Episode Summary: What email marketing actually is, why it remains one of the most important parts of running an online business, and the tools used to build a real newsletter list.
What You'll Learn
- What email marketing is and why the newsletter is the go-to format for small brands
- 3 real benefits of email marketing: relationships, authority, and sales
- Why list quality matters more than list size
- The tools used to run an email newsletter and grow a list
Ask Mike Anything: Is Email Dead?
Today's question comes from a special listener — the retired head of the NFL Management Council, right in the middle of the 1982 and 1987 NFL strikes: Jack Donlan. Resource mentioned: Slack.
1. What Is Email Marketing?
Simply brands communicating with clients or an audience via email — the most common form for small brands and one-man bands being the email newsletter.
A little history lesson: the CAN-SPAM Act was signed into law in 2003 after widespread complaints about spam. If someone wants to unsubscribe from a list, make it easy for them — period. Resource to unsubscribe in bulk: Unroll.Me.
2. Benefits of Email Marketing
- Building relationships
- Establishing authority
- Promotion & sales
Books mentioned: Tribes by Seth Godin, and Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk.
3. Building an Email List
Building an email list and communicating through it is one of the most important parts of running an online business. The goal isn't accumulating as many people as possible — it's building relationships with people who like, trust, and want to keep learning from you. List size doesn't matter as much as quality, long-term connections. Every subscriber should be valued, and the list treated with genuine respect, delivering as much value as possible.
Resources mentioned: Bloom by Elegant Themes and LeadPages.
4. Tools Used
Email newsletter: Mailchimp. WordPress/website plugin: Bloom by Elegant Themes — free with Divi. Alternatives mentioned: AWeber (popular, but not the favorite) and ConvertKit by Nathan Berry, which Pat Flynn has reviewed positively.
Music: "Life of Riley" & "Wallpaper" (incompetech.com).
Show Notes & Links
Slack CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Wikipedia) Unroll.Me Tribes by Seth Godin Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk Bloom by Elegant Themes LeadPages Mailchimp AWeber ConvertKit
Read the complete show notes and resources on mikemurphy.ai.
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