After four years of providing both virtual assistant and other freelance services I’ve learned how extremely important it has been to build an email list.
I would encourage you to do the same if you run any kind of service-based business.
You see many service businesses don’t feel the need to automate or build a database as most of their clients come from word of mouth.
This is true but if you run a service business you’ll also know that you must always be marketing.
An email list allows you to do this without wearing yourself out doing all of your marketing on a one on one basis.
How Do Virtual Assistants Build Email Lists?
1. The first thing you’ll need to do is choose an email service provider. I personally use Aweber and highly recommend it (here’s a review). Aweber provides just about everything anyone could ever want in an email program. However it’s always a good idea to check out a few different companies and decide which one best suits your needs. That’s why I also have provided an email services comparison chart on this page:
http://www.marketersmojo.com/best-autoresponder-system/
2. Next, you’ll set up your email list and create opt-in forms. An opt-in form is where people will sign up to your list. In order to get them to sign up you’ll need to offer them something of value (see suggestions below).
3. Once you’ve got people on your list follow-up is key. If you use a program with autoresponders like Aweber then you can set up automatic emails that go out in a specific sequence.
What Do You Say to Your Email List
Words are important. They tell your potential subscriber why they need the information you have to offer them.
Words to Get Them on Your List
The best way to get your words to inspire action is to put yourself in the shoes of your reader. Why are they looking for virtual assistant services? What problems do they have? What solutions can you offer?
In order to get them on your list here are a few suggestions:
- X Ways a Virtual Assistant Helps Your Business – This is where you send daily or weekly emails telling your subscribers about how YOUR services help their business.
- How to Hire a Virtual Assistant - In this type of email series you would start by teaching them the importance of hiring a virtual assistant and how best to do so while educating them on the services YOU offer.
- Top 10 Outsourcing Mistakes – This email series will give a bunch of common mistakes with outsourcing and the solutions that of course lead to YOUR services!
Email Subscribers as Business Assets
Your subscribers are real, live people who are interested in your business. That’s a real asset and one that you can take with you even if your actual business model changes over time.
If I had to list one of my biggest regrets for my own online business it would most certainly be not getting my email lists built sooner.
I recommend you don’t hesitate! Get started building a list. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that your list may only have 10 people on it to start and remember – every list starts with just ONE PERSON and grows from there.
If you’re a virtual assistant or other service-based business you can and certainly should bulid an email list.
p.s. I’ve recently done a free webinar on how to make sales online including how to build your email list – if you want to check it out and listen to the replay for free you can sign up here:
http://www.WebsiteSalesMojo.com
This point can’t be stressed enough – thanks for the reminder. I’m at my desk today, thinking about the people I want to reach and help and preparing email messages specifically for them.
When I first started one of the reasons I didn’t send messages out frequently was that I couldn’t remember the steps! So another bonus to keeping in regular contact with your list with a service like Aweber is that you become more proficient at using the technology to connect with your list AND analyze the statistical data that Aweber provides (another great Aweber bonus).
Sharon McMillan´s last [type] ..2011 Webinar