Newsletters are an extremely valuable marketing tool, says Steven Ledgerwood. They increase awareness, help businesses engage customers in a meaningful, relevant manner and generate new revenue. But how can you build your email list in the first place?
Email is a cost-effective communications channel to establish credibility and shorten the sales process, but how can a business encourage new sign-ups?
In today’s environment of full inboxes and marketing communications delivered across multiple apps and devices, it’s no longer enough to add a box on your home page and expect visitors to sign-up for your newsletter.
You have to first create the desire in potential new subscribers to hear from you on a regular basis, and then keep reminding them they can sign up from any marketing and social touchpoint.
Build your email list
To increase your email database and improve engagement with your audience, think outside the sign-up box. Here are 10 tips to entice and attract new subscribers:
- Make your opt-in form more visible. Shout a little louder. Your opt-in box doesn’t have to be relegated to a bottom corner of your home page. Make it obvious. Repeat the form across your site on the most frequently visited pages. Think about whether it stands out enough and, if necessary, use a lightbox or pop-over to draw greater attention to it.
- Why should potential subscribers sign-up? Let people know what will be heading their way – from exclusive sales offers and information about new product launches to invitations for special events. If customers think it’s worth their while, the chances of them signing up will increase considerably – Brand Alley, a ‘flash sale’ fashion retailer does this well.
- Promote something special. If you actively promote a special offer, a giveaway or ‘money off’ coupon, make sure an email sign-up is involved. Promoting this across your social media channels and website will attract a broader audience. Think about the benefits of an exclusive discount only available for new subscribers, or an offer that your customers just couldn’t get anywhere else, as Toys R’ Us did.
- It’s good to share. Make sure your emails to existing customers include share buttons. This will encourage them to share with their network using social sharing and ‘forward to a friend’ buttons. You can also include a link to your sign-up page in every email, so if the email is forwarded, it is easy for a new subscriber to sign up.
- Offer a ‘taster’ of what’s to come. In your sign-up box include an option to see a sample newsletter or a screenshot of the typical email that you would send to your subscribers.
- Propose different options. You can provide potential customers with a variety of different options on how often they hear from you. One option might be a weekly update while another might be special offers only. Let them tell you, then encourage a conversation.
- Don’t ask too much. No-one likes to be grilled for personal information unless it’s absolutely necessary so make sure your sign-up form requires only the bare essentials and keep things simple.
- Provide anti-spam reassurance. Make it clear right from the start that you will only send requested or relevant information and you will never take advantage of their contact details to sell or share their data. This will set a reassuring tone from the beginning.
- Give your previous contacts an opt-back-in option. Although we wouldn’t advocate continuing to mail contacts that are old or stale, sometimes they are worth one last effort. Send an ‘opt-back-in’ email and if you hear nothing, you can definitely remove them from your list.
- Use your blog posts to attract new subscribers. Your blog posts or YouTube videos are often the most creative, thought provoking content that you’ll produce, so make sure a link or a strong call to action is included in content – an approach you can see in action here.
While these tips and tricks should help you grow your subscriber list at a fast pace, don’t forget that personalised, relevant content is king.
Try to get up close and personal with your customers by building your communications strategy based on their preferences and interests. It serves no purpose to have a huge database if your targets don’t engage with your message. Make use of innovative technologies that use smart analytics and predict customer behaviour with the help of machine learning algorithms. Automate all these messages and ensure you reach out to your prospects at the right time and on the right device.
Find out How Toys R Us took its success story online, increasing its conversion rate 45 per cent.
