We all know that email marketing is an effective way to communicate with your customers and keep them engaged with your business. You’ve probably heard the statistic that email marketing generates $38 for every $1 spent on average, but you may not know exactly how to go about developing an email list or developing the list you already have.
If you want to gain traffic and sales from emails, you need to learn how to grow an email list. There are several tactics you can use to increase your list, and we want to share some of them with you.
1. Add email capture forms to your website
The most basic way to start collecting email addresses for your list is to include a sign-up form on your website. This method is non-negotiable if you want to grow your email list. This form is typically found in your website’s footer and offers interested users an opportunity to submit their email address to your list.
For a more interactive option, you can use pop-ups or slide-ins to create movement on the page and grab the attention of the visitor. These can show up when a visitor first enters the site or as they are exiting.
BONUS: You can also use your contact form and even your checkout to passively build your email list! In both of these spaces where email addresses and contact information are already required, you can easily add a “Sign me up to receive emails” checkbox to encourage additional sign-ups.
2. Develop a lead generation freebie, resource, or download
One of the most common ways to build your email list is by offering users a free download in exchange for their email address. This is commonly referred to as a “lead magnet.” Lead magnets are typically some sort of longform content (a course, e-book, white paper, workbook, etc.) that will be of interest to your audience but could also take the form of free trials or free product samples. These types of content should:
- Bring attention to your products
- Identify customers’ problems and how your products can solve them
- Establish your position as an authority figure in your field
- Offer free value to customers
Not only will offering a lead magnet help you increase your subscriber count, it’s also a great way to share your expertise, position yourself (or your company) as a trusted authority, and provide value by helping your customers solve a problem or achieve a quick win. Best of all, lead magnets give your customers a taste of the products or services you offer and can help move them toward a buying decision.
3. Offer an emailed discount
Who doesn’t love a good discount? Offering discounts to your customers in exchange for their email address is an incredible way to build your email list and provide value to your customers at the same time.
There are a variety of options when it comes to the timing of the discount offer. The two most popular choices are offering a discount immediately when a user enters your site or as they are preparing to leave your site, often referred to as “exit intent.”
In both cases, the customer exchanges their email address for the promised discount but the two serve very different purposes. An immediate pop-up is intended solely as a method to build your email list. An exit intent pop-up, on the other hand, is intended to offer a discount that might entice them to complete their purchase rather than leaving your site.
4. Hold a Giveaway
A simple way to grow an email list is to hold a giveaway, sweepstakes, or contest. In exchange for being entered, participants must give their email address. You can even set it up that they get extra entries for referring the giveaway to friends and family through social media.
5. Use Social Media
While it is true you will get more conversion through email, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be using social media to your advantage on how to grow an email list.
You can promote content on your social media accounts that requires people to give their email to access it. This could be a giveaway, like we previously mentioned, or you can say that email subscribers get early access to sales and new products.
Another great way to promote your email is to show a preview. Followers may be interested in the content and want to sign up after seeing a snippet of what you have to offer. Don’t forget to include a link with where they can sign up.
6. Start a Blog
How can you grow an email list by starting a blog on your e-commerce site? If you provide potential customers with quality, in-depth content that pertains to your field of expertise, they will come back for more. You can use your blog to solve customers’ problems, share valuable information about your products, and much more. By giving readers the ability to subscribe via email to your blog, you’ll build your email list as well as loyal readership of your blog.
No matter which strategy you choose, it’s important to invest time and resources into growing your email list. As your email list grows, you’ll have more opportunities to segment and target your audience to better serve your unique customer groups.
All of the list-building techniques mentioned here can be implemented without hassle and have the potential to create game changing growth for your business.
Need help growing your email list? Contact us today, and we’ll get started building your unique email marketing strategy.
