Building an Email List 101

You know you need an email list, but do you really know how much of an asset it can be? Check out these major reasons why you should start collecting right away.
Building an Email List 101

You know you need an email list, but do you really know how much of an asset it can be? Check out these major reasons why you should start collecting right away:

  1. Email lists are a direct connection to your reader. As a small business owner, email is your opportunity to do more than marketing. It is a great relationship-building tool. You are able to get more personal and share extra-special info just for your subscribers.
  2. Most people check their emails every day. If you have an important update or announcement, email marketing is a great way to let your audience know about it! You can also set up automated welcome emails to engage your new subscribers.
  3. Email marketing is great for tracking leads and data. You are able to see how many times links are clicked as well as the visibility of your email. 
  4. Size doesn’t matter. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a big list to make money doing email marketing. A tiny list that is targeted and engaged is better than a large list with unengaged subscribers. 

While social media can lean towards more disposable content (which has benefits of its own) Email is a controlled environment for your marketing purposes that is more direct and permanent. 

Let’s take this time to make building our list a priority. I promise you it is not as overwhelming as it may seem. First, consider why people are on your mailing list or why they would join. The reason is simple; they are getting something from you that they can’t get anywhere else. You will also want to think about which of the following methods would make the most sense with regards to reaching your target audience.

Here is a list of potential collection methods:

  1. Collection Cards are a classic method of obtaining information. You may recognize these bad boys from restaurants that you have eaten at. They are super easy to tuck in with the bill and offer birthday discounts or a coupon for your next visit in return for filling out a card.
  2. Google/Social Ads are a modern rendition on the classic collection card. We can create ads targeted to a specific audience. Your clients can click on these ads and sign up for your email list. You can choose to offer a discount off their next purchase or free shipping to entice more sign-ups. If you have a strong social media following, you can include the link to your sign up in a social media post as well. 
  3. Insert a signup form on your website for easy access. This could be a pop-up style form or located on your homepage or shopping cart area. This would be the most targeted online option since customers would have to be on your website in order to be invited to join the list. 
  4. If online collection or collection cards are not for you, don’t worry! We could create a direct mail campaign with a detachable portion that clients can bring with them to redeem a coupon in exchange for their email. Another direct mail option would be to create an informational mailing and include a link to sign up for your email list in order to claim a discount. 
  5. If you offer a rewards program, you can collect emails from customers when they sign up. This might be in person or an online form like the above suggestions. 

We find that there is a higher response rate when clients are given an enticing offer such as a percentage off their next purchase. The methods above are by no means the only methods of building a list, but they are effective. 

It is important to keep a record of how you obtained your email list including explicit consent from your email recipients to receive emails from you. 

We are ALWAYS here to help you!

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