As a creator or entrepreneur running a business on Instagram, you're probably always looking for new ways to connect with your audience, grow your brand, and maximize your sales. One powerful tool you may be overlooking is email marketing.
In 2023, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience, build trust, and make more money with your products, services, or offers.
In this post, we'll discuss how to use Instagram as a lead generation tool to grow your email list and build a strong foundation for your business.
What is Email Marketing and why is it important?
Simply put, email marketing is the practice of sending emails to a group of people (subscribers) who have previously agreed to enter your email list in different ways.
It's a personal and effective way to build a relationship with your followers and promote your products or services.
Plus, with the ever-changing algorithms of social media platforms like Instagram, email marketing provides a stable and reliable way to connect with your audience without having to compete with any algorithms.
These emails can take many forms, including newsletters, promotional emails, and automated sequences that deliver specific content to subscribers over time.
Email marketing is key for your business because it's a powerful way to connect with your audience and build trust.
Unlike social media, email is a more intimate and personal medium that allows you to communicate with your subscribers on a one-on-one basis. This can help you build a strong relationship with your audience, and ultimately drive more sales and revenue for your business.
What are lead magnets?
To grow your email list, you'll need to give people something in exchange for their email. People can be very protective of their email so you have to make sure that what you give them is valuable enough for them to give you access to their world.
One of the best ways to do this is by offering a lead magnet or freebie - a valuable piece of content that you give away in exchange for someone's email address.
Some examples of irresistible e lead magnets in order of complexity are:
Cheat-sheets
Checklists & templates
Ebooks and guides
Free webinars or video trainings
Challenges
Quiz
Mini courses
The key is to offer something that your ideal audience needs to understand, be aware of, or believe in order to want or need your, product, service, or offer.
What are the best Email Marketing Providers
Once you've enticed people to sign up for your email list, you'll need a way to manage and send your emails. There are many email marketing providers to choose from, but some of the most popular include:
Pros:
MailChimp is user-friendly and easy to set up, making it a great option for beginners.
It offers a free plan for small businesses with up to 2,000 subscribers, making it a budget-friendly option.
MailChimp offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms.
Cons:
Some users have reported that MailChimp's automation features can be limited and clunky.
While MailChimp's free plan is a great option for small businesses, it can become expensive as your subscriber list grows.
Some users have reported issues with MailChimp's customer support.
Pros:
ConvertKit is a great option for creators and bloggers, with features like a built-in landing page builder and integrations with popular blogging platforms like WordPress.
ConvertKit's automation features are powerful and easy to use, making it a great option for businesses looking to automate their email marketing.
ConvertKit offers in-depth analytics and reporting, allowing businesses to track the success of their campaigns.
Cons:
ConvertKit's pricing can be high compared to other email marketing tools, especially for businesses with large subscriber lists.
Some users have reported issues with the visual editor, finding it difficult to use.
ConvertKit doesn't offer as many design customization options as some other tools.
Pros:
Flodesk is known for its beautiful and customizable email templates, making it a great option for businesses looking to create visually stunning campaigns.
Flodesk offers powerful automation features, including the ability to trigger emails based on website behavior.
Flodesk offers a flat monthly fee, regardless of the number of subscribers you have, making it a budget-friendly option for businesses with large lists.
Cons:
Flodesk is a relatively new email marketing tool, and some users have reported bugs and glitches.
Flodesk doesn't offer as many integrations as some other tools, which could be a problem for businesses that rely on specific integrations.
Flodesk's automation features can be limited compared to some other tools.
Pros:
Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that includes email marketing, website building, and course creation features, making it a great option for businesses looking for a comprehensive platform.
Kajabi offers powerful automation features, including the ability to trigger emails based on user behavior on the platform.
Kajabi offers advanced customization options for email templates, allowing businesses to create unique and visually stunning campaigns.
Cons:
Kajabi's pricing can be high compared to other email marketing tools, especially for businesses that don't need all of the additional features.
Some users have reported issues with Kajabi's customer support.
Kajabi can be difficult to use for beginners, requiring some technical knowledge to get started.
Pros:
ActiveCampaign offers advanced automation and segmentation features, making it a great option for businesses looking to create highly targeted campaigns.
ActiveCampaign offers in-depth analytics and reporting, allowing businesses to track the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
ActiveCampaign offers a wide range of integrations with other tools and platforms.
Cons:
ActiveCampaign's pricing can be high compared to other email marketing tools, especially for businesses with large subscriber lists.
Some users have reported that the interface can be clunky and difficult to use.
ActiveCampaign's customer support can be slow to respond to inquiries.
How to grow your email list with Instagram
Now that you know what email marketing is and how you can start building your list, it's time to dive into the fun part: how to turn your Instagram followers into email subscribers.
There are different strategies you can use to promote your lead magnet and drive traffic to your lead magnet. Let's look at them:
Optimize your Instagram bio: Your Instagram bio is prime real estate for promoting your lead magnet and encouraging people to sign up for your email list. Make sure your bio has a clear CTA to that entices people to click on the link and sign up.
Use Instagram stories: Instagram stories are a great way to promote your lead magnet and drive traffic to your opt-in page. You can create eye-catching graphics, share behind-the-scenes content, and even run polls and quizzes to engage your audience and encourage them to sign up. For example you can start by asking a questions related to the topic of your lead magnet to create curiosity. Eg. Have you been struggling to grow on Instagram? Then a second slide with some other questions like what are your biggest struggle at the moment, and then offer your lead magnet in the third slide. Eg. If you want to finally get over these issues and achieve your goals here's my free Instagram Growth Guide.
Use highlights: Create specific highlights for each lead magnet. These can be the stories we talked about previously. This way you make sure that if someone new comes to your profile and checks your highlights they can also opt-in.
Create feed posts aligned with your lead magnet: At least 20% of your weekly content should have a direct CTA to your lead magnet. I do this all the time! Pin one of these posts to the top of your profile for new profile visitors to see!
Go live: Lives are a great way of getting new leads as people tend to be warmer and ready to take action. Host a live once or twice every month related to the topic of your lead magnet and invite people to go to your link in bio or DM you a specific word and you'll send them the link.
Collaborate with other creators: Collaborating with other Instagram creators can help you reach new audiences and grow your email list. You can co-create content, run joint giveaways, or cross-promote each other's lead magnets to expand your reach and build your brand.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, email marketing is a very powerful tool that can help you connect with your audience and grow your business.
By creating a valuable lead magnet, choosing the right email marketing provider, and using organic strategies on Instagram to turn followers into subscribers, you can build a strong email list and take your marketing and business to the next level. Happy creating!
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