Email Marketing is the most powerful form of marketing according to multiple studies and surveys. In 2022 Hubspot released a report that said that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you get a $36 return.
Professional marketers time and time again report that email marketing is one of their most effective, if not their MOST effective forms of marketing, surpassing television commercials, radio spots, Facebook ads, and so many other forms of marketing.
But Why is Email Marketing So Impactful?
1) Email Allows you to Follow up with Your Customers
What happens when someone goes to your TpT store and downloads your free item? How can you reach back out to them and let them know that you have a similar, paid product that is perfect for their classroom? It is very difficult to do so.
But with email marketing, you can send a follow up email in a few days and tell them all about your other classroom resources that would be perfect for them. You can send them notices when you create new products, or release a book, create a course, or whatever other amazing things you do or create that will help them be a more effective teacher and generate you more income.
Marketing Donut reports that 80% of sales takes 5 follow-up calls. Most of your TpT business is a result of no follow-up calls (calls could be any way they see your product again, via email, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) Imagine if you could do 5 follow up “calls” with your customers, your sales could increase by a multiple of 4!
You also likely remember the scene in the office when Ryan tries to give Michael an easy sales question, and asks him, “Which is more affordable, getting a new customer or keeping an existing one?” Of course, to Ryan’s shock, Michael gets it wrong and then goes on to give an awful sales presentation in front of his class.
The point being, it’s common knowledge that repeat customers are more affordable and convert at a higher rate than new, potential customers. While you are probably not spending much money acquiring customers, you are spending time. Posting things on social media, making Pins, etc. all trying to get eyeballs on your products. But returning customer eyeballs are much more valuable than new customer eyeballs. And how can you get a customer to return to view more of your products? It’s easy to do when you have their email.
2) Email Subscribers are Yours Forever
TpT customers are not yours. You have no way to contact them if you don’t have their email address. Yes, you may have given them a great download that has your name and links to your page on it, but they may have lost that, or never open it again. And yes, you can email your followers on TpT’s platform, but those emails are not effective, and you have no way to see who they’re going to.
But if you have someone’s email list, you can email them at any time, no matter what happens.
TpT’s Algorithm Blunder
At the beginning of 2023 Teachers Pay Teachers updated its algorithm and incorrectly flagged several people’s accounts as containing malicious malware. They pulled these people’s accounts and were in the process of refunding their customers their money when the error was caught and corrected. Thankfully, TpT not only reinstated their customers, but they paid them any revenue they would have lost on account of their site being down.
It was a painful reminder that we are at the mercy of TPT. If they change something, we could be hit pretty significantly.
In late 2022 they changed their search algorithm, and many sellers lost a lot of money as a result of their potential customers finding their products much more infrequently.
But having an email list shields you from these types of issues. You can continue to drive traffic to your products by emailing your list. And if TpT decides to deplatform you, you can more to another platform and then email your loyal customers as to where they can continue to get great stuff from you.
3) Don’t Build on Rented Land
Imagine you owned a brick and mortar store where people walked in and made purchases. But you didn’t own the property. Instead, you got it for free! You might think that was a great deal, your expenses would be much lower.
However, the issue would soon become that at any moment the owner could come in and change the rules. He could demand a higher percentage of sales, limit the number of customers allowed on the property, increase your rate, or move. Then what?
This is the exact case you face with your social media following. At any moment, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whomever could change the rules and dilute your reach (or worse).
Facebook has notoriously changed its algorithm repeatedly to the determent of businesses like yours and mine.
But an email list is like the little pig who built his house out of brick. The wind and rain can come, but it will withstand.
4) Email Allows Personalization
This is perhaps the greatest reason to have an email list.
When you post something on your social media platform it goes to everyone! But it is probably not applicable to everyone. If you have a new resource on slope, it is great for some of your followers, but not all of them. But you can’t differentiate who does and does not see your post.
You can, however, with email, do just that. You can segment your email list based on the grade they teach, their interests, how long they’ve been teaching, their interactions with your business, how long they’ve been on your list, if they’ve purchased from you, and so much more.
So you can email that slope resource to ONLY 8th grade teachers who haven’t already bought it and have been on your list for longer than a month.
Conclusion
Email marketing will have a significant impact on your TpT Sales.
And if you create something else for your teacher business, like a course, book, t-shirts, or physical products that teachers can use in the classroom, you can market that to your list as well.
Having an email list will shelter you from any upcoming storm – be it a change in the TpT algorithm, a shift in Facebook policies, or something else – you will be fine because you can reach your followers any time, from anywhere. And, your email list will generate more sales for you.
Protect your business, increase your sales, start your email list today.
Want help starting a successful email list for your TpT business?
I have an email marketing course that’s just for TpT Sellers. Learn more about my email marketing course that will teach you how to select an Email Service Provider, write dynamic and engaging emails that sell, setup welcome sequences and more by clicking here.
There’s a bonus offer inside that will get you access to weekly meetings with me, courses on copywriting, blogging, and more. Check it out!