Not Converting Instagram Followers into Email List Subscribers? Here’s What You’re Missing Out On. (Hint: It’s HUGE.)
You put a lot of time into creating social media content. But with the constant changes to Instagram and the chronic algorithm shifts, Instagram growth and engagement can be a rocky road.
And for small businesses who rely on Instagram to reach their audience and make money, it can be detrimental to your income.
There’s no telling what Instagram will toss our way next, so we need to be prepared for anything.
If you’re wondering what is the best way to ensure your business doesn’t get forgotten, it’s simple:
Prioritize growing and nurturing your email subscriber list alongside Instagram.
It can take as little as 30 minutes a week to implement this incredible business strategy, so you really have nothing to lose but everything to gain.
If you’re just starting out with your newsletter list, or if you already have a steady stream of subscribers, this blog post will show you exactly how to start gaining significant traction with your email marketing list today.
This way, you’ll always be able to reach your followers—whether Instagram decides to show your content or not.
Why bother to grow an email subscriber list if you have Instagram followers?
In case you’re still skeptical of utilizing a newsletter alongside Instagram, let’s dive into all of the benefits you could tap into for your creative business.
1. An email list provides a long-term growth strategy and an algorithm-proof safety net.
If you’ve been in business for a minute, you’ve likely come across the warnings against “putting all your eggs in one basket.” In other words, you don’t want to rely on just one method to keep your business afloat. Instead, the goal is to create a strategy that spreads across multiple avenues so your business is more resilient to the natural ebbs, flows, and changes that will come.
While this often refers specifically to diversifying your income with various revenue streams, it also means being wise about how—and where—you grow your audience so you don’t lose access to them.
You don’t own the list of your followers on the Instagram app, so you need a way to reach your audience in the event that Instagram goes down or updates its algorithm—again.
The social media platform could go away completely, too. (Remember AIM and Google Plus?)
The digital world changes faster than lightning, so you need to be prepared so you’re always able to access your hard-earned audience members.
An email list is the best solution for successful launches, sharing content, and continuing to grow your business for the long run since it’s the most reliable way to be seen by your audience without getting buried.
2. Your email subscriber list makes it easy to reach your audience and connect with them with fewer distractions and way less competition.
A person’s email is less noisy and distracting than social media. It isn’t full of ads or the next influencer’s stories to steal their attention. When someone takes time to digest what lands in their inbox, it’s a deeper connection and helps nurture the relationship so your brand sticks in their mind longer as they go about their day.
You won’t simply be another headshot in an endless sea of circles at the top of a screen. You’ll have a whole new level to reach your audience.
Granted, you need to be nurturing your email list consistently in order to enjoy this benefit.
We’ll come back to this point in just a bit when we dive into more detail about newsletters.
3. A newsletter list will set you apart from other Instagram accounts.
Need I say more? These days, standing out from the crowd is EVERYTHING. It seems like every person and their aunt is on Instagram trying to grow a following, and the best way to stay above the waterline is to think outside the box and up your game.
An email list creates an exclusive feel around your brand, which encourages people to subscribe and get in the know on your insider newsletters.
Plus the followers who actively consume your content on Instagram will be excited to opt in for more awesome stuff from you.
When your audience follows you because they love what you say and share, this boosts the hype and engagement around your brand. This is one of the best ways to keep your Instagram account thriving too.
Having an email list makes your business come across as more legit and professional, too, which also helps you stand out from other social media handles.
4. A subscriber list houses your collective audience in one easy-to-access place.
If you haven’t already, at some point, you’ll likely want to tap into other social medias to see what they have to offer your business.
You might grow one for a while, switch your focus to add in a new social space, or quit a platform all together. Or you might work on them all at once.
An email list gives you one main area where you can funnel all of your audiences together so you can reach your entire community there. This makes it super easy to reach everyone at once without having to click any extra share or repost buttons.
Plus, as I mentioned above, you aren’t left to compete with any algorithms. It really is a win-win.
5. Prioritizing your list growth is one of the best business practices that has stood the test of time.
All the experts in the online business space will tell you to focus on growing your email list. And they have been saying it for years.
And with good reason. I’ve personally seen brands who have been able to switch their content to creation solely to newsletter content when they’ve reached burnout—and still increase growth.
While the type of content that performs well online shifts and changes—blog posts, social media—podcasts, videos, webinars, etc.—email list content has remained steady.
There’s no “new thing you have to do to stay relevant” when it comes to your newsletter. You can truly be creative and send your audience exactly what you see fit.
And though there are ways to include videos, gifs, and other dynamic elements, the idea behind a newsletter is the same: to reach your subscribers and give them awesome content so that they stay engaged and are excited when you have a new offer to share with them.
From solopreneurs and startups to big names to box stores, successful brands have been using email marketing as a strategy for decades. Hint, hint: so should you.
Why bother to send a newsletter if you create content on Instagram?
While your subscriber list provides the access to your followers, your newsletter creates the connection with them.
The key to reaping the benefits of your list and newsletter is to stay in touch with your audience by sending regular content via email to nurture the connection and keep it strong.
While a weekly newsletter is often the best strategy, the key here is to be consistent. So if a monthly one works better for your brand or lifestyle, that is perfect.
Just aim to send it out in a routine schedule so your subscribers know when to keep an eye on their inbox for your content.
Writing and sending consistent emails to your list has countless business benefits. Here’s why I recommend that every content creator sends a newsletter to their audience like clockwork:
1. A newsletter increases deeper connection with your audience.
Perhaps the most meaningful growth comes from connection. And what type of content platform is more intimate than your inbox? The people who choose to allow your brand to land inside their inbox are already more interested since it takes that extra step to subscribe. Sending a consistent newsletter shows your audience that you really do prioritize being able to reach and connect with them. Email feels extra intentional and shows that you go the extra mile beyond just social media. While you are already showing up each day to post your latest content to Instagram, one more touch-point via email each week takes it to a whole new level.
2. Increases visibility and exposure.
Research has proven that on average, people need to see something seven times before they make purchase. A regular newsletter is a strategic way to increase that number—and without the competition being one image scroll away. Each time you send out content, you are giving your audience a chance to interact with you brand. This helps your brand become top of mind and makes it more memorable.
3. It will boost your credibility and professionalism.
Not only does a newsletter increase your expertise with clients and customers, but if you partner with affiliates or other brands, how much more would they love to work with you if you also reach your followers through your emails each week? Businesses know how beneficial a regular newsletter is for engagement and conversion rates, so having and sending one is great for your credibility and makes you more professional.
4. Your conversion rate and engagement will increase.
Sending consistent newsletters with free, high-quality content increase brand conversion rates since your audience is more primed and ready to book or buy. A newsletter gives you the opportunity to walk your audience through a specific trail of content to help them with mindset shifts and see the benefits of your product or service. When you just stick to Instagram, it’s much more difficult to keep your audience on track with the content you want to share since people often take breaks away from social media and posts get buried or disappear.
5. You can share more kinds of content.
While you are likely sharing mostly video and photo content on Instagram, how much would your followers love something a little extra special from time to time? Think: a pdf guide, a digital download, a mini training, or even something that they can print out and hold in their hands. So much of Instagram is virtual and on the screen, but with a weekly newsletter, you can share so many more types of content.
Have you prioritized growing and nurturing your newsletter list alongside your Instagram followers? How has it benefited your business, or how do you hope it will in the future?
