Direct marketing has a long history. From Aaron Montgomery Ward starting a mail-order business all the way back in 1872 to Richard Warren Sears (Recognise that surname?) mailing flyers and catalogues to over 300,000 addresses, direct marketing is a proven and effective way to get your message out there.
The arrival of the internet was a revelation in the direct marketing game. Much like mail before it, email marketing is a direct line to subscribers, and compared to social media, it has the distinct advantage of there being no noise or clutter of other posts, likes, or comments around it to distract from your message. According to marketing reports, 78% of all businesses place email marketing in the top 3 ROI-generating marketing channels.
Of course, you can’t send emails about your incredible products if you don’t have anyone to send them to. For this, you need an email list- a collection of email addresses from people who have opted in to receive marketing messages from your brand.
Growing your email list gives you a huge range of options – you can introduce new subscribers to your brand, send out newsletters about new products and services, recoup abandoned shopping sessions on your site with abandoned shopping cart emails, and re-engage past customers with a win-back email series. So, without further ado, here are five ways to grow your email list.
1. Incentivise!
One of the easiest ways to get people to sign up for your emails is to offer them something in exchange. This can be anything – a free item, promotional merchandise, an invitation to a special event, or the classic discount code for their next order.
Incentivising signups like this also has the benefit of encouraging word of mouth – people joyfully bragging about their reward to friends and family will provide free positive buzz for your business and encourage them to sign up as well, perpetuating the cycle.
2. Create Some Competition!
Competitions are a great way to build your email list quickly. Pick a prize, or range of prizes, then require users to sign up with their email address for a chance to win. For a double whammy, offer a smaller incentive, such as a discount code, just for signing up to get people salivating for the real prize.
3. Make It Easy!
This one might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many sites we’ve seen where signing up requires jumping through a whole lot of hoops. It’s important to have a signup form on your contact page since that is where people will typically look for it but don’t overlook the idea of having one on your home page too. You’ll get great results without risking losing potential signups by requiring them to navigate to another page.
It’s also important to look at device compatibility! Work with an expert web developer to ensure your website can be navigated and viewed properly across mobiles, tablets, and PCs. If you’re limiting your number of viewers, you’re limiting the number of potential email signups.
4. Don’t be dodgy!
It’s both illegal and bad practice to purchase contact lists for email marketing. A purchased list means you’re not getting people who chose to hear from you, which translates to low deliverability and engagement. It’s also likely to land you in spam filters and on block lists.
5. Spread It On Socials!
While direct email marketing is very different from social media marketing, the two do work together exceptionally well. Adding a subscription form to your social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) gives viewers who are intrigued by your content a place to go for more information.
You can also add opt-in options in feedback surveys and event registration forms, which has the advantage of not requiring users to type out their email address again – they’ve already written it, so all they need to do is check a box to hand you a potential lead.
What’s The Next Step?
Having a huge email list is a great start, but it’s still only a start. At 3 Phase Marketing, we’re experts in all forms of digital marketing, including electronic direct mail (Known in the industry as EDMs.) Not only will we create and send your EDMs, but we’ll also analyse their metrics and turn them into real improvements.
Speak to our expert team today to learn how we can help you make the most of email marketing.
