One of the most effective marketing tools you have to grow your business is your email list.
With an email list, you can connect with your audience, provide relevant information, and build trust.
And while instant messaging and Facebook continue to be popular methods to engage customers, email is widely used and remains a part of everyday life.
According to the Direct Marketing Association, email provides a return on investment of $39 for every dollar spent.
Ready to grow your email list?
You’ll want to look at the five recommendations in the infographic from Salesforce. From building lists to keeping data clean from the beginning, the five steps will help you grow your list and make your subscribers look forward to the next email from you.
Check out the key takeaways from the infographic.
Source: Salesforce
5 Steps for Growing Your Email List
Simplicity Trumps All for Website Opt-In Forms
- The simpler the form, the better
- One field asking for an email address will receive more signups than the same form with two fields: name and email address
- A/B test your opt-in form. Test variables such as images, text, button colour
Reasons People Subscribe to Email Lists
- Exclusivity: They’re receiving an inside look at something no one can see anywhere else. The email includes information that puts them on the “inside.”
- Convenience: Their lives are made easier by having information delivered to their inbox. Perhaps they want to be notified when a sale begins or a new shipment arrives in the store.
- Freebies: They signed up in exchange for something free—perhaps a giveaway at a fair booth, a free e-book online, or a random reward for subscribers.
5 Steps to Grow Email Lists Built to Last
- Focus on building lists, not buying them. Build your email list with an eye on relevancy and retention. Ensure only those who want to hear from you are on the list. Avoid any source where the contact did not give you explicit permission to email them.
- Know the list’s purpose. Define why you’re doing it before you set out to collect subscribers. If you have multiple business goals or target audiences, consider multiple email lists.
- Keep the data clean from the start. Know what data you need before asking for opt-ins. For starters, obtain email address, opt-in records, the subscriber’s name.
- Place the subscribe form where your customers are.
Know where your customers are. Create a simple opt-in process. Consider form placement for maximum visibility. - Sell customers on subscribing.
Plan a strategy to ask for that coveted email address. “Hear more for us” or “learn more about us” isn’t compelling. What’s in it for the subscriber? How is this email going to stand out in their inbox.
