“When marketers can deliver the right message to the right inbox at the right time, email and data can improve loyalty, reduce churn and continue to be the best return on investment.”
– Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
As a Chief Marketing Officer or Marketing Director, you would probably agree that expanding your customer base is a top priority. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to build a high-quality email list. If you are uncertain about the most effective way to build this list, or if you wish to improve upon your existing email list, then consider following the simple steps below. By following these seven steps, you can create an impressive email list that will prove to be one of your most valuable resources as a marketing executive.
Why is it important for your business to have an email list?
As companies increasingly focus on social media strategies, email has become one of the most underrated means of engaging with customers. Here are just a few of the many reasons why it is important for your business to have an email list.
1) You have complete control of your email list
Unlike Facebook and other social media sites that are controlled by CEOs and owners, you have complete control of your email contacts. Stakeholders with social media sites may decide to sell their members’ email addresses at any time. Or, they may suddenly decide to charge fees for accessing information. With your own email list, you do not have to pay fees to reach out to your contacts via email.
2) A higher click-through rate
“On average, one in five marketing emails gets opened, with a click-through rate of 3.57%, while on Facebook; you can expect a click-through rate of a measly 0.07%. Clearly, if you’re trying to market as efficiently as possible, email is the way to go.”
– Joe Kindness, CEO, AgencyAnalytics
Email’s relatively high click-through rate is impressive. Additionally, the researchers with Harris Interactive found that 80% of online shoppers are more apt to make additional purchases due to an email notification they received. Given these statistics, you can hardly afford not to focus your energies on building a high-quality email list.
3) E-mail marketing offers flexibility and convenience
“Consumers can engage with a message on their laptop, tablet, smartphone, smartwatch or desktop. They can read their emails in apps, email client software, and their browsers. And it’s possible they can read the same email across all scenarios in the same sitting.”
– Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
Today’s consumers demand flexibility and convenience. Email offers customers the ability to receive news from your company through virtually any device and from nearly any location.
What are the most effective ways to build a high-quality email list?
As outlined above, email is a flexible, powerful tool that can be used to bolster customer loyalty and increase your bottom line. Attempting to grow your business without a robust email list is extremely difficult. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies that you can take to create an impressive list of email contacts. Below are some of the most effective ways to generate a high-quality email list.
1) Exhibit at industry trade shows
Trade shows offer immense value to sales and marketing professionals. Statistics presented by the Trade Show News Network indicate that 81% of trade show attendees have buying power and 92% of visitors attend trade shows in order to learn about new products. By exhibiting at an industry trade show, you will have the opportunity to network with hundreds or thousands of attendees. You can secure their email addresses by collecting their business cards or using a lead retrieval machine to quickly scan the badges of attendees.
2) Add email addresses obtained through live chat
A growing number of companies across the globe are offering live chat. Results of a study by J.D. Power revealed that consumers prefer live chat as their favorite way to communicate with customer service representatives. Most chat platforms require the customer to provide an email address, which can ultimately be added to your growing email list.
3) Create an e-mail registration form for your website
Adding an email registration form to your website is one of the fastest, simplest ways to expand your email list. Creating and publishing an e-mail registration form can be accomplished in a matter of minutes free of charge. You will simply need to determine the following:
- Which pieces of customer information (in addition to the email address) you wish to collect
- The colors and overall theme you would like for the form
- Decide upon a headline and call to action for your form
4) Offer to send an electronic receipt
This strategy will help ensure that every purchasing customer becomes a member of your email list. The premise is simple: Each time a customer completes a purchase, notify the customer that you need their email address in order to send a copy of their invoice or receipt. This measure can be achieved via automation to minimize effort on your end.
5) Host an online contest
Hosting a contest can help you add hundreds of consumers to your email list. One of the most popular ways to launch a contest is to host the contest on your social media sites. Here are a few steps to follow to help ensure that your contest is a success:
- Select a platform that is effective for launching online contests
- Choose a contest theme and prizes that are relevant to your customer base
- Make sure to require participants to include their email address
- Share the results on social media and on your website
6) Invite people to sign up for your blog
When people visit your blog, make sure that they have a way to opt-in to receive email messages from you. While virtually anyone can obtain more email addresses through this strategy, you are likely to attract more subscribers by ensuring that you post helpful content on a regular basis and keep your author bios updated.
7) Develop captivating case studies
“I produce a new case study roughly every eight weeks. I rotate among the four doctors in our practice and vary the topics. I run 500 copies on high quality paper and distribute them to primary care, internal medicine and orthopedic physicians…I have heard excellent feedback.”
– Cindy Gall, Central Texas Spine Institute
Regardless of your specific industry, case studies are an effective means of spreading the word about your accomplishments and attracting new email subscribers. Case studies offer the following benefits to companies seeking to enhance their email list:
- They provide an in-depth look at your organization
- Your credibility will be enhanced
- They often naturally contain the keywords your target audience uses
- People who read your case studies will be more likely to buy from you
Future Directions
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to engage with new and existing customers. Once you have used the strategies outlined above, you can consider offering e-books and white papers to build your email list. While these measures require a bit more time and dedication, they deliver optimal levels of conversion. And, if you ever need any help let’s connect to work on elevating your business to the next level of success.
