Building an Opt-In Email List
When done properly, email marketing is one of the most cost effective forms of marketing you could possibly engage in. That said, you can't market through email if you don't have a list of opt-in subscribers to your mailings!
There are many ways to build a list. The first thing you must keep in mind is that it's critical you follow best practices at all steps. It might seem tempting to just dump your Outlook contact list into your email-marketing list. However, it won't seem like such a good idea when you have irate prospects yelling at you and your emails start disappearing before they reach your clients.
It's important to view building a list as a long-term process — something you do a little bit at a time. You may start small but your list will eventually become a huge asset. Be patient, because the truth is that it may well take some time to build a decent sized list.
Also, before you start building your list, make sure you are clear what the value is that you will be delivering to your subscribers. If you can't explain why they'd want to receive your emails it's unlikely anyone will sign up for them. Make sure you understand your audience and are sending them something they will appreciate. Keep the "sales pitch" subtle and instead focus on delivering value. Some areas to focus on include:
- Exclusive content in a subject area.
- Tips or industry insights that helps readers do their jobs better.
- Case studies or interesting commentary on current industry issues.
Likely the first place to start building your list is to send an invitation to your existing contact list. If your existing contact list is relatively small you can just send individual personal invitations. However, if you have hundreds of contacts you might want to use our strategy for "Sending a Personalized Mail Merge" to your contacts.
The next obvious way to start building a list is to give a sign-up option on your site or blog. Read our "Sending HTML Email" article to find out about some cost effective email services that make sign-up forms very straightforward to implement. Also, as mentioned above, you absolutely need to offer a clear, compelling reason why visitors should subscribe if you hope to get anyone signing up.
Possibly the simplest but least-utilized strategy is simply to ASK everyone you meet in a business context if you can add them to your list. Most people you meet personally will be happy to receive your mail, as long as the content is relevant to them.
Another great way to get signups is to include a "call to action" in the signature of every email that goes out with a link to sign up (i.e. "Sign up for the John Smith Landscapes Photography newsletter with exclusive content and tips on finding just the right shots for your project.") Likewise, if you comment on blogs or participate in online groups, be sure to include your signature. Be sure you only submit comments where you can add value to a conversation, and never simply post a comment just to get your link posted.
Once you've got a list started, a great way to get additional subscribers is to include a "forward to a friend" linkin your newsletter. While many readers will do this of their own volition, you will definitely get more forwarded emails and new subscribers by including by explicitly including a line that says "If you enjoyed this email, please forward it to a friend."
Follow these steps and take a diligent, permission-based approach to list building, and you'll soon have a valuable marketing channel that's all your won.
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