5 Simple Steps To Create And Build Your Email List For Your Interior Design Business
Creating and building an email list for your interior design business is really crucial to your success. It's almost as imperative as having a big butt to stay in the Kardashian Clan. And you know how important that is.
Here are your 5 Simple Steps To Create And Build Your Email List For Your Interior Design Business
Step #1: Choose an Email Service
You need a mailing list. Again, you NEED a mailing list. Once more, with feeling, YOU NEED A MAILING LIST. That’s how important this is. Save yourself some headaches and try ConvertKit. I love them. You can try them out for 30 days for free!
The money is in the list.
You can have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram and whatever else that is out there but if you do not have a mailing list in place you will be one sad panda.
Because that’s where all your money is.
What does this mean? It is a list where you have created real value and a relationship for your peeps.
Even if you have like a gazillion fans on Facebook or Twitter, the people on your email list are more invested.
They want to hear from you
They actually get your updates (and don’t miss them in the social media blur)
So let’s get you making sweet love to your list so you maximize that relationship.
Step #2: Set Up Your List
If you go with ConvertKit, you need to set up your list, your form that your darling leads are going to fill in with their email address and put that up on your website. They have tutorials to get you going.
So where do you put it on your website? Your email list signup should optimally be in two spots on your website.
Upper right-hand corner/ or right under your header image
After each blog post and at the end of each page
Worried that this is too many? It’s really not. It’s all about convenience for your subscriber. And you care deeply for them, so make it easy like Sunday morning.
Step #3: Offer A Freebie
Freebie, Lead Magnet, Ethical Bribe - whatever you wanna call it. You need to create one.
Think about what you can offer to these hot leads that have landed on your website. What is something that you get asked all the time. What is something that constantly confuses your clients? What ONE problem can you help them solve?
You can create an eBook that you save in a PDF format that they can download after opting into your email list. And don't spend 6 months making this, any more than a day and you're overthinking this. I've got a training you can follow in the Society. Maybe you just want to create a quiz to grow your email list? Whatever it is make it worth their time.
Step #4: Set Up Your Autoresponder + Get A Plan
I go into more detail on this post about Autoresponders here, but you should consider paying for this functionality in ConvertKit.
The point of the autoresponder? It helps you do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to building a relationship with your clients. You can automatically send them a few emails warming them up for your sweet email love. Direct them to old blog posts, your FAQ page, your design services and so on. It's like onboarding newbies to your world, get them acclimated, set the stage for your relationship.
When someone signs up for your email list you should have a “Welcome!” email. After your person signs up and goes through the confirmation dance, the last email your service sends them should be customized to:
Thank them for signing up.
Let them know when they can expect to hear from you
Ask them to invite your friends to your list
After you have that finished, you will want to set up this next most awesome thing. This is one of my most favorite tips ever! It worked like a magic charm for me and it can do the same for you -
Get seven great blog posts together. Create them from scratch or curate them from your greatest hits. Make sure they’re all related to solving your ideal client’s main problem.
I had the “How to Get Aunt Betty to Put You in Her Will And Other Strategies for Fixing Design Calamities” series. It was a series of seven emails, each of which solved a different aspect of my ideal client’s most aggravating problem. (I had this instead of a one page PDF, but you can create a PDF freebie and also send them emails that go along with your Freebie that further help your clients).
Windows
Ceilings
Area Rugs
Mixing and Matching Styles
Accessories
Space Planning
Design Inspiration
Each email followed a storyline I made up. Aunt Betty was rich and dying. Aunt Betty lost all respect for you because your home was decorated like a child had done it. Step by step, the emails showed you how to get put in her will by redecorating so Aunt Betty would respect you again. If you’re going to do all the work to create this, you may as well make it fun, right?
Then I had my Mailchimp autoresponder send out the emails on days 1, 3, 7, 11, 14, 21 and 28. This kept me on my prospect’s mind and showed them that I knew what I was talking about. Automatically and free!
Do the same with your favorite posts. At the end of each of these emails, encourage your readers to get in contact with you by either finding you on a social media site that you are active on, directing them to your sales page or to emailing you. Just wait and see how many new and passionate fans you get this way – it’s amazing.
Now, figure out what is your publishing schedule for your list? Are you going to email weekly, monthly, erratically? Figure this out on the front end because it makes it easier to schedule this in your monthly marketing activities.
When people sign up do they know what they can expect from you? Tell them about your schedule you intend to keep in your autoresponder email (perfect for a "Welcome" email). If you are a wordy person and want to email them every night they need to know that before signing up. If you only plan to email them once a month let them know that too so they don’t think you forgot about them.
What are you going to email about? Are you going to be schizophrenic and not have a purpose? Are you going to email your fave pins from Pinterest? Are you going to send them free tricks and tips? Knowing what you plan to share first helps guide your emails.
Step #5: Pimping Must Commence
Now that you have this beautiful freebie, you need to get people to sign up for it. You have several ways you can go about this.
Create a Pinterest Image and have that link to a page on your website where you have your sign up form.
Create a Facebook ad that directs people to your Freebie.
At the end of every blog post, put a signup form or a link for peeps to click on to sign up for your Freebie.
Optimize the shit out of your Freebie with SEO, so it's searchable and get free traffic coming to sign up for this baby!
Alrighty, now get to work! And remember if you're stuck on the Freebie list offer, we've got you covered in the Society.
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