It is never too late to start building an email list. Even if you have an existing business and missed out on opportunities to secure contact information, you can begin the process of growing an asset that will prove valuable into the future. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to build an engaged audience, with subscribers more likely to buy from you as they develop a relationship. It is possible to go in-depth on the process of growing and marketing to your list, but the core elements are easy for everyone to understand. The following guidelines should be enough to help anyone get started with building an email list.
1 – Create an Enticing Offer
Site visitors are used to being shown opt-in boxes and email forms. Getting inundated with emails can be frustrating, so most people are cautious about joining new lists. To avoid this issue, it is important to create an enticing offer, making the process of signing up to your list as easy as possible. Effective offers can include reports, video tutorials, short courses, and physical items with subscribers covering shipping costs. Your offer will typically work best when you tailor it to appeal to your ideal customers.
2 – Use a Quality Email Service Provider
Your email service provider will be central to your entire email marketing plan. Most businesses are reluctant to change providers, with plenty of hassle involved in moving subscriber lists across platforms. It is worth researching a number of providers to ensure you are with a trusted company that can offer high deliverability rates. The best services will also have detailed analytics, allowing you to run tests and optimize campaigns for optimal results.
3 – Promote Your Email List
Most people won’t be too eager to join any new email lists. The average inbox has countless messages from brands, so people are reluctant to join more without a reason. To overcome these objections, it is important to promote your list just as you would promote any other offer. You can build a landing page, highlighting the benefits of your opt-in offer. You can also end blog posts with a promotion, suggesting readers can get more related information if they subscribe. When you make email list promotion a major factor in your marketing, it can become a central sales tool within your business.
4 – Provide Consistent Value
Email lists can grow stale over time, with open rates gradually starting to fall. To avoid this issue, providing consistent value is the best approach to take. Subscribers need to know you will be offering something worthwhile when they click to open your message. The value could be some useful industry information, a tutorial, a discount code, or something similar. You can still promote products and make offers, but it is easy to burn out a list with recurring promotions.
An email list might become the most important asset in your business. You are able to stay in contact with targeted leads, making repeated offers for new products and services. Of course, it is important to also offer valuable content, providing more than just sales pitches. As you give useful information, though, you will strengthen the bond with your list. Email marketing has become such a common part of online business that it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. However, every business that dedicates themselves to the process will gain significant rewards for their endeavor.
