Congratulations! Now that you’ve spent some time focusing on goal setting and designing the perfect email, it’s time to move on to a very important piece: who’s your audience? I’m Melanie Diehl of Melanie & co Marketing Collective and this week we’re focusing on building your audience! Over the past 15 years, I’ve helped thousands of small businesses leverage online marketing tools through webinars and seminars, one-on-one coaching, and done-for-you services.    Your email list is a valuable asset for your business. Unlike social media followers, which can be influenced by platform changes, your email list is entirely yours to control. That’s why it’s so important to keep growing it. It can boost your bottom line by providing a specific audience for your marketing efforts that social media can’t. And the more engaged and relevant your subscribers are, the better equipped you’ll be to achieve your goals, whether it’s generating  more sales, finding more volunteers, or building more brand awareness   So, let's start growing your contact list, and setting your business up for success, by looking at strategies that utilize landing pages, QR codes, freebies, and events or webinars.   Make Sure You Stick the Landing (Page) While website pop-ups can effectively convert visitors into subscribers, a straightforward starting point, especially if you have more social media followers than website visitors, is to create a dedicated sign-up landing page. Landing pages are separate web pages that can be tailored to support a campaign and capture specific subscribers.   For instance, if you’re running a pet sitting business, you might have one landing page that focuses exclusively on feline followers, and one for devoted dog parents. Messages on those pages would be specific to that audience to increase their chances of subscribing. And, because you’ve set up separate landing pages, you can better track who would rather receive your cat updates, and who would rather receive updates about those doggos by either putting them in separate lists, or tagging them.    Once you create a landing page, you need to promote it. You can add it to your social media profiles, such as adding a button to your Facebook Page or LinkedIn Organization Page, or adding a link to your Instagram Bio. Remember to post about it, too! Posting about your newsletter and linking to the sign up landing page is one of the easiest ways to turn those followers into subscribers. Be sure you post about your newsletter on a regular basis – at least once a month to keep growing (need a refresher on social media? Check out the Social Media Marketing hub).   The Magic of QR Codes QR codes are a highly effective method for capturing sign-ups at in-person events or brick-and-mortar businesses. When prospective customers scan a QR code, they are directed to a sign-up landing page to fill in their information and join your email list. It's a quick and easy process that streamlines the sign-up experience.   It’s important to consider where you place QR codes. For optimal results, you want them to “be in the way” so they’re easy to spot. For example, restaurants place QR codes on the tables, whereas retail stores place QR codes at the register so customers see it when they check out. You can also include them on business cards and flyers!   Attracting More Opt-Ins with Offers At times, simply having a landing page or opt-in form is not enough. If you want to encourage people to share their email or phone number, you might need to provide an enticing offer to loosen their grip. While we all love free things, gifts or swag giveaways can get costly, especially for a small business. And it isn’t always realistic either. So you need to ask yourself: what is it that you already have that shows value to your subscribers?   If you’re selling a product, maybe that offer is a coupon code or discount. If you’re promoting your services, it could be a downloadable PDF filled with unique tips, insightful advice, or sneak peeks of your latest work. If you have a regular newsletter you’re sending out, maybe it’s as simple as promising subscribers they will receive the information first by email before you release it to social media.    Whatever you decide to offer, it’s important that you follow through by sending that offer to them through an automated campaign that will send an email with that promo code or that downloadable PDF upon being added to a list. Besides, having that type of automated Welcome goes a long way to getting engagement – Welcomes get 6x more engagement than any other email! Plus, they train your subscribers to look for your brand in their inbox.  You can find out more on how to set up automations here.   Use Webinars and Events to Get More Sign-ups A really simple way to showcase both your value and get email addresses is to host an event. Registrants will give you their address to attend and they can opt in to receive more information from you at the same time.   If you’re using the Constant Contact Event tool, you can customize the event registration form to encourage registrants to join your list. Remember to promote your webinar everywhere – in your current emails, on social media, and on your website, to get those registrations and new email opt-ins.   Your Assignment:   Choose your own adventure! Select one (or all) of the tasks below to complete: Share your methods on how to get new members or customers to  sign up to receive emails. Do you have a sign-up form online? A paper sign-up sheet at your physical location? There are lots of options out there but what works best for you? Ready to get hands-on? Let’s put your newfound knowledge to work. Create a sign-up form. Constant Contact provides a basic template but you can make it your own by adding your logo and brand colors . Select the form fields (i.e. First Name, Last Name, Email Address, etc.) that is most valuable to you.. Show off your new form by sharing the URL in your reply. Create a QR code that directs potential new contacts to a landing page, website, blog, or social media account. Share this QR code via email, on a landing page, or in a physical location where customers can easily scan it. Share a screenshot or picture in a reply below.   How you’ll earn your badge   Reply below with a screenshot of your QR code or the permanent URL for your sign-up landing page, and you’ll receive the Week 3 badge. It will be proudly displayed on your Community profile, plus keep an eye out in your Community inbox for a larger image to share on your own social channels once Week 3 is finished.   Resources:   Handout: Ways to Grow Your List in Person Blog: How to Build an Effective Email List: Best Practices and Strategies Community: 10 Strategies to Get Your First (or Next) 100 Subscribers   ... View more

Crafting a professional email campaign involves more than just writing content and hitting send. To make a lasting impression and drive results, focus on these three essential components.   Include Your Logo: Increase Brand Awareness Your logo is the face of your brand. When included in your email campaigns, it reinforces brand awareness and builds trust. Make sure it’s optimized for email and looks crisp across different email clients. PRO TIP: place your logo at the top of  your email, either left- or center-aligned and link it to your primary CTA (call-to-action) or to your website. Domain-Based Email Address: Boost Credibility Using a domain-based email address (like md@melaniediehl.com) instead of a free email service provider (like Gmail or Yahoo) not only builds trust, but it also elevates your professional image and helps strengthen your brand identity. PRO TIP: authenticate your domain-based email address to increase security and improve deliverability.   Links to Social Media: Expand Your Reach Including links to your social media profiles in your email campaigns can expand your online presence, encourage engagement, increase overall visibility and foster a loyal community around your business. PRO TIP: Only share links to social media platforms where you’re actively posting. If that’s only one, that’s perfectly fine!   By incorporating these three key elements - your logo, a domain-based email address, and social media links - you can transform your email campaigns from basic messages into powerful tools for building brand recognition, driving engagement, and achieving your marketing goals. So get out there and start crafting professional email campaigns that get results! ... View more

Lead nurturing is at the core of successful marketing. It's where we build relationships with potential customers and guide them through the sales funnel with the goal of converting them into loyal customers. However, even the marketer with the best intentions can make some mistakes. Let's explore some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Mistake #1: Ignoring Lead Segmentation Not all leads are created equal. Treating all leads alike can lead to communication that's ineffective. Solution: Sort your leads into segments based on demographics, interests, behavior, or other relevant information. This allows you to deliver targeted content that resonates with each segment. Mistake #2: Neglecting Personalization Generic, mass-produced emails are a good way to lose leads. Personalization is key to building trust and engagement. Solution: Use lead data to create personalized content and email campaigns. Address them by name, reference their specific interests, and offer tailored recommendations.   Mistake #3: Lack of Consistent Communication Inconsistent communication can leave leads feeling neglected and forgotten. Solution: Develop a well-structured lead nurturing plan with a consistent cadence of emails, social media interactions, and other touchpoints. Use automation tools to streamline the process. (TIP: an editorial/publishing calendar is essential). Mistake #4: Failing to Provide Value Your lead nurturing efforts should provide value to your audience. If your content isn't informative or helpful, leads will lose interest. Solution: Create high-quality content that addresses your leads' pain points and offers solutions. Share industry insights, tips, and resources to establish your business as a trusted authority. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can significantly improve your lead nurturing efforts and increase your chances of converting leads into loyal customers. Remember, lead nurturing is an ongoing process, so continuously test and refine your strategies to achieve optimal results. ... View more