​“Email marketing is DEAD. Social media is the only thing worth focusing on any more.” That’s what a social media marketing consultant told me back in 2010 when my husband and I owned a margarita mix company and I wanted to create an opt-in before any of us even knew what an opt-in was.

In his defense, that was back in the day when Instagram didn’t exist and people actually saw the posts from your Facebook “fan page.” You know, before you had to pay to play.

My, how times have changed for us online biz owners…

The good news for all of us is, email marketing is not dead. I’d even go so far as to say you might want to make it your top tier strategy for connecting with and providing value for your audience.

So, why should you focus on building your email list? I’ve got 3 reasons for you to consider:

1. Email subscribers are your ride or dies. Yeah, you’ll get some folks who will unsubscribe to your list a minute after they get your discount or download your freebie but for the most part, your subscribers these are invested in you on some level.

Getting new followers on social is a piece of cake compared to getting someone to invite you into their inbox (although with Instagram’s new algorithm, you may have your doubts.) If you take care of your subscribers by bringing your best stuff in your newsletters, they’re more likely to become raving fans and loyal (paying) customers.

2. Your subscribers will actually see your content. It’s no secret that very few of your social media followers will see what you’re posting on the daily no matter how valuable your content or how consistently you post.

Although you have little control over whether or not your readers actually open your newsletters, chances are if they signed up to get your emails, (and you’re bringing it week after week with killer content) they want to hear from you. So, focusing your content generation efforts on your email list provides a far better ROI than organic reach on social media.

3. Your list is yours. You own it. The social media gurus have made it clear that the odds are ever in their favor. We’ve already determined that they get to decide how many of your followers see your content (and it’s a super-duper small percentage) but even more disheartening is that they own your followers. If Facebook and Instagram decided to close up shop tomorrow, you’d no longer have access to the audience you painstakingly built.

If that’s the case, doesn’t it make the most sense to focus on building your own community?

Okay, okay…you get it. Building an email list is essential to the growth of your business. But does that mean social media is dead? Mmmm…nope. In fact, building your email list works best as part of a combined strategy involving social media.

Bottom line: if your goal is to build relationships with your audience (and it should be if you want biz growth and longevity) prioritize list building. And if you nurture the hell out of your subscribers, they’ll be in it for the long haul.

XO, Christy​

P. S. Do you have any questions about list building or email content? Leave me a comment below and ask away! I’ll see if have A’s to your Q’s.