How to Start An Email List for Your Soap Business – [FREE Welcome Email Template]

How can you increase sales online for your soap business without constantly posting on social media, renewing your Etsy or Amazon listings, or being out at markets? By starting an email list for your business.

According to Campaign Monitor the ROI on Email is $44 for every $1 spent. Most of this ROI comes from Email automations.

But how do you get started?

This article is going to walk you through the 3 steps on how to start an email list for your soap business. You can absolutely have an email list by the end of today if you take these steps.

Let’s get started!

How to Start an Email List for Your Soap Business

Step 1: Start with why

So, before we talk about how to start an email list, I want you to take a step back and ask yourself why are you starting an email list? I gave you a few reasons above about why you should but it’s important that you believe why you are doing something or else when it gets a little tough you’ll quit and it’ll fall by the wayside. Then you’ll go back to relying on social media to make sales in your soap business. So get clear on why you are doing this and how it’ll benefit you, your business, and ultimately your ideal customers in the long run. Then move on to step 2: Deciding and signing up with an email service provider.

Step 2: Decide on an email service provider

There are two schools of thought on this.

1. Start with a free service and graduate to a paid service when you start getting traction or
2.  Sign up for the one that you can grow into and has robust automation features at a great price.

I am in the 2nd camp.
When I started my 1st business (Handmade fashion accessories) I started on MailChimp but my emails were mostly hitting spam and promotions folder in gmail!

When I switched to ActiveCampaign they began going in the regular box and rarely into the promotions box (which I am ok with).

I recommend (and still use) ActiveCampaign because they have robust automations and are well priced for the market. They can get a little technical but that’s why you have me in your corner!

Click the button to sign up below for a free no-credit card needed 14-day trial!  (Yes it’s an affiliate link and your price stays the same)

After deciding and signing up with an email service provider (hint hint cough activecampaign cough) it’s time to move on to step 3: setting up and installing an email collection service.

Step 3: Start collecting emails!

You do this by selecting and installing an email address collection plugin.

Please note: Your email service provider may have an embeddable email form that’s available for your website… but it might not be pretty or a popup.

Some might find popups annoying but they work! There are also other methods like scroll bars and more but this is about getting started.

Set up this using something like Bloom from Elegant Themes. They have awesome forms that are 100% customizable and they also have basic forms for you to start with! I’ve used bloom from elegant themes for over 2 years now! They also have an awesome social media sharing plugin and amazing themes for wordpress.

If you start an email list with in person people there are 2 ways to go about it…

1. Ask for it at check out if your POS (point-of-sale) allows you do that. Make sure it’s hooked up to an awesome Email Service Provider like ActiveCampaign or
2. Use a cool QR code that’s link to your esp opt-in form. I’d offer an incentive like $x off your next purchase or something low cost for free with purchase. Click here to create your QR code for free!

Once you’ve completed these 3 steps you are finished but there are some advanced strategies you can implement as you start an email list for your business!

Those advanced email list-building strategies are:

1. Creating a freebie that strategically attracts the right people for your business and
2. Using Pinterest to get traffic to your business (& grow your email list!)

Offering a freebie for people joining your email list is somewhat controversial but it can work when it’s done right. What do I mean by done right? Well doing it right starts with you knowing your ideal customer very well and meeting them where they are.  Then you craft a journey via email that helps them to connect the dots, build trust, and ultimately become a loyal customer. That’s done by creating an automated welcome email sequence that you send via email. But that all starts with creating an awesome freebie that preferably saves your ideal customer TIME. Those are usually checklists, prompts, plans, printables, and more.

You can create that freebie in Canva. I love canva because the free version is quite robust and the paid version is insane! (I’m definitely frugal! (Not to be confused with cheap lol)).

The 2nd advanced strategy is using Pinterest. Some people think Pinterest is a social media platform but they are wrong. Pinterest is a VERY powerful visual search engine that runs on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) like Google and YouTube. That means people are actively looking for things that solve their challenges that can be saved for later. These pins signal buying intent!

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to utilize Pinterest for traffic to your freebie:

1.  Create a standalone page for your freebie on your website
2.  Create a Pinterest graphic (in Canva!) that attracts your ideal client
3.  Optimize the description for SEO (using specific keyword phrases) and
4. Pin (Save) it to Pinterest group boards!

After completing this, watch the traffic grow slowly but surely and your email list with it! Something I’m exploring right now is using this app called tailwind tribes to grow my each in addition to group boards. I will have an article talking about that coming soon.

Ok so let’s recap!

Starting an email list for your soap business is key to strategic business growth that doesn’t rely on social media. Having an email list is an ASSET to your business and is owned by you, the business owner. We discussed the 3 major steps to help you start an email list today and 2 advanced strategies as well. Here’s what you need to get started:

1. Starting with why?

2. Decide on an email service provider

3. Install an email collection service

And here are the 2 advanced email list-building strategies:

1. Creating a freebie that strategically attracts the right people for your business and
2. Using Pinterest to get traffic to your business (& grow your email list!)

Once you start an email list you’re gonna need something that’ll help you meet your new potential customers where they are and then craft a journey via email that helps them to connect the dots, build trust with you and your brand, and ultimately become a loyal customer.  That’s where an automated welcome email sequence comes in.

Click here to download the FREE Welcome Email Template!

That’s all from me!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment below or contact me directly!