I was recently at a networking meetup for my business and found out many people do not even know you can automate your newsletter sign-up process on your website. Because setting up a newsletter for clients is something I do often, I assumed it was something most business owners knew you could do. I was wrong.

Ok, just to let you know, in most online newsletter services, such as Mailchimp, Aweber, and Constant Contact, you can set up a free gift in exchange for people signing up for your newsletter. It is just a matter of finding out the technicalities because each service has it set up in a different way. As an example, on my website, I have a branding worksheet you can download when you sign up for my newsletter. In addition, I have it set up so people can take a peek at my prices right away, by signing up for my newsletter. This is all automation and I do not have to take the extra step of emailing them their free gift.

What can you give away as a free download for signing up for your newsletter? I would suggest something easy and not service-based. If you are a health coach, for example, you can give away five easy tips to lose weight, as a nice pdf. Or, how about a free mp3 meditation? These are some things you can think about.

Since most email services are set up differently, I won’t go into the technical details of how to set it up. I like Mailchimp and I have set up many newsletters and automation for clients. Here are their technical directions on how to set it up if you use them. Of course, if you need help, that is something I offer!

How to set up an automated welcome email in Mailchimp.