Your email list can be your biggest asset for digital marketing.
Not only is it cost-effective to market to your email list, it can also produce an incredible ROI.
It’s the best way to stay in touch with your consumers and keep them warmed up — ready to click, share and buy.
That’s why when it comes to your online presence, there should be a focus on consistently growing your email list.
Some people think that means buying a list of email addresses.
Let me tell you this…
There are several ways to create a responsive email list, but trust me, buying a list is not one of them.
This can lead to being blacklisted as a spammer.
The best approach to growing your email list is to have people willingly sign up for it. That way they
agree to receive your emails.
So how do you grow a responsive email list of eager subscribers?
Glad you asked!
Check out these 10 ways to easily build a responsive email list:
1 – Create a Freebie Offer to Exchange For Emails
A free offer is a great way to entice people to hand you their email address. You can’t expect people to give you their valued contact information without offering something of value in return. That means the free offer should appeal to your target audience’s core desires or solve their problems.
Examples of free offers include content (reports, whitepapers, ebooks, podcasts, and videos), coupons, free quotes, free trials, and free consultations.
2 – Create a Free Online Tool or Resource
A free online tool or resource is a great way to provide immediate value to your target audience. It also has the possibility of becoming so popular it goes viral. With a free tool or resource you simply have people sign up with their email addresses so they can use it.
Examples of free tools/resources are Word to PDF Converter, Online Video Editor, and Online Music Studio.
3 – Encourage Your Current Email Subscribers to Share and Forward Your Emails
What better way to get the word out than by having your current email subscribers do it for you! If you’re providing your email list with great, valuable emails they will be more than happy share it with people they know. You can do this by including social sharing buttons and an “Email to a Friend” button in your emails.
Be sure to add a Call-to-action to sign up for your email list, so that people receiving the forwarded emails can easily opt-in too.
4 – Promote an Online Contest
Having an online contest is a fun way to engage your target audience. With enticing prizes you can
motivate lots of people to participate in your contest. Contestants will be required to provide their email address when entering your contest.
Be sure to promote your online contest on social media platforms. That way the word about your contest spreads, and others share it with their social circles.
5 – Promote Email Sign-Up On Social Media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have made it easier for you to do lead generation. For example, on Facebook, you can promote an offer on your timeline that takes people to a landing page with an email sign up form.
Also, don’t forget about YouTube! You can leverage your company’s YouTube channel to grow your email list. Add calls-to-action in your videos to encourage people to subscribe to your list, and include links to relevant landing pages in your video text descriptions.
6 – Link to Offers That Capture Emails Throughout Your Website
You never know where a web visitor might land on your website. That’s why it’s important you have links to offers throughout your website so people can easily find them, and sign up with their email address.
Keep your offers upfront and visible. You should include calls-to-action on just about every page on your website. Key places to add links are your website’s homepage, main blog page, “About Us” page, and “Contact Us” page.
7 – Take Advantage of Opt-In Tools on Your Website
There are several opt-in tools you can use with your website to get people to sign up for your email list.
Some tools allow you to create opt-in forms that appear at the crucial point when a visitor is about to
leave. Other tools have your opt-in forms appear on a page when a visitor scrolls a certain percentage down the page.
The beauty of these tools is that most come with analytics so you can track the conversion rates of your opt-in forms. This comes in handy for A/B split-testing so you can maximize your results.
8 – When Creating Content For Guest Blogging Include Links to Your Email Sign Up
Guest blogging is a great way to get your content in front of an established audience. The key is to find websites that have a big audience which is similar to your target audience.
The next step is to write a relevant blog post that includes calls-to-action and links to your email sign up form. You can also add links in your author byline.
9 – Run a Promotion on a Partner Website or Email Newsletter
This is an opportunity where you can leverage someone else’s website traffic or email list. If you find the right partner, this is a very quick way to grow your email list. The great thing is, trust is already built into your marketing because people will have been referred by a trustworthy source.
You can find partners to promote you through your business connections, offering an equal trade to a website publisher, or offering to pay for a promotion.
10 – Host an Online Webinar
Informative webinars are a great resource for your target audience. It gives them an opportunity to speak with you, ask questions, and learn more about your business. But just as important, it gives you a chance to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience.
To grow your email list with a webinar, simply direct people to a landing page where they will need to provide their email address to register.
Conclusion
If you implement just one of these strategies you’ll start to see some results. But if you want to get the best results then implement as much as possible from this list. Pretty soon you’ll have your own big email list as an asset for your business.