Subscribers are like your buddies, amigos, the ones with whom you share your success, failures, updates, and what not!
They are the peanut butter to your bread.
Shaggy to your Scooby.
Monica to your Rachel.
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This is exactly why you must be loyal, friendly, add value, and make sure that you never let them go.
This is important because,
Subscribers can become your customers
They help you build your brand
They enable your brand to sustain
So, here’s your handbook of building an authentic subscriber base which has 4 key mantras that you must swear by.
Let’s begin.
4 Mantras To Swear By To Build An Authentic Subscriber Base
1. Be a thought leader: Go the depth when it comes to content creation
Recollect some of the best content that you have subscribed to. As a marketer, my personal favorites are Hubspot, Copyblogger, and Content marketing institute newsletters because I get a lot of value from them.
I get to learn something new every day and I get to follow the advice of industry experts!
This is exactly what a good newsletter must do.
Whenever you create content, understand that the subscribers are those who are already familiar with the industry.
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The concepts are not alien to them.
So, you should ensure that you don’t bore them with the basics and provide them with real value.
You must go the extra mile while creating the content and also dive deep into the process.
Create content that discusses
New concepts and theories
Explain a familiar concept in detail with minuscule details
Publish findings from your research and experimentation
Be a thought leader in whichever industry you belong to and make sure that you create diverse content - which we would be discussing next.
2. Diversify your content to resonate with every subscriber segment: The cross tree mantra
Your subscribers are not like a one-pot meal.
There’s no one-size-fits-all for all your subscribers. They vary immensely based on their demography, their interaction with your content, and their purchase patterns.
This is why you must create clear segments for your subscribers and make sure that your newsletter resonates with them.
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For example, if a subscriber has just discovered your brand, then, sending them a product demo in the first newsletter would be a bad choice.
Similarly, if you have a subscriber who has been sticking around since your inception, then, writing to them about your brand may not be very relevant.
This is why you must diversify your content and make sure that you segment and funnel your subscribers appropriately.
The cross tree mantra of content creation and distribution:
- Educational and informational content >> blogs, infographics
- Promotional and apt for the buyer journey content >> web pages, product updates, feature announcements, company news, case studies, product demo videos
- Life long value add content >> webinars, ebooks, whitepapers, industry news, first-hand reports, etc.
You must make sure that you segment your audience based on transactional, behavioral, and demographic basis and show the right content to the right subscriber at the right time.
There are email marketing tools like BayEngage, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and more that can help you with this. Whereas, tools like ActiveCampaign do not have this feature in which case you may want to consider some ActiveCampaign alternatives.
3. The magic of asking: Give your users an opportunity to subscribe
-You might have done everything right.
- Creating quality content. Check.
- Mapping the right subscriber to the right content. Check.
- Providing solid takeaways and making the visitors want to subscribe. Check.
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But, what you might not be doing is helping your visitors subscribe to your content at ease without making it a hassle for them to hunt for that option.
I have personally experienced this!
Sometimes I instantly get hooked to a blog and would volunteer to subscribe to their content.
But, the options to subscribe would not be apparent and I’d give up in a few attempts.
So, it is always wiser to create opportunities rather than making your audience do all the hard work.
How can you ask your visitors to subscribe?
- Leverage the power of well-timed pop-ups with attractive copies to make it irresistible for visitors to opt-in. This can be shown when they are about to exit your website, as soon as they land on your website, or after they spend some time
- You can also make use of real estate on your blog pages. Insert a catchy CTA in-between the paragraphs or make use of the spaces on the left, right, or below the article
- Social media channels can be a great way to identify your potential audience and ask them to subscribe to your newsletter
4. Sustain the growth and never let your subscribers down
This is the most important mantra of all.
You’ve done all it takes to build a strong subscriber base. But, if you are not consistent in your efforts to provide them value and keep them engaged, it might result in the demonic metric that you’d never want to see - unsubscribe.
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Here are different ways in which you can ensure their loyalty to your brand
- Provide valuable content consistently
- Run contests and giveaways
- Make your content personalized and relevant
- Make your newsletters interactive (ask them questions, solve their concerns)
The Final Mantra: Wrapping Up
A strong subscriber base can do wonders for your brand.
The key to building a strong subscriber base is in these four mantras.
I hope this article is a handy guide that helps you navigate through your newsletter strategy.
If you have any questions or would like to add something, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.