From time to time I visit my real estate newsletters clients’ websites, just to find out more about them so I can help them more in future.
And here’s a strange thing. These people have newsletters. They mail them out. Yet on their websites there’s often no mention of them.
That’s a big mistake. These Realtors are missing a chance to collect subscribers. And what’s more, these subscribers have a good chance of turning into clients. After all, they were looking at the Realtor’s website in the first place, which makes them hot prospects.
Here’s a quick and easy way to use a website to collect newsletter subscribers.
1. Think of what you are offering. Is it just the newsletter or will it help get more subscribers if you offer something extra, too? (The answer to that is usually ‘yes’). Try offering a free guide on something relating to your product or service that you’ll email or mail them in return for signing up to your newsletter. For example, subscribers to my Real Estate newsletters get a free guide on home staging (that’s preparing your house for sale) they can use as “bait” to attract new subscribers.
2. Go to an email list hosting company such as AWeber (that’s the one I use and recommend, but there are others, such as Vertical Response and Constant Contact) and sign up.
3. Create a mailing list and form (which collects prospects’ names and mailing addresses) at AWeber’s site.
4. Create a “thank you” message, which will be sent out to prospects by email when they sign up. This message will tell them that they will receive their first newsletter through the mail shortly.
5. Paste the code that AWeber gives you into your home page, preferably near the top, so everyone sees it. You might need a little help making sure the sign-up box fits on your site, but it’s usually quite easy.
6. And you’re done.
Now you’ve got prospects’ mailing addresses and their email addresses, so you can contact them either way.