Should you use TikTok?

Did you know that U.S. President Biden signed a bill last week to potentially ban TikTok (adding to the growing list of other countries that have already banned it)?

Regardless of TikTok politics, the social media platform has been a successful marketing tool for some Functional Health Practitioners and Coaches, so hopefully, if you’re one of them, you have been building a backup plan (as I’ll discuss below) to preserve connection with your audience if access to the platform changes. 

Personally, TikTok isn’t my thing. I enjoy spending time on Instagram and target market research shows that my ideal clients like to hang out there too. But even other social media outlets have risks. Meta platforms experienced an outage recently and this has happened a few times in the last couple of years. 

Regardless of where you focus your marketing efforts, here’s the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to know and do…

The #1 goal should always be moving people onto your email list. 

Think about this…

If Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok were to shut down today, you would lose contact with your entire audience and potential clients. An email list is like backing up the data on your phone or computer – it’s your marketing insurance policy.

Plus, we’re all aware of the potential for censorship on social media platforms around important health topics. While email service providers are sensitive about content being shared to monitor true spammers, you generally have more content control and sharing freedom via email.

And most importantly, email is how you can continue to build a higher level of trust and rapport with people over time, which is needed to cultivate client opportunities.

Because, as marketing research indicates, it takes at least 20 touchpoints and upwards of 500 before a person becomes a customer.

You can accumulate some of the necessary touchpoints from places like social media, in-person talks, and networking groups, but ultimately, an email list is where you have the best chance to consistently accumulate touchpoints that will lead to more clients. 

For example, on average, I know a person is on my email list for 6 months before they book a Discovery Call and enroll in one of my programs. It takes time to build a relationship with potential clients – it’s like dating, as I discussed in this blog recently. 

Everyone’s email list starts from small to zero, and that’s ok. No matter how small your email list might be, remember…

It’s the only piece of marketing real estate that you own and have control over. 

In this week’s video and blog, I’m giving you 3 strategies to build a high-quality engaged email list that will lead to more client enrollments and revenue in your business!

Here’s a little secret about my business…

I’ve created a successful 6-figure business with a relatively small email list. Full transparency, my email list currently sits around 4K contacts after being in business for 10 years.

In my first year of business as a Functional Health Practitioner, I made 75K with less than 200 people on my email list.

Having a small email list and creating a successful health consulting practice is contrary to what you might hear out there in the marketing world. There’s so much chatter about how important it is to build a large email list and all the ways to do it.

In my experience, success isn’t built upon quantity, it depends on quality.  

Having a large email list doesn’t matter if it’s full of poor-quality contacts who aren’t your ideal clients or don’t engage with you.

Poor-quality contacts on an email list can actually hurt your email deliverability and open rates if they aren’t engaging with your content.

Engagement is the bridge that improves email marketing outcomes while building rapport and trust with people, which gives them the confidence to invest in the services and unique gifts you have to offer. 

Again, this is just another example of why it’s so important to move people from social media platforms or other marketing opportunities, such as speaking events, to an email list. 

I’ve even helped practitioners build an email list to easily enroll clients WITHOUT having to be on social media, simply by doing what I’m about to share below.

Here are the top 3 strategies I’ve used to build a high-quality engaged email list…

#1 – Tap Your Network
Your next 5 clients are likely within 6 degrees of separation from you; all you have to do is get your message to them. According to the law of attraction, you generally surround yourself with similar people, and if you’re passionate about the work you’re doing, those around you will likely find it intriguing as well. 

Since everyone’s email list starts at zero, to initially get mine started, I tapped into my network by exporting all of the contacts from my phone to my email marketing system. I then crafted a business announcement email centered around sharing my personal health story and the transformation I had experienced from doing the work I do – this established rapport and trust immediately. 

From this initial single email, I instantly enrolled two clients in my 3K program.

Offering workshops at my local yoga and kettlebell studio with sign-up sheets to collect email addresses, going to Meetup.com groups, establishing referral partnerships with my chiropractor, acupuncturist, and fitness industry friends, and co-hosting webinars with entrepreneur colleagues who offered complimentary services to my work are other ways I’ve tapped into my network to build an email list and connect with ideal clients.

Don’t underestimate the power of your immediate network. This is the low-hanging fruit in your business that is often overlooked!

#2 – Commit to Consistency
Remember, marketing research indicates it takes at least 20 touchpoints and upwards of 500 before a person becomes a customer.

You’ve got to commit to consistently creating touchpoints if you’re going to grow an engaged email list that will produce client opportunities. Consistently emailing your list not only nurtures potential clients into actual clients but can also inspire the people on your email list to share your valuable content with others to organically grow your list. 

Consistently showing up in some type of marketing capacity, whether it’s through  in-person talks, social media, networking groups, or something else is critical for driving traffic to your email list. 

If you don’t build consistency, it’s like planting seeds but never watering them to flourish.

Right from the beginning, I set an intention to email my list weekly with valuable tips and information to help them reach their health goals. I also invited my list to share the info with others who would benefit from it to organically grow my email list.

The more touch points you create, the more rapport and trust you’ll build with your list, increasing your chances of enrolling clients or having them refer someone to you.

Pause right now, pull up your calendar or project planner, and plug in consistent weekly or bi-monthly times to email your list. It’s time to commit to consistency.

#3 – Share Your Story
As motivational speaker and coach, Bo Eason said, “People follow your story, not your resume.” As health professionals, we tend to nerd out about all of the cool science stuff and our credentials – the “resume.” But that’s not what your ideal clients really care about. They want health transformation and social proof that you can help them.

By sharing your personal story, you are:

• Showing them what is possible for them
• Providing social proof that what you do works
• Being personable and creating a connection to increase trust quickly

Storytelling is the marketing technique that draws people in and encourages them to engage with you. When they hear your story, they think, “That sounds like me! They get me.” They will want to read on, learn more, and eventually schedule a call or enroll in a program with you.   

Now you might be thinking, “But I haven’t healed myself yet, so I’m not confident in sharing my story or my ability to help others.”

It’s cool. We all deal with imposter syndrome sometimes, and here’s the awesome part…

By sharing your story, you’ll never attract anyone more advanced than you that you can’t help, because why would that person resonate with your story if they were beyond what you were sharing?

And there are a TON of people two steps behind you who need the solutions you have to offer at this exact moment.

You’re on my email list, so watch how I implement these 3 strategies not only here, but also on Instagram and other places where I speak and have appearances. These marketing tips are part of the foundation for your success. 

P.S. Some of the most common questions I get asked by Functional Health Practitioners and Coaches are…

Where can I find my ideal clients?
What social media platform should I post on?
Do I have to be on social media to get clients?

The answer to these questions depends on who your ideal client (aka niche) is. When you are clear about who your ideal clients are, you will know…

• Where they like to spend their time
• What social media platforms they prefer (if any)
• How they like to receive info (i.e. video, written, talks, etc.).

These insights then become the guidebook for the marketing strategy that will be most effective for you, giving you the greatest return on your time and effort. 

NOTE: Save the date for my 3 Keys to Find & Enroll Ideal Clients training coming up on May 22nd at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET, details will be shared soon!)