Tips for building an author email list
Time and time again I hear from authors, agents, and publishers that they have the most challenges with building an email list.
I will admit that building up an email list organically can take time, patience, and persistence. But having access to your readers via email is hugely important!
So in this newsletter I'm going to cover:
Why email?
Growing and gaining followers on social media can be an easy thing for authors to do. It doesn't take much for a reader to click the "follow" button.
But while social media is a great tool for authors, it comes with risks, too.
We don't "own" any of our social media followings. Reaching our followers with our content on social media is really at the mercy of the platform we are posting on.
With certain platforms it's true that only a small percentage of your followers--people who at one point in time had enough interest to click your follow button--are seeing your content organically (meaning for free).
This means that on these social platforms you are being prompted to pay money to reach people who are interested in you and what you have to share. Either that, or the algorithms just don't prioritize your posts so they get lost in the feed.
Even worse--there have been days when these platforms have gone "dark", meaning they weren't accessible to users. Sure, they are always temporary, but what happens if one day a platform closes for good? Or what if you get locked out of your account? Your access to your readers will disappear with it.
This is why putting an emphasis on email lists is important. You own your email list and the data that comes with it. This means you will always have this direct line of communication to your readers.
?
Tips for building an email list:
Hopefully by now you can see the importance of email, but how the heck do you actually start building a list? These are some of the key things you need:
What is a lead magnet? It's a piece of free content that your reader will find value in, and you offer it in exchange for an email address.
Lead magnets can be whatever you want them to be, but common examples are a free chapter of your latest book, a free chapter of your forthcoming book, a prequel (if you write a ficiton series), a book club guide, a video training from an online course, a PDF with tips, advice, or templates related to your expertise, etc.
(Pssst: you can view my own lead magnet here )
What email service provider should you use? I am a big fan of automation, so finding a platform that will give that ability is key. I really like Mailerlite , because it offers users access to great features (like automation) on their free plan.
You can be on Mailerlite's free plan if you are under 1000 subscribers, so it's a great platform with excellent features for an author who is just starting out building an email list.
But what should you share? Authors with successful email lists use email to share content that is exclusive, more personal, and packed with value. You don't need to be sending weekly updates. You can send monthly! What matters is that what you send will create more of a relationship between you and your readers.
领英推荐
How do you even get your lead magnet seen by readers? There are some organic ways you can do this, like putting a call-to-action in social media posts on a consistent basis, or in your regular ole email signature, or by asking others to share on your behalf. But you can also look at paid opportunities, which leads me to my next point...
Speeding up the process...
If you have financial resources or a marketing budget available to you there are ways you can accelerate the process of building your email list.
With both of these strategies you can use your lead magnet to draw in your potential readers. With social media ads you will pay for impressions among your target audience, and the goal will be to get this audience to download your free lead magnet.
With this strategy you need to view these ads as an investment up front. You might not see the return on this ad spend right away, but if you are using your email list strategically the idea is that these subscribers will eventually turn into book buyers (or potentially even buyers of your other services or products).
When it comes to author swaps, sites like BookFunnel offer a great program for authors. Their author swap feature gives you the opportunity to get your lead magnet in front of readers of similar authors to help you grow your own email list.
This type of service is great for ensuring you're building a list of active readers who regularly read in your genre.?
Final Thoughts
I want to reiterate that building an email list isn't a walk in the park, even though I wish it was!
If you're going the organic route, it can take time and consistency to build your list. But with each new email subscriber comes a potential super fan for you and your book(s).
If you can allocate some dollars to promotion, this can be a great way to speed up the process and get added visibility for your lead magnet.
Whichever option you choose, it's important to remember to keep consistent and make sure you utilize the list you end up building. Don't leave these potential readers hanging!
?
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help...
1.Check out the Book Rockstar digital resources . If you're looking to learn expert book marketing strategy without the 1:1 commitment, I have a toolkit and an online book marketing course that might suit you.
2.Join the 8-Week VIP Experience : In this program I’ll work with you 1:1 to create a crystal-clear marketing plan for your book that you can implement with confidence, making you feel like a VIP. Plus, you’ll get access to the Book Rockstar template and tutorial library, as well as get graphic design support for your book marketing needs. Are you ready to rock? Click here .
?
Keep rocking?????
Aryn Van Dyke
Founder, Book Rockstar
"Compelling content" is a great way to ensure a stronger email list. At BombBomb, we also like to incorporate video to create a sense of face-to-face contact!