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1 - Get permission
Obvious I know, but you'll be amazed how many people don't think about it! The first step for this would be to ask your customers and suppliers if they would like to be on there. The next step is to add a subscription box on your website, where visitors can complete a form and send you their e-mail address. You will be amazed at how many of your future customers will sign up for a newsletter (rather than pick up the phone and talk to you), once they have done this you will be able to share knowledge, offers and generally keep in touch with them at the click of a button.
2 - Plan for the long-term
When you add a subscriber's contact details, you should have a regular plan that keeps you in touch with them for as long as possible. This might mean putting together a long-term e-mail marketing strategy to try to get as much customer feedback as possible on what they'd like to see more of on your site. In doing this you will develop trust and cultivate a relationship that lasts.
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3 -Re-confirm your customers
If you already have an in-house e-mail database that has not been used for a while, orl you suspect it may not be that accurate, try sending them a reconfirmation e-mail, where you ask them to subscribe to your new newsletters or e-mails.
Dear Mrs. Smith, we have your contact details on record and would love to send you our monthly newsletter, which is full of advice and offers. Please click on the link below to subscribe if you do not wish to receive this in future.
It is probably worth sending these re-confirmation emails several times to your customers as some won't see your email the first time around. However, if the same people fail to click on the link after several of these emails, unsubscribe them as they are probably no longer interested in receiving your newsletter. An added bonus to re-confirmation emails is viewing which email addresses bounced or are no longer valid. Clean these off your old list and focus on the customers who re-confirmed their subscriptions.
4 -Advertise your newsletter on your website
Placing adverts and sign-up forms on the website is a great way to grow your e-mail marketing list. It stands a good chance that if somebody is looking around your website, that they would be interested in learning about your latest services and offers. But try putting an advert on every page of your website, just in case they arrive by search engine and not direct from your homepage.
5 - Archive your emails
Setting up an email archive is a great way to use Web versions of your newsletters to grab new subscribers. Once customers view your emails, even ones with out-of-date info, they'll be more likely to sign up for your email or newsletters of the future. Use your archive and a sign-up form to grab customers from your archive.
6 - Advertise your newsletters in other email newsletters
Like asking permission, this is an often-overlooked strategy that can generate a large number of email addresses in a short time. If you know of a popular related newsletter, why not offer them some reciprocal promotion or buy an advert in that newsletter with a link to your email sign-up form. Look for high-volume, opt-in newsletters for the best placement.
7 - Gather email addresses when customers make purchases
This strategy works brilliantly when you're customer facing, taking advantage of your shop front, events or online store where you have direct contact with your customers. Include a sign up for your newsletters or sales emails on your order forms. Make sure you tell them them how often they can expect to see your newsletters in their inbox, as well as what the content will be.
8 -Upload your email to a community
An email marketing community is a great place to showcase all your emails and build up your list. Put your emails online in the community and you'll find a brand new audience for all your email and newsletter communications.
9 - Use sales, trade shows and other special events to get subscribers
Try a business card drop, at events or places where you will know there will be lots of potential customers, combining this with the competition to win some of your services is a great way to boost your e-mail marketing list. And don't forget to make sure that you put your collection bowl in a highly visible place and that your customers know they are signing up for your newsletter
10 - Use the forward-to-a-friend option
Put a forward-to-a-friend link in all your emails. If you do your homework and put a sign-up form on every page of your site, includling landing pages, you'll gather email addresses from the people who received the forwarded emails pop up on your subscription lists. People like to trade emails back and forth – it's an easy, fast communication option – so don't write off this feature when you send your campaigns.
ALKALiNE Design and Marketing offers a forward-to-a-friend option in each email you send, and even tracks who received those emails and whether they were opened.
Building a great in-house email list isn't always easy, but the rewards are huge. Follow the tips above to build up your in-house list, cater to your subscribers and boost your sales.
If you are already producing a newsletter and would like somebody to manage this for you (including production and distribution and posted delivery/reporting) Please call us on 0845 467 1074 or contact one of our business Design and Marketing team
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