2016 is now well underway and while many people are struggling with their personal New Year’s resolutions, there’s no reason why your business has to give up on its marketing objectives.
And with 2016 being touted as the year email marketing makes a comeback, we’ve dedicated this post to helping your business increase the size of its email database.
Why?
Because an increased email database can vastly improve the opportunities your company has to connect with its audience, both new and old, who may just become customers.
These are our tips to help you stick to your resolutions and build your email list.
The great giveaway
People love getting something for free. The promise of an eBook, magazine or exclusive prizes makes people much less wary of giving you their email address – the rewards are just too tempting.
Whatever you choose, it’s important to offer relevant content. For instance, an high-end fashion store is probably not best placed to offer a white paper on gardening advice.
If you have the resources, see if you can go above and beyond offering a simple downloadable PDF and create something unique, such as an interactive magazine featuring engaging and entertaining content. Or why not try something even more special, like creating a podcast relating to your business? Just be sure that it portrays the brand in a desirable way, as well as offering as a true reward for the consumer.
Create a strong call to action
Call to action buttons are everywhere, and despite clicking on them hundreds of times, most people are not sure what they are. Let us explain: they’re simple commands, such as Add to Cart or Sign Up Now – but the difference they can make to your business is not to be underestimated. A strong call to action will give visitors a friendly nudge when they’re not sure what to do next.
While a call to action might just take the format of plain text, it could be a more decorated and tempting choice. For example, a hyperlink is technically a call to action, but a button that matches the colour scheme of your website might be more attractive to sign up. Include unique text, such as Stay in Touch or Receive [company name] News in your Inbox, so it’s clear exactly what you want them to do.
Trade email addresses for exclusive offers
Fear of missing out is one of the best ways to ensure people trust you with their email address. Explain that visitors to your site will miss out on exclusive discounts or freebies if they don’t sign up to your list. What’s more, if the emails are interesting and engaging, they’ll act as a reason for people to stay subscribed, as they won’t want to miss your content or future savings!
Use social media to capture details
Social media has many uses and can easily be used in isolation. However, we’d recommend tying it in with your other marketing activity. Not only can you use it to drive traffic to your data capture forms, but you could use it to run competitions, where people submit their email addresses in return for an entry. If you’re looking for advanced options, Facebook and Twitter now offer Lead Generation advertising tools too, so you can encourage people to sign up without leaving the network.
Best practice for your pop-ups
In the same way that a YouTube ad only has couple of seconds to grab your attention, your pop-up forms should quickly hook your visitors with something that makes them want to share their email address. In fact, as a rule, you should keep it simple. The message on the pop-up should clearly explain what the benefits of signing up are, for instance. Make sure that the only text on the pop-up asks them to sign up to your list, with a clear call to action button. That way, there are few things to distract visitors from signing up.
You could even A/B test when the pop-up window appears on user’s screens, whether it be a few minutes in, a certain distance down the page, or when they are showing signs of leaving (when he mouse hovers near the top of the page). If a trend emerges, you’ve found the best place for your pop-up!
So there it is: five fantastic ways to grow your email list in 2016. Let us know if you have any tips that have helped to grow your list – we’d love to hear your experiences.