When it comes to building amazing email lists, there’s no overnight solution or quick fix. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. However, when done properly, those first email subscribers will be highly engaged and eager to hear from you! Here is the inside scoop on getting your first 100 (or 10,000) Email Subscribers.
- Build Lists, Don’t Buy them.
Many first-time email marketers skip straight to buying lists. However, contacts from paid lists are likely unfamiliar with your product. This means there’s a good chance your emails will be reported as spam.
Email services, such as MailChimp and Constant Contact, will shut down email accounts for spam complaints. Plus, your brand will suffer from negative sentiment associated with unsolicited emails.
Every company should strive to keep emails as relevant as possible. Plan to build your email list with an eye on relevancy and retention. Ensure only those who want to hear from you are on the list. This means stay away from any source where the contact did not give you explicit permission to email them.
- Know the Purpose
Before you set out to collect subscribers, define why you’re doing it. Some questions to ask:
- Who will be on the list – What point are they in the customer lifecycle?
- What business goals will this list address?
- Brand awareness
- Building trust
- Driving traffic to the website
- What will be mailed to this segment to accomplish the goals?
- Educational content
- News/Blogs
- Discounts
If you have multiple business goals or target audiences, create multiple email lists. It’s easier to segment at opt-in than to build one large list and segment later.
- Maximize Your Conversion Rate
Maximize your conversion rate (the number of subscribers) by making the opt-in as simple as. This means limiting the number of input fields on the form.
Email address is of course essential. If your email service provider does not include a qualifier to ensure a properly formatted email address, look into setting up rules to validate the email address. (For example, an email address must contain an @domain.)
The subscriber’s first name, if you plan on including personalization. An example of a personalized email is one that includes a coded field in the greeting where the first name will be automatically included (For example, “Hi Jane!”)
*A word of caution on personalization: Auto-greetings have a way of going awry from time to time. For example, the data is not substituted correctly, or the subscriber mistyped their name.
Really want those subscribers? Consider only asking for their email address and nothing more.
- Making Opt-In Obvious
Time to put on your marketing hat! Get creative about how to draw in your subscribers. Knowing where your customers are and creating a simple opt-in process is key to more signups. Make it simple and obvious and you will reap the rewards. For more information, you can check out our other blog about setting up email opt-ins.
- Sell the Subscription
Now that you know where you’re placing your opt-in form, ASK for those coveted email addresses. “Hear more from us” or “learn more about us,” is flat and not compelling.
Think like a salesperson. What’s in it for the subscriber? How is this email going to stand out in their inbox? What makes them look forward to it? Why are they visiting your website? What do they need to resolve?
Ready to grow a highly engaged email list? We can help with that! QBR is the expert in building and maintaining email campaigns in InfusionSoft, MailChimp, and Constant Contact. View our email marketing services and when you’re ready to take your business to the next level, shoot us an e-mail or give us a call. We’re here to help!