There’s no doubt that email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing channels out there. But if you’re like most people, you probably find it a bit tedious to build up your email list from scratch.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could get your new and existing readers to do your email marketing for you?
Well, it turns out, you can.
Let me show you how to get your existing readers to do your email marketing for you, so you can focus on other things.
First, you’ll want to create a clear call to action that is going to encourage your readers to share your content via email.
A button with a simple, “Email to a Friend” or “Email to a Colleague” will work nicely.
Add these buttons to your website and your emails. These will be customized mailto links that are basically hyperlinks that use mailto instead of http://. When a reader clicks the button, a new email compose window pops up.
You can even customize the link to include your pre-populated subject line and body content.
Here’s an example of the code you might use:
<a href=”mailto:?subject=Your Subject Line Goes Here &body=Enter the content you want to appear in the body of the email. Remember to include a link to your offer. http://yoursite.com/offer”><img src=”http://yoursite.com/email-share-image-file.png”></a>
These buttons work because it’s a form of social proof. “If someone I trust is sending this to me, then this is something I should look at.”
When you create the customized message in your mailto link, include a tracking URL. This will tell you how much traffic and new subscribers your “email to a friend” buttons generate.
Believe it or not, some companies generate as much as 17 times more leads from email sharing than they do from social media links.
You can place these buttons:
1: On your thank you page or confirmation page. After a new prospect fills out your form to receive your freebie, you can encourage them to share the offer with their friends and colleagues.
You might even offer them an incentive to share it, such as a discount on your products or services, early access to new content, or entry into a contest or giveaway.
2: In your follow up email. This is the auto response email they receive right after joining your list. In the email you give them a link to the free offer, the email share button and (optional) a call to action to the next stage of the buying cycle.
For example, the email might read something link…
Hi George,
Thank you for requesting our ebook 101 Ways to Dress Your Iguana. You can access it here at any time [LINK]. Now you’ll be able to dress your iguana in the latest styles and fashions just like a New York runway model.
If you found this free book helpful, pay it forward by letting your friends know about this guide [LINK]. Maybe it can help their iguanas to look stunning, too!
[Email to a Friend Button].
3: In your marketing emails. When you are making an offer that you think your readers would share with others, give them an easy way to do it by adding the email share button. This works especially well when offering something valuable for free. You might say something like, “I hope you love these and put them to good use. Please feel free to let your friends know about these free templates, too, and I’m sure they’ll thank you!”
Try out this “email to a Friend” button and see what happens. With this simple addition it’s entirely possible that email referral marketing will become the top lead generation method for you.