Here are a few tips to help you get started:
– Brainstorm as many ideas as you can for your subscribers. Ask yourself the question: If I could only have one reason for my subscribers to love my boxes, what would it be? If you’re stumped, start digging deeper. Answer the question: Who would enroll in my box? OR what would my subscribers want to own in a subscription box? OR what would get me the most subscription sign-ups in the shortest amount of time? Yes, I’m talking to you! Get as creative as possible to find the perfect subscription box business for you.
– Prepare a mailing list. Only 4% of people buy your box online yet you should always be getting at least 3-4 subscriptions out of every 100 subscriptions. Develop an auto-subscribe list that will welcome subscribers to sign-up on your subscription box service and collect their names automatically. Keep in mind that if you don’t have an auto-subscribe list, they won’t be an immediate subscriber and you will avoid capturing any leads, which will increase your costs and decrease your profits.
– Now that you have your list, start mailing them. If you’re only able to do 3 to 4 subscriptions per year, then spend the time to mail 50-60 more subscribers each year. If your goal is to mail if 500 subscribers each year, then do it! Also, if you’re mailing a 10-50 list, then estimate that you will be able to mail 150 more subscriptions per year.
– Create a plan for how you’re going to nurture your subscribers and turn them into box subscribers. What are your objectives for success? Are you selling more subscriptions or building a community? Be sure to have a means of tracking the success of your subscribers and each subscriber. Put a plan in place to nurture those who truly are eager to receive your boxes.
– Communicate to your list regularly about how many subscribers you have and the achievements of your current subscriber goal. If you’re not talking to your subscribers every month and reminding them of your subscription box, then you are probably missing out and will not be able to maximize your participation in your subscriber community. If you’re not showing examples of what your subscriber progress is, then you are probably not inviting enough people to be a part of the subscriber community, which means that no one is seeing what you are doing, and possibly missing opportunities to promote yourself and your product. Nothing is more embarrassing than being a part of an exclusive community, only to expose that you don’t have any subscribers! You’re no longer attractive to an auto subscriber list.
– Introduce yourself to other professionals on your start-up list. You may only have a SubjectsMeasureList but possibly you have 102 dispute GM accounts. Introduce yourself to them and network with them. They doubt GM project managers are excited by this strategic business issue and also may have a similar passion. Take the time to find out what they do, and offer your product or service as a solution to their problems.
– What is the most important tip that I could tell so you can succeed in a subscription box business? Know your product inside and out! If you do your homework, and every morning take the time to review your product spec and remember the key points that make up your product. If you’re not passionate about your product or service, then why should the subscriber be? They want to know how you are going to benefit them. If you are not aware of the benefits of using your product or service then no one will find a reason to keep using your subscription box service.
– Now it’s time to prepare your business plan. The statement: “When you plan your business, you are a successful business person”. You must try to be successful in your first six to eighteen months as a subscription box business owner if you’re probably not at that stage (or at that point in your list building) yet. Make a specific plan of action when you prepare your business plan and make sure that your business plan makes sense. Communicate this plan to the Internet marketing community that has ever used or seen your plan, so that they can be the role model of your success. Having many people in the marketplace responding to you, gives you a great sign that you’re ready to build your subscriber collection.
– Make sure that your business plan is great at the beginning so that you don’t waste time and energy with something that won’t work.