Are you surprised that I’m dedicating an entire blog post to email list building? You shouldn’t be! Why? Let’s discover why….
In business, we’re all prone to do one of two things: Stubbornly cling to our tried and true methods (even when the results tell us otherwise!), or immediately drop everything and run towards whatever new innovation is being touted as the next big thing.
And believe me, in the twenty years I’ve spent helping brands get noticed, I’ve not only seen plenty of these marketing fads come and go, but I’ve also been just as guilty of rushing over to see these innovations for myself!
Am I criticising this habit of focusing on shiny new marketing toys? Absolutely not! You want what’s best for your business, and it’s only human nature to be curious!
Am I saying that sometimes some of the most incredible ROI potential for your business is already in your hands, and perhaps, sometimes we are all guilty of forgetting about it?
Yes, I am.
Year after year, email list building campaigns have proven to be one of the most dependable tools that a business can have in its arsenal. With email list building, you can reap the benefits of new business, and guide them through a buyer journey that’s so flawless they’ll become loyal customers.
What will those loyal customers do next? Well, they’ll recommend your business to others!
How do you build such a powerful and conversion-focused email list? Here are 9 strategies that’ll get you on your way!
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
In an ideal world, your brand would pop up in a stranger’s inbox, and they’d gasp at the brilliance of your content before signing up immediately. But we know better than that, and let’s not pretend we don’t!
Would you prefer to have 100 emails of people who actively showed an interest in your business, or 1000 complete strangers who know nothing about you? Chances are that your email is one of several that your potential customers are receiving on a daily basis.
The point is, let’s not put the cart before the horse here! If you have the opportunity to engage with a small number of hot leads, be sure to make them feel so understood and satisfied that they tell others!
Don’t get lost in the wilderness with daydreams of hitting one thousand sign-ups overnight. We’re building relationships here, and it takes time to earn their trust!
Speaking of quality, that leads us nicely into our next point….
Paid for Email Leads Will Lead You Absolutely Nowhere!
I don’t say this lightly – you’re better than resorting to this method. Not only is it a total waste of your money (not to mention the potential legal ramifications of buying information) but it sets you up for failure while charging you for the privilege.
Paid for email leads will inevitably end up in the spam folder, and your brand will be tarnished. Plus, how many other businesses are using those very same bought emails? Are they the types of businesses you want to be seen alongside?
I’m guessing not.
Incentives! Incentives! Incentives!
Everyone loves to feel like they’ve just found an absolute steal of a deal. It’s an easy win in their eyes. After all, incentives in exchange for an email sign-up is a no brainer for most people.
Sure, discount and giveaway incentive methods are nothing new. But who cares, they work!
In particular, interactive sign-up offers (known as gamification) like spin the wheel initiatives or digital giveaways are attractive, and hard for bargain savvy consumers to resist!
Referrals Get You Stronger Leads
What’s the next step after those giveaways and incentives have snared you some warm leads? Get a referral programme started!
It’s a smart move when building an email list. Why? Because you’re using your current subscribers to bring in more business!
By encouraging your subscribers to tell their friends, family and colleagues about your business, you bypass that awkward introductory stage by going through a trusted source.
People are far more likely to subscribe to a business that a loved one recommends than some random stranger who emails them out of the blue.
Use this to your advantage and watch that email list grow!
Network in Person
Of course, your website is the main place to capture those email addresses, but don’t limit your reach to only being online. Business events, socials gatherings, and trade shows are still a great way to leave a long-lasting impression.
We receive a lot of emails over the course of the day. Many of us can barely remember who the people contacting us are! If they can put a face to the name before accepting that business card, you’re likely to be warmly received in their inbox!
And never underestimate the power of a simple sign-up sheet at your counter or front desk. Window shoppers may ask about an item that’s currently out of stock, and you can have them scribbling their email address down to get future updates in no time!
Get Your Information Behind a Gate
If you’re careful about the kind of content you allow people to see, and it serves a specific purpose in an engaging way, then putting your content behind a sign-up wall is perfectly fine.
Not only are you heating up better leads along the customer journey, but you’re establishing a feel of exclusivity in your email lists. We may try to fight it, but we all love to feel a part of some kind of unique club!
Set up a Targeted Landing Page
Your email list doesn’t live or die by your homepage alone. Sometimes customers can feel a little overwhelmed with the information in front of them, especially in the case of a website that needs to serve multiple purposes.
If you’re looking to build an email list for marketing, stripping this information to the bare-bones on a landing page can work wonders!
Instead of linking your giveaways or other incentives to your website, a landing page can harness that one specific product or incentive into an easily digestible piece of marketing.
With a clear and concise email sign up section, a good landing page can help lead customers along the buyer journey a little easier.
Opt-in Options at the Checkout Page
Most eCommerce businesses will be familiar with this, as the majority of Shopify pages have some kind of digital opt-in form on the screen. Many business owners actually disable this option when setting up their online store, but you shouldn’t!
Why? Because these opt-in forms are the unsung heroes of building a strong email list!
Consumers expect to have to provide some information (especially an email address) during the checkout process. As a matter of fact, most people will gladly hand over their email addresses, as they’re expecting your business to keep them updated on the progress of their order.
Consider the Customer Journey
No matter what you decide to be the best way to build an email list for your business, you’ll need a clear idea of each stage of communication, from that first introduction right through to the checkout page.
How are you going to capture their attention with that very first email? What solutions does your business offer for their industry-related issues? What’s the next step in your communications once that next trigger has been implemented?
It’s called a customer journey for a reason – we are nurturing them into taking action, encouraging that next step, and developing a long-term relationship with others. Like any good journey, it needs a map to plan the best way of reaching that ultimate destination.
Take these 9 strategies and tips to build an email list into consideration, and create the ultimate plan that’s simple, effective, and consumer-focused.
Doing this ensures that when that next exciting new innovation in marketing comes along, you can rest assured that this tried and tested method is working flawlessly in the background and winning you new business.