The first step to any small business email marketing strategy is building an email list. Email is one of the most reliable marketing strategies. It’s easy, it’s low-cost, and it can have a huge impact and return on investment if done right. Any kind of small business can benefit from an email marketing strategy.
But before you can start sending emails, you need to have a list of people to send emails to. Not only that, but this list needs to be genuinely interested in your business and what you offer. This is because your goal of email marketing is to turn your email prospects into customers.
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the best strategies you can take to build an email list.
How Do I Create an Email List?
You need to create a mailing list in order to send out newsletters and email marketing blasts. To do this, you will need to start with a lead generation form. This is an online form that captures people’s email addresses, names, and any other information they input. This information is then stored in your Email marketing service, where you can add it to a mailing list.
Here are a few of the best strategies you can take to inspire people to leave their email addresses.
Offer Something Valuable
The most common way to build an email list is to offer some kind of gated content or special offer that your audience would be interested in. This could be access to an ebook, a free tool, a video, a podcast, or anything else that can be accessed by filling in a form.
You could also simply advertise your newsletter, but promote it by highlighting the value it will offer your subscribers. People need to know that they’re getting something in return for handing over their information.
Host a Live Event
Live webinars are a great way to create an email list. Get people to sign up on a landing page, where they add their email addresses. You send them a registration link to the event and capture their email address at the same time.
You can host events on a platform like Zoom, where you speak about a topic that will interest your audience.
Run a Giveaway
Offer your products or services as a prize for a giveaway. Everyone who enters the giveaway needs to add their email address, which you can use to build an email address. This is effective because you know that everyone who enters will be interested in what your business has to offer. This will result in more effective email marketing campaigns.
Offer a Discount
A great way to build an email list is to offer a discount, like a 10% off coupon, to anyone who leaves their email address. You capture their email address and send them the discount code. Not only does this result in a new email subscriber, but it will also lead to a new sale.
Offer Free Quotes
If you run a service business, you can ask prospective customers to fill out a form in return for a free quote. After this, you can add the prospect to your email list. This is also effective because people with a quote will be more likely to book your services.
How Do I Make an Email List for Free?
The most important thing about creating an email list is that you must never pay for email addresses. This will harm your email marketing campaigns, and will likely result in your account being flagged as spam.
All of the strategies above are free to implement, and they are effective ways to generate an email list online.
What is the Best Way to Create a Mailing List?
The best way to create a mailing list is to offer something that interests and adds value to your audience. This will help you organically create an email list that is genuinely interested in what your business has to offer. Rather have a smaller, engaged email list than a large and uninterested email list.
To do this, understand what your audience is interested in and what their pain points are. Then, offer something of value to them in exchange for their email address.
Building an email list is actually pretty easy. Do it right, and email marketing could be one of the best investments for your business. The best part is that most of these strategies don’t take any effort once they have been created. Simply set them up, and watch as your email list starts to grow.
