The Importance Of Building A Responsive Email List

Email is the most underrated communication & sales channel in the course creator (and virtually every other) space. Yet despite it being "old-fashioned" and often proclaimed dead…

Email is still one of the most important assets in a course creator's tool belt. 

Because if you can get the right people on your email list and then mix giving value & relationship-building with selling your offer(s)…

You can almost print money on demand.

Of course, it's not all that easy getting there. You need a ton of patience, consistency, and amazing offers too. 

But one thing is certain:

If you aren't focused on building your email list…

You're definitely losing out on a lot of potential revenue. Especially in the long run.

Today, I want to show you why that's the case…

And the first steps you can take to build a responsive email list.

Let's dive into it.

Why Does Your Course Business Need An Email List

Yes, getting followers on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc., is extremely important and valuable. But you should do your best to direct these followers to your email list.

That’s because email is the only channel you actually OWN.

Think about it. Every person who follows you on social media or via podcasts is rented. 

Why?

Well, because you’re at the mercy of the platform you’re on. One change of regulation, a user complaint, etc., can completely mess up your follower base…

And, in the worst-case scenario, even get you banned.

On the other hand, you can take your email list wherever you go. Heck, you can even ask people to follow you on a new platform.

But owning instead of renting isn’t the only major advantage of having an email list.

Reach is a huge factor too.

When I say reach, I mean being able to get to your audience on demand. And send announcements, build a relationship, run promos, etc., whenever you want.

Plus, for us course creators, email is the most powerful selling driver. At least that was the case for my “Piano In 21 Days” course and for many of my students.

Look, once people raise their hands and say, “Hey, I want to get your emails and learn more about you…”

You’re getting one of the biggest assets you can ask for. 

For starters, you can pitch your evergreen funnel to your list on demand. And can build a genuine relationship with them, which is an enormous conversion booster in the long run.

Plus, whenever you have a new offer or want to do a relaunch… 

Voila — you have the emails of people who are, at the very least, intrigued by you and your offer.

Okay, now that you understand what kind of a difference having an email list can make for your course business…

Let’s cover how you can go about creating one.

3 Crucial Things You Need To Start Building A Responsive Email List

Let’s go straight to unpacking the 3 crucial things you need:

1. An enticing lead magnet your prospect simply must have

Once you have traffic coming in, you have to give them something as an incentive to stick around on your email list.

That’s where an extremely valuable and relevant lead magnet (the popular “freebie”) comes in.

Now, creating such lead magnets is a topic best explored in a separate article. But let me give you the basics here:

A lead magnet is something you give away for free…

In exchange for prospects’ email addresses. 

Because, as I’ve said, having these is a huge asset for your course business.

Look, the best way for you to understand what a lead magnet is and how it works (besides me creating a separate article on the topic) is to see it in action. 

So, go to my “Piano In 21 Days” course home page. You’ll notice all CTA buttons take you to the lead magnet page. 

You’ll also notice my lead magnet is a valuable PDF in the form of a workbook. PDFs, like checklists, guides, etc., are the most common lead magnets. But you can also create challenges, create a waitlist for your course, or host a webinar/workshop.

If you haven’t already noticed, I use a free workshop as a lead magnet for “The Online Course Guy.” Go to my home page, and you’ll see how the “Free Workshop” button is highlighted and instantly draws attention.

You can also check out the workshop itself to analyze what goes into creating such a lead magnet.

In a nutshell, your offer, knowing your target audience, and the time you can devote to creating a lead magnet should guide your decision on its form & content.

2. An Email Service Provider (ESP)

You’ll need a place to store all the emails you get. And a way to contact people via them.

This is where an ESP comes in. 

Now, I like to use Kajabi because it’s an all-encompassing platform that allows me to cover all 3 things on this list and more. But there are a ton of other options out there — go ahead and check them out.

The key thing is having a platform that ensures you can reach and monetize your email list. There are 2 best ways to do this:

Live (broadcast) emails and automations. 

Both deserve a dedicated article. Here, I’ll just say that having a welcome sequence (which is a series of emails you send to people right after they sign up and get your lead magnet)…

Can do wonders for your sales… 

And set the stage for building a long-term relationship with your prospects.

So, make sure to choose an ESP that fits your unique situation and do your best to explore the optimal ways to get the most out of your email list.

Finally, if you’re looking for a robust system focused just on emails…

I always recommend ActiveCampaign. It’s the ESP I still use for all my “Piano In 21 Days” emails and automation.

You can check out what ActiveCampaign offers here. And if you decide to sign up, using the link in this article to do so ensures you also get a free bonus:

My exact email templates and automated sequences that have produced 7 figures in sales for Piano In 21 Days.

3. A landing page for promoting your lead magnet

This doesn’t have to be a full-blown sales page. All you need is a clear headline and value proposition…

And a form to collect emails and other info from your prospects.

(Quick tip: You’ll notice that my lead magnet opt-in form asks for both a first name and an email address. That’s because I like being able to be more personal in my communication. That’s why I recommend this to my students too. But also note that the more info you request — the lower your “take” rate will become.)

Of course, you can add sleek visuals and more benefits if you think that would lead to a significant spike in conversion rates.

You can go back to my “Piano In 21 Days” lead magnet landing page to see how I’ve done it via Kajabi.

And here are two examples of more elaborate and more sales-intensive landing pages:

• Talent Stacker 
• Toddlers Can Read

Now, there’s also one prerequisite for the 3 things from above to work and get results:

A way to get traffic to your landing page and lead magnet. 

You can do this with ads or my favorite: 

Build a following on another channel and then direct people to your email list. For more info on how you can approach audience building & traffic generation…

Check out this article.

Conclusion

Having tons of followers on major social media platforms is an outstanding advantage. But if you want to increase sales and set your course business up for success in the long run…

You need a platform you own. One that doesn't depend on the whim or rules of anyone else.

This is where email comes in. Having a responsive email list ensures you can both sell and build a relationship with your target audience whenever you want…

And however you want.

So, here's to building one you can monetize and profit from almost on demand.

I'm rooting for you.

-Jacques