How to grow an email list of eager-to-buy customers for your Etsy shop
Hey and welcome to another episode of the Simplify Your Sales podcast! Today is all about answering the eternal question: How do I get more (or any) people on my email list?
And it’s a fair question– you hear over and over and over again that an email list is SO important to your profitability, but besides the advice to “grow your email list,” you have NO idea where to start.
So if you are brand, brand, brand new to email marketing– haven’t even set up your email service provider (or don’t even have a clue what the heck that is), then I’m going to send you back to Episode 25 of the Simplify Your Sales podcast where we go over the very, very basics of email marketing and why you should have it. If you’re not fully on the email marketing bandwagon, give it a listen and see if it doesn’t change your mind. If nothing else, joining the email marketing bandwagon means you’ll have an excuse to get OFF of social media, which is all sorts of awesome and is going to free up SO MUCH TIME. So if having more time is your jam, definitely give it a listen.
Alright, so let’s say you’ve got your email service provider figured out and now you’re ready to DO THIS THING. But you’re not sure what to do.
It all starts with creating a reason for people to join your list.
You’ve probably heard the advice already, but I’m going to say it again here– saying “sign up for my newsletter!” will get you more *crickets* than subscribers– and that’s because “newsletter” is a VERY vague term and doesn’t give the subscriber any reason to join. Even if you say “sign up for my newsletter to receive announcements on sales,” that’s still pretty vague– when are you running sales? What kinds of sales? Are they email-exclusive sales?
At the end of the day though– a “newsletter” is a perfectly DEAD incentive to gather email subscribers, so toss that idea out on it’s head and let’s look at a better tactic: A LEAD MAGNET.
Now if you’re just hearing this term for the first time, feel free to sub it in with “freebie” or “bribe” because that’s EXACTLY what it is– essentially a “freebie” that you give to your audience in exchange for their email address.
There are 3 main principles to follow when deciding on what YOUR lead magnet should be:
1- It needs to appeal to YOUR audience – if you’re creating a lead magnet simply because it’s “easy” and “fast” but has very little to do with your actual audience or what they would be interested in, it’s going to flop. End of story. For example, if you’re a jewelry shop and you decide to offer a free summer printable for home decor, that makes NO sense and the people that will be interested in it are not people who are actually interested in what you sell. And there’s NO point in growing a list of subscribers that aren’t ever going to buy. So make sure that your lead magnet appeals to YOUR audience. Not sure what they’re interested in? ASK THEM. It’s the most under-utilized tactic out there, but also the most effective. TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE. Trust me– when you’re asking for opinions, they’ll be happy to let you know theirs. #humannature
2- It needs to solve some type of problem – this goes back to very, VERY basic marketing– your product should naturally solve some type of problem. If it doesn’t solve a problem, you shouldn’t be selling it. And the same is true with your lead magnet– if it doesn’t solve a problem, you shouldn’t be offering it.
Now that’s not to say you need to solve world hunger or bring world peace or anything like that– you don’t need to solve a huge problem– just A problem– like, for example, if you sell cupcake toppers, you’re solving the problem of a very busy momma with a kiddo birthday party coming up that she doesn’t have time to create from scratch. If you sell planters, you’re solving the problem of bring beauty and joy into someone’s home, which overall increases their sense of happiness and well being. Really– it’s a easy and simple as that!
Okay, and then finally:
3- It needs to be easy for YOU to deliver on
Your lead magnet delivery MUST be automated, which is why having an email service provider is so dang handy! You’re going to hook up your lead magnet to a welcome email that automatically deploys from your email service provider the minute someone subscribes to a form. It’s usually very simple to set up so don’t be intimidated by the tech– your email service provider will usually have plenty of tutorials on this exact process.
Alright, so now let’s talk about WHAT your lead magnet should look like. This can be virtually ANYTHING that you can give away for free/digitally, but let’s take a look at some of the highest-converting lead magnets out there and see for yourself which one might be a good fit for YOUR business.
Here are 5 of the highest-converting lead magnets:
1) Coupon code
Yep, an oldie that’s stood the test of time– and for good reason– coupon codes are one of THE highest converting ways to gather email subscribers. The premise is simple– they leave their name + email address and you deliver a coupon code for x amount off their next order directly into their inbox, via your email service provider. Free shipping can also be another form of “coupon code,” although if everyone else is already offering “free shipping” all day, everyday, then it’s not much of an enticement.
This one appeals to A LOT of Etsy sellers because they don’t actually have to “create” anything other than a code on Etsy– so it’s ridiculously simple to set up and get running in just a couple of hours.
That being said, it definitely has it’s cons– it can cut MAJORLY into your profit margins and tends to get a lot of “subscribe, unsubscribe” type of email list growth– if you don’t have a reason for them to stay on your email list BEYOND the initial coupon code, they won’t hang around.
2) Info product/guide
Could your audience use some additional information before making a purchase from you? Then an info product might be a great fit for your lead magnet!
This can be an ebook, PDF, or video and it’s goal is to teach your audience on a certain topic. The goal here is to educate your subscribers in a way that moves them naturally towards the sale. Don’t be afraid to drop photos and/or links to your products throughout the info product as they naturally fit.
So, for example, if you sell scarves, your tutorial might be a PDF guide with 10 different ways to style scarves (featuring, of course, your specific scarves as the demos) so that your subscriber feels inspired that yes, a new scarf will indeed work with their wardrobe.
If you sell wedding invitations, your info product could be a step-by-step wedding planning guide that walks them from engagement → their big day. You’d want to highlight various pictures of your invitations and wedding suites throughout the PDF.
Likewise, if you sell a unique product that not a lot of people may be aware of, your info product could simply be educating your audience on what it is you sell and why they need it in their life.
The BEST examples for info products come from browsing the most frequently asked questions in your business and looking for a common theme. Now, can you create an info product that answers that question in a creative way? BINGO!
3) Templates/instant downloads
One of my favorites because it’s so high-impact and “quick win,” templates are a fantastic resource to offer for free because they’re perceived so high-value and they solve a problem IMMEDIATELY.
A template is simply a “done-for-you” type of digital product that can immediately be used and consumed by the subscriber. Examples include free svg files, clip art, stock photos, swipe copy, free art printables– basically anything that will make their lives easier 🙂
This type of lead magnet works best if the product you sell is a type of template naturally. For example, a shop that sells digital planners would benefit from offering a free digital planner sampler pack as a lead magnet. However, that same offering *won’t* be as effective for someone who sells candles, for example.
4) Checklist or cheat sheet
Another one seen as very “high value” when done correctly, a checklist or cheat sheet is a perfect lead magnet for shops who have events or processes associated with their product.
For example, if you’re in the party planning niche, an ultimate party planning checklist or cheat sheet would be a FANTASTIC resource for your audience who is naturally planning a party and worried they’re going to forget something. Or if you sold digital photo presets, a cheat sheet of when/how to use the most popular photo editing tools would be a brilliant resource for potential customers to snatch up.
The goal with a checklist or cheat sheet, like most lead magnets, is to make your customer’s lives easier in some way, so they see it as high value.
5) Quiz/Survey
This is a fun, newer one that I’m just getting started with myself, but I have friends that RAVE about it– essentially you’re creating a type of online quiz– similar to a Buzzfeed quiz– that deals with your product.
So if you sell jewelry, you might create an online quiz “which is your signature jewelry style”?
If you sell skincare products, you might create an online quiz on “what is your unique skin type?”
There are a million different ways you can go with these online quizzes, and as I’m creating my own, half the fun is just that– creating it. It’s also a really fun, different way to engage with your audience– it’s a really easy distraction for people to break up their day AND learn a bit more about themselves along the way.
If you’re wondering what platforms out there can help you create an interactive quiz to deliver, Interact Quiz Maker is the one I’m currently using to build mine out 🙂 There are others out there, though. And likewise, you can also keep things SUPER simple if the tech freaks you out and layout your quiz on a PDF for people to fill out. This takes the interactive fun part out of the equation, but can be a good “place holder” while you’re building out the real thing.
Now obviously these are just 5 of the top lead magnets out there for eCommerce sellers, but they’re not the ONLY ones out there– so if you have an idea for something that *doesn’t* fall under one of these categories but you KNOW your audience would fall all over, GO FOR IT!
At the end of the day, if your lead magnet does it’s job and attracts people that are an ideal fit for a customer, you’re doing it right. If not, it’s time to revisit the drawing board.
And if you’re feeling daunted by creating any of these, remember that you only need to create one– ONE– lead magnet. And if you do it right, it will work for you for YEARS and YEARS to come.
And that’s a smart business strategy right there. 😉
And there you have it– 5 high-converting lead magnet ideas that you can customize to match YOUR unique shop + situation so that you can start growing that email list with the RIGHT people and turning your subscribers into paying customers. Anyways, thanks for listening to this episode. If you liked what you heard, make sure you subscribe to the Simplify Your Sales podcast over on iTunes where I share a new episode every single week. And if you’ve found ANY sort of value in this episode, I would head over heels LOVE YOU (in a non-creepy way, pinky promise) if you left a review so that this free resource can get in front of as many eyes as possible.
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll see you next week, same time, same place, teaching you how to build a business that supports your lifestyle…and not the other way around!