Building an email list can feel overwhelming. You may even be of the mindset that it’s not worth the time and effort. If either of these rings true for you, please read a short list of considerations at the end of this email.
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One of the best tools for promoting your work is with email. Of course, you’ll need an email list. Here’s a great article on building your email list.
A tip overlooked in this article that applies when starting an email list from gound-zero, is to tell everyone you know about your list and ask them if they’d be interested in subscribing. Just be clear on who it’s for, so that you get the right subscribers.
An email service such as ConvertKit or Mailchimp will help you reliably (and legally) deliver emails to your subscribers. I use ConvertKit. Services like these will help you grow your fan base, connect with those fans, and earn a living with your work. ️Remember to build your email list by permission. ️
Create your free ConvertKit account today!
Disclosure: That’s an affiliate link, by the way. If you sign up for a paid ConvertKit account using the link, I’ll get paid a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Thanks for your support!
Email your list whenever something new episode drops, like a new song, podcast episode, or merch item. Don’t hesitate to resend to recipients who didn’t open your email after 48 hours. Your email service will have a feature that makes this easy.
Ideally, you will also have or create an email newsletter where you write about topics of interest to your audience. Eventually, you’ll have two or more segments of subscribers. For example, some Unstarving Musician subscribers only want to know about new podcast episodes, some only want my Liner Notes newsletter, others want both.
Your emails to subscribers are perfect for including calls-to-action (CTAs). Here’s a list of example CTAs you can use regularly with new episode emails.
- Share this episode email with a friend
- Leave us a review
- Send us feedback
- Check out our new product or service
- Check out our affiliate partner(s)
- Follow us on socials
- Your email service can also help you grow and nurture a loyal community around your podcast or music with tools for online shopping, audience and campaign insights, and more.
Starting an email list – is it worth the time and effort?
Here are some popular beliefs about email.
“Email is the old way of marketing.”
“Email marketing is spam.”
“Email marketing only works if your list is gigantic.”
There are many misconceptions about email marketing. The fact remains that everyone has an email account. Email is a one-to-one channel for communicating. Your email list is yours–you own it. None of these things are true of social media. I could say more on this front, but here’s a final thought. As I write these email tips for you, I’m writing a library of content I can use elsewhere, including social media, my blog, YouTube, and even speaking engagements. Your emails will be time well spent.