Top 5 Ways to Grow Your Email List
Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s one of the oldest and most effective ways to deliver your brand’s message electronically. With the right technique, email messages have a 4,200% ROI, which is hard to ignore. But it’s not as simple as just writing an email and hitting “send.” You need an email marketing strategy to grab the attention of your current subscribers and encourage new sign-ups. Here are a few tips to grow an email list for any business.
With the right technique, email messages have a 4,200% ROI, which is hard to ignore.
1. Offer Something Valuable for Free
Give your audience something they want, and they’ll be more likely to sign up for your email list. No, it doesn’t have to be physical giveaways or coupons (although those can work). It could be an ebook, a free course, or even valuable information that’s not easily found elsewhere.
These freebies should be directly related to your business and what you hope to achieve with your email list. Here are a few examples of free exclusive content offers to grow your email subscriber list:
- A gardening supply store in Vermont offers a free ebook on spring gardening tips.
- A women’s fashion boutique in Los Angeles creates a style quiz that, upon completion, emails subscribers a personalized list of clothing suggestions.
- A marketing agency in Boston offers a free course on social media marketing for small businesses.
- An accounting service in Chicago offers a free tax return checklist for small business owners.
Tailor the content to your audience. For example, younger customers prefer more interactive content, while older customers may prefer more traditional content like an ebook.
Also, any email marketing strategy must optimize all content for mobile users. Nearly 1 in 5 email campaigns don’t render correctly on mobile devices, so make sure all your offers are responsive.
2. Create Content That’s Worth Subscribing To
This one’s pretty obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning. If you want people to sign up for your email list, you need to give them a reason to do so. Remember, you’re competing with dozens of other companies for attention in their inboxes.
That means creating content that’s interesting, informative, and valuable. It should be content that your readers can’t find anywhere else, and you must deliver it right to their inbox regularly. About 35% of marketers email their subscribers list three to five times per week. You don’t have to match that number, but you should send emails often enough that your audience doesn’t forget about you.
This area of your email marketing strategy is a bit more complex and takes some planning. You’ll want to ask yourself a few questions, such as:
- What type of content will my audience find valuable?
- How often should I send out emails?
- What format should my emails take?
- Who will create this content?
These are only a few questions to consider, but they’ll give you a good starting point for formulating your email marketing strategy.
3. Limit Some Website Content to Email Subscribers Only
This email marketing strategy may seem counter-intuitive, but one of the best ways to grow your email list is to make some of your website’s content exclusive to subscribers. That way, visitors have to sign up for your email list to access it. You can do this in a few different ways:
- Password-protect specific blog posts or pages on your website
- Create an ebook or other downloadable PDF and limit access to the link
- Require a subscription to view video content
No matter which method you choose, make sure the exclusive content is high quality and directly related to your business. Otherwise, you risk turning off potential customers. You’re working to reach millions of people in a sea of solicited and unsolicited emails, so it makes sense to give your current and potential customers a reason to sign up for yours. There are over 4 billion email users, and that number will continue to grow—which is why it’s vital to perfect your email marketing strategy.
4. Leverage Social Media
Social media platforms are excellent places to promote your email list and grow your subscriber base. You can use them to:
- Share your sign-up page
- Promote exclusive content for email subscribers
- Post CTA graphics
- Host social media contests with prize incentives
- Engage with your audience on a personal level
There are several ways to use social media to grow your email list. And, since over 3.95 billion people worldwide have at least one social media profile, it’s a great way to reach many potential subscribers. The key is to be creative and be creative.
For example, you can host a social media contest and offer a prize incentive for anyone who signs up for your email list. Giveaways are an excellent way to generate leads and grow your subscriber base.
A well-designed CTA can be very effective in getting people to sign up for your email list. You can also use social media platforms to share your sign-up page or promote exclusive content for email subscribers. And don’t forget to post CTA graphics from time to time.
Or, you can create shareable images with CTAs like “subscribe to our newsletter” or “join our mailing list.” Depending on your target audience, you may want to use visual social platforms like Pinterest to share these images.
You can also use social media to engage with your audience on a personal level. Respond to comments, answer questions, and start conversations. The more you interact with potential subscribers, the more likely they will sign up for your email list.
5. Use Your Email Signature
An email signature is a great way to promote your email list, and it’s something you’re probably already using. That little block of text (or image) at the end of every email includes your name, job title, and contact information.
You can use your signature to promote your email list in two ways:
- Include a link to your sign-up page.
- Include a CTA like “subscribe to our newsletter” or “join our mailing list.”
Email signatures are a simple way to turn each outgoing message into an opportunity to grow your subscriber list. All you have to do is add a link or CTA, and you’re good to go.
These are also excellent areas to personalize your email marketing strategy. Include a photo or your company’s logo to make each message feel more human and personable. Too many businesses skip this step, but it can make a big difference. It’s the little things, after all.
Besides personalizing your message, use the call to action portion to encourage readers to share your content with their networks. Include phrases like “forward to a friend” or “sign up today.”
Email marketing is an essential tool for growing your business. By following these five tips, you can develop an email marketing strategy that will help you build a solid subscriber base and keep your customers engaged.