10 Tips to Grow Your Opt-In Email List
Philosophers have long debated the question – if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? While this is not a question that concerns many email marketers, the concept holds true. Whether you’re new to email marketing, or a seasoned writer, if no one is reading the emails you send, no matter how great they are, they’re not going to make any noise for your brand or your sales.
In order for your email marketing programs to really make the noise they are capable of, you need to start building and growing your opt-in email lists. Follow these 10 tips and soon you will have a growing list of customers and prospects that are looking forward to hearing from you – and will ultimately help win you business.
Ask at Point of Sale. Ask for an email address at the point of sale. Let the customer know your mailing list will notify them of discounts, email-only specials and first notice of sales.
Offer Free Information. By sharing your expert knowledge, you can attract your customers to join your email list. For example, if you own a garden shop, offer tips on the best fertilizers. All your customers need to do to get your valuable tips is give you an email address to send the tips to.
Loyalty Programs. Create or promote a loyalty program that promises exclusive, members-only benefits. When customers sign up and provide their email address, offer an on-the-spot discount or a free gift with purchase.
Polls and Surveys. Place a relevant poll on your website, or use ballot cards in a store location. Offer a free gift or discount when customers participate, which will be sent to their email.
Have a Contest. Similar to surveys, you can offer prizes to those who sign up for your mailing list. Try collecting customers’ business cards, and have a draw for a grand prize.
Use Social Media. Ask your followers on Twitter or Facebook to sign up for your email alerts. Be sure to mention that your emails include information and offers not available elsewhere.
Hand Out Postcards. Sometimes customers won’t have time to sign up for your mailing list on the spot. Hand them a pre-paid postcard to fill out and mail later. You can also increase your chances of capturing email address by giving the option of signing up online.
Capture Friends of Friends. Encourage the people on your email list to forward your emails to their friends. You can even offer an incentive for doing so. Offer a gift or discount if their friend signs up and mentions them.
Get your staff on board. Give your employees incentive to collect email addresses. Offer a small reward for each name collected, or a larger reward to the employee who gathers the most email addresses by the end of the month.
Go Mingle. Sign up and participate in your local community events. Become an active participant in local organizations. Business-to-business owners should attend meetings of special interest groups where potential customers may be. Get their business cards and ask if you can email information to them.
There are plenty of other ways to grow your mailing list as well. Get your list-building mechanism going and you’ll have lots of people to send your emails to. You may not know if that falling tree makes noise, but at least you’ll have plenty of customers and prospects listening.
To learn more about the benefits of a good opt-in list and email marketing and to obtain a fully featured 30 day free trial, visit Campaigner at http://www.Campaigner.com.
Wendy Lowe, Regional Development Director at Campaigner, an email marketing solution that enables organizations to have highly personalized one-to-one email dialogues with their customers, measure how they respond, and analyze those responses
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