This episode is for 2nd Act Entrepreneurs who know they should be growing their email list but may be stuck somewhere along the way with getting people on their list.

But maybe you’ve forgotten why you want to grow your email list when what you’re really trying to do is get more customers.  Let’s take a look at buying behavior.

Less than 3% of people are actually ready to make a purchase when they come across your business.

That leaves 97% of people who either:

1. Don’t know they need to fix the problem you solve (probably because the pain isn’t big enough yet) or
2. They have just started searching for solutions and aren’t ready to make a decision yet.

Both of these audiences are who to focus your email marketing efforts toward.  Because if you can stay in front of those people who are researching or haven’t been gobsmacked in the face with the problem yet – you have a HUGE opportunity to not only get more sales leads but also improve conversion rates for those that are in your email funnel.

Most people will stop at the first 3%.  But most sales transactions take at least 8 times of getting in front of someone before they even pay attention to you and another 4 follow-ups before they make a purchasing decision.

According to Brevet Email marketing is almost 40 times better at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter.

40 TIMES.

One of the best ways to increase the number of people on your email list is by having an irresistible free download.

If you have no idea what to create or have a lead magnet created and it just isn’t working join me for my upcoming LIVE training Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works.  Walk away with the tools to create a lead magnet that grows your email list and your business.  Register here.

So how do we increase the number of people who grab our free download?  I’m glad you asked, let’s dive into 3 proven ways you can implement today to start increasing conversions.

1. Have a plan.

You’ve likely heard that you need a marketing strategy.  But I recently read a statistic that 70% or more of marketers don’t have a marketing strategy.  And they are in the business.

This is good news.  Because if you take the time to create a plan for your marketing, including growing your email list you will be further ahead than most marketers and you will more than likely also leave your competitors in the dust.

Instead of winging your marketing and trying to chase every tactic out there, create a logical path for your subscribers to follow so that they become customers.  Having a plan will increase your conversion rates and make your sales process more efficient and run smoothly.

2. Know your audience.

As the internet becomes more crowded and information becomes more robust – specifically targeting your people is not optional.  Clarity cuts through the crowds and the noise and attracts the attention of your people like a lighthouse beacon in the dark.  Gaining clarity about your audience and their behaviors will not only help you stand out from others in your industry but it will also start to build trust between you and your potential customers.

Over 90% of buying decisions are emotional. 

Think about the last time you bought a car.  Did you go into the dealership knowing you wouldn’t buy a car that didn’t have a sunroof?  Or did you go to the store with an idea of what you wanted, a list of features that you would like, and a price you were willing to pay?

More than likely you had some ideas of what you wanted and then you walked into the dealership and were sucked in by the shimmering new cars, you sat in the car and smelled the new car smell, and then you got behind the wheel and started to imagine what it would feel like if you drove this car every day.  Ultimately the buying decision came down to how you felt in the car.  The emotions you conjured, the image you would have, what your friends and family would think, etc.  The key word there is FEEL.

Knowing your audience, you know how they feel, what they think, the image they want to reflect, and ultimately how they want to be portrayed to the world.

These things will get you more leads and sales and improve your conversion rate for the simple reason that most people won’t take the time to get to know the people they want as customers at that level.  It’s the same reason that Ford, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, and the lot spend so much money on customer research, branding, advertising, and marketing.  There are big stakes in the automotive industry.

3. Give them something that they want. 

Most business owners do one of two things when it comes to creating a lead magnet to grow their email list.

1. 1. They create a lead magnet based on their experience and what they think their audience needs, not what they want – or
   2. They choose the easy and also the most ineffective way to gather email addresses and names, “sign up for my newsletter”.  Newsflash – nobody wants your newsletter.  They want their problem solved.

People don’t even want more emails in their inbox, what they want is guidance, help, and assistance in getting to the end of the pain they are experiencing because of their problem.

So many people entrepreneurs with creating an irresistible lead magnet, so if this is you – you are not alone. This is the exact reason why I created my upcoming training program – Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works.

This LIVE session is coming up next week (at the time of this recording) and will teach you how to start growing your email list and your business by creating a lead magnet that attracts eyeballs and collects names and email addresses.

Register now at alisaconner.com/leads

Bonus Tip:

Don’t add people to your email list without permission.  Even if they are previous clients.  People are inundated with emails they don’t want.  You don’t want to be added to the list of people sent immediately to the trash or spam filter simply because your potential clients never asked to get emails from you.  There are other legal reasons to not do this, but the big one is – don’t bug people who didn’t ask to hear from you.  It’s slimy, poor business practice and you don’t want to be categorized with the slimy salespeople who buy email lists and then spam people.

During the episode, I also mentioned Kajabi as a resource for creating your online program or membership.  If you want to check out Kajabi for your business’s home base, you can get a free trial here.

Until next week, be well, stay safe and take care!

~Alisa