For every $1 spent on email marketing, you can expect an ROI of $36. With such a high ROI, this means you need to start building your email list immediately.
Email marketing isn’t dead – in fact, it’s the one thing you have total control over. Using email marketing correctly includes building a contact list of subscribers. While this might take some time, it shouldn’t be ignored. Let’s dive deeper into why this is so important and tips on how to build up contacts from scratch.
Why is an email list important?
To start, it’s a list of names and emails of subscribers who give you permission to send them promotions and updates to their inboxes. Email marketing is a way to reach your customers more directly compared to posting on social media and hoping that a potential customer will see your post.
Building a contact list should be a priority, especially if you are just starting out your business. Let’s focus on the why. So, why is an email list important? The answer is simple – it can boost your net income or the bottom line of the business.
According to McKinsey, “email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter.” Whether you are an affiliate marketer, selling specific products and services, or a blogger and influencer, you need to start building up contacts. It is the easiest and most effective way to reach your customers and keep them engaged in your business.
Why you should build an email list
The potential of getting higher click-through rates is 6x more likely through emails than tweets. Maximizing your ability to reach customers is important and since email marketing has proven to be a successful way to do that, you need to take advantage of this marketing medium stat.
Here are some reasons as to why you should build an email list:
Emails are personal
Customers love feeling important. A simple thing such as addressing the email with the customer’s name will go a long way in making them feel special. Additionally, they’ll receive your messages straight into their inbox which is a direct way for you to talk to them and a way to connect with them personally than through a post you shared on public platforms.
Returning customers and paying customers
You can use your emails to lure your customers back to your website. Building up a verified list means that those people have opted to receive communication from you and are interested in what your business is up to. Sending regular communications with promotions and other updates will entice your customers to come back and even get them to purchase products or services especially during sales and promotions.
Emails build trust
Think about the privacy of emails. These messages are just between you and the customer and therefore a great way to build trust with your customer base. They are able to respond and ask questions privately without the whole world seeing the interaction.
You have complete control
Do you remember the complete and total shutdown of Facebook last year? It wasn’t for long but some businesses that focused solely on social media marketing scrambled! As marketers, we know not to put all of our eggs in one basket. And for good reason.
The contact list you build is yours to own and yours to control. You can choose what you want to do with it and what and how you want the message to be. The data is also yours to have and you don’t have to follow guidelines or other rules that could be set by other marketing mediums. It’s the one thing you have control over, so take advantage of that!
Reach a large number of customers
One of the biggest advantages of emails is the audience you can reach. As you build your contacts, you can send out customized mass emails to your whole list all at once. This means that the potential for gaining traction to your website becomes higher with each message and you don’t have to spend too much time sending out your messages and updates to your customers.
It’s Targeted
As your list gets bigger, you will likely need to start segmenting them to target the audience accordingly. This is a great benefit because you will tailor your messages and updates on products based on what your audience likes, which will make them more likely to stay engaged and want to visit your website to browse their interests.
Make more money
The average ROI on email marketing is 4300%. With such a great ROI using a relatively inexpensive marketing medium, why wouldn’t you build one and create a verified subscriber base?
Your subscribers are genuinely interested in what you have to offer, therefore they will most likely give you money for your offerings. Being able to give people interested in your business a chance to subscribe and be a part of the business gives you the opportunity to make more money and grow your customer base. It’s a win-win all around.
How to Build an email list from scratch
The thought of building something from scratch can seem a bit daunting – but it doesn’t have to be! Follow the right strategy and you will have loyal customers subscribing to your database in no time. Here are some tips on how to capture contacts from scratch:
Design a pop-up for customers to opt-in
Pop-ups are not necessarily as annoying as you might think. If your potential customer has been on your website for a certain amount of time, you can have a small pop-side that slides out from one side of the website for them to opt-in to receiving communications from you.
If designed properly, it won’t necessarily disrupt their browsing experience and it will also make them put in their information to continue the engagement. Having relevant information regarding that consumer’s behavior or even including a welcome discount can get your customer to fully commit.
Create a CTA on each landing page
This is especially important on blog pages. To attract your customers, you need to provide them with the resources they would want. According to HubSpot, “Personalized calls-to-action have a 42% higher view-to-submission rate than calls-to-action that are the same for all visitors” One of the ways to do this is to allow for your customers to download relevant toolkits and articles by sharing their information. Try to personalize the call to action on each page so it’s relevant to the customer browsing that page.
Choose the right emailing platform
Not all email-marketing platforms are the same. You need to find the right one for your business that caters to your style and requirements. As you build up your contacts you want to look into automation, segmenting, scheduling, and overall design. Find a platform that includes all the features you want to stick with for years to come. Over time, even the features that might make sense for a small list will come in handy as your list grows.
Leverage social media platforms
Use your business’ social media platforms to encourage customers to sign up. Allow for your followers to be able to sign up through social media – whether that means creating a landing page for them to sign up on or running a social media campaign to get more eyes on the opt-in form. Promoting your newsletter via social media is a great way to generate leads and take your customers to your website.
Host a giveaway or a contest
Giveaways are the quickest and easiest way to get people to subscribe. While this might not necessarily include loyal customers, you will get people to sign up and have the potential to keep customers that might not hear about your business otherwise. Everyone loves the opportunity to win a contest or get a few freebies, so this approach will definitely get you a healthy amount of subscribers right off the bat.
Reach out to your contacts
It’s never a bad idea to get support from your close circle of family and friends! Send your campaign to your contacts and ask them to opt-in to help you with your list. You can give them a few incentives and explain to them what you are doing and why it’s important. Additionally, you can also encourage them to share your business on their platform to generate awareness.
Create a referral or loyalty program
People love a referral or loyalty program where they have a way of earning points and perks. If you can find a way to provide more value, you will give people a reason to share your business with their circle.
Additionally, when people hear about businesses through word of mouth, they will most likely want to check it out, making this a pretty impactful way to reach more customers. In time, these subscribers will become loyal customers who will continue to want to help grow your business.
Email lists generate ROI and loyalty
As Neil Patel said, “Out of all the channels I tested as a marketer, email continually outperforms most of them. Not only does it have a high conversion rate, but as you build up your list you can continually monetize it by pitching multiple products.”
Contact lists are personal and will build customer loyalty over time. People love feeling like they are prioritized and that a company cares for them and an email list is a great way for your business to start attracting customers.
Not sure where to begin? Book a call with us today so we can discuss your needs directly.
