You can have the social media presence of a Kardashian, but if Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram disappeared tomorrow, would you still have a dedicated following? Unlike your Facebook account, your email list is actually yours.
Email lists are one of the most effective tools in your marketing war chest. According to Hubspot:
- 73% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement in 2023
- 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers
- Email marketing revenue is estimated to reach $12.3 billion by the end of 2024
If you want to get in on the action, here are nine ways to help boost your email list…
1. Offer a Special Discount or Freebie
Offering something of value in exchange for an email address is the easiest, most effective way to get more subscribers. Here are a few things you can provide for free:
- Ebooks
- Templates
- Case studies or white papers
- Checklists
- DIY spreadsheet
- 20% off your first purchase (not free, but you get the picture).
- Etc. etc. etc.
Personally, I will always recommend an ebook, but that’s just the creative writer in me. If you’re interested, let’s talk about that.
These offers usually appear on your home page or a landing page. However, there’s no rule saying these offers must stay there.
If you’re writing a blog post that requires a unique template or spreadsheet, offer it to your readers. If you’re writing a post highlighting one of your products, include a promo code in exchange for subscribing.
2. Start a Marketing Campaign
Offer someone of value to your audience for free, and create a marketing campaign by doing the following:
- Create a headline clearly stating the need you’re fulfilling via a free offer.
- Write a post about the freebie, putting an opt-in form at the top to download your offer.
- Clearly define the terms and conditions just below the link and another link to share the post.
- Ask your audience to leave a comment on the post. To keep it simple, suggest something for them, like, “Thank you for the offer!”
- Contact your current list of clients and influencers and ask them to share your post. It doesn’t hurt to offer them something in return.
- Publish the post everywhere.
- Respond to everyone who followed directions and commented on the post. This will help build organic traffic.
- Boost this post and continually drive traffic by linking to it weekly.
- At the end of the week, send personalized messages thanking all your new subscribers.
- Create a survey asking what content they’d like to see in the future and asking for a testimonial.
3. Email Push Notifications
Do you notice this small box in the top left corner of your screen when you go to a new site? Clicking the “Allow” button enables that site to activate push notifications.
You can create multiple types of push notifications. By activating a smart code in the head tag of your web page, you can automatically add them to your email list. When visitors click “allow,” they get added to your email list.
4. Highlight Your Benefits
Instead of discounts or freebies, list the benefits your customers will get for subscribing. Some of these may include:
- Advanced look at some of your products
- Instant access to a webinar
- Discounts on your birthday or subscription anniversary.
- Free 1-on-1 consultation
- Access to your monthly newsletter, which includes ________
As you can tell, there are many ways to highlight your offerings. Think about what your audience might be interested in, and go from there.
5. Use Social Platforms
There’s no rule that your target audience must read a blog post to receive a free download offer. All you need is a link to a landing page for someone to subscribe and receive your awesome offer.
- Make Instagram stories
- Post eye-catching charts on Facebook
- Pin it!
- Tweet it!
- Create a YouTube or TikTok video showcasing your product or service.
- Do all the things!
6. Make Your Subscription an Interactive Experience
88% of marketers say interactive content differentiates them from their competitors. It also generates twice as many conversions as passive content.
Take a page from Buzzfeed and turn the subscription into a brand-related quiz. Then, suggest another quiz or offer a discount as a gift for subscribing.
Also, never underestimate the power of a prize wheel. Ask your audience to subscribe in exchange for a spin.
7. Make Getting On Your Email List Easy
When you visit a website covered in links and sidebars, it’s a real turnoff. Confusing navigation hurts the eye and increases bounce rates.
A confusing signup page does the same.
Make subscribing an easy experience, just for a first name (for personalization purposes) and an email address. That’s all you need! The more information you require, the less likely you will get a new subscriber.
Bonus: Use Pretext
Email has evolved. Your message needs to do the same.
If you use Gmail or Outlook, you can see more than just the subject line of an email. You can also see the start of the email or “pretext.”
This extra space can be advantageous if you’ve mastered the art of hooking your audience right away.
With more space comes more opportunity. Don’t waste it!
You’ll build a strong email list in no time by using some or all of these strategies!
For more content advice, shoot me a message.