Email is the easiest and cheapest way to market to your prospects but how do you get their email addresses?
Here are 5 ideas:
- First and foremost have an offer on your website—that could be a free book, a free report or a free trinket. Place that offer front and center on your web page. They’ll need to put their email address in to receive that offer.
- Promote your website everywhere! On letterhead, envelopes, business card, all of your marketing pieces, your business sign on your building… everywhere.
- When you do a speaking engagement always have an evaluation form. Make it clear that you would like them to fill out the evaluation form. Tell them, “Folks, it obviously costs me some money to come and speak with you which being a smart advisor I write off for tax purposes. Could I please ask you help? Please fill out the evaluation forms completely so that I have proof for the IRS that I actually did spend the money to come speak with you… and not to go on a luxury vacation? J”
- Create an email newsletter and promote it heavily—my preference for newsletters is what I call the “church bulletin” newsletter. What I mean by that is make it look hand made. Most people read their church bulletin from front to back… why? It looks simple. It is written by someone they know… about people they know… doing things they find interesting. What this means for your newsletter is that it should absolutely contain something personal about you or your family in every issue. It should NOT be just about money… it should be about things that are helpful in their everyday life. Remember they already know you know a lot. They don’t care how much you know… until they know how much you care!
- Run a contest and tie the entries to providing an email address—People gladly supply their email in order to enter a sweepstakes. The sweepstakes prize could be for dinner and a movie… a visa debit card… a free big screen tv… whatever. Then advertise the heck out of the sweepstakes. You can collect hundreds of great emails this way.
