A good content strategy, SEO, and email marketing strategy are far more important than mastering Facebook and Pinterest.
It’s not that social media isn’t important or effective, but without a solid foundation, content to amplify, and email strategy to convert, your social media efforts will be a waste of time and energy.
The most valuable asset you can build is an engaged email list. When it comes to promoting your products and services, 1000 email subscribers beats 25,000 Twitter followers every day.
Focus on building an email list of subscribers who want to hear from you, and social media will become a tool.
In short, if you’re struggling with how to deepen your engagement with this week’s social media tactic but lack a strategy to attract and capture email leads, focus on email marketing first.
Your e-mail campaign
A valuable eBook is a powerful tool in your email marketing arsenal that encourages people to give you their email address. Create or repurpose valuable educational content into an eBook, with a value-laden title, and use that as the foundation of your lead capture program.
It’s a math game. You must promote and highlight your eBook through blogging, guest posting, and social media participation to build links, traffic, and subscribers to your eBook and blog content.
These subscribers won’t all be hot prospects, but they’ll help you build momentum by sharing, linking, and otherwise supporting your marketing.
In addition to your free eBook, you should consider a weekly newsletter that provides ongoing value.
Building a following is the first step before focusing on conversion
- Place a lead capture form on every page of your website using your ESP’s form building tools. (At this point only ask for name and email.) This page should describe and promote your eBook and list all the reasons why a viewer should give you their email address. Make a series of emails using your ESP’s autoresponder feature that informs them about downloading the eBook and related topics on your blog and newsletter.
- Use a smart pop up form like Pippity for WordPress that can be programmed to focus on your offer.
- Some ESPs allow visitors to easily sign up for your email list. Integrating email capture into other actions is critical.
- Start spreading the word about your free eBook and newsletter.
- Trade newsletter plugs with strategic partners or close associates.
- Regularly promote your free eBook on social media.
There’s too much to do and not enough time. Don’t get distracted by the next shiny object until your email marketing list and follow-up are built.