Tips for Building Your Opt-In List
E-marketing is one of the most effective online marketing tactics a small business can use, and it becomes even more powerful when new contacts are regularly added so the email list continues to grow. But other than adding an e-newsletter signup form on a web site, how can small businesses get more people to opt in to their email lists?
Offer Something of Value
One very effective way to grow your email list is to offer your customers and web site visitors something of value in exchange for their email address. To get started, think of a few items that would be valuable give-aways, then build marketing campaigns around those offers. For instance:
- Have a monthly drawing to give away a free product or a gift certificate, and gather email addresses for this in a fishbowl at your place of business.
- Add a special “offer” to your home page that gives visitors a free report, e-book, or whitepaper but requires them to enter their email address in order to download the piece.
- Implement a direct mail postcard campaign with an offer redeemable at your web site. Have recipients go to your site and enter their email address to claim their report, money-saving coupon, discount, etc.
- Start a social marketing campaign announcing a special deal, then provide a link to your web site and ask for an email address to claim the offer.
- For online forms or web downloads, always make the email address a required field.
Make the Most of Special Events
Special events and networking functions are great venues for capturing email addresses, as long as you remember to ask permission before adding your new contacts to your email list.
- For events that you attend, gather business cards at each one (seminars, industry training, Chamber events, etc.). Then in your follow up emails (“It was nice to meet you at such and such…”), be sure to ask if they would like to be added to your email list.
- For events that you present or sponsor like seminars, training, or anything that would require an RSVP or registration, ask attendees to use their email address in order to register or reserve their spot.
In Your Everyday Routine
There are also some things you can be doing as part of your normal routine in your business, such as:
- When customers call your business, be sure to ask if they would like to receive your e-newsletter, then ask for their email address.
- If you have an online checkout system, make sure email addresses are required.
- Add a spot on your client intake forms, customer profiles, or member applications (depending on your business) where customers can add their email addresses.
- Make sure your existing customers have an email address on file; if they don’t, make sure you get an email address as you update your records each year.
- Add an email signup form to all of your social profiles. Facebook allows you to do this with a custom application, but you can also provide a link to the email signup form on your web site in your other social profiles.
Remember, one of the main goals of email marketing is to encourage people to visit your web site where they can DO something; whether it’s to download something of value, register for an event, claim a prize, or find more information and details about your business, all of which contributes to a positive impression and experience for visitors.
When visitors feel good about your company, they are more likely to forward your information or recommend your site to others, creating more opportunities for new visitors to join your email list and keep it growing for your business for a very long time.
