Email marketing enables you to notify customers about updates, special offers, and other goings on quickly and easily. In order for this outreach to be effective, you need to build an email list. Without an audience, your communication will be for nothing. Here are some tips to quickly create an email marketing list.
Simplify the Process
There are lots of ways you can entice users to join your email list. Whatever method you employ, make sure the process of actually signing up is easy. Include a textbox on your home page or in the footer to accept email addresses. The location should be easy to find and in a high traffic area where users will see it. You can also opt for a pop-up.
Include text explaining what kind of information people can expect when they sign up. Do you routinely send sales notifications, breaking industry news or company updates or something else? Let your readers know. The entire process should be easy and clear.
Email Marketing Strategies
The right strategy will encourage users to sign up for your newsletter list so they can stay in the know about what’s going on with your business. All of these strategies can be customized to fit your business. You can also run these incentives for however long you wish.
1. Promise More
Hold back some of your content and make a deal with your readers. If they sign up for your newsletter list, you will send them the additional content. For example, if you have a blog post listing out 10 tips to do something or other, only go ahead and publish maybe five of those tips. In your concluding paragraph, build the anticipation and explain that readers will need to sign up for your newsletter to receive the remaining tips.
Make sure to follow through on your end of the bargain. Failure to do so can end up costing you the lead. An automated email can come in really handy here and ensure your readers receive the information you promised them. Several WordPress plugins offer autoresponder capability while there are several pay services, like Campaign Monitor and MailChimp that can address this need.
This can be a cost-effective strategy because you already have the content. You needed a complete blog post whether you were going to publish the whole thing or use part of it to entice users to join your mailing list. This is also a great way to demonstrate the value you provide and land a solid lead.
2. Offer All the Answers
Instead of sending the balance of a blog post, offer to send something more substantial, like a white paper, ebook, templates or more. Explain the value of the item so your readers know what they are getting. This also ensures your readers understand how this content will help them.
Again, set up an automated email response, so as soon as a user joins your email marketing list they will receive your ebook, template or whatever else you offered up.
3. Give Something Away
Offer a free gift to anyone who signs up for your email list. This gift can be merchandise, branded promotional gear, a coupon code, a free ticket to a webinar or anything else that will appeal to your customers. Make sure the free gift is something you can afford to give away. A lengthy email marketing list is great, but not if obtaining it puts you in a difficult financial situation.
Try to select an item that will be of interest to your demographic, but not necessarily something people outside of your industry or audience will want. Some people will sign up for anything if there is a promise of a free gift. Choosing a gift that people outside of your industry don’t want will eliminate people showing up just for the free gift. This also ensures the leads you get are serious and may likely convert.
4. Provide a Referral Bonus
Put your current newsletter subscribers to work growing your email marketing list. The people currently on your email list know who you are and what you’re about, so they are uniquely positioned to help out. Referrals also carry a lot of value. Readers understand and expect you to tell them how great you are in your outreach. However, when a trusted friend, relative or coworker tells them how great you are? That really means something.
The chances are also good that your existing subscribers know other people in your target demographic. Not only can your existing subscribers deliver leads, but they can probably deliver very high-quality leads.
Turn Referrals Into Leads
Give your subscribers an incentive to encourage their like-minded friends and family to join your newsletter list. Offer a coupon code or discount for every person your current customer gets to sign up. Choose an incentive that will appeal to your current subscriber and get their referrals to sign on. Both parties do not need to receive the same incentive. If you decide to provide different incentives, make sure your communication is clear so everyone knows what they have coming.
Be mindful of how this type of incentive will impact your time and your bottom line. Handing out unique coupon codes and tracking when those codes are redeemed requires a lot of tracking. Make sure you have the systems in place to handle this workflow.
5. Ask People to Sign Up
Just ask people to sign up for your email marketing list. Some people will gladly join, others will pass. Asking the question makes people choose what to do. You may not see your email marketing list grow very rapidly without offering some kind of positive reinforcement, but some people will still sign up if you ask.
Get to Work on Your Email Marketing List
Putting these methods to use can increase the size of your email marketing list. The larger your newsletter list, the more eyes will see your message and engage with your brand. This can help increase business, ensure your brand is front of mind for your customers and keep your faithful clients up to speed on the latest happenings with your business. Have you tried any of these tips? Or do you have a tip that didn’t make the cut? Let me know in the comments!
While you’re working on building out your email list, what are your plans for your next newsletter? Do you have some ideas kicking around, but you’re having trouble finding the time to write it all out? I can write your newsletter for you. Let’s talk.
