As you build your business, whether you're an energy healer or a yoga instructor, face-to-face or online, your email list is fundamental to your marketing efforts.But you're probably wondering how you actually get people to give you their email without feeling annoying or pushy.The key is that you have to ask.And it's easier than you might think to ask in a mindful way just by adding ONE thing to your website!No matter what type of business you run, even if you are a solo yoga teacher, you need a website. No exceptions. If you are serious about building your business it's a must-have. It's your online home and where people are going to learn about you and how they can work with you. Think of your website as your resume, events calendar, business card and homebase for everything you do.Delivering Big Time Value with a GiftYour website is the perfect place for you to consistently make the ask for emails to help build your list. But simply saying "Join My Newsletter" often just isn't enough of an incentive for people.One way to make your offer more enticing is to deliver something of value to your audience. You want them to feel like there's something in it for them that's helpful or useful enough to hand over that email!This strategy is a well-established technique that you can adapt in a way that works for you and your business. Think of what works best for your audience to decide what your free gift will be. What are they struggling with? What do they need most?People will happily enter their name and email to get access to a workshop, a podcast, a downloadable MP3 audio recording, a teleseminar, a webinar, or a e-book.These don't have to be professionally recorded. You can just grab your iPod or iPhone, get a microphone, and record a class you're teaching, a mediation or something else that you are working on. Then make it available to your community - in exchange for their email.Once you've got your gift ready, here's several ways to ask for their emails:1. Place an email sign up form on your homepage and in your sidebarWhen it comes to ease of use, if people can't instantly find your email sign-up, they aren't going to go hunting for it. Having it prominently placed on your homepage and in your sidebar makes it easy for visitors to find.2. Your about pageThis may seem strange, but your about page is one of the most viewed pages on your website. If you aren't sure, check out your Google Analytics you'll notice people hit your home page and then the next place they go is your about page.Once they get to your about page they are going to feel connected to you, so it's the perfect time to make the ask. You can keep it simple and say you'd like to stay connected and offer up your free gift.3. Your social media profiles If you are active on social media make sure you are offering up your gifts as part of your profile. You can add the link to your profiles and use the channel to periodically promote it. If you are on Instagram, you could create a image with a quote that leads back to your free gift, or you could share it on Pinterest with a relevant image. For Facebook, you could create a series of posts that share it or create a custom app on your Facebook Page where people can sign up right there.4. Build your list off-line.If you are working with clients one-on-one or teaching in-person classes, workshops, or other events, you have the ideal opportunity to ask them for their email. Take your new student intake forms or liability waivers you can use them as a tool to build relationships and gather emails.You can add something simple such as Do you want weekly inspiration and encouragement, as well as special updates from me? Write your Email Address here.Also consider going old school by bringing a pretty notebook and nice pen where you can get people to write down their emails. Let your students or clients know that you love sending out updates, information, and training exclusively for your students. Tell them if they will get insider information to special offers or workshops that only your email list knows about. And let them make the decision to sign up for all the goodies.This may seem overwhelming but if you want to grow your business and community, it starts with your email list. Investing time and energy will pay off in the long-run with a stronger connection to your community and a boost in your business.In the comments below - I'd love to hear from you! How are you making the ask?Love + Gratitude,RachealAbout Racheal CookRacheal Cook wants to live in a world where heart-centered entrepreneurs have the mentorship and tools they need to bring their world-changing ideas to life. As the Founder of The Yogipreneur, she's been behind the scenes helping Yoga Alliance, International Association of Wellness Professionals, Curvy Yoga, and over 500 inspiring yogis create profitable businesses they are proud of. Her work has been featured on Smart Passive Income, The Rise to the Top, Juicy Geniuses, Abundant Yogi LIVE, and Lady Business Radio. You can connect with Racheal and join the Fired Up & Focused Challenge - a free 28 day challenge to boost your business.
