Marketing to a permission-based email list is a proven, cost-effective way to increase revenue and improve customer loyalty. How do you grow your own email opt-ins list? Here are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind from the minute you start building your list.
DO: Leverage Marketing Programs you already have
No one can opt in to receive emails if they don’t know you have information to share. Include a line in your emails that links to the sign-up page on your website. You can also bring a computer to tradeshows and ask visitors to your booth to sign-up for your emails. Remember to keep sign-up cards at your location so you can make your customers aware of your mailing list and have them sign up there.
DO: Make it Easy to Opt In
Once people are on your website, make it easy to opt-in by having a link on the homepage to subscribe to the mailing list. Signing up should take as little time as possible, so don’t ask for too much information at this point. Only ask for the basics, such as full name, email address and birthday.
DO: Consider the 4 Cs
Clear. Concise. Compelling. Customer-centric. When you write an email, put yourself in the reader’s shoes. Ask yourself how valuable this email is and why someone would want to read it. Your readers are not opting in because they want to hear a sales pitch. They want to save time, money and effort. They also want to improve productivity and success. Your message must be compelling enough to convince, be valuable and useful.
DON’T: Offer Fabulous Prizes for Signing Up
While this might seem like a good idea at first, you’ll end up with subscribers who are just in it to win a prize. Your prize should be the useful information you provide so offer them a newsletter or more information about your products & services instead. If they stick around long enough, give them a coupon or a discount on their next purchase to show them that they are a valuable customer.
DON’T: Spam Your Subscribers with too Many Emails
How much is too much? Let people know what they’re in for before they hit the submit button. After they’ve had time to digest the information, poll a sample from your list, and ask them what is the right number of emails. Otherwise you’ll find out the hard way through an unsubscribe request.
DON’T: Spend Too Much Money Acquiring Names
An email opt-ins list is a valuable asset and that means an investment on your part to build and maintain it. But budget appropriately and ahead of time, find the most cost-effective ways to reach your target audience and know how much each name will cost. Keep in mind potential revenue, lifetime value of each customer, and choose accordingly.
What do you think are some of the important do’s and don’ts to follow when expanding your email opt-in list? Let me know in the comments below.
