Email marketing is a high-impact, low-cost way to communicate directly to people who are interested and committed to your brand. So, building your email list simply makes sense.
At the most basic level, the more you grow your list, the more visitors will flow through to your website and the greater the chance of a sale or take-up. Having an email newsletter is also great for retention as it allows you to keep your brand front of mind.
Growing a healthy email database can also help you build relationships with your followers, and help you to better understand what your customers are responding to now and what they will buy in the future.
Here are the most powerful ways you can start building your email database today:
1. Add a powerful email sign-up form to your website
Deciding where to put your email sign-up form is not the time to be timid or subtle. When it comes to sign-up boxes, bigger is indeed better, but placement can also make a big difference.
Your homepage is your most valuable digital real estate, so start there. A super footer at the bottom of every page is great placement, as is the Hello Bar, the strip across the top of the homepage.
Although it may seem like overkill, many websites are having great success with sign up buttons across the top, the bottom, as well as the right-hand side of every page.
Popovers or pop-ups can be slightly annoying but there’s a reason why so many websites use them – they work. Just make sure you set any popovers or pop-ups to one per session so you’re not annoying visitors.
2. Use engaging language as your call to action
Instead of using the generic “click here to sign up”, entice the user with sentences like “become a VIP and receive unique offers” or “be the first to know when tickets go on sale”.
Even better, customise the call to action for every article or page. For example, “Get the latest news on (insert topic of article just read) delivered straight to your inbox”.
3. Run a competition or promotion
Everyone loves a freebie and most people will happily part with their email details for the chance to get one. Incentives can be free items, promotional merchandise, invitations or a discount.
Take your email marketing up a notch by including an incentive to share the competition, like “share this on Facebook or Twitter to obtain another entry”.
4. Capture emails in every meeting
Every day you come into contact with clients and prospective customers is an opportunity to grow your email database. Always have an email sign-up form handy on your phone, laptop or tablet. Routinely ask permission to add email addresses to your database, as it’s important that your contact consent to being added to your list. Encourage them to join by mentioning that it’s a nice way to stay in touch.
If your business organises events, include an email newsletter opt-in as part of the registration process. Tradeshows and conferences are another great place to grow your email list.
If you work in retail or a B2C business, ask your customers to complete an email newsletter sign-up form as they are paying or checking out. It’s an easy way to tap into a customer base already in touch with your brand.
5. Make your email newsletters valuable
Think of your email list as a transaction. Potential customers give you their email address and in return you give them something of value. A constant stream of advertisements or thinly veiled advertorials is just not going to cut it. Your emails need to offer value; a reason to say subscribed.
Generally, quality content needs to solve a problem or provide readers with information that will make their life better. Running exclusive offers is great, and so is offering niche information they can’t find elsewhere.
This is a good opportunity to offer a loyalty program in exchange for obtaining an email address. For example, when a person signs up to your list, they automatically join a VIP club where they get emails containing exclusive offers or discounts. It’s a nice way to give the customer some value for signing up to your email newsletter.
6. Make your email newsletter shareable
Always use social media sharing buttons and a “send to a friend” button in your email newsletters so that it can be easily passed on.
Remember to include a subscribe button too, so that those receiving the forwarded emails can easily opt in.
Discover the value of email campaigns
Do you need help setting up and running a regular email newsletter for your business? We can help.
At Assemblo, we produce customised email newsletters and manage all aspects of distribution. To find out how we can help, give us a call on (03) 9079 2555 or fill in the contact form below.