How to Build an Email List and IG Community That Buys From You Every Week (2025 Playbook)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Social Media Decoded
Episode: How to Build an Email List and IG Community That Buys From You Every Week (2025 Playbook)
Host: Michelle Thames
Release Date: June 24, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Social Media Decoded, hosted by marketing strategist Michelle Thames, the focus is on transforming your social media presence from mere numbers into a thriving, profitable community. Michelle shares her 2025 Playbook for building an engaged email list and Instagram community that not only interacts with your content but also makes consistent purchases.

The Shift from Followers to Community

Michelle begins by addressing a common struggle among entrepreneurs and business owners: "I had no community, no warm list, Just numbers. And when it was time to sell something, Crickets" ([00:59]). She emphasizes the importance of moving beyond chasing follower counts and instead fostering genuine relationships with your audience. This shift is pivotal for converting engagement into sales.

Real-World Success Stories

Michelle shares compelling examples to illustrate the effectiveness of her approach:

• Retreat Success: "Last quarter, over half of the tickets for my retreat went to women who had already been in my Instagram community or on my email list. They weren't random followers. They were engaged, warmed up, and ready to take action because I'd nurtured them for weeks and months" ([02:30]).

• Client Transformation: "One client of mine went from zero sales to the launch of her retreat and over $4,000 in new business just by implementing my visibility and email list system. She went from nobody's paying attention to I have more DMs than I can handle" ([03:05]).

These stories highlight the tangible benefits of building a loyal, engaged community over accumulating large numbers of passive followers.

The 2025 Playbook Framework

Michelle introduces her Booked Invisible System for Community and Email List Building, a five-step framework designed to attract buyers rather than just lurkers:

Step 1: Community Over Followers

“Instead of focusing on growing your numbers, focus on building a core group of people who show up, reply to your emails, comment, and share” ([04:20]).
Focus on creating meaningful interactions through group chats, regular Instagram Lives, or weekly check-in emails to foster a sense of belonging.

Step 2: Irresistible, Actionable Freebies

“I have a $200 story strategy that started as a checklist that now solves a real problem” ([04:45]).
Offer valuable freebies that address specific pain points. For example, Michelle provides a $200 Story Strategy Guide to help followers get noticed and remembered via Instagram stories.

Step 3: Nurture with Consistency and Realness

“Your audience doesn't need perfection. They need to hear from you consistently, authentically, and with value” ([05:50]).
Share authentic content such as stories, quick wins, behind-the-scenes looks, mistakes, and lessons learned to build trust and connection.

Step 4: Always Invite the Next Step

“Every email, every story, every post needs a gentle invitation” ([06:20]).
Encourage your audience to take action by including clear calls-to-action in every piece of content, guiding them towards the next step in their journey with you.

Step 5: Celebrate Social Proof Publicly and Often

“Every time someone grabs your freebie joins your chat or buys, shout it out” ([06:45]).
Showcase testimonials, share screenshots of successes, and highlight community members’ wins to build credibility and inspire others.

Actionable Steps for Listeners

Michelle provides practical actions listeners can implement immediately to start building their engaged community:

1. Add a Clear Call to Action: Encourage your audience to engage by adding specific CTAs to each post.
2. Shout Out Community Members: Highlight the successes of your community members in your stories or emails.
3. Engage in Conversations: Ask questions in your emails or group chats and respond to every answer.
4. Start a Group Chat: Create a simple group chat for your warmest audience members.
5. Share Wins: Post about your own or your clients’ successes at least once a week.

Free Resources and Promotions

Michelle offers a free mini-guide titled "$200 a Day Story Strategy" to help listeners turn Instagram views into conversations and sales. She encourages listeners to:

• Download the Guide: Available via the show notes or by DMing her on Instagram with the word "story."
• Join Her Community: Send her a DM with the word "Queen" to join her private Instagram group chat.
• Subscribe to Her Email List: Receive her free story strategy guide and additional resources.

Teaser for the Next Episode

Michelle wraps up the episode by teasing the next topic: "Sales Strategies That Work Right Now and Why Bro Marketing is Officially Over." She encourages listeners to stay tuned for more actionable insights in upcoming episodes.

Closing Remarks

Michelle concludes with motivational advice, urging listeners to "keep showing up, keep growing" ([07:56]). She also invites listeners to engage by sharing screenshots on Instagram and leaving ratings and reviews to support the podcast.

Notable Quotes

• On Building Relationships: "I had no community, no warm list, Just numbers. And when it was time to sell something, Crickets." ([00:59])
• On Community Success: "They weren't random followers. They were engaged, warmed up, and ready to take action because I'd nurtured them for weeks and months." ([02:30])
• On Freebies: "Offer something that makes people think, I can't believe this is free." ([04:45])
• On Authenticity: "Your audience doesn't need perfection. They need to hear from you consistently, authentically and with value." ([05:50])
• On Social Proof: "Every time someone grabs your freebie joins your chat or buys, shout it out." ([06:45])

Conclusion

This episode of Social Media Decoded provides a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to build a lucrative, engaged community rather than merely chasing follower counts. Michelle Thames delivers actionable strategies backed by real-world success stories, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their online presence and drive consistent sales.

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For more insights and episodes, visit the Social Media Decoded playlist on Spotify and stay connected with Michelle Thames for ongoing tips and strategies to grow your business online.

Transcript

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Her online shopping cart is always full of amps and auxiliary cables, so you might think she's funding her kid's garage band. But what you don't know is she's actually the one shredding on stage. With TransUnion's 360 degree view of consumer identity, you can get a clear picture of your marketing audience and reach people like Jen with messages that are more headbanger, less homebody. See how TransUnion is bringing clarity to marketing chaos through deeper insights, smarter reach and Precise [e-mail] clarity Then I realized.

[Michelle Thames]

I had no community, no warm list, Just numbers. And when it was time to sell something, Crickets. It was only when I stopped focusing on more followers and started building relationships that my business finally turned around. Hey hey.

Welcome to the Social Media Decoded Podcast, the Go to podcast for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to grow their brand, increase visibility, and make more money without the overwhelm. I'm your host, Michelle Thames, marketing strategist, business coach, and the person who's here.

To give you the real no fluff.

Strategies to help you succeed online. Each week I bring you expert insights, actionable tips, and real talk about what's actually working in social media and digital marketing.

Whether you're just starting or scaling the.

Six figures, you're in the right place.

So grab your coffee or Matcha if.

You'Re like me and let's dive into today's episode.

Today, we're diving into a game changer for every entrepreneur who's tired of shouting into the void and actually wants a community and email list that buys I know what it's like to feel like you're talking to yourself online. That's why I'm sharing my 2025 playbook for building a real audience. One that responds, buys, and tells their friends about you. Now let's get honest. For years, I thought my follower count was what mattered. I was creating tons of content, but nothing seemed to move. Then I realized I had no community, no warm list, just numbers. And when it was time to sell Something Crickets. It was only when I stopped focusing on more followers and started building relationships that my business finally turned around. And I see this with so many people posting, showing up, hustling, but not seeing real results. That stops today because you don't need a huge list or thousands of followers. You need a system that moves the people closer to you. Let's talk real results. Last quarter, over half of the tickets for my retreat went to women who had already been in my Instagram community or on my email list. They weren't random followers. They were engaged, warmed up, and ready to take action because I'd nurtured them for weeks and months. One client of mine went from zero sales to the launch of her retreat and over $4,000 in new business just by implementing my visibility and email list system. She went from nobody's paying attention to I have more DMs than I can handle. This is what happens when you shift from chasing numbers to nurturing real people. Now let's talk about my framework, my booked invisible system for community enlist building. Here's the framework that you need to put in place if you want buyers and not just lurkers. So get your pens and notepads out. I'm about to drop to you my actual framework. Step 1 Community over followers Instead of focusing on growing your numbers, focus on building a core group of people who show up, reply to your emails, comment, and share. Start small. A group chat, a regular Instagram live, or a weekly check in email. Make it about them, not about you. Step two Irresistible, Actionable freebies. Yes, this is where your authority starts to shine. I have a $200 story strategy that started as a checklist that now solves a real problem. How do you get noticed and remembered via Instagram stories? You want to offer something that makes people think, I can't believe this is free. Want to see it now? DM me the word story and I'll send this $200 story strategy guide to your inbox. Step three is to nurture with consistency and realness. Your audience doesn't need perfection. They need to hear from you consistently, authentically and with value. Share stories Quick wins Behind the scenes Mistakes, Lessons learned. People buy from real, not perfect people. Let me guess, you've been showing up on Instagram trying to be consistent, but your stories? Crickets. Here's the thing. Stories sell when you use them right?

So I created a free mini guide.

Called the $200 a day story Strategy to help you start turning views into conversations and conversations into cash. Inside, I give you the exact framework that I've used to sell out offers using just Instagram stories and voice notes. No ads, no pressure. Grab it for free at the link in the show notes or DM me the word story S T O R y on Instagram. Your content is powerful. Let's make it also profitable. Step 4 Always invite the Next step this is where so many miss out. Every email, every story, every post needs a gentle invitation. Want more support? DM me ready for the next step? Click the link. Want my checklist? Reply back. Don't leave your audience in limbo. Give them where you want them to go. And step five is to celebrate social proof publicly and often. Every time someone grabs your freebie joins your chat or buys, shout it out. Share screenshots with permission. Sticky note wins. People need to see what's possible Now I want you to take some practical action this week Week Try this week. Add a clear call to action to every single post. Tell them to DM you a word for your freebie engagement. Shout out a community member in your stories or email. Highlight their win. Have a two way conversation. Ask a question in your email or group chat and reply to everyone who answers. Invite if you haven't yet, start a simple group chat for your warmest audience members. Share receipts. Post about your wins or client wins at least once this week. Now if you want to see how this really works, go ahead and send me a DM on Instagram with the word Queen. If you want to join my private Instagram community group chat and I'll add you. And if you want to get on my list, go ahead and get on my email list. All you have to do is send me the word story for my $200 a day story strategy guide. All for free. If you're ready to see real results, not just more noise, now is your time. I'm excited because tomorrow I'm breaking down the sales strategies that work right now and why bro Marketing is officially over. Don't miss out on this. If you want to take a look at all of the episodes that I have in this new series for the summer, the Visible and Booked series, make sure you check down below in the show notes for the playlist that will be on Spotify. Thank you all so much. I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.

Alright, that's a wrap on today's episode. I hope you got some valuable insights and real strategies you can apply to your business right now. If you enjoyed this episode, I love for you to do two quick things. First, take a screenshot. Share it on Instagram and tag me Ichelle L Thanes so we can keep the conversation going. Second, if you found value in this podcast, it would mean the world to me. If you left a rating and review on Apple Podcast, Podcast or Spotify, your support helps this show reach more entrepreneurs just like you. Oh, and if you want to support the show and fuel my Matcha obsession, you can always buy me a coffee at the link in the show Notes. Thank you for tuning in. Until next time, keep showing up, keep.

Growing, and I'll talk to y' all in the next one. Peace.

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