Today’s modern business world is nothing if not competitive. To stay ahead of the game, you need to employ all your best devices to attract and retain customers and continue building towards increased sales and profits. There may be no better method of achieving this than through a cultivated email list.
Unlike your followers on social media platforms you have total ownership and control over your email list. The value of this resource is unquestioned. But it’s what you do with this list that matters. A quick search of email marketing statistics reveals impressive data. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing yields an estimated 4300% return on investment. With numbers like that, your business can’t afford to ignore this crucial strategic element. Whether you’re just starting to build your list, or if you aim to refine and expand the one you already have, here are 10 action-driven, results-oriented methods for growing your email list.
1. Make joining your list easy.
Joining your email list should be so simple for a customer that they can’t help but click “subscribe.” To do this, ensure you have placed opt-in forms in convenient, intuitive places around your site. This doesn’t mean to incorporate relentless pop ups, but instead to provide options. Have one triggered pop-up, a handy sidebar opt-in form, embedded subscribe opportunities within your content, and a couple of other options that work for your business. And to make signing up an absolute breeze, ask for only the basics: name and email address.
2. Use influential copy.
Most customers or would-be-clients don’t choose to sign up to an email list without any prompting. It’s human nature to need to see value before giving up an important piece of information; for a customer, that’s their personal email address. Make sure you’ve taken the time to craft compelling copy that gets the job done and actively converts prospects into happy email list devotees.
3. Promise real value—and then deliver!
Growing your email list is fruitless if you don’t have a purpose for your list. Providing true value to your customers means they subscribe and continue to subscribe. When you’re offering something great, you can advertise a small taste of what’s to come. Users are far more apt to sign up for a newsletter or list when they’ve been promised something useful, entertaining, or beneficial. But make sure that whatever you say you’ll deliver, you really deliver.
4. Create dynamic, engaging emails.
A large part of producing value is ensuring your emails are attention-grabbing and send the right message. Don’t just use email marketing as an eternal sales pitch: nothing will make your readers unsubscribe faster. Instead, cultivate the right tone and fresh content to keep your subscribers interested and looking forward to your next email. Offer variety. Give your customers valuable discounts. Answer their most burning questions. Let them know firsthand about upcoming events or sales. Make them feel special and elite, and you’ll find that your email marketing really works, and that your list only continues to grow.
5. Build targeted email lists and sublists.
Sometimes, the best email marketing methods are those which personalise their messages. If you want to get the most from your email list, break it down into smaller lists to allow you to really tailor your copy and your focus for specific groups or demographics. Triggered emails work wonders, according to many marketing experts, because they reach customers at the right time—especially when they are actively ready to buy or sell. Experiment and see if sublists make a difference in your email results.
6. Offer an unbeatable incentive.
You may have heard before that a savvy way to obtain signups is by offering a free product or bonus. This is your “email upgrade” and it should be a real incentive for your customers. Your free gift can be as simple as a book of recipes or a downloadable checklist. What matters is how attractive this item is to a potential customer. With the right research and a keen understanding of your audience, you can create an unbeatable incentive that sends subscriptions through the roof.
7. Be clear about the details of your email list.
Nothing is worse than signing up for an email list and discovering it is nothing like what you expected. In order to grow your list and keep your subscribers, be sure you’re up front from the beginning about the details of your list. When signing up (or upon receipt of a welcome email) it should be clear to a customer how often to expect your messages. It should also be made readily apparent that you will never spam them, that it is easy to unsubscribe, and that their email information is safe with your business. These simple details can make a huge difference and ensure your subscribers are happy subscribers.
8. Co-promote and cross-promote with business partners.
Know what’s better than one free thing? Two free things! To have ultra-effective email list growth, consider partnering with another business. This provides twice the promotion power and double the value. And if you build the right partnership, your customers will benefit greatly—and they’ll remember that in the future.
9. Don’t ignore in-person opportunities.
Just because email marketing takes place on the web, don’t forget that your customer lives outside of it. Offline opportunities are a chance to snag a few more email signups. If you’re at a conference or promo event, have a clipboard handy so that visitors can jot their name and email on a list. You might even offer a free gift or hold a prize drawing to reward them for their signup. Have you got a business cards you like to distribute? Include the direct link to your subscription page on the card. Sure, it may not be a clickable link, but it’s an extra opportunity to remind a potential client that the list is there.
10. Create a survey.
When all else fails, you can create a customer survey, and benefit from two angles at once. Primarily, a survey exists to get useful feedback from your audience. This can show you where your business is doing well and where it needs work. But a survey also can be a smart method for obtaining email addresses. Most consumers don’t mind taking a few minutes to share their opinion—especially if a free gift or reward for participating is included.
What strategies has your business employed to grow your email list? Share in the comments below.
