the tone for what they can expect. Much like a good host would do, give them the lay of the land and give them something they can do right away. 

#5 - Invite them to connect with you right away

In that welcome email, include a specific call-to-action to reply to the email. Email feels more intimate than social media but your subscribers know your message was sent to many people.

So tell them you’d love to hear from them because you value the more personal interaction. You’ll get more replies if you ask a very specific question.

Something too broad like, “let me know what you’re struggling with” isn’t going to cut it. Instead ask: “What’s one thing that’s giving you the biggest headache right now.” 

And that freebie that you don’t need to use as an incentive?

Send it to those people who open three emails in a row. It’s a great way to let them know that you appreciate them giving you their time.