You’ve started your email list. A few people have joined. And then you ask yourself the inevitable question:
“Now what do I do with it?”
Getting subscribers is only the start. Once someone has signed up, you need to send regular emails with valuable insights to prevent them from losing interest and hitting unsubscribe.
But how do you provide true value in a way that’s useful to them?
How to nurture your email list
If you don’t know where to start with nurturing your subscriber list, then I have some good news — just follow the list of steps I’ve created below:
1. Think about a problem that happened this week
There’s nothing as current as telling your list about what’s happening right now. So, think about a problem you coached on this week, either in your own self-coaching or with a client.
Grab a notepad and pen, then sit for a while and think about what you can tell them.
2. Create a subject line that causes intrigue
At first, I’d suggest addressing it to the recipient and giving them a taste of what to expect inside. Something like: “Hi [Name], if you’re stuck on [Problem], this might help.”
Yes, snappy, eye-catching subject lines increase open rates, but so do simply intriguing ones that specifically mention their problem and a potential solution to it.
3. Write a sentence about the problem.
Once you have an idea of what you want to talk about, write an opening sentence about the problem you or your client were having.
4. Write a sentence about the strategy you shared
After your opening, write a sentence about the strategy you used to help yourself or your client get unstuck from that thought or problem.
5. Write a sentence about how to apply this strategy
Once you’ve mentioned your strategy, tell your subscribers how they can successfully apply it to their own lives and situations.
Sharing your knowledge for free in this way is extremely powerful. It helps you to build a connection and gain trust from the reader.
6. Add a P.S. (occasionally)
Every now and then, add a P.S. at the end of your email offering a free consultation with a link to your scheduling page.
You don’t have to do it every time if that feels uncomfortably sales-y to you. I’d suggest every 1 in 3 emails you send, if doing it every time doesn’t feel quite right.
This allows you to promote yourself in a way that reminds them you can help further, when they’re ready for it.
What your email outline will look like.
If you follow the steps above, your email should look something like this:
- Subject: Hi [Name], if you’re stuck on [problem], then this might help.
- Hi [Name]
- A sentence about what your client was stuck on
- A sentence about the strategy that helped you/your client get unstuck
- A sentence or short paragraph about how the reader can apply this strategy themselves
- Sign off
- P.S. that mentions a free consultation with a link to your scheduling page
Emails don’t have to be long and complicated. Short and sweet is just as powerful if you give your subscribers actionable advice.
Can I just use my blog posts as my newsletter?
Actually, yes, you can. If you’re short on time, you can simply repurpose your blog as a newsletter to your list.
Doing that is much better than neglecting either your blog or your list because you don’t have time to write unique content for both.
However, if you have a little more time, you might condense your blog into a shorter version that you send as a newsletter to you list.
Then you can use the newsletter to tease the longer blog on your website, and link to it in your email to encourage them to click through and read the blog post.
Personally, I tend to write unique content for my newsletter (and not just have it be a condensed blog post) because I have the time and I prefer my audience to have somewhat unique content everywhere.
Why?
Because that way, they get unique content wherever they find me, and have motivation to stick around in all the places I create.
However, if you don’t have the time to create new stuff every time, reuse an article, and edit it down into a bitesize version — it’s a great way to repurpose your content.
Looking for subject line ideas?
Writing snappy or intriguing subject lines that get readers to click and open can be a challenge.
After all, inboxes are noisy places, and most of us are getting dozens of emails a day.
To help you write subject lines that stand out, I’ve created a Headline Cheatsheet you can download here, no email required.
It includes my favorite 17 headlines to help you write subject lines that grab your subscribers’ attention.
(The cheatsheet is great for writing blog or podcast titles, too!)
I hope this helps,
Jennie
