A new month on the podcast means a new theme! I love creating new themes, and the one for this month is list building. Last week we wrapped up our series on the necessary paperwork needed by going over the importance of contracts. For this month, Week one will cover the pieces you need to build a list, week two will go in depth about free offers, week three will explain what a nurture sequence is, and week four will offer places to promote your list.
Necessary Pieces for List Building
Many virtual assistants wonder if they need a list, and the answer is yes! I’ve had one for years and you can always go back to them when you need clients or work. It’s easier to work with a client you have a warm relationship with rather than trying to warm a cold lead. List building is essentially having a list of leads, but you need to nurture those relationships. This is where the nurture sequence comes in.
First Things First
The first piece to have is an email marketing software as it houses your list. There are dozens out there, but I will share some brief pros and cons about a couple of them. Many start out using MailChimp because it has a free option. In my opinion, it’s cumbersome with a learning curve so I’m not the biggest fan. MailerLite has more features, and I recommend this starting out because it has a free option as well. Even though ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit are similar in features, good customer service, and price, I really like ActiveCampaign. It does get more expensive as your list grows but at that point, you should be generating more income.
Second Piece
For the next piece, you need a free offer. This is more than the “sign up for my newsletter” statement you may see on some sites. Personally, I sign up for things that provide me with information and other things. Your free offer could be a How-To, checklist, or email series (challenges) containing multiple emails. I have one entitled “Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a VA”. On the other side of my business marketing to virtual assistants, I have a quiz entitled “Is Becoming a VA Right For You?”. My freebie provides value by giving information or answering questions. A good tradeoff is to provide value in exchange for a name and email address.
Number Three Thing
Continuing on, you need a nurture sequence. Don’t just throw the free offer at potential clients and stop communicating! With building a relationship, you don’t want to forget your leads but nurture a relationship with them. This allows them to get a peek into your business and how you work. Make sure your sequence, or group of multiple emails, follows through for several weeks. Some emails that build relationships could look like a quick “hey, did you get a chance to look at XYZ?”, a Get to Know Me email, an invitation to follow you on other platforms, giving something else of value or another freebie, and/or sharing your knowledge. I recommend seven emails, and then when leads are warmer you could offer your monthly newsletter. Consistency is key! This keeps you fresh on the mind of those on your list if they ever need a VA.
Let People Know What You Have Going On
You can have an offer all day long but if no one knows about it, it’s not going to work! You want to promote your offer in your emails, social media, and other places like email signatures. We will cover the many places you can promote your free offer in a later episode. I hope this helps!
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