When should you start sending email newsletters?

I met someone at a networking event last week and she asked me,

‘When should I speak to you about my email set up? I haven’t started building a list, so is it really worth getting set up with a platform now when I don’t have anyone to send newsletters to?’

And that’s absolutely a valid question.

Like any other marketing platform, you have to start from zero. When you set up a social platform, there isn’t anyone following (except perhaps your friends, or your partner), but you keep creating content, building out the comms, and speaking to your ideal customer.

With email newsletters though, in order to build a list, you need the means for someone to sign up. So a landing page. Yes, of course, you can build this into your website (and you should if this is the easiest thing for you - I’ve written a post about choosing a platform here). Ensuring you have a GDPR compliant sign-up form, that sits beautifully with your brand, looks professional and is easy for the user, makes such a difference. You’ll be super confident to ask people to join your list, knowing your landing page reflects you and your business.

But you don’t need to hand the set up over to a marketing pro. You can build out a slick landing page on Mailchimp for free and get started yourself.

My Insta to Email masterclass is designed for exactly this scenario. If you’re building (or have built) a community on Instagram, this is your step-by-step, easy to follow guide.

Build newsletters into your comms plan

If you’re at the beginning of your business journey I would encourage you to build email newsletters into your marketing plan. Whatever tools you are using, email works. Whether that’s using a pop-up on your SEO’d website, at in-person events (use a QR code to make signing up really easy), or driving traffic from your social channels.

Email is a great way to build an asset of interested people that you can speak to, connect with, and most importantly, sell to.

Bringing email to near the top of your content planning, your newsletter becomes the ideas and topics for the rest of your marketing, and really helps with your overarching campaign messaging.

So when should you start list building?

Erm, in short. Now.

It’s never too late, or too early to start building an email newsletter list. If you have a website, or a social media channel that you’re using to promote your business, invite your audience to sign up to your list.

If email newsletters has been on your to-do list for a while, and you’d like to hand the set up over to a marketing pro who will help you build a newsletter platform that works for you and your business, drop me a line, I’d love to support you.

Barbara