It took me a long time to realize how important it was to build an email subscriber list for affiliate marketing. I really didn’t take it seriously until I came across the Jonathan Montoya 3 day challenge. Jonathan is an expert at building large email lists and making income with them.
The reasons for building an email list are important if you want to create a long-term online business with affiliate marketing.
I will share with you how I built an email list, how it has benefited my business, and the reasons why it is so important to start today.
Hey there, I’m Eartha. I’m the author of this website and an affiliate marketer. Building an email list has been one of the most important things I’ve done for my online business.
As an affiliate marketer, it is essential to have an email list and there is no better time than now to create one.
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Reasons Why Building an Email List is Key for Affiliate Marketers
The one thing that is difficult for many affiliate marketers is traffic generation. Whether you use free or paid methods, you should want to hold on to every lead that you get.
You either pay for traffic with your time (content creation) or by paying for ads. Either way, that takes time and money to generate targeted leads.
The best way to make the most of your time and money by obtaining leads is by getting as many as you can to subscribe to your email list.
As one of my mentors Jonathan Montoya says, your business is building your email list. An email list is how you can create an automated high-ticket affiliate marketing business.
Below are some key reasons why you should build an email subscriber list.
No More Stress About Algorithm Updates
If you’ve ever created and maintained a blog, you’re likely very familiar with the infamous Google algorithm updates.
These algorithm updates have been known to wipe out people’s online income. Unfortunately, even if you create helpful content and don’t partake in gaming the algorithm, your website can still be affected.
When you focus on building an email list, you eliminate the worry and stress of these algorithm updates.
That’s because you’re no longer placing your entire business model in the hands of a search engine.
While organic traffic is great, you should not place all your eggs in one basket. Use organic traffic to send your leads to your email list.
Then use your email list to promote affiliate products to your subscribers. Remember, not everyone is going to buy right away.
However, when anyone subscribes to your email list, you have their permission to email them anytime.
Not having the stress of losing web traffic is worth the effort it takes to build an email list. I think all affiliate marketers should build a list.
Not at the Mercy of Social Media Accounts
Social media marketing is one of the most recommended ways for affiliate marketers to generate traffic.
The problem is that social media traffic offers some of the coldest leads you can get. Most people on social media are not looking to buy anything.
They have short attention spans and want to be entertained. Stopping the scroll is difficult and even if you do get views and grab attention, it doesn’t mean that you’ll get sales.
There are some affiliate marketers who have built up their social media following and do make good money recommending affiliate products.
However, it takes a lot of time and you’re still at risk for having your account closed. Remember, social media traffic is not traffic you own.
That is why it’s a good idea to direct any leads you get from social media to your email list.
Make a Steady Income Online
As mentioned earlier, not everyone will buy right away. It may take several attempts to introduce the product you’re promoting before someone will buy.
This is possible with an email list. You can send out an email anytime you want letting your subscribers know about the product you’re recommending.
A percentage of your subscribers may buy at some point. That is why the larger your list, the more opportunity you have to make a steady income.
Not only that, you may even make a lucrative income each month with your email list. It is said that you should be able to make $1 per lead on your list.
Therefore, if you have 10,000 email subscribers, you should be able to make $10,000 per month. That is not a guarantee, only an estimate of what is possible.
What You Need to Build an Email Subscriber List
There are three main ingredients to build an email subscriber list. You’ll need a lead magnet, a sales funnel, and an autoresponder.
The sales funnel and autoresponder are often offered together with some sales funnel software.
I highlight how each of these works below.
Lead Magnet
Would you voluntarily sign up to anyone’s email list without something in return? Probably not. That’s where a lead magnet comes in.
A lead magnet is some type of free incentive to convince visitors to sign up to your email list.
Lead magnets can be in the form of a free guide such as an ebook, an audio file, a free video, a free email course, or a combination of these digital options.
Let’s say the affiliate product you’re promoting has to do with affiliate marketing. You could offer a free guide explaining how to get started in five steps.
Or you could create a checklist for getting started with affiliate marketing. You get the idea! Something that will entice visitors to input their email addresses into your form.
A Sales Funnel
You’ll need a website to be able to collect email addresses. A sales funnel is made up of two web pages.
The first page will hold your opt-in form and the second page will be a thank you page that can also direct your subscribers to the affiliate offer.
Any sales funnel software can provide a simple sales funnel. Check out popular software such as Clickfunnels, Kartra, Systeme.io, and others.
It’s important that the sales funnel software you choose has a built-in autoresponder or enables you to connect a third-party autoresponder email marketing software.
An Autoresponder
Email marketing software is what you’ll need to build your email list. You’ll want to make sure that the one you choose has an autoresponder.
The autoresponder feature lets you create pre-written email messages that you can schedule to send at specific times.
For example, you can set a message to send immediately after anyone signs up to your list.
You can schedule as many autoresponder messages as you like. I schedule anywhere from 3 to 7 email messages into my autoresponder that send out each day.
After anyone goes through my autoresponder series, they will begin to receive my broadcast messages which I can send any time I want.
Some autoresponder software to consider include:
- GetResponse
- AWeber
- ConvertKit
- Constant Contact
I can say that GetResponse is affiliate marketing-friendly. Meaning, they are less likely to close your account for running an affiliate marketing business.
Get Started Sooner Than Later
You may hear varying opinions about when to start building an email list. I suggest doing it as soon as possible.
Don’t let your leads slip away. By introducing your leads to your sales funnel, you have the ability to grow your email list.
Without an email list, you’re simply leaving money on the table. Let’s not forget about another benefit of having a large email list.
You may be offered money to promote other people’s products to your subscribers. The larger your list, the more you can charge.
Finally, don’t abuse your email list. Remember, there are real people reading the emails you send.
Be helpful, and offer value, and you’ll likely keep more subscribers and get more sales.