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Do you want to build an email list but are unsure why it is necessary?
Many bloggers and businesses don’t understand the importance of building an email list. Unless they start building an email list.
Most individuals, even though, change their minds after seeing the impact of email lists. That may have on someone else’s traffic and revenues.
Email marketing continues to have the best ROI of any marketing channel. Its return on investment of $40 for every $1 invested. Other channels do not even come anywhere close to these heights.
This guide will explore the top reasons why building an email list is important. Email list best practices, and more.
We will also explain how to start building your email list – step by step.
Email List Building 2023
What Is an Email List?
A collection of email addresses is known as an email list. Subscribers to your email list are individuals who care to hear from you. Including anybody who has subscribed to your newsletter, or blog. Or website as well as any emails obtained in person.
An email list is a list that consists of people’s names and email addresses. The people who have permitted you to send them updates and promotions from your company.
Moreover, it is much more than that for email marketing and sales. According to a well-known marketing quote:
“The money’s in the list.”
It means that your revenue is proportional to how large and quality your email list is.
If you have interested and active email subscribers, they may generate a lot. Your efforts to engage clients will be worthless if your contacts are irrelevant.
Or either the email addresses are inactive, or you don’t have anything at all.
The primary goal of building an email list would be to increase the number of possible leads. That means you can turn them into loyal customers.
Email lists are also known as subscriber lists. It can decrease as members unsubscribe. And increase as you continue to get more and more emails through lead acquisition.
You can use email marketing software to grow your email list and send mass email updates to everyone.
It can be about your blog updates, online store, or other professional services.
Why Building an Email List is Important?
Email marketing is the most popular and important marketing channel for ROI. We can use email marketing for different purposes, and it converts well.
- Within the first hour after delivery, a 21% opened ratio of emails was sent.
- The Return on Investment (ROI) in email marketing is 4200 percent means for every $1 spent, it generates $42.
- For lead generation, 59 percent of B2B marketers prefer email.
- Email converts 40% better than Facebook and Twitter.
- 40% of B2B marketers say that email newsletters are the most important tactics. That they are using for their content marketing strategy.
- Email marketing is most used for lead generation (85%) and sales (84%). Lead nurturing (78%) and customer retention (74%) compared to other marketing tactics.
- Our email list converts 10 times more than social media campaigns in our business.
You have interested email subscribers from what you have offered them. They joined your email list through your website. Also, confirmed their identity by clicking a link (double-opt-in).
As a result, they are more likely to become paying customers.
It can be helpful when you consider the reasons. The reason why email is such an effective communication tool:
1. Email is Private
You may reach a user’s mailbox via email. There seems to be no ranking system that restricts your reach. And it’s also straightforward and personalized.
2. Email is Purposeful
A user signs up for your email list and confirms their email address to get updates from you. Someone doing this much work is willing to know from you, and they are a lot more open to your message.
3. Email Marketing is Targeted
As before stated, the user has expressed an interest in your product or content. Because you already know what they enjoy.
So, you may target them with relevant offers to improve your results. That’s known as segmentation, and we will discuss it further in the post.
4. More People Use Email Many Times Day In Day Out
You’ve heard that Facebook has 1.4 billion users and Twitter has 100 million daily active users. You may not have heard about the large number of individuals who use email daily.
Everyone who uses the internet has at least one email account. According to a recent Radicati study. There are 3.8 billion active email accounts which amount to half of the world’s population.
That’s why every successful business globally has an email list.
World-renowned businesses knew this long ago. That’s why they spend thousands of dollars on social media ads. And encourage people to sign up for their email lists.
They recognize that email marketing is the world’s best long-term investment. That gives the highest return since customers will remain to receive their content at a low price for a longer time.
5. Email is a One-on-One Communication
People can read emails in the privacy of their inboxes, and the message is not accessible via a public timeline or newsfeed. Individuals can ask you questions in private. That leads to the formation of trust and intimacy.
6. You Have Complete Control Over Your Email List
You do not have control over Facebook, Twitter, or Google. When these platforms’ guidelines change, your social media marketing and SEO efforts may hurt and turn ineffective.
On the other side, the policies of other companies would not affect your email list.
Best Practices for Building an Email List
1. Find the Best Email Service Provider
Before we begin, you need to choose the best email marketing tool. You’re confident and proficient in using it, and it can help you build your email list.
It’s one of the most effective list-building tactics, but it will need some preparation on your end.
Your email marketing service provider must offer the following capabilities:
- Different types of signup forms.
- The flexibility to send the signup form to many lists.
- The ability to track and manage the success of each signup form.
- Segment your subscribers' facility depending on their behaviors.
- The ability to automate sending messages depending on certain lists and segments.
- With all that, you'll have everything you need to start building your email list from the ground up.
2. Keep Your Email list healthy
With a healthy email list, you engage individuals who also are aware of you, interested in your brand, and therefore have subscribed to your email newsletter.
Having these types of contacts can deliver qualified leads and good effective email marketing results.
Additionally, even after joining your list, 22.5% of members change their emails every year.
Therefore, regardless of how long and diligently you’ve been collecting emails, you should regularly remove those inactive subscribers.
3. Don't Ever Buy an Email List
Many marketers are seeking for quick strategies to create an email list.
Remember that a free mailing list is not available on the internet. As well as, buying a mailing list is not a good alternative. It is quick, but it’s not appropriate.
It’s an important thing to highlight. And it’s something that many beginner eCommerce marketers overlook. That’s not how you build your email list.
Many unethical individuals would offer you email lists with hundreds on the internet. Or even thousands of “quality” but not quality contacts that are useful for your business.
Well, you already believe they aren’t. You assume at least a few of them are (certainly 2% wouldn’t hurt, right?).
That, yet, is incorrect reasoning.
That’s why:
- If you buy an email list, there might be a higher chance that others will also buy the same email list you bought.
- That email list might be a complete spam trap or include spam traps. Your sender's email and IP address get blacklisted as spam if you send emails to those people.
- Those folks aren't spamming traps. But they aren't great leads for your company, and they consider you spam. Imagine these 100,000 contacts are flagging you as spam. Your sender's credibility is all but nothing.
- Your account gets terminated if your email service provider receives many spam complaints. Your aim of building an email list is in vain.
- You violate the GDPR since those contacts you did not consent to add to your list. You don't have proof of their registration, and you might face legal consequences.
- You'll have to invest some money to get that list and then send your campaign to the people on it. But, instead of sales from your email marketing efforts. Finally, you will experience all the disadvantages mentioned earlier.
Buying an email list is not a best practice. And most professional email marketing service providers consider spam and stop your account.
Also, it cannot be part of any brand’s list-building strategy.
But, if you want to be a pro email marketer, use these right methods for building an email list from the start.
Drive Visitors to Your Website First
To build an email list, first, you must visit your website. In comparison, this guide focuses on converting existing website visitors.
We’ll also go over some tried-and-true ways for bringing that traffic in the first place.
You have a few alternatives for the most part:
1. Use Paid Ads, Most Likely Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads allow you to target your ideal audiences at the right moment and on the right platform.
Yet, certain ads may be quite difficult and expensive. As a result, many eCommerce brands want to use Facebook advertising, which is inexpensive and easy to scale when your requirements and business growth.
You may also read this post to find out more about the most effective eCommerce advertisements.
2. Create an Engaging Piece of Content
Suppose you are creating amazing content that has the potential to go viral. You may then leverage it to generate website visitors. You may also promote and share the same content everywhere you choose.
Including YouTube (if it’s video content), Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others.
All you need to do is make a clear call to action and a link that leads to your website.
It could link to the home page or a specific product or landing page you want your users to visit.
3. Using SEO, Create Quality Content
Another strategy is to develop amazing content on your website constantly. And then wait for Google and other search engines to pick it up.
This strategy will work overtime, giving results in a week, or months. Or some times in a year to see considerable growth in your organic traffic.
But the main benefits are that it is free and platform-independent. That implies that no matter what it takes to Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. And all other media channels and platforms.
You can keep driving visitors to your website.
How to Grow Your Email List Using Email
1. The Underestimated Standard Opt-in Form
You know how to build an email list like most companies. That’s because of using a standard opt-in form on your website.
It is still one of the simplest and most common ways to get email subscribers. Almost every Shopify store will have this opt-in form enabled. Usually near the bottom or center of the screen.
You may disable this as a business owner. But you should only do so if you have yet another signup form enabled.
Most eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce. You should need this opt-in form included in your website design. Instead of having a separate opt-in form, one can add a sticky signup form on the bottom or side of the page.
2. A Surprise Pop-up Form
Although the opt-in form is important, it is also informal. You want your visitors to subscribe to your newsletters.
Additionally, you have no way of knowing if they are already interested in your business. Instead, you should use a pop-up form.
Pop-up forms are dynamic. You can use them to appear at specific times or activities because they effectively offer lead magnets for lead generation.
There are many best opt-in signup forms available that you can use.
There are options to display the pop-up after a particular number of seconds when the user scrolls through a certain percentage of the page or is about to exit (exit-intent), then after the user comes to visit a specific number of pages.
You can try these alternatives, and if you get it perfect. And you’ll see a considerable increase in the number of subscribers that join your email list.
When it comes to building an email list, this is the most popular technique.
Only ensure your pop-up form has a powerful call to action or reward.
3. The Power of Incentives
If you want people to join your email list, you must offer them something in return. Something that would grab their interest.
The most typical incentive to get someone to join your list is to give a discount for a limited time. You can also offer them a deal or special offers for a limited period.
But, do not promise “free updates.” Nobody cares about free updates, and they may even look like spammers.
4. Gamification
To build an email list, you can first engage and attract your visitors. Discounts and deals are not always effective.
It’s a great thing to think out of the box sometimes. In comparison, there are a variety of engaging signup forms. A signup form that is entertaining for visitors and users of eCommerce businesses.
The Wheel of Fortune is a fun wheel that visitors “spin” to win prizes.
The visitor must first sign up for email marketing and communications. Before they actually may spin the wheel.
You may choose whether the reward is a set amount or a percentage discount.
It’s a great move in any case. When a visitor joins, they save money on their buying, and you will get to grow your email list.
5. A Targeted Landing Page
Outside of your home page, you may also start an email list.
While launching advertising and promotion campaigns, you need to focus on funnels. Funnels to generate sales or subscribers.
You may, for example, provide a limited-time, major discount, or a free plus delivery offer.
Direct visitors to a landing page instead of redirecting them to your homepage. Otherwise, they may become confused.
Your landing page will have fewer elements than the shop or product pages, as it’s aimed at high conversions while focusing on a single product.
Your visitors will need to subscribe to your email list to receive that product or offer.
With enough testing, you’ll be able to increase conversions and sales on your landing page. As well as can build your email list and increase the sale.
6. Powerful Lead Magnets
People are often distrustful of new website stores. They are also hesitant to buy anything for the first time.
As a result, the average conversion for many eCommerce websites is only about 3%. That implies that 97 percent of visitors likely leave your store, and many will never return.
To overcome this, you can use a lead magnet that turns your visitors into subscribers at little or no cost to them.
A lead magnet is a quality resource that website visitors desire. It is one of the finest ways to create your email list, and it may be in the form of a PDF guide, eBook, free guide, email course, and so on.
Visitors should sign up for your newsletter/ email campaigns to receive that resource.
7. Giveaways that Work
An excellent strategy that eCommerce businesses should consider is effective giveaways. Particularly on your target audiences that preferred social media channels.
It will almost take place on Facebook or Instagram. Because they are popular and because the advertising expenses are quite low.
Many different businesses have found success using giveaway ideas. And, with an enticing viral offer, your cost-per-click can be as little as one penny.
Remember, as I explained above, with the lead magnet. That is the item you’ll be targeting as giving away to your intended audience.
If you want dog lovers, present something that only dog lovers value. Don’t offer out an iPad or Headphones.
Consider something relevant so that your respondents are also qualified leads. That is the primary goal of the giveaway.
Anyone can manage a giveaway landing page on their website. However, it’s usually better to get a landing page or other software that does this for you.
The landing page builder software like Instapage, HubSpot, Mail Chimp, Omni Send, etc.
8. Referral programs
To build your email list using giveaways, we like to leverage what we’ve already to get what we want.
Referral programs are a great way to do it. It’s a strategy that’s helped Starbucks, and Dropbox. And, also, McDonald’s comes out on top of their respective markets.
Using referral programs, you’re paying your subscribers to spread your offers. Along with their friends, family, and work colleagues, causing your email list to grow.
Although their free techniques to get referrals do not need you to bribe your contacts.
These are some of them:
- You can Include a forward or share option in your newsletters or welcome emails.
- You can also include them at the end of your lead magnets videos, Infographics. Also, templates, PDFs, cheat sheets, and many more.
They all are good at some point, but they might not be tempting enough.
It works great and helps you make new relationships and even potential customers. That is the purpose of it all, as I’ve described.
But strive to provide something useful in exchange for a reference.
9. Offline List Building
As you have seen, you can build your email list and organize it well online on your website. Your landing pages, social media, etc., using email marketing software.
Thus, when needed, leverage the power of and use offline methods for collecting emails.
There are a few examples that you can consider and follow for offline email list building are as follows:
- Print your business cards. Give them to individuals whenever you meet them and describe your business. To your contact list, add the people you've received.
- Take part in trade exhibitions. They have promoted business opportunities for individuals in your industry. Show your brand new product at a related conference, or event and get signups in person. When you return to the office, import these signups into your contact database. And, then, send them a welcome email confirming their subscription to your list.
- If you offer your products offline, ask customers for their emails.
- Enroll and take part in fairs and events. And also, enable a registration list with an opt-in email option at your booth at all times.
- In Meetups, hackathons, and educational panels. Also, in seminars, and conferences, put yourself in front and build your network. Participants are usually more likely to contact you since they experienced your event. Take advantage of the opportunity and collect contact details from participants. And then, send a welcome email to drive sign up.
- Organize meetups to bring together others who share your interests for discussions. For this, use a signup form.
All strategies of list building are fair if they are valid. As a result, if you use offline forms, ensure they include the same legal disclaimers as online forms.
After all, you can automate while certain aspects of offline list-building. You may keep adding these offline email subscribers to your marketing automation software.
Conclusion
The key here is to have a clear growth plan. Also, be consistent in your communications for customer acquisition and customer retention.
A large and quality email list will help you take your prospects further into the buyer’s journey. And then turn them from new subscribers to loyal customers.
That is the primary goal of the whole list-building strategy.
Keep in mind that “the money is on the list.”
